Trampled Under Foot - Badlands

Bitrate:320K/s
Year:2013
Time:56:07 
Size:129,8 MB 
Label:Telarc 
Styles:Blues/Modern Electric Blues 
Art:Full 

Tracks Listing:
 1. Bad Bad Feeling - 3:53
 2. Dark Of The Night - 3:45
 3. Don't Want No Woman - 4:20
 4. Mary - 4:53
 5. Badlands - 4:32
 6. You Never Really Loved Me - 4:16
 7. Pain In My Mind - 3:37
 8. I Didn't Try - 3:57
 9. Desperate Heart - 4:07
10. Down To The River - 4:11
11. Home To You - 4:23
12. Two Go Down - 4:14
13. It's A Man's Man's Man's World - 5:50

There’s always something special about sibling groups.  Maybe it’s the fact that the related band members share much of their background with each other, resulting in the musical elements brought to the band coming from a similar place.  Or maybe it’s simply that there’s a heart-warming element to seeing brothers and sisters playing music together.  Either way, know that all three members of Trampled Under Foot share the same musical influences, the same drive for success, and the same parents. Trampled Under Foot’s major label debut, Badlands, has a particular unity to it.  The album will leave you feeling as though you’re going somewhere, and at thirteen tracks it takes its time.  The trio have an organic sound perhaps a little too lush for an album called Badlands.  Electric pianos and guitars quiver in and out atop heavy, driving drum work.  Vocal duty is split between Danielle and Nick Schnebelen, each bringing a different element to the music that goes beyond the difference between a male and female vocalist.  Nick’s voice has a soulful, rock and roll quality to it, whereas Danielle’s a strong earnestness.  The unabashed southern elements that comprise the instrumentation adhere well to Trampled Under Foot’s strong melodies, and Badlands avoids getting caught in the trap of monotony. Trampled Under Foot shines best in their edgier, riff-based songs, such as “I Didn’t Try.”  An element of quirkiness is added here as well, as the occasional bar is cut off halfway to make room for the next.  Nick’s steel guitar makes an appearance on “Down to the River,” which also has one of the catchiest hooks on the album.  There are some spectacular moments of brooding moodiness as well, such as the record’s title track.  Danielle’s writing has also gotten far more ambitious than the typical blues lyricism previous Trampled Under Foot releases have been comprised, of, even questioning traditional gender roles in “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World.” Trampled Under Foot have had some years to hone their craft, and it’s beginning to show.  Wrong Side of the Blues put them on the map, and now that Badlands has begun to enthrall listeners, it’s no doubt why Trampled Under Foot are being hailed as one of the more significant artists of the blues.  Badlands shows signs of ambition while still remaining catchy and accessible, and still staying true to blues. (https://bluesrockreview.com)

Badlands
Badlands (Y)

Marshall Lawrence - Where's The Party ?

Bitrate:320K/s
Year:2003
Time:41:21 
Size:95,4 MB 
Label:Self-Released 
Styles:Blues/Electric Blues 
Art:Front 

Tracks Listing:
 1. Key To The Highway - 4:09
 2. I'll Play The Blues For You - 4:47
 3. Pour Me Another - 4:24
 4. How Many More Years - 4:44
 5. Snatch It Back And Hold It - 3:13
 6. But I Forgive You Blues - 3:29
 7. There's Something On Your Mind - 3:52
 8. Tain't Nobody's Biz-Ness If I Do - 4:54
 9. I Just Want To Make Love To You - 3:47
10. Hey Brother - 3:57

On “Where’s The Party ?” Marshall Lawrence took traditional blues songs and infused them with a raw, fiery energy. It’s a wild ride he likes to call “acid blues”.  On this album, Marshall paid homage to the great veterans of the blues and also included a couple of his original tunes. “Where’s The Party ?” is an album for traditional blues enthusiasts who seek electrifying performances and an enigmatic blues experience.

Where's The Party ?
Where's The Party ? (Y)

Elam McKnight & Bob Bogdal - The Rural Wasteland: Postcards from a Zombie Nation

Bitrate:320K/s
Year:2026
Time:45:29 
Size:105,2 MB 
Label:BBH Productions 
Styles:Blues/Blues Rock/Country 
Art:Front 

Tracks Listing:
 1. Pojo’s Place (2006) - 4:13
 2. Fever Dream - 4:14
 3. The Rural Wasteland - 3:39
 4. Red Sarong - 4:30
 5. Catacombs of My Mind - 4:02
 6. Wicked Highway - 3:34
 7. This Old World Is Wicked - 2:32
 8. Kool-Aid - 3:28
 9. Sticky - 4:28
10. Zombification - 3:47
11. Pojo's Place (2026) [Extended Jam] - 6:56

Blues-Rock Duo Elam McKnight & Bob Bogdal Confront the American Farm Crisis on Haunting New album “The Rural Wasteland: Postcards from a Zombie-Land".
 Eschewing political talking points for plainspoken, hard-country truth, the track acts as a stark, sonic documentary of the modern family farmer fighting for economic survival against shifting tariffs, industrial consolidation, and systemic neglect.
What maximizes is how the album balances melancholy with a sense of subtle protest, never shouting but still clearly making its point. Each guitar line feels settled, as if it belongs to a place time has slowly passed through. There’s a quiet emotional weight within the performance that lingers after the final note. It’s a simple but powerful reminder that rural stories deserve to be heard and remembered with care and honesty, making it a heartfelt and truly human piece of music today.

The Rural Wasteland: Postcards from a Zombie Nation
The Rural Wasteland: Postcards from a Zombie Nation (Y)

Eric Johanson - The Open Bayou

Bitrate:320K/s
Year:2026
Time:42:23 
Size:99,8 MB 
Label:Levee Ward Records 
Styles:Blues Rock 
Art:Front 

Tracks Listing:
 1. Till the Sun Swallows the Earth - 3:49
 2. Shake The Fever - 4:11
 3. Mercy and Madness - 4:24
 4. Alligator Smile - 3:30
 5. The Open Bayou - 5:09
 6. Still I Move - 4:29
 7. Lay Your Trouble - 4:00
 8. Back Down in New Orleans - 4:10
 9. Castaway - 4:42
10. What Makes You Real - 3:55

New Orleans’ guitar slinger Eric Johanson’s fifth studio set of originals (released Oct. 16) is the first he produced. It’s also the debut for his own label, Levee Ward Records. As such, he proudly takes complete responsibility for every aspect of this recording. And since he has been at it for nearly a decade, he is experienced enough to know what he wants and how to get it. That’s made clear in the pre-release notes where he states “With this record, I didn’t explain anything. I followed the ideas all the way through.”
The basic tracks were laid down in just three days, between live shows, with his tight touring bass and drums duo. That yields a rawer, less structured ambiance, helped enormously by mixing pro Bill Skibbe whose work with Jack White, The Kills and the always unpredictable, gritty and minimalistic Jon Spencer, precedes him. Skibbe’s understanding of how to squeeze the most out of Johanson’s guitar, without overdubs, is one of the many striking aspects of ‘The Open Bayou.’ That’s not to disparage Jesse Dayton’s terrific production of 2023s ‘The Deep and the Dirty,’ also recorded live in the studio, which debuted in the top spot on Billboard’s Blues Chart. But with no one else calling balls and strikes this time, Johanson is particularly proud of this collection. As usual, although blues is the basic thread, Johanson expands into hard rock, 70s psychedelia, and a more eclectic sound. It’s honed and enhanced by Skibbe’s hand and the band connecting in the studio, allowing the songs to flow where the guitarist is most comfortable without outside interference. The one constant is a swampy vibe often prevalent in the music of his New Orleans hometown. Thumping drums vibrate through the title track’s riffs where the rhythm section lays down an ominously boiling undercurrent allowing Johanson’s guitar to shift into an Allman Brothers Band-inflected solo.
The thickness that squirms between the slow, time-bomb ticking heartbeat of “Castaway” is another example of how these songs explode out of the speakers with taut, controlled power. “And I do what I want, and I get what I need…so take all my devotion, just a drop in the ocean” he sings, which could refer to a relationship with a lover or the music he makes. Regardless his Duane Allman-influenced solo pushes the song to the next level without slavishly emulating the deceased guitar icon’s style. Johanson is known for his slide prowess, spotlighted on “Mercy and Madness.” He takes us to the album’s titular bayou, creeping, crawling and gradually submerging the song into the Southern recesses of his psyche. His guitar wrenches and pulls the listener into a dim world where “Sparks fly when the wind blows/Live wire hanging so low.” Early, pre-album release single “Shake the Fever” delivers a wallop with overdriven, almost distorted chords somewhere between Hendrix and older Billy Gibbons. Johanson keeps his vocals restrained yet vital, leaving room for a Trower-like excursion into the darkness. The song suddenly takes a bucolic side road to upend the punch, before returning to the almost metal-ish riff, exploding like a fireworks finale. His guitar punches into a ripping lick any hard rock act would be jealous of on the throbbing “Back Down in New Orleans,” another in a set of captivating blues rockers that emphasize the rocking while staying informed by blues.
Johanson’s expressive, often emotional, boyish voice lightens the disc’s denser qualities. Despite the darker tone, nothing is forced. His lyrics are sharply written and slyly delivered with reserved authority that helps this music land on solid, if swamp-infested, ground.
“More fuzz, more slide, more groove. This is the best thing I’ve ever done” he boasts on his web page. Based on the quality and impressive chart positions of his previous albums, that’s a strong statement. Still, after one spin of the extraordinary ‘The Open Bayou,’ you’ll likely agree.

The Open Bayou

The Open Bayou (Y)

Bernard Allison - Loving You

Bitrate:320K/s
Year:2026
Time:40:13 
Size:93,0 MB 
Label:Ruf Records GmbH 
Styles:Blues/Funky Blues/Blues Rock 
Art:Front 

Tracks Listing:
 1. Left Me With My Guitar - 3:05
 2. 4 O'clock In The Morning - 4:18
 3. Time Traveler - 4:24
 4. Slide On Over - 3:19
 5. Rock & Roll Hoochie Koo - 3:46
 6. Busted & Disgusted - 6:11
 7. Loving You - 3:51
 8. Should I Wait - 3:15
 9. Pay What You Owe Me - 3:59
10. Blues Thang - 4:01

During the 1990s, Bernard Allison was regarded as one of the hottest young guns on the contemporary blues scene. The son of blues legend Luther Allison has roots in Chicago and Europe, he is heavily influenced by his father and Texas guitar giants Johnny Winter and Stevie Ray Vaughan, adding funk and R&B flavors to the mix to create his recognizable sound. With his first string of solo albums in the mid-90s, he stepped out of his father’s shadow and quickly found his own audience, voice, and style. Now, after more than three decades on the circuit, Allison is a seasoned veteran with countless tours and festivals and more than twenty albums under his belt. He’s made quite a few musical friends during that time and has chosen his newest release, Loving You, to celebrate those friendships and the vibrant spirit of the blues community. Among the album’s distinguished guest musicians are guitarists Larry McCray, Devon Allman and Matthew Curry; violinist Heather Hardy; piano virtuoso Victor Wainwright; as well as Bernard’s nephew Jasper Allison and niece Lyndsey Allison, adding soulful backing vocals. Allison also welcomes a vital new contributor to the fold in rhythm guitarist Stephen Johnson (aka Stevie J Blues), who co-wrote five of the album’s seven original songs. The Jackson, Mississippi native and former Bobby Rush band member adds new vigour to Allison’s excellent rhythm section, which also includes drummer Sam Butts Jr.III, keyboardist Eric Roberts, and long-time bassist, George Moye.
“I’ve always wanted to record an album, bringing family and friends together! Loving You is simply showing my appreciation and respect for my family and friends. So, I decided to invite and collaborate with a selected group of musicians and family members. I placed them on tracks where I felt they could bring out their true emotions and musical passions. We created a well-rounded album full of surprises, while showing our appreciation to all of our musical influences and genres. We laid down my blues foundation, with a taste of Funk, R&B, and Rock!! And we did it, The Allison Way!!!,” explains Bernard Allison (aka “BA” on the circuit).  Stylistically, Loving You is on the one hand, familiar. And yet, thanks to the numerous guests, the reshuffling within the band’s lineup and Allison’s openness to collaboration, the sound and vibe is quite new compared to anything he has released before. The album opens with “Left Me With My Guitar,” a funky electric blues number about the front man’s most faithful companion. On “4 O’Clock In The Morning,” seven-time Blues Music Award Winner Victor Wainwright joins in, sharing lead vocals with Allison and adding his trademark piano stylings. The well -executed “Time Traveler,” with its staccato rhythm, is a different kind of funk, highlighted by the clever interplay of guitarists Larry McCray and Matthew Mwangi (who co-wrote the song). 
“Slide On Over” might sound like the perfect title for a slide guitar showpiece, but instead the track stays in mellow, lustful soul, with Allison name-dropping Marvin Gaye and Betty Wright on his way to the bedroom, while Jasper and Lyndsey Allison add rich, soulful backing vocals. The album then shifts gears into classic rock mode, with Matthew Curry joining on guitar and vocals in an exciting re-imagining of “Rock & Roll Hoochie Koo” in tribute to the late Rick Derringer. On “Busted & Disgusted,” Allison assumes the role of a desperate, down-on-his-luck gambler who simply can’t resist one more roll of the dice. The title track, “Loving You,” keeps the momentum going with an irresistible funk-infused groove, elevated by a guest appearance from Devon Allman on guitar and infectious hand-claps of Larry “Doc” Watkins. On “Should I Wait,” Allison reflects on the uncertainty of an unreliable relationship, pairing heartfelt lyrics with a deep, soulful groove.
The band continues with the soulful “Pay What You Owe Me,” where elegant string arrangements by Heather Hardy add richness, while backing vocals from Stevie J Blues and Bernard’s nephew and niece, Jasper and Lyndsey Allison add depth to the track. The journey concludes with “Blues Thang,” a fitting finale that brings Loving You’s ten-track collection to a confident and satisfying close. These four minutes of funk-infused blues serve as a statement of Bernard Allison’s raison d’être: He sees no need to complicate things or change… “It ain’t nothin’ but a blues thang”. The song puts a perfect bow on a well-rounded album from an artist who has been around the block and knows exactly who he is. For Bernard, it’s always been about singing the blues, playing his axe, traveling the world, and giving you the best blues you can use.

Loving You
Loving You (Y)

Mud Dog - Sun

Bitrate:320K/s
Year:2011
Time:42:59 
Size:99,1 MB 
Label:Sainas Songs 
Styles:Blues 
Art:Front 

Tracks Listing:
 1. Mississippi - 3:36
 2. Train - 5:59
 3. Three Good Reasons - 3:39
 4. These Bones are Bare - 3:53
 5. Devil's Ride - 5:54
 6. Can't Figure You Out - 2:52
 7. Gastown Blues - 3:59
 8. Step into the Light - 6:33
 9. River of My Soul - 3:01
10. Stop the Show - 3:28

Mud Dog is a critically acclaimed roots-blues acoustic duo from Vancouver, BC featuring songwriter Steve Sainas (Vocals/Guitar/Dobro) and Christopher Allen (Harmonica/Harmony Vocals). Mud Dog was selected by the White Rock Blues Society to represent British Columbia, Canada at the 27th Annual International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee and during the first week of February 2011, they competed in the solo/duo blues category with 83 of the best blues acts in the world. While in Memphis, Steve and Christopher also recorded ten original acoustic songs live off the floor at legendary Sun Studio. These recordings capture the raw energy of the duo's live performances. Mud Dog ~ "Sun" was released on July 8th, 2011 and is now receiving international airplay. After teaming up with radio promoter Bryon Tosoff of Voodoohead Productions, SUN climbed to #24 on the Canadian Roots Music Charts in November 2011.
“Mud Dog, once again, has continued to impress me with their amazing talent of bringing great sounding Blues to the forefront. With "Sun", they have once again managed to release an exceptional album of Blues, surely destined to be another one of this years more acclaimed Blues releases. "Sun" gets my highest rating of 5*****, with no problem at all. Highly Recommended and Thoroughly Enjoyed... Review by John Vermilyea (Blues Underground Network)”
Mud Dog also performs and records as a four-piece blues band. They have released two CDs that feature this line up: “Devil’s Ride” (2003) and “River of My Soul” (2008) “River of My Soul” was Nominated at the Western Canadian Music Awards for Outstanding Blues Recording.

Sun
Sun (Y)

Paul Reddick - Villanelle

Bitrate:320K/s
Year:2004/2018
Time:64:15 
Size:148,5 MB 
Label:Stony Plain Rights Management 
Styles:Blues 
Art:Front 

Tracks Listing:
 1. Winter Birds - 3:49
 2. Big Not Small - 2:55
 3. Villanelle - 3:48
 4. Luck In Love - 4:27
 5. Waves - 4:07
 6. So Long. Thank You. Goodbye - 2:40
 7. Round This Time of Year - 4:23
 8. Five Silver Dollars - 3:51
 9. Six Was the Six - 6:22
10. Hook's in the Water - 5:03
11. Blue Eventide - 4:14
12. Stone of Indigo - 4:23
13. Burning Fuse - 4:48
14. Dog Catcher - 5:13
15. Some Afternoon Alone - 4:06

Inspired by the Alan Lomax field recordings and pre-war Blues masters Sleepy John Estes and Mississippi Fred McDowell, Villanelle is modern and fresh, while staying true to the roots of Blues music. Produced by the formidable Colin Linden, Villanelle is a gorgeous disc, filled with lyrics that tell of love, longing, regret and of course - Blues. . Featuring Mr. Reddick's unmistakable harmonica tone and vocals, 'Big Not Small' is a wonderfully heavy track, straightforward and melodic. 'Villanelle' is musically and lyrically haunting. With violin (Kathleen Edwards) and mandolin (Colin Linden) it carries the tradition of early American music, and can easily be imagined playing on a 45, somewhere back in time. 'Waves' tells the story of a wanderer, forever rolling, perhaps never to be content in one place for too long. This track features outstanding harmonica, slide guitar and vocals. It is a fine example of the camaraderie between Mr. Linden and Mr. Reddick. 'Round This Time of Year' is a song that everyone can relate to. A theme of lost love and longing make this heart-wrenching track one of the highlights of this disc. Modernized vocal loops and heavy shuffles make 'Six Was The Six' the engine of the aforementioned train. All in all, every one of the 15 tracks on "Villanelle" is lyrically and musically superb. There is something for all tastes, ranging from Country to Folk and Blues. Beautifully arranged and mastered, this disc is a very easy listen and will certainly be regarded as a favorite by the listener and critics alike. Paul Reddick is a master storyteller and songwriter, and he proves it with 'Villanelle' ~ Ray M. Stiles. 

Villanelle
Villanelle (Y)

Dale King - Through a Song

Bitrate:320K/s

Year:2002
Time:43:33 
Size:105,4 MB 
Label:Brambus Records 
Styles:Blues 
Art:Front 

Tracks Listing:
 1. I Wanna Go Back Home - 3:13
 2. Through a Song - 6:45
 3. Tightwire - 3:13
 4. Feelin' Alone - 5:16
 5. The Blues Won't Let Go - 4:08
 6. Chromatic Blues - 3:34
 7. Take Me Back - 3:30
 8. I'm Sad - 5:16
 9. Standing At the Edge (Of My Mind) - 3:57
10. Tribute to Peter Seibert - 4:35

Growing up in LA in the late Sixties, the thriving music scene turned him on to the blues and the harmonica. He cites Jimmie Reed and Paul Butterfield as his biggest blues influences. Soon, he began writing his own songs – heavily influenced by Bob Dylan, as most everyone in that era.
A virtuoso harmonica player, Dale King more often than not chooses to use his instrument as a “soundshaping” tool. Trains, farm animals, all the sounds black harp players imitated are clearly audible in his solos. On no other instrument can notes and sounds be shaped and colored in such an organic, intuitive way. Dale King is a master of that art.
His songs span the entire range of blues and R&B without becoming bogged down in the often imprisoning 12-bar patterns. Rock ‘n’ Roll, Celtic-style harmony, funky grooves, Southern Soul, free-flowing Sixties-style ballads don’t seem like detours when you’re traveling in Dale King’s blues world, but more like a pleasant scenic drive along the way. His songs tell of his way; his Native American background, his turning towards Eastern philosophies, his dedication to music, his often less than pleasant upbringing in the streets of LA are his topics.
Deeply rooted in the tradition of the great black masters, he does what they did, taking the old, shaping and adding on to it, mixing it all with his own musical experiences. This was the path that lead from Charley Patton to Robert Johnson, on to Big Bill Broonzy, Muddy Waters, Sonny Terry, Little Walter, the Rolling Stones ... and the list goes on.
Dale King  freely moves within this great tradition and has accomplished a remarkable feat by adding his distinctly original touch to the often used blues genre. He can’t be compared to anyone, never is one compelled to think “Oh, he sounds like ...” when listening to his work. This is evident on his  CD “Through a Song“.

Through a Song
Through a Song (Y)

The Bottoms Up Blues Gang - Handle It

Bitrate:320K/s
Year:2010
Time:47:46 
Size:110,3 MB 
Label:Self-Released 
Styles:Blues/St.Louis Blues/New Orleans Blues 
Art:Front 

Tracks Listing:
 1. South Broadway Blues - 3:15
 2. First of May - 3:37
 3. New World Blues - 5:28
 4. More I Get, The Less I Got - 4:02
 5. Lover Foe - 3:56
 6. If Only - 6:29
 7. Show Your Love - 3:41
 8. Quick Fix for Livin' - 6:13
 9. Stop Tellin' Me What to Do - 4:37
10. Drown in My Own Tears - 6:23

This is the third album for this St. Louis-based band. I really like the St. Louis-New Orleans styled music, with a good brass section and honky-tonk approach to their music. They tour heavily, about 225 shows a year, with 1/3 at home, 1/3 in the Big Easy and the last third across the country. The official “band” is just Kari Liston and Jeremy Segal-Moss. They share vocal duties while Kari does kazoo, whistle and percussion and Jeremy plays guitar. Fifteen other artists share the studio with them on bass, harp, piano, guitar, percussion, organ, and various horn section instruments. All the songs but one are original and show their skills in songwriting.Kari’s vocals are down home and authentic. She has a great, nasal drawl and vocal quality that makes her singing evocative and interesting. She is gritty and earthy, and can be sexy and sultry or just in your face and bold; I really enjoyed listening to her! Jeremy fills in here and there; it is mostly Kari’s “show” fronting the band vocally. “Lover Foe” is one cut where they share the vocals and the duet sounds like something you’d hear on a porch in Mississippi or Louisiana, with both of them trading off and singing together and then letting Adam Andrews do his dirty work on the harp. The three of them give us a very real and guttural performance that could be today or 100 years ago but good nonetheless.They open the discs with “South Broadway Blues”, and by the time the song is over you know you are in for an old time treat. Kari sings and whistles as Jeremy play guitar, Matt Murdick strokes the keys and Dawn Weber plays trumpet. It blends well and sets the stage for 9 more interesting cuts. Kari opens the next with her kazoo as Murdick bounces up and down the keyboard. “First of May” is another great cut, this time with Jak Jurzak on tuba, Charlie Halloran on trombone, and Aurora Nealand on soprano sax. It sounds complex, balanced and very cool in a New Orleans brassy sort of way; the sax really “sells” the overall sound of the song. They only use a bass (upright or electric) on half of the tracks, but Joey Glynn and Sharon Foehner/Tom Maloney respectively do a great job adding to the mix on songs like “New World Blues” and the cover, Ray Charles’ “Drown in My Own Tears”. The Hammond B3 on track 4 by Nathan Hershey along with the trumpet and added percussion and guitar (Joe Meyer and Tony Esterly) gives the cut a “bigness” the other tracks don’t have- it fills in and grabs you by the throat and says, “I’m here!” Very well done! The only person I did not mention was Eric McSpadden who adds his harp on one track, “New World Blues”; Andrews is featured on harp as noted and on 4 other cuts and both are excellent. Reviewer Steve Jones is secretary of the Crossroads Blues Society. 

Handle It
Handle It (Y)

Damian Coen - Six Lane Highway

Bitrate:320K/s
Year:2004
Time:54:28 
Size:125,4 MB 
Label:Bloode Dog Records 
Styles:Aussie Blues 
Art:Front 

Tracks Listing:
 1. Livin' in the Present - 3:33
 2. Bald Faced Stag - 4:31
 3. Hollow Advice - 3:50
 4. That's the Only Stuff We Play - 4:51
 5. Birthday Blues - 3:07
 6. Six Lane Highway - 4:36
 7. Feels Like I'm Back Home - 3:12
 8. The Moment You Arrived - 4:33
 9. Sydney City Rag - 2:48
10. Grease On the Government - 4:35
11. Prison Dog - 3:23
12. I Heard the Sky Explode - 4:01
13. Do the Mudstep - 3:34
14. Comin' Back - 3:47

Australian blues and roots music fans are celebrating the return to recording of one of the cream of the NSW blues scene, Damian Coen, with the release of Six Lane Highway. True to form, Coen's addictive good-time music is matched with some astute political and social observations, as well as the more traditional blues ruminations on the ups and downs of daily life.Coen's accomplices are a who's who of the Sydney acoustic blues and roots music scene, including guitarists Damon Davies and Chris O'Connor, fiddler Marcus Holden and keyboards whiz Donny Hopkins. Many are alumni of various incarnations of Mic Conway's legendary bands (O'Connor, Holden, tuba/jug blower Carolyn "Cazbo" Johns and Adam Barnard on drums and washboard).It's a few years since Coen's friendly vocals and captivating blues harp have been the main featured on tape/record/CD. He was a stalwart of the renowned Mudsteppers jug band (with Davies) and politically outspoken classic blues duo Red Belly Blues (with O'Connor) in the late 1980s and '90s. He assisted Davies on his terrific Ride This Train album back in 1995, and O'Connor's 2003 release. Coen spent time in the USA honing his blues skills with delta blues performer Paul Brasch (appearing on Brasch's 1998 Find My Way album on Burnside Records) before returning to Australia to resume his 18-year-plus musical symbiosis with the always entertaining Damon Davies.Lyrically, Coen says, he has been influenced by "anyone who has had anything worthwhile to say since Woody Guthrie", including Australian writers "such as Paul Kelly, Archie Roach and even Midnight Oil... Of course, prior to Guthrie, there had been plenty of musical cultures and roots musicians who have used music to express the deeply personal and the socio-political. So, while Guthrie may have reshaped white folk music in the US, the seminal black folk blues singers already had lots to say that was worthy of expressing (and of course, probably much of it was never recorded)." Musical influences Coen points to include the great American jug bands of the 1920s and '30s, blues singers like Big Bill Broonzy, Mississippi Fred McDowell, Robert Johnson and Memphis Minnie, and the country blues harmonica greats, like Will Shade, Sonny Boy Williamson I and II and Sonny Terry. "More recent interpreters of this tradition have also been influential, such as Ry Cooder, Bonnie Rait, John Hammond, Phil Wiggins and Rory McLeod", Coen adds.These diverse influences converge with Coen's own take on the world to produce an album that combines blues, gospel, hillbilly and ballads into a wonderful musical journey through modern roots music. The album's 14 songs were all written by Coen over the past 15 years. There are certainly some gems among them. "That's The Only Stuff We Play" is a good-time jug-band whinge about how pub capitalism is crushing the space for great live music in favour of lousy cover bands, karaoke and poker machines. The jazzy "Sydney City Rag" pokes fun at the trials and tribulations of 21st century city life, with smog in our lungs and poop on our beaches, and our strange tendency to not only put up with it, but to celebrate it.The environmental theme continues in the marvellous delta blues-style "I Heard the Sky Explode", which assails the destruction of the forests, pollution and the arms trade. "Grease on the Government" is an accurate, if a little defeatist, assessment of the lengths that governments, cops and the corporate media will go to stifle dissent. The song is inspired by the ordeal of Tim Anderson, who was framed for the 1978 Hilton Hotel bombing. One song that I would have liked to hear reprised is "Tell Me How About It", which appeared on a Red Belly Blues tape sometime in 1993. It dealt with the police killing of David Gundy and Aboriginal deaths in custody. In the light of recent events in Redfern, it would is as relevant as ever. All in all, Six Lane Highway is a welcome addition to any activist's CD shelf. 

Six Lane Highway
Six Lane Highway (Y)

Dave Hunt - Shade of Grey

Bitrate:320K/s
Year:2017
Time:22:22 
Size:51,4 MB 
Label:Mad Ears Productions 
Styles:Blues 
Art:Front 

Tracks Listing:
 1. Shade of Grey - 3:09
 2. Bad Vibe Calling (feat. Andy Littlewood) - 3:31
 3. That's Life (Skype Song) - 3:56
 4. Honeysuckle Rose (feat. Donna Shaw) - 3:49
 5. It's Not Me It's You - 3:46
 6. Swamp Cougar - 4:09

Dave teams up once again with producer, Andy Littlewood, who also features as guest vocalist on the 'Bo Diddley' inspired, 'Bad Vibe Calling'. American country singer, Donna Shaw, duets on 'Honeysuckle Rose', and guest musicians include Pete Nelson, and the MEP Collective (2017).

Shade of Grey
Shade of Grey (Y)

John Popper & Jono Manson - Bootlegger Days!!

Bitrate:320K/s
Year:2023
Time:43:15 
Size:100,2 MB 
Label:John Popper & Jono Manson 
Styles:Blues/Mix 
Art:Front 

Tracks Listing:
 1. Before the Heat Rolls In - 3:13
 2. Who's Taking Care of the Road - 3:38
 3. Cabin Fever - 3:32
 4. The Same Old Blues - 3:22
 5. Your Crazy - 5:00
 6. The Wayward Rambler - 2:42
 7. Cover My Hands - 3:37
 8. Beneath the Blood Wolf Moon - 3:36
 9. New Cocaine Blues - 4:22
10. Same Shade of Blue - 3:46
11. Yreka Handoff - 3:03
12. When the Morning Comes - 3:19

John Popper is as true blue as he’s ever been on Bootlegger Days!!The exclamation points are part of the album’s title, though the news is exciting. The joint between the Blues Traveler frontman and producer/multi-instrumentalist Jono Manson covers all kinds of blues across its 12 tracks including blues-rock on “Before the Heat Rolls In,” country blues on the banjo-based dirge that is “Cabin Fever” and the grinding blues on “New Cocaine Blues,” on which the narrator sings: “When the sun comes up, I got to crawl down low.” His gun, meanwhile, is making its way from the floor of his car to the side of his head.
Deep blue is that one.Popper spends the bulk of Bootlegger Days!! singing with dexterity he rarely favors while eschewing his favored harmonica sounds with the Traveler, opting instead for deeper tones – tones that illuminate his and Manson’s morbid and morose songs of lives of crime (“Heat”), lives mired in the genre (“The Same Old Blues”), lives in search of redemption (“Beneath the Blood Wolf Moon”) and lives of heartbreak as on the the languid and balladic “Your Crazy.”

Bootlegger Days!!
Bootlegger Days!!(Y)

D.C. & Co. - Ain't That Somethin'

Bitrate:320K/s
Year:2003
Time:48:17 
Size:111,6 MB 
Label:Cold Wind Records 
Styles:Blues/Funk/Jazz/Mix 
Art:Front 

Tracks Listing:
 1. Take Me Down - 3:50
 2. What A But-But - 3:11
 3. I Don't Mind - 4:36
 4. Boom Boom Boom - 2:43
 5. La samba de Costarella - 3:26
 6. Clip My Wings - 3:28
 7. Party On The 4th of July - 2:43
 8. Another Day - 3:36
 9. South of Eden - 3:20
10. Don't Let Go - 3:34
11. Move It On Down The Line - 2:32
12. Betrayed - 3:19
13. Heaven Can't - 5:42
14. The New Wedding March - 2:11

D.C. & Co. (Horn-Powered Rockin' Blues / USA)
Founder & Leader: Dave Costarella (aka D.C.)
Genre/Style: Rockin' blues, swing, funk, and jazz with a high-energy horn-powered sound (often compared to Roomful of Blues or Tower of Power).
"Ain't That Somethin' is a breath of seriously fresh air!"...Ken Egbert, JazzNow.com. 
 ""Ain't That Somethin'" certainly lives up to its title!"...Gordon Baxter, Blues On Stage. 
"Dave Costarella creates a heady brew of blues, funk, jazz, rock and blues with this blistering bad ass disc"... Mark E. Waterbury
Music Morsels.
"Most of the time I analyze bands in terms of influence, but with D.C. & Co. only the word “channel” could possibly describe how the construction worker is able, in a flash, to transform into a gritty bluesman howling a meaty refrain, or a smooth Cajun huckster cajoling audiences with bouncy New Orleans funk. And juggling these personas seems like second nature to Dave and the band"....Mathew Johnson - Fly Magazine.

Ain't That Somethin'
Ain't That Somethin' (Y)

Doctor Bob & the Amazing Disciples of Groove - The Doctor Is In

Bitrate:320K/s
Year:1995
Time:56:58 
Size:131,2 MB 
Label:Token Resistance Music 
Styles:Blues/Jazzy Blues/Jazz/R&B 
Art:Front 

Tracks Listing:
 1. Make Believe - 4:32
 2. There Must Be Something Wrong With Me - 3:31
 3. All I Want - 4:07
 4. Just Who I Am - 4:31
 5. Close Your Eyes - 4:52
 6. The Gospel According to Dr Bob - 4:03
 7. The Ant Song - 4:17
 8. Sam's Blues - 3:58
 9. Sign Of The Times - 5:01
10. Shine A Little Light - 5:54
11. Heartbeat by Heartbeat - 4:41
12. Lighthouse Keeper's Blues - 7:25

Doctor Bob & the Amazing Disciples of Groove is an Australian band performing in the blues and jazz genres. The band is led by Dr. Jeff Crabtree. Dr Jeff Crabtree is a speaker, author, researcher, filmmaker and multi award winning songwriter and music producer. His doctoral research was the first ever investigation of workplace and sexual harassment in the Australian and New Zealand music industry.
His keyboard playing can be heard on over 120 albums, TV commercials, films or videos. He has credits as producer on 26 albums and 49 other commercial projects. He is an accomplished piano player and keyboardist and has played in over 15 bands. He has worked with such luminaries as David Moyse (Air Supply), Andrew James (Midnight Oil) Hugh Wilson (Vertigo) and legendary recording engineer Keith Walker whose live recording credits include Midnight Oil as well as Elton John live.
He frequently moonlights as a blues performer and his  album Bad Mr Popsicle was released in September 2014. It is one of three live recordings of original Rhythm and Blues songs under the working name of his band: Doctor Bob and the Amazing Disciples of Groove. As a songwriter, Jeff has had 94 songs recorded on 27 commercially released recordings to date in addition to numerous corporate video soundtracks. He is the recipient of 4 international awards for songwriting. He co-composed and co-produced music that now travels the globe on every Royal Brunei Airlines aircraft, as well as music for the Network Seven coverage of the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. His new music project: Default Mode Network is currently in the works.
He has designed and implemented innovative creative and performing arts training programs for many years. At one time he was responsible for the management and direction of around 250 students and over 45 staff in an independent community arts college. He now teaches in a Master’s program at JMC Academy and is the Subject Coordinator of Music Business and Professional Practice at the University of Technology Sydney.
With Julie, (a registered psychologist) he is the author of Living With A Creative Mind - an operating handbook for creative people, which has been translated and published in Japan. He is the Managing Director and founder of the Zebra Collective: an online mentoring and training service built on a combination of their research and experience in the effective management and leadership of creative people. Zebra Collective not only delivers their latest ideas, but also curates exclusive interviews with world class creative practitioners including: NZ songwriter and independent artist - Kimbra, co-founder and creative powerhouse for the iconic Australian band INXS - Tim Farriss, multi platinum award winning music producer - Charles Fisher (Savage Garden), veteran songwriter - Chris Sester (Jet), TED alumnus - Daniel Goodes, MOMA (New York) exhibited artist and advertising executive - George Lois (MTV, Tommy Hilfiger) and luminary music producer - Hank Linderman (The Eagles, Joni Mitchell, Robert Lamm).

The Doctor Is In
The Doctor Is In (Y)

David Wells - Blue Lover

Bitrate:320K/s
Year:2010
Time:30:55 
Size:71,5 MB 
Label:Self-Released 
Styles:Blues/Jazzy Blues /JRF
Art:Front 

Tracks Listing:
 1. Blue Lover - 3:38
 2. Seconds - 4:25
 3. Are We There Yet? - 2:29
 4. Male Pattern Blindness - 2:54
 5. Your Call Is Important - 3:09
 6. Birthday - 0:37
 7. So Sexy - 3:01
 8. Minor Blues - 4:55
 9. Kool Aid - 3:17
10. Flying - 2:26

Notes on each track: Blue Lover is a breakup song that captures the moment just before she says she is leaving. Instead of a story of what happened that led to this, or what the future might bring, I stayed with just that instant in time when the world comes crashing down. I wanted to go deeper into the feelings of that brief moment when denial can't hold back the reality that you are about to go off an emotional cliff. Musically, it is a 6/8 groove, just as the other opening/title tracks of the previous two albums (See a theme here?). The guitar solo was developed to play the chord changes in a way that the audience could hear, even if there were no band. The syncopated line of the guitar sets up the 6/8 groove and repeats as a theme throughout the song. Musically, I explored chords with the sixth, ninth and sharp 11 tones on this song and in Male Pattern Blindness. The harmonies on these songs are particularly poignant and ethereal. Seconds is my answer to "Fever", a sultry, sexy song that celebrates passion, seduction and playfulness. Tom Brechtlein's funky drumming and Hussain Jiffry' bass gets the tune up and dancing immediately. The horn section on this tune is spectacular and was written to interplay (call and response) with the guitar. I indulged in a double length guitar solo on this tune to give time to build intensity of emotion. The guitar starts out sensuously laid back, builds through some wild chromatic riffs to a bluesy finish and drops down to a whisper for the final verse. Jessica gives some great a cappella color to the end. Are We There Yet? began as a hammer-on guitar riff that I heard in my head. I wrote the lyrics to satire our collective obsession with image over substance. I like the way the lyrics turned out, particularly in that the title makes a nice ending for the song. The scat singing between verses is something I recorded when I began tracking the tune as a demo for the rest of the band to hear. I was going to have some better singers do the parts but Hussain and Jessica thought it was hilarious as it was so we kept it. Russell's piano adds a great touch. Tommy drumming on brushes completes the mood. Male Pattern Blindness began as the guitar solo and experiments with using a 6/9 chord as a transition (like a tritone substitution for you music theory buffs) between the IV and the II chord. I honestly didn't have anything to say lyrically, so I wrote a song based on a phrase I came up with when I couldn't find something (that should have been obvious) in the fridge. Your Call Is Important was inspired by being on hold with a cellular phone company for 45 minutes. I used the music to express the increasing frustration of the person on hold. It was a wonderful excuse to explore some crazy chromatic riffs, diminished arpeggio's and outright atonal shredding on the guitar. My son worked his delay pedal on some parts to get otherworldly effects. My friend Lisa Fuson who does voice-over for film and TV did the voice of the telephone operator. I rolled off the bass and down-sampled her voice to make it sound like it came over a telephone. At one point in the "song" I needed the sound of a dial tone, so I just recorded it right off the phone. Birthday was written on the way to a friends birthday party. I decided to record it so people could have an alternative to the standard happy birthday song. It's short but rocks the house. So Sexy was just an excuse to play some old fashioned rock and roll. The guitar part came first (as usual). I thought the rhythm of it sounded sexy, so the lyrics fell out of that. It's not great literature but we all had a lot of fun playing it. I envision it as the soundtrack to a scene in a movie (where a group of guys turn their heads to watch a pretty girl walk by). Minor Blues came from exploring chromatic passing chords. Again, it was inspired by the music, not a life situation. My working title while I worked out the music was Minor Blues, so I developed a story line that used the word "minor" when I was on a minor chord and "major" when I was on a major chord. I pushed the bounds of lyrical credulity by incorporating a line about getting to work by "nine sharp" when outlining a sharp nine chord on the guitar. A little joke for the musicians in the audience, a plausible story line for everyone else. I really indulged myself on the guitar solo - three times through the changes. This gave time to build the horns, which sound terrific, and for me to get into some whole-tone arpeggios on the guitar. Kool Aid was inspired by hearing about the 40th anniversary of the Jonestown massacre, and thinking about how we all think we are smarter than those people that died. I think we have a false, smug sense of security, thinking we aren't being duped daily by the media and corporations. This song is not about politics (despite the extreme right-wingers using Jonestown as a metaphor for liberal delusion). It is a call to humility. We brought in Casey Jones, a reggae drum specialist for this tune. Casey and Hussain (bass) laid down a fabulous reggae groove. Never having played reggae, I could not have pulled off this tune without their expertise. I then told the horn section that I wanted them to sound like a drunk New Orleans funeral procession. They nailed it. Flying was inspired by watching my sons learn how to paraglide and then watching a video of their paragliding instructor jump off a cliff in the Alps. I wanted to capture the terror of anticipation, rush of adrenaline on takeoff and the incredible peaceful freedom of gliding through the air, stepping from one mountaintop to another. The song ends the album and points to a different kind of writing in future work. I hope you enjoy. December 2010 David Wells.

Blue Lover
Blue Lover (MF)