Americana in various colors of red, white and blues…
The Legendary Shack Shakers on this album include Colonel JD Wilkes/voc-p-bj-org-perc-hp, Gary Siperko/g-mand, Fuller Condon/b-voc and Preston Con/dr-mand-voc as well as some cameos by various alumni and guests on the album. The music is sort of a mix of punk and C&W, opening with a dark take of the TV show theme to “Rawhide”, going into two step polkas on “Port Arthur Boys” or “Tickle Yore Innards” or giving some Western Swing on “They Won’t Let Me Forget” and “Punk Rock Retirement Plan”. A hint of Johnny Cash on “I Don’t Remember Loving You” and some Chuck Berry riffs on “U-Can-B-A-Star” rounds things off on a mix of country and millennial attitudes.
Singer/songwriter Joe Nolan performs “live” in Edmonton, playing guitar, piano, keys and samples with a core of Nigel Gale/b and Andrew Scott/dr along with a handful of cameo guests. He gives personal emotions with Scott on “All Love Is Lit” and gives a bit of 70s folk rock on “Whole New Love”. Most of the tunes have an artsy minstrel feel such as “Cherry Valance” or the organically organ pulsed “Row Your Boat”. Intimate intimations.
- Buckley: Frame By Frame
Canadian singer/songwriter T. Buckley is joined together with Steve Fletcher/key, Mitch Jay/g-b-mand-synth, Jesse Dollimont/voc/g, Jeff Kynoch/perc-key-g, Keith Rempel/b and Dan Stadnicki/dr, bringing music that , as he states “touching moments to the dark truth”. Moonless nights predominate the skies as on “Father’s Child” and “Wildfire” with troubadour’d takes of “Settler’s Town” and “Frame By Frame”. There’s a dash of uptempo indie rock for “Marilyn” and “Before I Get To Turn Around” but introspection and quixotic quests are never far away.
The Austin-based band of David Beck/g, David Herrera/acc-tp, Peter Huysman, Dees Stribling/p-perc, John Saucedo/b mixes cajun, polka and reggae as if they are performing at some Armenian wedding on this album. The Caribbean beat and accordion are intriguing on “The Deal of A Lifetime” and “For Somebody’s Sake”, with a two stepper “Rush In (Like A Fool)” and “Shouting Your Name” sound like something that precedes a toast from the father of the bride. Catch an Austin Fire.