Morgan Davis - Blues Medicine

Bitrate: 320K/s
Year: 1999
Time: 50:26 
Size: 116,0 MB 
Label: Electro-Fi Records
Styles: Blues
Art: Front 

Tracks Listing:
 1. Reefer Smokin' Man - 3:28
 2. What's the Matter Now - 2:31
 3. Oily Rag - 2:10
 4. Keep It Parted in the Middle - 3:42
 5. That's Why - 6:24
 6. Slidin' Around - 1:13
 7. Somnambulatin' Mama - 2:57
 8. Special Boogie - 2:02
 9. Older and Dumber - 2:13
10. Easy Money - 3:08
11. If I Get Lucky - 2:50
12. New Good Mornin' L'il School Girl - 3:55
13. My Blues - 6:18
14. Tomorrow - 3:25
15. Good Time Tonight - 4:02

If this album cures what ails you – and it will – all credit must go to the doctor. And "Dr." Davis is clearly on top of his game with this infectious recording. He selflessly credits co-producers Colin
Linden and Alec Fraser for their "unbridled joy (of) making music," yet it is Davis' joyful enthusiasm towards his craft that delivers the medicine in powerful doses. His 28-year blues
career began in the folk-based protest of the Vietnam War, which brought this American draft dodger to Canada in 1968. An amalgam of Delta and Chicago blues styles, Davis' ragged
sound blends his earnest, soulful voice with sharp-edged solos. His lyrics are as witty and insightful, as they are (often) hilarious. "Reefer Smokin' Man" is the quintessential Morgan Davis
“good time blues” song, while "My Blues" and "Easy Money (with Mumbo Jumbo)" shows his relative ease and adeptness at playing either gentle ballad or harder-edged boogie, from simple
country blues to full-fledged swing. Feeling down or in need of a little shot of sunshine? A little Blues Medicine will go a long way to delivering the cure. ---Eric Thom, exclaim.ca

Blues Medicine

Scott Ellison - Cold Hard Cash

Bitrate: 320K/s
Year: 2001
Time: 53:24 
Size: 122,5 MB 
Label: Burnside Records
Styles: Rock/Blues Rock/Blues
Art: Full 

Tracks Listing:
 1. Loaded Gun Tonight - 4:10
 2. Behind That Smile - 5:11
 3. I Wish I Had A Dime - 3:15
 4. Up In Flames - 4:35
 5. Cold Hard Cash - 3:17
 6. I Wish I Knew - 4:11
 7. Whistlin' In The Graveyard - 3:58
 8. She Works For Me - 3:58
 9. Let's Think Twice - 5:55
10. Jenny's In Love - 4:55
11. Love Ran Out - 4:27
12. The Ghost Of You - 5:23

Ellison co-wrote all of the songs on this album, so at least he feels something for it. His influences appear to be more modern than most, giving his new-millennium take on the blues a more contemporary spin that many of his genre compatriots never quite manage. Still, Cold Hard Cash is saddled by convention -- the singing, playing, and attitude are all second-hand. It's certainly competent!

Cold Hard Cash

Patrick Sweany - That Old Southern Drag

Bitrate: 320K/s
Year: 2011
Time: 45:01 
Size: 103,4 MB 
Label: Nine Mile Records
Styles: Blues
Art: Front 

Tracks Listing:
 1. Sleeping Bag - 3:18
 2. Corner Closet - 3:27
 3. Oh! Temptation - 2:13
 4. Same Thing - 4:24
 5. Rising Tide - 4:10
 6. Leave Ohio - 3:17
 7. The Edges - 5:09
 8. Heavy Problems (Peavey Rage) - 4:54
 9. More And More - 4:27
10. Police Car Blues - 2:13
11. Shoestring - 4:02
12. Frozen Lake - 3:20

Ohio native and Nashville immigrant Patrick Sweany makes rootsy sounds that are out of place on Music Row, but will be welcomed in the home of anyone who likes a side order of the `60s with their rock, soul, and blues. The album rolls through Southern soul, vintage rock `n' roll and anguished R'n'B, dovetailing punchy production with memories of Delaney and Bonnie, Arthur Alexander and the throwback sounds of Marshall Crenshaw. The bass, drums and rhythm guitar bolster the melodic howl of Sweany's voice; his singing is edgy, pleading, and emotionally raw from blue disappointment. The nostalgic "Rising Tide" hits a `70s rock groove that might have belonged to Bad Company, but the deep bass, funky horns, vamping organ and guitar figures of "The Edges" return the listener to the Memphis that Dan Penn laid on the Hacienda Brothers. The tour de force ballad "More and More" is given the Otis Redding treatment with hard percussive stops, while the acoustic plea "Frozen Lake" is gut-wrenching in the blue-soul of its romantic apprehension. Sweany is well-known as a guitarist and songwriter, and he bolster each accolade here, but it's the deep well of emotion in every vocal that will make this record stick in your heart. 4-1/2 stars, if allowed fractional ratings. 

That Old Southern Drag

Elliott And The Untouchables - Both Ends Burnin'

Bitrate: 320K/s
Year: 2000
Time: 62:05 
Size: 142,6 MB 
Label: BluePoint Records
Styles: Blues
Art: Full

Tracks Listing:
 1. Both Ends Burnin' - 3:33
 2. Can't Afford To Keep Her - 4:09
 3. If You Love Me Like You Say - 5:39
 4. Backstroke - 5:48
 5. Be Back Home - 5:45
 6. Who's Been Talkin' - 5:28
 7. Diamonds At Her Feet - 4:05
 8. Too Much Jellyroll - 5:47
 9. Life Without You - 8:48
10. Act Like You Love Me - 4:16
11. Turned Me Upside Down - 3:44
12. Walkin' Downtown - 4:57

Elliott New and his Columbia, SC, bandmates are all about traditional blues, and it seems to ooze from every pore in their bodies. You can hear it in their respectful covers and clever originals and you can see it in their slightly too-big suits, blues shoes, sunglasses, and in New's collection of wildly adorned shirts. Both Ends Burnin' is the band's third CD, offering half originals and half standards from the likes of Albert Collins, Muddy Waters, and Little Johnny Taylor. The opener (and title track) sets the tone for most of what follows: swing, jump, and a variety of up-tempo grooves that sprout from the West Coast and Chicago traditions. New is out front on vocals and big fat guitar, but Mike "Naz" Nazarenko must be given a large chunk of credit here, too; he is a Goliath on harp. He's always in step with New, chugging right along in fine fashion. On Howlin' Wolf's "Who's Been Talkin," he echoes New's verse lines round for round. He sings a bit, too (on Jimmy Rodgers' "Act Like You Love Me"). New is a fine songwriter, bringing forth songs like the slow, smoky, and slinky "Life Without You" and a fun little ditty called "Turned Me Upside Down" on which he plays slide. It's been said that Elliott and the Untouchables sound like the band Roomful of Blues would be if they didn't have horns. 

That's a big 10-4.

Both Ends Burnin'

Dave Viterna and New Rage - 104 Blues

Bitrate: 320K/s
Year: 1998
Time: 54:09 
Size: 124,3 MB 
Label: Self Released
Styles: Blues/Modern Electric Blues/Blues Rock
Art: Full

Tracks Listing:
 1. Roadrunner - 3:43
 2. Little Miss Perfection - 4:45
 3. Hold That Train - 4:52
 4. 104 Blues - 6:15
 5. Hear Me Talkin' - 4:44
 6. You Ain't Got Nothin' - 3:24
 7. What Am I Supposed To Do? - 4:47
 8. Keep On Rockin' - 4:04
 9. Squirrel Song - 7:46
10. It's Gonna Be All Right - 4:24
11. Country Road Blues - 5:20

Drivin', rockin', or down-home-country style, Dave Viterna and New Rage have got the blues big time......the 104 blues. These guys are on the right route- original songs are featured on this CD release - just what you hear at live performances (where you also hear the greats like Howlin' Wolf, John Lee Hooker, BB King, Albert Collins, and many more). Performing and writing for twenty years, Dave Viterna's experience is matched by other core New-Ragers Drummer Pete Dixon, Bernie Morgan (who LOVES his Fender bass), and Rhythm Guitarist Paul Albone - they've all been in lots of bands along the way and really click together . The vocals are gutsy, strong, and clear (perhaps a hint of Joe Cocker here and there). Guitar leads punctuate the bass just right, and the drums are solid. On the songs featuring Viterna on organ there's a definite rock 'n roll rhythm coming through too - very cool stuff from a guy with a degree in jazz performance! Catch Dave Viterna And New Rage soon - they're going places!

104 Blues

Howling Iguanas - Howling Iguanas

Bitrate: 320K/s
Year: 1994
Time: 61:44 
Size: 142,6 MB 
Label: Blues Bureau/Roadrunner
Styles: Blues/Blues Rock
Art: Full 

Tracks Listing:
 1. Saturday Morning - 5:37
 2. Self Control - 7:26
 3. Psycho Train - 4:10
 4. Where'd Ya Go ? - 4:48
 5. When Life Has It's Way - 5:45
 6. Everybody Wants Something - 5:44
 7. Soul - 7:26
 8. Free - 3:54
 9. Throw It All Away - 4:40
10. All Behind Me - 4:52
11. When All You See Is Blue - 7:18

Musicians:
Guitar - Michael Lee Firkins
Vocals, Harmonica, Keyboards - Little John Chrisley
Bass - Jimmy O'Shea

Released on Shrapnel Records specialty imprint Blues Bureau, Howling Iguanas is a classic rock collaboration of Shrapnel veterans. Led by guitar instrumentalist Michael Lee Firkins and vocalist/harmonica player Little John Chrisley, Howling Iguanas amounts to an exercise in relentless soloing over 11 original classic rock selections. Kicking things off with three busy jams, the band gets off to a frantic, blurry beginning. Fans of Black Crowes and Blues Traveler will be impressed with Chrisley's down-home wailing and rapid-fire harp lashings, just as listeners familiar with Firkins will enjoy the continued exploration into his tremolo bar as slide guitar technique. The players would have been wise to limit themselves to one or two solos per song instead of the seemingly endless trade-offs that take away from riff-heavy cuts like "Saturday Morning" and "Psycho Train." After the initial flurries, Howling Iguanas shifts into a mellow four-track, song-centric groove reducing the solo quotient to improved musical results. Unfortunately, just as the music gets interesting, the record's woeful production starts wearing perilously thin.
Any musical or songwriting prowess demonstrated by these musicians is drenched in a flood of unnecessary reverb, delay and instrument double-tracking. Stunningly uneven mixes also diminish the impressive performances. Perhaps the disc's best song, "Everybody Wants Something" is the only track in which Firkins's superb rhythm guitar playing briefly stands out. The guitarist's chordings are often buried and even his solos prove difficult to pick out from within the mushy soundscapes. Only bluesier cuts like "When All You See is Blue" -- with their slower tempo and minimal drums creating space for the multi-tracked guitars and over-used studio effects -- overcome the record's technical limitations. Howling Iguanas talented members manage to impress with their considerable musicianship, however, the record is bogged down too often by it's unworthy production.

Howling Iguanas

Mick Grabham - Original Paint

Bitrate: 320K/s
Year: 2022
Time: 52:46 
Size: 122,0 MB 
Label: Singsong Music
Styles: Rock/Blues Rock
Art: Front 

Tracks Listing:
 1. Ninety-Nine Pounds - 3:44
 2. All Shook Up - 3:10
 3. Cadillac - 3:56
 4. Diamonds - 3:02
 5. Fool In Love - 4:01
 6. Harlem Nocturne - 3:47
 7. Hit And Miss - 2:56
 8. I Can Tell - 3:20
 9. On Fire For You Baby - 3:43
10. Same Mistakes - 3:32
11. Down On The South Side - 5:59
12. Stop In The Name Of Love - 3:36
13. Brand New Tango - 4:32
14. Trouble - 3:22

One of Britain’s most respected rock guitarists, unsurprisingly Mick Grabham’s contact book is impressive. He has played alongside the likes of Jim Leverton, Graham Walker, Mick Weaver, Pete Wingfield, Nigel Olsson, Rick Wills and many more celebrated names. Then there’s his five-year membership of Procol Harum, prior to that Mick’s own band Cochise – and push the time button further, ‘60s popsters Plastic Penny. Over the years, Mick and friends, when not performing with their respective bands, got together in studios the length and breadth of England, laying down covers of favorites as well as getting new songs nailed.  With the quality of performers making up this illustrious roster, the outcomes are impressive. And now they are being released for the first time. ‘Original Paint’ sums up the ethos of this dip into the Mick Grabham archive: the real thing, unadulterated, unadorned, 14 tracks brimming with the kind of playing that only comes from professionals, used to working together, tight and fast.
Reaching as far back as 1972, this terrific release from Singsong Music charts Mick’s ‘downtime’ from a super-heavy schedule or recording and performing, counter-balancing fresh interpretations of the hits of Bo Diddley, Holland and Dozier and Elvis Presley, instrumental John Barry along with self-penned compositions.  

Original Paint’

Jeff Pitchell and Texas Flood - One Day Away

Bitrate: 320K/s
Year: 2018
Time: 50:07 
Size: 115,4 MB 
Label: Self Released
Styles: Blues Rock/Modern Electric Blues
Art: Front 

Tracks Listing:
 1. One Day Away - 3:39
 2. Unsung Hero Of The Blues (feat. Rick Derringer) - 4:39
 3. Keep My Head Up (feat. Rick Derringer) - 5:09
 4. Too Sorry - 3:29
 5. Baby Blues - 4:49
 6. Ain't Nobody's Business - 4:39
 7. Pitch Pitch Boogie - 3:02
 8. I'd Rather Be Blind - 5:27
 9. More Fat Junk - 3:22
10. Let Me Down Easy - 3:01
11. Pipedream - 4:00
12. When It All Comes Down - 4:46

Following up his break-out debut album "Fat Cigars", Jeff kicks open more doors with "One Day Away". Featuring an energetic guitar and vocal dual with Rick Derringer, the impeccable fret work on this sophomore offering from one of the unsung heroes of the blues continues right where "Fat Cigars" leaves off.

One Day Away

TEX - Ready

Bitrate: 320K/s
Year: 1998
Time: 47:01 
Size: 108,4 MB 
Label: Rowyna Music
Styles: Blues/Blues Rock
Art: Front 

Tracks Listing:
 1. Blues 's Gonna Make It - 3:16
 2. You're So Lazy - 2:47
 3. Little Mistreater - 3:19
 4. Taratata Taa - 2:21
 5. My Love Song - 4:23
 6. With a Kiss From My Baby - 3:07
 7. Gotta Be Your Lover - 3:08
 8. Dear Missy Jones - 4:12
 9. Lady - 3:53
10. Missy Daisy - 2:39
11. Treat Me Like a Man - 3:20
12. How Many Years - 4:24
13. Not a Song for You - 3:50
14. Alamo - 2:14

The fourth studio album by the Belgian blues rock band. Musicians:Christian Delbeck, Gino Kestelut, Mark Liebrecht.

Ready

Rick L. Blues - Start on the Five

Bitrate: 320K/s
Year: 2002
Time: 53:29 
Size: 123,4 MB 
Label: Crystal Blues Records
Styles: Blues/Harmonica Blues
Art: Frull

Tracks Listing:
 1. Tigerman - 4:23
 2. Everyday I Have the Blues - 6:05
 3. You Better Watch Yourself - 4:04
 4. I'll Warm U Up - 8:33
 5. Key to the Highway - 2:31
 6. Caldonia - 5:48
 7. Highway Man - 4:56
 8. Mystery Train - 3:19
 9. Built for Comfort - 7:25
10. Swing Out 'Bob' - 1:56
11. Bonus Track - 4:24

Recognized as one of the great influential blues artists of Quebec, Rick L. Blues has brilliantly managed his band for over fifteen years. Winner of 5 Lys Blues awards since 2007 and privileged guest at major festivals and events in Quebec, his reputation has extended far with two appearances at the Festival Blues-sur-Seine in France. Several TV appearances, including two exceptional shows on Belle et Bum, gave him the opportunity to reach a wider audience.( more info:http://www.bleublancblues.bluesfr.net/CRITIQ/RICKLBLUES02.htm)

Start on the Five

Joe Grushecky And The Houserockers - True Companion

Bitrate: 320K/s
Year: 2003
Time: 43:05 
Size: 99,2 MB 
Label: Schoolhouse
Styles: Rock/Blues Rock
Art: Front 

Tracks Listing:
 1. A Long Way To Go - 4:25
 2. A Shot Of Salvation - 3:58
 3. Strange Days - 4:16
 4. She's A Big Girl Now - 5:39
 5. Count On You - 4:19
 6. What Gives - 3:42
 7. A Silver Spoon - 3:32
 8. Dirty Water - 3:25
 9. The Shape I'm In - 4:09
10. Call Him - 5:40

Joe Grushecky and the Houserockers do it again. The eleven tracks on this disc rock harder than anything else released this year. The word on the band has always been "you have to see them live."
Well with this cd documents the sound better than anything they've ever put out. The songs give the band a chance to show off their chops and showcase their world class musicianship.
The disc kicks off with Long Way to Go. This song gives a brief overview of Grushecky's career culminating in, "Hell I'm only in my 50's, I've got a long, long way to go - hey hey hey."
The songs' sound evokes the Stones, Dylan, South Side Johnny, Van Morison, Little Steven's solo work, and other classic rock bands while sounded fresh and contemporary.
The cd returns to talk about those who have kept Grushecky company time and again - his friends, band and family. He even collaborates with band member Bill Toms on two songs and his son Johnny on two as well to keep the theme going.
Joe even includes his beloved Pittsburgh as a companion by updating Dirty Water (Pittsburgh you're my home).
After a seven year absence from the recording studio, the Houserockers release the pent up energy in songs that veer from genre to genre sometimes in the same song. Elements of punk, country, blues, hard rock, roots rock, pop, and even gospel run through this release. The return of original Iron City Houserocker Marc Reisman on harmonica has really moved the band toward a gritty rust belt sound.
For old fans, this is the cd we've been waiting for. For new fans this is a great place to jump on the band wagon.

True Companion

Joe Grushecky - It's In My Song

Bitrate: 320K/s
Year: 2016
Time: 60:11 
Size: 138,2 MB 
Label: Schoolhouse Records
Styles: Singer/songwriter
Art: Front 

Tracks Listing:
 1. It's In My Song - 4:41
 2. Dance With Me - 4:42
 3. In Our Little Room - 4:48
 4. A Fool's Advice - 4:47
 5. It's A Hell Of A Life - 3:44
 6. Oh Kathleen - 6:13
 7. When The Crows Go Crazy - 5:12
 8. Beauty Fades - 3:21
 9. Homestead - 3:56
10. My Treasure Is - 3:35
11. The Silence Of Your Arms - 3:23
12. On The Wall - 5:18
13. Rockola (Bonus Track) - 3:03
14. The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter (Bonus Track) - 3:21

I have to say I wasn't too excited when I heard that this release was acoustic versions of already released songs, but I was proven way wrong. This is in the top three best releases of Joe's career. It's intimate, focused, and still filled out with some great melodies and horn-playing. Joe's voice is in top form here too. I think at this age, at this point in his career, he may be at his most powerful in this type of arrangement. Now he's older, wiser, and sounds here like he really has something to say.
It’s In My Song is a solo acoustic album that shines the light on Grushecky’s underrated songwriting skills by reimagining some of his past classics and framing them with stripped down and, in many instances, more elegant performances. The title track is one of the new tunes penned by Grushecky especially for this set, his sparse guitar strum placing an emphasis on his lyrics and vocals, the song a humorous analogy of the artist’s career as well as the birth of rock music. It’s a clever bit of wordplay with Grushecky’s acoustic guitar bouncing off co-producer and longtime musical foil Rick Witkowski’s six-string counterpoint until Ed Manion’s blastin’ sax strolls into the mix, turning the performance from a folkish story-song to a lively R&B jaunt. “Dance With Me” is a gem from the first Iron City Houserockers album, 1979’s Love’s So Tough, a slice of blue collar blues co-written with longtime Houserockers bassist Art Nardini. The circular guitar riff is punctuated by the singer’s plaintive harp blasts, his slice-of-life lyrics telling of the power of music to lift one out of their mundane existence, if only for one short dance. “A Fools Advice” is a gorgeous song with heartbreak lyrics and weeping instrumentation, an emotional ambiance enhanced by Bob Banerjee’s mournful violin. Originally a demo inspired by the death of John Lennon, the song featured just Joe and guitarist Bill Toms. It’s fleshed out here with exotic percussion and Banerjee’s hauntingly beautiful violin, Grushecky’s wonderful vocal performance driving home the dual-purpose lyrics which slyly manage to mourn both Lennon and a love lost.

It's In My Song