Chuck Prophet – ‘Strings In The Temple’ – Temple Beautiful With Strings (Yep Roc)

Chuck Prophet – ‘Strings In The Temple’ – Temple Beautiful With Strings (Yep Roc)

“If you’re to believe what you read, today’s San Francisco is under siege by predatory tech nerds and drones, plutocrats, wiz kids and opportunistic real estate developers. People have reacted in different ways to this onslaught. The Occupy Movement for one. You may have heard of people laying down in front of google buses in protest or smashing google glasses on the sidewalk.

There’s also the path of art… In 2012, I released Temple Beautiful – an open love letter to San Francisco and its history and characters. After two years of performing the songs across the U.S and the globe, in late 2013, my band and I delivered the 12 song cycle Temple Beautiful with a string octet (scored and conducted by Brad Jones) in our hometown of San Francisco.

We had one chance to get it right. And this film is a document of the twists and turns in the road that brought us to that one-night-only sold-out performance at the Great American Music Hall (Itself a former bordello and a deco SF institution).

The songs performed that night include characters like Willie Mays, martyred supervisor Harvey Milk, Cain & Abel porn kings Jim & Artie Mitchell, mythic oddball “Red Man,” preacher/Svengali Jim Jones, politician-turned assassin Dan White, and Emperor Norton, with cameos by Laffing Sal, Carol Doda, Bill Graham, and Fatty Arbuckle. Locations also play a key role, including the Castro and Mission Districts. One song is devoted to the White Night Riots, sparked by the light sentence received by the assassination of Milk and Mayor Moscone.

Some will have you believe that technology is the new culture. Then again, how can technology equate culture? Can Rock and Roll build community? Can songs connect people to the world? These are the questions explored in Strings In The Temple.”

– Chuck Prophet

That’s the background sorted and with a new imminent studio album, ‘The Land Time Forgot’ (review very soon) the former Green on Red man is still the hot ticket and as productive as ever making music that relevant and above all bloody good. Yep Roc has made available as a digital download this epic and quite beautiful performance containing some exquisite songs and overall performance. Chuck is one of those rare talents that never turned in a bad record.  Sure some are a class apart like ‘Brother Aldo’ from his solo offerings or ‘Here Comes The Snakes’ from the old band but this is an accompanying piece for the album ‘Proper’ and with bells and whistles or should that be with strings and bells?

The title track is a honky tonkin’ Rock and Roll thing of beauty from the dirty slide guitar to the T rextasy strings and the handclaps and xylophone makes it something really special and sounds like the best of times being had by everyone and the fiddle players are really taking this home and from the generous round of applause, this audience is really witnessing something special.  In direct contrast, a pin could be heard dropping on ‘Museum Of Broken Hearts’.

 

You get to appreciate just what a talent Prophet is on records like this as he turns his hand to several styles yet always maintains the Chuck Prophet vibe and whoever rallied the troops and did the arrangments here has really elevated this set to the next level.  ‘White Night Big City’ is a cocky strut and can only be outdone by the impeccable cover of ‘Shake Some Action’ who’d have thought such an awesome Rock and Roll track would sound so cool with strings holding down the lead. Genius!

To wrap this bad boy up the softly sung balladeer that is Chuck Prophet leaves us with ‘No Other Love’ and I get lost in the moment as the strings wrap themselves around the slide guitar as Chuck hushes his lyrics the listener’s way and its not a tear in my eye just a spec of dust, honest. All that is left is the audience to give a huge round of applause before the record is done.  Simply brilliant stuff and now I can’t wait for the new studio album which is coming so very very soon.  Ladies and gentlemen get yerself some Chuck Prophet and do it now! You don’t need to take my word for it because Yup Roc has made the performance available on youtube (check it out below)

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Author: Dom Daley

Nick Marsh – ‘Waltzing Bones’ (Bellissima Records)

Nick Marsh – ‘Waltzing Bones’ (Bellissima Records)

Nick Marsh was known best as founding member of ’80s Goth Rockers Flesh for Lulu, singing lead vocals and playing guitar on hits like ‘I Go Crazy’ and ‘Postcards from Paradise’. He was also a vital ingredient in the Urban Voodoo Machine’s “bourbon-soaked gypsy blues”, Perhaps the perfect foil for Frontmany Paul-Ronny Angel his cool smoldering guitar licks added a fine blend of quality and panache. Sadly, all that had gone before was brought crashing to a halt as Nick battled with illness. Tragically Nick died of cancer in 2015, He left the world this celebrated musical legacy and in 2010 he released the dark classic record that was ‘A Universe Between Us’, his much-loved solo debut.

Now a decade later we get the treat that is ‘Waltzing Bones’. Produced and co-arranged by his partner and musical collaborator Katharine Blake (Mediaeval Baebes and Miranda Sex Garden), the album includes tracks that were fully formed before Nick’s death as well as some that Katharine crafted around Nick’s vocals and his core melodies in a way she believes he would have liked.

The album features her vocal and instrumental contributions, as well as those of a stellar cast of some of the finest friends and musicians including David Ryder Prangley (Rachel Stamp), Ray Hanson (Thee Hypnotics), Nick Reynolds (Alabama 3), Paul-Ronney Angel (The Urban Voodoo Machine), Jim Jones (The Jim Jones Review and Thee Hypnotics), Clifford Slapper (Bowie Songs One) and Charlie Cawood (Mediaeval Baebes).

Waltzing Bones is eleven songs that soundtrack the late nights from the opening ‘Masquerade’  with its spiraling piano rolls on the intro its a perfect Nick Marsh track that’s painting landscapes with his softly hushed lyrics.  Like a fine accompanying red wine, it’s a faint hint of the smoldering ashtray as the skies break and a clear twinkling of stars smile in the black night,  it’s a beautiful opener that’s for sure. Real hair on the back of one’s neck stood to attention moment.

That panoramic widescreen feel was always one of Marsh’s fortes and even on the Hits, there was a grande world view like a chic Cannes flick as opposed to a popcorn Westend multiplex vibe it’s always been sophisticated subtitled black and white or sepia tones.

Blakes soaring vocals are the perfect foil for Marsh’s hushed style is a wonderful thing on ‘Gotta Run’.  It’s sometimes a worry when a recording is posthumously released but this is a joy, a real pleasure the wheeze box and horns of ‘Somma Ma Friends’ and its Jazzy vibe remind me of some of Daniel Ash’s work but I’d rather have some vocals if I’m honest.  The western desert-like feel of ‘Temptation’ is a chance for Marsh to pull off his best Barroom croon.  ‘The Day It Rained Forever’ could have fallen off the Suicide Twins Album or a lost Tom Waits album minus the bourbon-soaked piano top.  In contrast, the guitar amps are turned up to Bolan Boogie levels for ‘Crazy Eyes’.

‘Spider Woman’ is more of that old jazz then the ‘Shiny Void’ is an epic six-minute nylon strung and hushed soundscapes kinda’ tune. Which only leaves the title track to sign of this marvelous piece of work.  I don’t think Marsh ever made a bad record and I’m sure he’d be proud to have this released in his name at time beautiful, often tinged with sadness but always exceptional. Thanks to all involved there is a star that will shine brightly in the night sky every time I pour a red and toast the unique talent with another spin of this album. Buy It!

Buy ‘Waltzing Bones’ Here

Author: Dom Daley

Brian Fallon – Local Honey (Lesser Known Records)

Brian Fallon – Local Honey (Lesser Known Records)

Now my on-off love affair with Brian Fallon has been going on ever since I heard him with The Gaslight Anthem back in ’08 – So to see a new album from Brian Fallon in 2020 is a joyous sight and sound.

Brian has said that this new record is about life right now, and when you are presented with gloriously melancholy little ditties such as When You’re Ready, you are transported to another time and place – and one can not help but feel nostalgic. ‘When You’re Ready’ and ’21 Days’ are perfect examples of what Brian does best – the narrative that runs through each song is beautifully crafted and while they are not connected, the stories somehow get under your skin and is infectious to the point that you want to hit the replay button but after a few listens you know there are other great plots ahead told by a master and held together with extraordinary music. ‘I Don’t Mind (If I’m With You)’ is a song that on first listen could be seen as depressing but after the second or third listen I found it to be quite uplifting. So say what you will about his music but Mr. Fallon has recorded some of his best work in these intimate songs. For example ‘Lonely For You Only’ is upbeat song that comes just at just the right time to add a bit of jolly swing to proceedings, which is then followed by ‘Horses’. This song is a tale of forgiveness and redemption that for me is life-affirming.

One thing that I found while listening to this album is that now we are left in a Tom Petty-less world, I am thankful for having songwriters like Brian Fallon and Ryan Hamilton still here writing life stories in 2-3 minutes song bursts. The eight songs presented here are soft songs for hard people, or at those who get touched by tales of hope in the face of adversity.

Buy ‘Local Honey’ Here

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Author: Dave Tetley Prince

Duff McKagan – Tenderness (UMC)

Duff McKagan – Tenderness (UMC)

 

There was always more to Duff McKagan than just being the punk dude bassist from Guns n’ Roses. That much was evident on ‘Believe In Me’, his first solo album, released way back in 1993.

That album was recorded on downtime during the massive ‘Use Your Illusions’ world tour. Similarly, ‘Tenderness’ was written and recorded during Guns recent ‘Not In This Lifetime’ world tour. The difference? 25 years of sobriety, 25 years of losing friends to addiction and depression, and 25 years of life experiences and raising a family in a world that is increasingly dangerous and more fucked up by the day.

 

As the title suggests, ‘Tenderness’ is a much more sombre and reflective body of work than anything Duff has ever recorded. Observations of life on the road during Guns world tour gave the inspiration, and musically, it’s stripped bare. A rootsy, rock record, more akin to Exile-era Stones than the sleazy, Sunset Strip that made the band (and the man) famous.

Hooking up with Shooter Jennings to produce and shape his first solo album since those hedonistic days was a masterstroke. Like he did a couple of years back with Leroy Virgil from Hellbound Glory (check out the marvelous ‘Pinball’ album), Shooter used his own backing band to help sprinkle Nashville style magic all over the album.

Now, this backing band is like a modern day version of The Band, proper cool cats. I saw them perform 2 sets in a night at The Whisky-A-Go-Go, one with Hellbound Glory and then another with Shooter. They will be doing the same on Duff’s forthcoming European tour. When this rhythm section of bassist Ted Russell Kamp and drummer Jamie Douglass get together with fiddle player Aubrey Richmond and John Schreffler Jr on guitar, some sort of magic happens. It’s no surprise they are Shooter’s go-to guys. He knows what sound he needs and they deliver.

 

The title track opens the album and sets the scene. “Blackened days, we’ve lost our way” sings Duff over Shooter’s haunting piano, it sets the scene for the next 45 minutes. The country-tinged arrangement is perfection and the sentiment delivered with sincerity. The sparse musicianship never overplayed, just enough in all the right places to accentuate the melodies and the vocals.

By the time the last chorus is played out, you already have the desire to gather the ones you love and sing along in unison. Moving stuff indeed.

The social commentary Duff is laying out is perfect for these trying times and it’s something we can all relate to. “Turn off the screen, take a long walk and meet your fellow man…it’s not too late’ he sings on the following ‘It’s Not Too Late’, delivered with sincerity over mournful pedal steel and heartfelt violins.

The juxtaposition of the sweet music and the honest lyricism is on point and Duff is not afraid to tackle any subject, from addiction and homelessness to school shootings and abuse. Take ‘Last September’, a hard-hitting, yet beautifully delivered countrified look at the ‘#metoo’ movement.  A lone acoustic breaks the silence like a ‘Nebraska’ outtake, before haunting, choral backing vocals join the lead vocals. Fragile, almost to the point of breaking. “She said no, he said yes, he held her down and choked her neck”. The hard-hitting lyrics are brutal and to the point, sung over laid-back, bare-bones Americana.

 

On a personal highlight, Shooter teases out Duff’s Johnny Thunders influences on ‘Wasted Heart’. The soaring vocals and sweet brass courtesy of The Suicide Horn Section (featuring Duff’s brother Matt McKagan on trombone) is sublime to these ears.

The hard-hitting ‘Parkland’ name-checks the schools affected by shootings and highlights the crazy US gun laws. It could have easily come across as being cheesy, but it’s handled in just the right way by someone who has bought up daughters in that environment. The more upbeat ‘Chip Away’ has a killer Rolling Stones vibe, as Duff drawls about smoking crack over Hammond organ, skiffle beats and handclaps that take us to church…divine.

Elsewhere, the hickey, hard luck story of ‘Breaking Rocks’ is brilliant in its simplicity. It fits the bill nicely, as Duff’s wavering vocals meet in a great duet with Shooter himself. Mental wah-wah guitars seal the deal. A song to sit on the porch and drink moonshine too.

The album closes with the reflective ‘Don’t Look Behind You’. Riding on acoustic and sparse accompaniment, before veering into almost lounge territory as the brass section are left to their own devices, with even a saxophone solo for good measure.

 

Duff McKagan has nothing to prove. He’s been there and done it all. He’s been (right next door) to hell and back and survived to become a better man. But every great musician needs to create and right now Duff has something to say and recording this album is the best thing he could’ve done.

For me, it’s as good as, if not better than Izzy’s Ju Ju Hounds, and it’s up there with Gilby’s ‘Pawnshop Guitars’.

As with past Guns n’ Roses members solo albums, ‘Tenderness’ will go largely unnoticed by the music buying (or streaming) public, which is a crying shame, as it is one of the finest releases this year and probably the best thing the man has put his name to since ‘Appetite For Destruction’.

Buy ‘Tenderness’ Here

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Author: Ben Hughes

 

Vandoliers – Forever (Bloodshot Records)

Vandoliers – Forever (Bloodshot Records)

‘Forever’ is the new album from alt-country rebels Vandoliers. Following their first two albums ‘Ameri-Kinda’ (2016) and ‘The Native’ (2017), ‘Forever’ is their first record to be released through Bloodshot Records.

Hailing from Dallas, Vandoliers are among the new wave of country music coming out of Texas. Blending classic country styles with triumphant and punchy punk rock, the band soaks up many of the subgenres that surround them. If you want blues, country, rock ‘n’ roll and a touch of cowpunk and Tejano, this album has it all.

The album kicks off with ‘Miles and Miles’, and steeped in country fiddle the song offers that typically American sound of roadworn weariness, a theme that can be found throughout, such as in ‘Sixteen Years’ and ‘Nowhere Fast’, with the added interest of Tejano sounds that are made full use of throughout. If you’re expecting a record full of lyrics about spit, sawdust, fist-fights and lonesome nights, you won’t be disappointed. While some songs, such as ‘Troublemaker’ are forceful, unapologetically raucous numbers, songs such as ‘Fallen Again’ and ‘Cigarettes in the Rain’ offer a more introspective theme.

The album consistently lies on the edge of a well-produced chaos. And while the slick production represents a very modern band, (just listen to the harmonies and melodies of the poppy ‘All on Black’) the songwriting and wide array of instruments ensure that the record crashes energetically from one song to the next. It rarely lets up. ‘Shoshone Rose’ manages to combine a lot of it into one song – from an opening reminiscent of ZZ Top’s ‘Rhythmeen’, it tumbles effortlessly into something both country and pop.

‘Forever’ is a confident and boastful album mixing classic Americana with modern, full production. The country sounds, punk attitude and anthemic choruses places Vandoliers somewhere between Social Distortion, Rank and File and the Dropkick Murphys, and fans of any of these would certainly find something to enjoy here.

Author: Craggy Collyde

Buy ‘Forever’: Here

Shea Roberts – Good Times Dont Last Forever (Rock Box Records)

Shea Roberts – Good Times Dont Last Forever (Rock Box Records)

This is the first solo record by Shea Roberts. He’s played in numerous bands in San Francisco, probably most known for fronting a garage rock band “The Richmond Sluts”. This record takes you in a whole different direction, it has an Americana country vibe ranging from Lee Hazelwood to Neil Young. With this record, you hear Shea come out of the shadows with a whole new style of songs and heartfelt stories.

Mellow, chilled out, laid back, Americana, Country Honk.  You can take any of these and put it in front of Shea Roberts when describing what his solo record sounds like.  It hasn’t got the Rock n ROll attack or attitude of The Richmond Sluts but then this is a solo record and if he wanted to play that I guess he’d use the Sluts as that vehicle.  This is a whole new side and he takes full advantage of his address book to lay down the tracks here as he invites about a dozen players to help record these tunes. Granted Shea himself takes most of the instruments as well. Tunes like ‘Old John’ have chiming lap steel and some thigh slapping cotton picking country coursing through its veins front and centre.

He’s certainly exploring his Neil YOung side and does a pretty good job too.  his voice sounds warm and welcoming and he carries that heartbreak tone really well on songs like ‘Don’t Know Anymore’  there is a Nick Cave quality as the stories unfold and the arrangments are quite exquisite.

There’s quite a chunk that reminds me of prime Green On Red as well on songs like ‘Bottled Up’. but he saves his best writing for the simple ‘Keep You Alright’ with the acoustic strum he keeps it simple and the songs strong.  The mood is very engaging and the home straight of this record is where the real gold nuggets hide even if it doesn’t take too much diggin’ to pull em out. there is a Neil Young quality to ‘Where My Heart Is’ and to close it off there is the John Prine cover of ‘Look Out Floor’ yee-haw! you go cowboy.

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