???????????: Final Axe
??????: The Axe Of The Apostles
????: Heavy Metal
??? ??????: 1990 / 2006
??????: APE (image+.cue, log, scans back/front)
????????: Lossless
??????: 277 Mb
??: katfile/turbobit/uploadboy/gigapeta
160 kbps | 85 MB | LINKS
Over the last three decades, Dale Watson has been labeled as everything from alt-country to Ameripolitan. But the most humble description may come from the title of his newest album, CALL ME LUCKY, out February 15, 2019 on Red House/Ameripolitan Records.
A fixture of the Austin, Texas, music scene for years, Watson recorded all but one song on CALL ME LUCKY at historic Sam Phillips Recording studio in Memphis. The album features some of Memphis’ finest as well as Dale’s longtime band, His Lone Stars, and includes a horn section on some of the tracks. In early 2018, he bought a house there and now divides his downtime equally between Texas and Tennessee. He also sold the bars he owned in Texas and purchased the fabled Memphis nightclub Hernando’s Hideaway in an effort to provide a hospitable place for touring musicians to perform.
“Memphis is an amazing city,” he says. “It reminds me of Austin back in the ‘80s but it’s got more roots than any town I’ve ever been to, especially the musical roots. And the people that were there then, a lot of them are still there now.”
Watson wrote the song “Call Me Lucky” while thinking about two dedicated fans in Milwaukee – one blonde, one brunette – who have a tradition of taking a picture while kissing him on each side of his face. That freewheeling vibe flows throughout the project, especially when Carl Perkins’ original drummer and Johnny Cash’s only drummer, W.S. Holland, shouts out a “YES!!” at the end of “The Dumb Song,” which he he played on. The Memphis legend’s name surfaces again in “Johnny and June,” a romantic number written and sung with rockabilly artist, Celine Lee.
Throughout CALL ME LUCKY, Watson’s songwriting is so descriptive that you can almost see him cruising into Memphis as he sings “Tupelo Mississippi and a ‘57 Fairlane,” a throwback tune backed by a Memphis-style horn section. Meanwhile, a Hank Williams influence seeps into “Haul Off and Do It,” which is already a favorite in Watson’s live shows. And like the music from his musical heroes, many of the new songs clock in at roughly three minutes long – sometimes less.
“I’ve always been a fan of keeping songs short,” Watson confirms. “Long ago, I went to a library and checked out Tom T. Hall’s How I Write Songs. And in there, he said it’s not about keeping the songs short, it’s keeping the point. Make your point and get out. That’s always been my way of writing. There are some songs I’ve written that go on a bit more like a story, but I guess it’s probably my ADD that I don’t drag it out too much.”
Joris Roelofs | Han Bennink
Icarus
(Instants Composers Pool, 2018)
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Leslie Ross
Drop by Drop, Suddenly
(XI Records, 2018)
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320 kbps | 92 MB | LINKS
Canadian born Shubaly, a former drug addict and now ultra marathon runner (a safer yet similarly obsessive pursuit), has more than one story to tell. Events on his timeline include being close to death in a mass college shooting and a sideline as a published writer. In his interviews, it is clear that Shubaly has been on a long redemptive journey after kicking alcohol and drugs and he is now sharing his experiences. Shubaly delivers this via eleven tracks of observational, raw and honest declarations. He’s not a man given to pulling his punches and we fasten our seat belts for one of the most uncomfortable but compelling rides.
Musically, ten of the eleven tracks are self-penned and veer between edgy disheveled Americana and some surprising tender melodies. His voice can’t be passed off as whiskey and cigarettes but something definitely wilder and more rough-hewn.
“Forget Me” is a nihilist lyric of requited love. Political correctness isn’t one of Shubaly’s preoccupations with these lyrics. This plays out with a rock and roll show tune whilst the female chorus trills in the background. A regular theme throughout is the aftermath of love and the title track “Animals” is a vivid and gory summary of a love affair with a Nick Cave vocal delivery. A brooding atmosphere is created with a throbbing rhythm and grunge like guitars whilst he spits out the lyric with some help from Star Anna.
Another illustrious friend, Cait O’Riordan (The Pogues), joins him on “Last Of My Kind”. A rock ballad leavened by her sweeter tones. Again the physical condition is used to reflect his state of mind:
“World’s Smallest Violin” brilliantly takes us through a fairly disastrous 12 hours from a pick up in a bar, a failed sexual encounter and the falling into resigned sleep.
This is so close to Lou Reed that you may need to check the album sleeve. Louche, unabridged, aggressive and resigned. Some excellent electric guitar flourishes by Chase Crawford elevate the whole track. (If he removes the several mentions of genitalia then this would make a great single!)
The one cover is Lowell George’s “Willin’ ”. This was a highlight of Little Feat’s catalogue – a story of being on the road; always moving, always on the wrong side of the law and not least a life of the drugs and hooch. Shubaly amends some of the lyrics to his own life. The journey may have parallels with his recent trajectory. However I think he’s moving into light. You should listen to this: it’s one of the finds of the year.
Various Artists
Two Niles to Sing a Melody: The Violins & Synths of Sudan
(Ostinato Records, 2018)
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Various Artists
Brainfeeder X
(Brianfeeder, 2018 2cd)
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160 kbps | 72 MB | LINKS
Minneapolis-based blood harmony brother duo Page Burkum and Jack Torrey – have announced their new album Easy Way, to be released March 1 on their own Walkie Talkie Records. The album is the follow-up to their stunning 2016 debut You’re Dreaming, which NPR’s All Things Considered hailed for its “creative turns of phrase, gorgeous harmonies, and ageless sound.” That album preceded a number a milestones for The Cactus Blossoms including tours with Kacey Musgraves and Lucius, performances on prestigious stages ranging from Newport Folk to Lincoln Center, and a perfectly cast appearance on the third season of David Lynch’s Twin Peaks.
Produced by the brothers and recorded at Reliable Recorders in Chicago, Easy Way features ten new, original songs, and a number of special contributors including Dan Auerbach who co-wrote two tracks, plus Michael Lewis (Bon Iver, Andrew Bird) on saxophone and Joel Paterson (Devil in a Woodpile) on pedal steel.