Sons of Fathers

Sons of Fathers

Blanco River

Imagine country rock where the country is more folk and less honky-tonk; the rock more blues, less metal. Such is the music on Sons of Fathers’ self-titled debut, lumped misleadingly by some under the dreaded catchall phrase of Americana.

Pay no attention, either, to the Eagles and Flying Burrito Bros. comparisons. These guys are more in the style of Dillard/Clark/Gosdin, Poco and CSN, with subtle nods to Michael Nesmith, Stone Canyon Band-era Rick Nelson and even a little New Grass Revival.

In a nutshell: Texas singer-songwriters David Beck and Paul Cauthen met by chance while working on solo projects, discovered they made a great harmony duo, expanded to a band (Beck plays upright bass, Cauthen guitar) and enlisted veteran producer/steel guitarist Lloyd Maines to help create their first album.

Originally called Beck and Cauthen, the band hit a snag just as they were readying it for release when a cease-and-desist order was delivered by musical prankster Beck, forcing them to change their name. They had already chosen to name the album after one of its songs, so they simply chose to name the band after the album.

If anything, the two-month delay seems to have allowed more buzz to build. The boys are touring in earnest, and recording sessions for the sophomore effort are under way. To be sure, the debut will be a hard act to follow — but listening between the grooves one gets the sense that won’t be a problem.

Tracks
1. Weather Balloons
2. Out Of Line
3. Wind Turbines
4. Flatlands
5. The Country
6. Sons Of Fathers
7. Ruthless
8. Adam And Eve
9. Mother Dear
10. Only For A Day

Total time: 33:22

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Tags: country, folk, rock

Ian Siegal and the Youngest Sons

The Skinny

Nugene

Guitarist/singer/songwriter Siegal journeyed from his home country of England to the Hill Country of north Mississippi seeking to alter his musical consciousness – and what a trip it was.

The 2011 British Blues Awards male vocalist of the year convened at late producer/pianist Jim Dickinson’s Zebra Ranch in Coldwater with the “youngest sons”: Garry Burnside (guitar/bass), the youngest son of R.L.; Robert Kimbrough (guitar), of the late Junior; Rodd Bland (drums), of Bobby “Blue”; and Cody Dickinson (drums/bass/Woogie Board), of Jim.

“I was at NAMM (the National Association of Music Merchants convention) in L.A. in January 2010 and attended a charity show as a guest of St. Blues Guitars,” Nugene Records head Richard Pavitt told Good New Music via e-mail. “Cody Dickinson was also there as a guest of St. Blues (who make his electric washboard – the Woogie Board). We had never met before but got talking about the roots music scene. Cody is hugely passionate about music and a very engaging person. While we were talking an idea came into my mind: ‘I wonder what would happen if I put Ian Siegal and Cody together.’

“It was at a time when I wanted Ian to do something different and to some extent take Ian out of his comfort zone and challenge him. Both Ian and I are fans of the Hill Country sound – Burnside, Kimbrough, all those guys – and I could see that influence working for Ian. Cody is a very fine musician but he also loves working as a producer, so I suggested to Cody that Ian go over to Memphis and meet Cody, hang out and see if the creative sparks fly – which they did! That was in May 2010. Ian went back in August (he and Cody are perpetually busy – the hottest month of the year was the only time they could both do it!). Cody recruited the musicians, none of whom had ever heard of Ian!”

Siegal likely meshed with the musicians (dubbed the Youngest Sons during the sessions) in part because Cody had experience working with another accomplished slide guitarist: Luther Dickinson, Cody’s brother and North Mississippi Allstars bandmate.

The seven new Siegal originals on “The Skinny” include the slow-burning title cut (featuring guest Alvin Youngblood Hart on rhythm and second lead guitar); the fife-and-drum number “Devil’s in the Detail” (with Andre Turner on fife, carrying on in the tradition of his late grandfather Othar); and the praiseful “Hopper (Blues for Dennis),” with a guitar-solo finale that cruises off like a chopper down the highway.

Garry Burnside contributes two tracks, the earnest “Picnic Jam” and the unplugged “Garry’s Night Out,” sharing vocals with Siegal on the former and singing lead on the latter.

Rounding out the excellent set is a pair of disparate covers rendered homogenous by Siegal and the boys: swamp rocker Tony Joe White’s wah-wah showcase “Stud Spider” and one of Dallas Frazier’s mid-60s compositions for pre-ballad-mode Charlie Rich, “Moonshine Minnie.”

Tracks
1. The Skinny
2. Stud Spider
3. Master Plan
4. Hound Dog In The Manger
5. Picnic Jam
6. Natch’l Low (Coolin’ Board)
7. Better Than Myself
8. Devil’s In The Detail
9. Moonshine Minnie
10. Garry’s Nite Out
11. Hopper (Blues For Dennis)

Total time: 55:03

External links
artist’s website
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Tags: blues, rock

Sugar Ray & the Bluetones

Evening

Severn

A small percentage of blues harp players excel as singer-songwriters. Sugar Ray Norcia is in that minority, along with others including Slim Harpo, Lazy Lester, Jerry McCain, Junior Wells, Lester Butler, Gary Primich, William Clarke, James Harman, Mark Hummel and Kim Wilson.

The Bluetones have been around since the late ’70s, but their first full-length album didn’t drop until 1989; “Evening” is their seventh. Bassist Michael “Mudcat” Ward and drummer Neil Gouvin are longtime members who, along with keyboardist Anthony Geraci, were former bandmates of Norcia’s in Ronnie Earl and the Broadcasters. Guitarist “Monster” Mike Welch returns for his third outing with the group.

For “Evening,” the horn-fueled jump blues of 2007′s “My Life, My Friends, My Music” is left behind in favor of a stripped-down Chicago blues affair. Nine original compositions are complemented by covers of Johnny Young (“I’m Having a Ball”), Otis Rush (“You Know My Love” aka “My Love Will Never Die,” written and originally recorded by Willie Dixon when he was in the Big Three Trio) and T-Bone Walker (the title song, a 1930s tune penned by Harry White and Mitchell Parish).

Among the originals, highlights include Welch’s self-confessional “Hard to Get Along With”; Norcia’s “Dancing Bear (Little Indian Boy),” which begins with just Norcia playing a Native American flute; and Ward’s “(That’s Not Yet) One of My Blues.” The mellow Norcia instrumental “XO” makes for the perfect sendoff.

Tracks
1. I’m Having A Ball
2. Hard To Get Along With
3. You Know My Love
4. Dear John
5. I Like What You Got
6. Too Many Rules And Regulations
7. Dancing Bear (Little Indian Boy)
8. Evening
9. I Came Down With The Blues
10. (That’s Not Yet) One Of My Blues
11. I’m Certain That I’m Hurting
12. XO

Total time: 57:55

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Tags: blues

Shane Dwight

A Hundred White Lies

R-Tist

With seven full-length albums, a collapsed marriage and a change of scenery from the San Jose area to Nashville, guitar slinger/singer Dwight has paid his dues and is feeling his oats.

The new locale seems to have helped him find his songwriting identity. The latest batch of tunes is consistent not only in quality but in tone: kind of a blues-country mutation (as opposed to standard country blues), although occasional R&B shadings and gospel-tinged background vocals by Bekka Bramlett or the McCrary Sisters (four songs each plus one shared track) can initially throw off the listener.

Such an evolved style makes sense: Dwight grew up on a horse ranch in Morgan Hill, Calif., listening to his parents’ Willie, Hank and Waylon as well as his older sister’s Ozzy, Hendrix and Zeppelin.

While past output may have seemed schizophrenic, he’s now confidently and masterfully blurring the lines on these 11 original compositions and one cover song (“Wagon Wheel,” an unfinished Bob Dylan outtake from the “Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid” soundtrack completed by Ketch Secor of Old Crow Medicine Show).

Plus, having Dick50 (Delbert McClinton’s crack band) for a backup group doesn’t hurt.

Tracks
1. Call Me
2. A Hundred White Lies
3. She Struts 22
4. Love’s Last Letter
5. True Love’s Gone
6. Black Ice
7. Love That’s True
8. Wagon Wheel
9. Broken
10. Talkin’ To You
11. Lose My Number
12. Leave The Light On

Total time: 49:53

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Tags: blues, country, rock

Ancient Future

World Without Walls

Capitol/EMI

San Francisco Bay Area-based Ancient Future was all about “world fusion” before world music was even a genre. To honor the band’s reunion this summer after a 15-year performance hiatus, Capitol/EMI is giving their fifth and most accessible disc its first digital release.

Violinist Jim Hurley came on board for this long-out-of-print 1990 outing, joining the core group of guitarist Matthew Montfort, keyboardist Doug McKeehan and percussionist Ian Dogole and remaining as a member for the rest of the group’s seven studio albums. Tabla player extraordinaire Zakir Hussain was recruited for three songs, and the record also is an early engineering/production credit for alternative pedal steeler Bruce Kaphan (who, alas, only plays shaker here).

Several exotic instruments spice up this instrumental stew, including electric violin and synthesized thumb piano (“Dance of the Rain Forest”), steel drums (“April Air”), and Balinese gamelan and Chinese flute (“Nyo Nyo Gde”).

Other highlights are “Lakshmi Rocks Me,” a tribute to south Indian violinist L. Shankar; “End of the Beginning,” a mashup of ancient Celtic and Indian influences; “Turkish Taffy,” boasting a triple-lead attack comprising guitar, piano and acoustic violin; “Indra’s Net,” inspired by Hindu mythology and featured in the soundtrack for the drift-net fishing documentary ”Closing the Curtains of Death”; and “Gopi Song,” a tip of the hat to Pandit Ram, master of a north Indian bowed string instrument called the sarangi.

Tracks
1. Lakshmi Rocks Me
2. Dance Of The Rain Forest
3. April Air
4. 14 Steps
5. End Of The Beginning
6. Turkish Taffy
7. Alap
8. Indra’s Net
9. Nyo Nyo Gde
10. Gopi Song

Total time: 44:02

External links
artist’s website
amazon.com
iTunes Store

Tags: folk, fusion, instrumental, jazz, world