Bman's Blues Report

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Prayin' for the Rain , by Dry River and it's quiet and introspective. Opening with Lift This Stone , singer/guitarist Oliver Althoen performs a real nice contemporary Robert Johnson like track with the assistance of harmonica player, Dave Forrest. Very cool. Lost in the World is a solid blues rocker with tight drum work by Ruben Oridano, solid bass work by Joel Helin and firm vocals by Althoen. With an interesting guitar line and firm footing, the track sounds a bit in the vein of a stripped down early Led Zep. Hildegard is a really strong ballad with Althoen on guitar and vocal, joined by Forrest on harp and Jeremy Hatch on keys. One of my favorites on the release. Rocker, Lovesick Blues has real swagger and just a dash of country. With cool, low key electric guitar rhythm and harp lead, this is another of the standout tracks on the release. Lay Down and Die has super blues ballad bones giving Althoen the o...

Prayin' for the Rain is the second studio album from Dry River, recorded and produced by singer/songwriter guitarist Oliver Althoen at his home studio in Orange, California and mastered by Rob Elfaizy at Stage One Studios in Lake Forest. For the second album, Dry River wanted to crank it up a notch and stretch out a bit; so they expanded their ranks with a rhythm section, recruiting bassist Joel Helin and drummer Ruben Ordiano.  Half the songs on the new album are electric and the other half acoustic; all are originals written by Althoen with the exception of "Makin' Biscuits' which was cooked up by harmonica player Dave Forrest. Dry River is a Blues-Rock/Americana band hailing from the banks of the Santa Ana River in Southern California.  It was originally formed as an acoustic duo when Althoen and Forrest got together to share a love of early Blues. They started out playing tunes by vintage Blues giants like Mississippi ...