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I started a quest to find terrific blues music and incredible musicianship when I was just a little kid. I also have a tremendous appreciation of fine musical instruments and equipment. One of my greatest joys all of my life was sharing my finds with my friends. I'm now publishing my journey. I hope that you come along!


Please email me at Info@Bmansbluesreport.com

Tuesday, February 12, 2019

Shane Dwight Returns With NO ONE LOVES ME BETTER - Out April 5


Shane Dwight Returns With

NO ONE LOVES ME BETTER

OUT APRIL 5 ON RED PARLOR RECORDS

USA Today called him an “ace songwriter”

Shane nails life to the wall like a WANTED sign out in the wild west.

Critically acclaimed blues maverick, Shane Dwight, will pull you into his house by the ear after the first chord of No One Loves Me Better out on Red Parlor Records out on April 5, 2019. This esteemed independent label has long been a champion of music’s best songwriters, and Dwight is no exception. This new collection of songs is some of his most personal yet – gut-wrenching, and heartbreaking to date. The story of a man finding love, committing a crime, and wanting redemption runs deep in Shane’s songs.



From the heartwarming “No One Loves Me Better” to the dark “Bullets & Gasoline” to the sassy “Sucker,” Shane nails life to the wall like a WANTED sign out in the wild west. Shane’s songwriting has evolved so far that he may be untouchable for a while, and fans won’t be able to get it out of their heads, critics won’t know what to do with him. But one thing’s for sure; he’s here to stay.



Recorded at Grammy Award-winning Kevin McKendree’s studio in Franklin, TN with a mega all-star cast of players the sounds of this album, are slick, powerful and groove driven. The heartbeat of the drums and the entanglement of guitars mix well with Shane’s raspy voice. The eccentric guitar tunings bring the haunted voices to life; you can almost see the movie. “You will hear some of my friends, Bekka Bramlett (Elton John), Kenneth Blevins (John Hiatt), and Rob McNelley (Bob Seger) who all came to the table that day to be a part of this story. The story is of a misunderstood man, his trials and tribulations over the perils of whiskey, women, and the music business.” – Shane Dwight



No One Loves Me Better, ends with “The Trial Of A Poet” – a haunting resonator and background vocals from the renowned Bekka Bramlett; it’s filled with fog, crunchy leaves, and a flashlight. There are blues, rock, soul, country and a little bit of hip-hop that shows his California roots. It’s heavy, it’s deep, and it’s a swamp full of characters that show up at the fight.



“Exceptional talent…. it’s clear this cat can sing anything he wants.” – Blues Revue Magazine



Shane grew up on a ranch in Morgan Hill, CA a few hours from San Jose and Monterey, where the air was fresh, and the sun was hot. At the age of nine, he was diagnosed with Perthes bone disease in his hips that prohibited from him walking for about a year as a young boy. Since then, the debilitating illness does go into temporary remission but when it returns it forces Shane to live with severe chronic pain. Shane began to learn how to play guitar back in high school, playing with friends and bands along the way, he started The Shane Dwight Blues Band at 28. His musical roots were FM radio, Album Oriented Rock artists like Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, and Stevie Ray Vaughan. He dug deep into their influences and found a stack of others, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, and Albert King; those gave him the nod to take it even further.



Sometimes standing on the rock where Moses stood is vital to get the energy of the ground into your soul and when Shane stood on the same burn spot where Jim Hendrix once stood at the famed Monterey Blues Festival, he felt the mysterious aura seep into his bones. Bones that once were strong get weakened at times when you need to fill your cup.



Where do you go to get it filled up? At the well of course, and for Shane that well is his fans. He has crisscrossed this country and the world many a time, to bring the people what they want, his music – a blend of rock and blues with a little dash of country. His band went on to win the Monterey Blues Festival Battle of the Bands in 2001, and that’s when it began.

He caught fire that day in Monterey, and never stopped except to get gas. His grassroots approach to his career has also been crucial for he has built it fan by fan, show by show and album by album. From What You Need to Gimme Back My Money to A Hundred White Lies, Shane has conquered it all; festivals, CD sales, radio and press accolades galore from rock to country to blues and back again. Dwight’s most successful to date has been A Hundred White Lies, which received praise from publications like, USA Today, Guitar World, and Living Blues Magazine. It charted on several popular radio lists, XM/Sirius Satellite’s Channel, “Bluesville,” Living Blues Magazine, Route 66 – an Americana radio show chart for a total of about six months together. Then, in Spring 2018 he went into Greaseland Studios with Kid Anderson and did a fresh set of his favorite blues covers with another all-star cast of players, called High Time I Got Mine which is only sold at his live shows.

Shane’s hectic touring schedule reads like an airplane flight plan. He keeps it real with a bi-coastal routing to festivals, winery series and of course, he will show up at his favorite dive bar to croon. He has performed over 3500 shows over the past 20 years, headlining at some of music’s most significant events; Beale Street Festival, Portland Waterfront, Reno Blues Festival, Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise, Ottawa Blues Fest; sharing the stage with household names such as Blake Shelton, The Doobie Brothers and B.B. King. He’s backed off the 200 dates a year he once did, but he still brings the rock to the table and the blues to the dance floor.

Country and blues music is about the same. You see, they are rooted from the same soil with a Bible and bottle in each hand. And that’s why Guitar World said that Shane Dwight, “rocks hard.”

Katie Henry - High Road - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, High Road, from Katie Henry and it's an interesting release with cool ballads and hot rockers. Opening with country style rocker, Nowhere Fast, Katie Henry opens her debut release on lead vocal and keys. With a bluesy slide to her vocal style, John Ginty on organ, Antar Goodwin on bass, Moe Watson on drums and with a hot picking by Jonathan Fritz on guitar. this is a solid opener.  Chapels has a southern gospel flavor on a pop track with rich vocals and trademark Marcus Randolph on pedal steel guitar. Bluesy ballad, Carry You, has a terrific melody and feel. Henry's vocals are soothing with particularly precise drum work by Watson and supple guitar soloing by Fritz. Very nice. Funky R&B track, Someday, has a solid back beat from Watson and featuring Anthony Krizan with some real nice slide work under the solid vocal structure of Henry. Wrapping the release is Takes A Lot with springy Billy Preston funk and a Blondie kind of attitude. Ginty's organ plays a large part in the feel of this track as does the rhythm guitar work of Fritz, and Watson's tight drumming. Henry shines on this closer with solid guitar soloing by Fritz. Strong closer.  

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Monday, February 11, 2019

Forty Below Records artist: Sugaray Rayford - Somebody Save Me - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Somebody Save Me, from Sugaray Rayford and it's cool, dark and funky. Opening with The Revelator, Rayford is trudging into dark country. With an ominous bass line by Taras Prodaniuk, punctual guitar work by Rick Holmstrom, and cool trumpet by Mark Pender, with additional work by Sasha Smith on keys, Ron Dziubla on sax and Richard Rosenberg on trombone as well as a voodoo sounding choir made up of Eric Corne, Brittany Gael Vaughn, Brittney S. Wheeler, Gabriel M. Newman, J-Blake White, &Terika Jefferson. R&B track, You and I has an excellent melody with full horn section compliments of Pender, Dziubla and Rosenberg making is a solid radio track. One of my favorites on the release is I'd Kill For You, Honey, with a super moving blues bottom featuring a super bass line by Prodaniuk, Eamon Ryland on slide and Eric Corne on harp complimenting Rayford's excellent vocals. Soul ballad, Somebody Save Me, is another excellent showcase for Rayford's vocal sensitivity with backing vocals by Carol Hatchett and Roberta Freeman. Smith lays in an interesting keyboard solo and smooth backing by Eric Gorfain on violin and Richard Dodd on cello add warmth. Wrapping the release is Dark Night Of The Soul with not only power vocals but with a heavy bottom and dynamic harp work by Corne. Hot closer for a strong release.



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Friday, February 8, 2019

Randy Casey - I Got Lucky - New release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, I Got Lucky, from Randy Casey and it's a cool blues rocker. Opening with Bed Bug Blues, a really cool track, Randy Casey on lead guitar and vocal shows just what kind of tone you can get out of the right guitar. With fat, swampy slide work and greasy lead, Casey get right to it. Backed by David J. Russ on drums and Al Bergstrom on bass, this is a great sound. Knee slapper, Soo Line is a snappy country flavored blues with plenty of energy and bluesy fingerpicked slide. Russ' drum work lends that "train" feel with harp work by Pinetree Paynich. Clever shuffle track, Little Weed is an easy blues ditty discounting the concern with a little MJ. Short and sweet, a crowd pleaser. With the heat and funk of ZZ Top, Strange is one of my favorite tracks on the release with just the right about of rock and blues. Steve Thorpe's key work under Casey's solid vocals and strong guitar lines, accented by the tight drumming of Noah Levy makes this a perfect rocker. With a mix of Mick, Keith and Bowie. One Step Ahead has a great mix of country and rock. Richards' style guitar riffs really make this track click. Excellent! The Chaperone is built over a Sonny Boy Williamson track with that infectious bass line. This is another track that will leave you wanting more with key organ shapes by Thorp and great blues riffs by Casey. Very nice. The New Old Landlord Blues has tastes of the Dead and Pink Floyd with a rambling lead line, distorted guitar but in the end it's really all Casey and very tight. Another venture into country flavor is Broken Arm Blues and I really like it. Casey's vocals are well suited, his guitar phrasing is bluesy and warm and the band really pulls it together. Wrapping the release is Racing Stripes with a Neil Young, country rock basis, great drive and rowdy guitar lead. Very nice closer. 

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Thursday, February 7, 2019

Seth Rosenbloom - Keep On Turning - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Keep On Turning, from Seth Rosenbloom and it's really quite good. Opening with blues ballad, Keep On Turning, lead guitarist and vocalist, Seth Rosenbloom shows really strong vocal skills as well as a great sense of blues guitar playing with strong phrasing and feel. Excellent opener backed by Travis Carlton on bass, Gary Novak on drums and Scott Kinsey on keys. Shuffle track, I Can't Take It has a Texas blues feel with traces of Albert King and SRV. Very nice. BB King's Heartbreaker has a cool, up beat pace with great guitar style, punched up by the trumpet playing of Jamelle Adisa and sax work by Dan Boissy. One of my favorite tracks on the release is slow blues ballad, Right About Now, with strong vocals, excellent drum accents by Novak and clocking in at over 5 minutes has just the right amount of guitar to satisfy. Elmore James' Look Over Yonder Wall has a really nice funky beat giving Rosenbloom the opportunity to wind it out and his guitar lead never fails to please. Shifting keys a few times his playing is precise and lush with great feel. Original composition, Broke and Lonely is another of my favorites with a super melody and great blues bones. Taking his stratocaster for a nice walk on this track, Rosenbloom shows real chops, having studied the masters and creates his own phrases without mimicking other successful blues artists. Very nice. Wrapping the release is Leon Russell's Palace of the King with a driving rock beat and excellent guitar and drum accents, backed vocally by Vanessa Bryan. Solid closer for a really strong release. 

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Wednesday, February 6, 2019

L+R Records artist: Chicago Blues Heaven - Eddie Kold Band featuring Larry Doc Watkins - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Chicago Blues Heaven, from Eddie Kold Band. Opening with Blues Heaven, a shuffle track with a European flavor, features Eddie Kold on guitar and lead vocal, Lukas Diehl on organ, Sven Ostrowski on bass and Christian Wubben on drums. Jimmie Reed's Big Boss Man gets a Booker T style R&B rework with a distinctive romping bass line by Ostrowski and slashing guitar work by Kold. Very cool. I really like the deeper blues structure of Think About You All The Time with a lumbering bottom and excellent guitar phrasing. Jungle Cat has a classic rock structure with a solid dose of R&B and some of the best vocals on the release. I've got To Use My Imagination has a great high stepping feel featuring soulful vocals by Delores Scott. Kold's guitar lead on Gasman 2018 is certainly the most bluesy on the release with excellent phrasing and turns. Hungry Call has a cool, Sissy Strut feel with a darker sense and a nicely woven music fabric. Very nice. Wrapping the release is a real mover, Rufus Thomas' Do The Breakdown featuring hot sax work by Rodney Brown and backing vocals by Vance Kelly, Delores Scott, Ethel Reed, and organ by Mille Meckbach. Great closer. 

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Tuesday, February 5, 2019

Little Village Foundation artist: Kevin Burt - Heartland & Soul - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Heartland & Soul from Kevin Burt and it's quite entertaining. Opening with Day Day, a funky R&B track with really nice vocals by Kevin Burt . backed by Jerry Jemmott on bass, Derrick DMar Martin on drums, Kid Andersen on guitar, Jon Otis on percussion, Jim Pugh on keys and with Lisa Leuschner on backing vocals, this is a great opener. Thank You is a solid soul track with a great set up. Rhythmic rim shots and a warm bass line set the pace on this one that does a sideward salute to Sly's Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin). Working this track over and over, Burt really milks the soul out of it. Very nice. I really like the soulful movement of Real Love and it's traditional R&B vocal phrasing with solid harp work by Burt. A slower, almost folksy take on Lennon & McCartney's Eleanor Rigby reminds me of Richey Havens and that's good. Unsung vocal hero. Never is a super bluesy soul track with some of Burt's best vocals on the release. With a great bass lead by Jemmott and nice guitar lead by Kid Andersen, this is one of my favorites on the release. Wrapping the release is blues shuffle, Wake Up, Baby with Burt on acoustic guitar, vocal and harp. Burt is an entertaining musician, solid singer songwriter and makes a cool album. Check it out.

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Monday, February 4, 2019

Eller Soul Records artist: Big Al and the Heavyweights - World Full Of Trouble - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, World Full of Trouble, by Big Al and the Heavyweights and it's a lot of fun. Opening with title track, World Full of Trouble, Lance Younger on lead vocal hits it hard with Destin Thibodeaux on hot harp and crisp guitar riffs from Bob Margolin. Tight drumming by Big Al and bass by Dean Galatas keep a tight groove under the rumbling keys of Wayne Lohr making for a solid opener. With a funky bass line by Galatas and a real R&B sax line by Lance Ellis, Fool For You has a nice groove. Wath, BB King like guitar phrasing by Younger on Testify, over gospel like backing vocals by Donna Slater and Cathy Pace give younger great traction for top radio track on the release. Very nice. Country funk on Big Old Rusty Car really works nicely with Billy Preston like  organ by Lohr, and hot sassy sax work by Ellis. Very cool. Conjuring the bluesy soul of Blood Sweat and Tears, Two Wrongs Don't Make A Right, has a swaying rhythm and Thomas like vocals with a great bass line, nice harp work by Thibodeaux, chasing drums by Big Al and really tasty guitar riffs by Younger. Wrapping the release is bluesy, Something Got To Change. Ellis lays back and wails on sax and Younger's always super vocals make this an excellent closer for a really nice release. 

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Friday, February 1, 2019

Bobby BlackHat - Put On Your Red Shoes - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Put On Your Red Shoes, from Bobby BlackHat and it's smooth and bluesy. Opening with I Smell Another Man On You, Bobby BlackHat Walters, takes the lead on vocal, backed by Brian Eubanks on bass, Tom Euler on guitar, Michael Behlmar on drums and Lucy Lawrence Kirkpatrick on keys. Larry Burwald's pedal steel slide work, complimented by Kirkpatrick's keys and Bobby's own harp work make for a nice opener. With a heap of R&B, ballad, This Grey Beard is strong with a good story line and memorable melody. Burwald's easy paced slide work and Tom Euler's articulate lead really gives this track a special feel. With a Latin rhythm, title track, Put On Your Red Shoes, has a great feel with lively drums and excellent guitar soloing. One of my favorite tracks on the release, Grim Reaper has a spacy, San Francisco blues sound with arpeggiated chords, solid vocals and smoking hot guitar and organ solos. Wrapping the release is another slow blues number, I Hear Mama's Voice, with really super vocals and really nice harp work by Bobby. Euler really steps up again on this track with gripping guitar lead and Kirkpatrick's piano work is soothing and balanced making this an excellent closer.


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Thursday, January 31, 2019

Burning Disk Records artist: Sauce Boss - Blind Boy Billy - New Release review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Blind Boy Billy, from Sauce Boss and it's a different recipe from earlier releases with David Davidson featured on strings. A companion to just released memoir entitled The Life and Times of Blind Boy Billy not only tells Wharton's story but includes a songbook and a cookbook. Opening with the title track, Blind Boy Willie, Sauce Boss (Bill Wharton) leads the way on vocal, guitar and one man band, accompanied by Davidson, Joe Murphy on sousaphone, Dennis Holt on snare and Jamie Paul and Jason Eskridge on backing vocals. A bluegrass flavored track, Davidson winds it up Charlie Daniels style. On Jimmy Buffett's I Will Play For Gumbo, Sauce Boss on lead guitar, one man band and guitar parties over cool sousaphone work by Murphy. Foot stompin' blues rocker, Little Driver, is raw and gutsy with cool slide and primitive rhythm. Otis Redding's, Dock Of the Bay, is polished and soulful with acoustic/slide and just the right amount of spice (sousaphone). Very nice. Another of my favorites is What She Gonna Do with Boss on a roaring electric slide and nothing but simple vocal and heavy foot pedal. Solid. Wrapping the release is Pleasures Of The Deep featuring a string quartet of David Davidson and David Angell on violins, Monisa Angell on viola and Carol Rabinowitz on cello. A somber ballad with Boss upfront on vocal and a soothing backing melody, this is a solid closer.



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Wednesday, January 30, 2019

Mekons Announce New Album Deserted + New Single + Tour


Mekons Announce New Album Deserted,
Out on March 29


L-R: Dave Trumfio (bass), Susie Honeyman (violin), Jon Langford (vocals/guitar), Steve Goulding (drums), Rico Bell (accordion/vocals), Tom Greenhalgh (vocals/guitar), Lu Edmonds (saz, cumbus, oud), Sally Timms (vocals).

Photo credit: Ricky Malpas (hi-res)

Plus, RollingStone.com Premieres Video For "Lawrence of California" and
Announces New European and U.S. Tour Dates

British folk-punk collective the Mekons will release a new album Deserted (PRE-ORDER HERE) on March 29. It is their first formal studio album since 2011's Ancient & Modern. RollingStone.com announced the album, along with a 2019 tour spanning Europe and the United States, and the launch of a new music video for the song "Lawrence of California."



Emboldened by a sold-out tour and a surge of interest in the States after the release of the documentary Revenge of the Mekons, the Mekons retreated to the fringes of Joshua Tree National Park and popular culture to record their new album Deserted. Singer/guitarist Jon Langford said of the recording experience:

"There are deserts everywhere. We took time to ponder the vastness and the weirdness of the desert. Going to the country to get your head together is a ripe old rock cliché. We went to the desert to have our brains scoured... We went from one desert to another. A more hopeful place where we arm ourselves with spikes and endure.”

The band will tour extensively throughout April and July and all currently announced tour dates are included below. 

Deserted album artwork: hi-res

Track listing:
Lawrence of California
Harar 1883
Into the Sun
How Many Stars
In the Desert
Mirage
Weimar Vending Machine
Andromeda
After the Rain


Tour dates:
April 2 – Newport, United Kingdom –  Le Public Space Newport (tickets)
April 3 – Leeds, United Kingdom – Brudenell Social Club (tickets)
April 4 –  Brighton, United Kingdom – Patterns (tickets)
April 5 – London, United Kingdom – 100 Club (tickets)
April 6 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Cinetol
April 7 – Berlin, Germany – Music & Frieden
April 8 – Hamburg, Germany – Hafenklang
April 9 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Alice
April 10 – Frankfurt, Germany – Mousonturm (tickets)
April 11 – Linz, Austria – Stwst Stadtwerkstatt
April 12 – Vienna, Austria – Chelsea (tickets)
April 13 – Reutlingen, Germany – Franz.K (tickets)
April 14 – Bad Salgau, Germany – Franziskaner (tickets)
July 14 – Chicago, IL, United States – Hideout (tickets)
July 15 – Madison, WI – High Noon Saloon (tickets)
July 17 – Pittsburgh, PA – The Warhol Entrance Space (tickets)
July 18 – Philadelphia, PA – Johnny Brenda’s (tickets)
July 19 – Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg (tickets)
July 22 – Los Angeles, CA – Lodge Room (tickets)
July 23 – Big Sur, CA – Henry Miller Library (tickets)
July 24 – San Francisco, CA – The Chapel (tickets)
July 25 – Seattle, WA – Tractor Tavern (tickets)

All dates collected on the band's tour dates page.

Ruf Records Artist Katarina Pejak Releases Roads That Cross on 2/15


SERBIAN BLUES PIANIST, KATARINA PEJAK TO RELEASE NEW DISC PRODUCED BY MIKE ZITO



ROADS THAT CROSS OUT FEBRUARY 15TH ON RUF RECORDS


It takes a brave artist to blaze their own trail. From her birth-city of Belgrade to the Marz Studios in Texas where she recorded her dazzling new album, Katarina Pejak has walked countless roads and stuck a thousand pins in the map. Now, with Roads That Cross, this award-winning performer unveils a fresh set of songs that follow her muse wherever it leads her. Inspired by blues, jazz, country and rock ‘n’ roll – and shaped by all the cities she’s called home – this is music that crosses borders and brings people together. As producer Mike Zito says: “Katarina is one of a kind…”



Making her debut on the iconic Ruf Records – and taking part in the label’s famous Blues Caravan tour in 2019 – Roads That Cross is the stone-cold classic that Katarina has promised since the start. Rewind to the post-millennium and this upcoming artist was already a little different: a classical piano virtuoso who raided her father’s record collection for Tom Waits, Bessie Smith, Van Morrison and Otis Spann – then challenged herself to write songs that measured up.



Hitting the blues circuit in her late-teens, word of Katarina’s house-rocking musicianship and smoky vocal spread across the Serbian capital like wildfire. But she had bigger plans. In 2011, Katarina followed the call to the birthplace of US roots, winning a scholarship to the famed Berklee College of Music that trained stars from Steve Vai to Quincy Jones. “It was amazing and tough at the same time,” she recalls. “Studying with people like Dave Limina and Pat Pattison really shaped me.”



Katarina soon made her own mark, picked out for Berklee’s prestigious Songwriting Achievement Award and winning critical acclaim in her native Serbia for early releases like Perfume & Luck (2010), First Hand Stories (2012) and Old New Borrowed And Blues (2016). Her material touched on every genre, but the common factor was honesty, which flooded from the speakers and held audiences spellbound as she performed with the A-list and began to be mentioned in the same breath. “I've had the privilege to meet and play with some true blues greats,” she recalls, “like Ronnie Earl, Mike Zito, Anson Funderburgh, Mark Hummel and Ana Popović.”



For now, Katarina has put down roots in Nashville. But Roads That Cross was born in Texas, where she arrived this year armed with a notebook full of new songs, a stellar studio band and the burning desire to make the best album of her career. “A young woman from Serbia,” considers Zito, “surrounded by Americans, in Southeast Texas, takes the reins and leads this band into some of the best songs I’ve heard in a long time. Her voice is subtle and seductive, her piano playing is on fire. She has emotion, passion and a desperate need for the music to be magical.”



Mission accomplished. Listen to Roads That Cross and you’ll be taken on a magic carpet ride of emotion and mood. There’s "She’s Coming After You,"  with its Latin groove, echo-chamber guitars and a lyric about a femme fatale who “looks like the Devil’s daughter/Walks like a baroness”. There’s the choppy reggae-flavored "Down With Me" and the expert jazz of "The Harder You Kick," carried by organ and Katarina’s astonishing vocal. The upbeat "Cool Drifter" combines escapism with a soul edge, while "Moonlight Rider" will satisfy the blues hardcore, its gritty riffs and dusty groove addressing a lover that she knows will leave. “I didn’t realize until after making the album,” she reflects, “but most of these songs are about good-byes.”



For everyone else, Roads That Cross is the start of a beautiful relationship. Following her meteoric early career, Katarina Pejak stands at a crossroads, ready to step into the fast lane. “She’ll make you think,” concludes Zito. “She’ll make you cry. By the end of this record, she’ll have you in the palm of her hand. For Katarina, this is only the beginning…”



Roads That Cross will be released by Ruf Records on February 15, 2019.

CRAIG FINN announces new solo album "I Need A New War" | April 26 Partisan Records | Hear new single "Blankets" at NPR | UK tour dates coming up



CRAIG FINN ANNOUNCES NEW SOLO ALBUM I NEED A NEW WAR
 
FIRST SONG, BLANKETS, PREMIERES TODAY VIA NPR - LISTEN HERE

UK TOUR DATES THROUGH FEB + MARCH


I NEED A NEW WAR ARRIVES APRIL 26 ON PARTISAN RECORDS
"There's a sensation of instability, but also a spirit of inevitability, and as with so much of what Finn weaves, there's grace through it all." - NPR
Photo credit: Shervin Lainez


Partisan Records announces the release of Craig Finn’s eagerly awaited new album, I Need A New War arriving Friday, April 26.
The third album in a trilogy (following 2015’s Faith in the Future and 2017’s We All Want The Same Things), I Need A New War once again sees Finn expertly chronicling our complex, often confusing, modern era, drawing deeply felt character studies about regular people trying to respond to extraordinary times, attempting to find connection whilst wondering how to keep pace with a world moving faster than they are. The LP further finds Finn focusing his lens on New York City – his home for the last 18 years.

“Going in, I saw this record as the third part of a trilogy,” says Finn. “Thematically, this was the third group of songs that I had written about smaller moments - people trying to stay afloat in modern times, attempting to find connection, achieving tiny triumphs and frustrating let downs in their day to day lives.”
I Need A New War, Finn’s fourth solo LP, was recorded throughout 2018 at The Isokon in Woodstock, NY with producer Josh Kaufman and engineer D. James Goodwin, both of whom teamed with Finn on his widely acclaimed previous solo releases. In addition, the album features musical contributions from many of his regular solo collaborators, including Kaufman, horn master Stuart Bogie (Antibalas), pianist Sam Kassirer,vocalists Annie Nero and Cassandra Jenkins, and drummer extraordinaire Joe Russo.
“Perhaps forward motion is everything,” says Finn. “The characters in the songs on this record, and the last two, are trying to keep up and keep their heads above water. They succeed or they don’t, but their stories are the tales of their attempts at pushing ahead. And so, with my own push forward, I feel lucky and excited to be sharing these songs and stories.”

The first song from the new record premiered on NPR today and is available now on all DSPs. “Blankets is a song about someone who has never gotten over a past love, and goes searching for her. But time is running out,” says Finn. Listen to Blankets below.

Beginning today, fans can pre-order I Need A New War in physical and digital formats here (https://craigfinn.lnk.to/newwar). All orders through Finn's D2C store include a bonus digital EP featuring five b-sides from the album. Other items exclusive to the store include: a one of a kind, signed hardcover lyric book (featuring lyrics to all songs from FITF, WAWTST, INANW and photos by Dan Monick), signed vinyl, an enamel pin set, and more.

Perhaps best known as the singer of The Hold Steady, Craig Finn is a Minnesota-bred singer-songwriter and guitarist based in New York City. With his highly descriptive lyrical style and a defining focus on narrative, Finn has crafted whole worlds for the people in his songs to exist within. After five critically acclaimed albums with The Hold Steady, 2012 saw Finn release his first solo album, Clear Heart Full Eyes prompting The AV Club to write, “As a solo artist, Finn has created a new world of characters and songs...working in new sonic territory while still sounding like the same old storyteller obsessed with falls from grace and calls for redemption.”

Largely written in the wake of his mother’s death, Faith in the Future earned four stars from Rolling Stone and ultimately, a top 10 spot on American Songwriter’s “Top 50 Albums of 2015.” “It’s time to pay attention to Craig Finn, who made his mark as the frontman with the Hold Steady — an infectious, Replacements-style rock act from New York — but really steps up on his own,” wrote the Boston Globe “Finn’s second solo album is packed with songs rich in street intelligence and wry humor.”

Finn’s remarkable third solo album, We All Want The Same Things, proved one of the most acclaimed releases of 2017 with inclusion on a wide range of high-profile year-end lists. “God In Chicago,” the extraordinary centerpiece track that gives the album its name, was ranked #1 by American Songwriter on its “Top 25 Songs of 2017,” noting, “We expect strong characters and compelling stories from Craig Finn, whether he’s recording solo or with The Hold Steady. We even expect beautiful details and excellent location scouting. But we didn’t expect a song as powerful, as specific, as lived in, as beautiful, as insightful, as risky as ‘God in Chicago.’” The Guardian, In a four-starred rave, hailed We All Want The Same Things as “a deeply personal work from a master storyteller,” while Paste simply declared the LP “[Finn’s] most self-assured album...The subtler sense of musical adventurism he has come to embrace on his own work, make these songs essential.” Finn celebrated We All Want The Same Things by touring extensively throughout 2017. Highlights included an acclaimed headlining trek backed by his live band, The Uptown Controllers, as well as solo living room tours of the U.S. and the U.K.

Finn will support I Need A New War with a North American and European live schedule. He tours the UK in support of Brian Fallon on the following dates.

5 FEB 2019 / UK / Newcastle / Wylam Brewery*
6 FEB 2019 / UK / Edinburgh / The Queen’s Hall*
7 FEB 2019 / UK / Manchester / Albert Hall*
8 FEB 2019 / UK / London / Union Chapel*
9 FEB 2019 / UK / London / Union Chapel*
11 FEB 2019 / NL / Amsterdam / Meerwart*
12 FEB 2019 / BE / Brussels / AB Flex*
13 FEB 2019 / DE / Bochum / Christuskirche*
15 FEB 2019 / DE / Munich / Neue Theaterfabrik*
16 FEB 2019 / CH / Zurich / Dynamo*
17 FEB 2019 / IT / Milan / Santeria Social Club*
19 FEB 2019 / DE / Hamburg / Markthalle*
20 FEB 2019 / DE / Hannover / Capitol*
22 FEB 2019 / UK / Cambridge / The Junction*
23 FEB 2019 / UK / Brighton / St George’s Church*
24 FEB 2019 / UK / Bath / Komedia*
25 FEB 2019 / UK / Cardiff / Tramshed*
26 FEB 2019 / UK / Manchester / Albert Hall*
27 FEB 2019 / IE / Dublin / Academy*
8 MAR 2019 / UK / London / Electric Ballroom / The Weekender^
9 MAR 2019 / UK / London / Electric Ballroom / The Weekender^
10 MAR 2019 / UK / London / Oslo / The Weekender^

* supporting Brian Fallon
^ with The Hold Steady

I Need A New War Tracklisting:

1. Blankets
2. Magic Marker
3. A Bathtub In The Kitchen
4. Indications
5. Grant At Galena
6. Something To Hope For
7. Carmen Isn’t Coming In Today
8. Holyoke
9. Her With The Blues
10. Anne Marie & Shane

DALE WATSON premieres fan-inspired track "David Buxkemper"


Red House Records
DALE WATSON

Dale pens a song for Texas truckin' farmer "David Buxkemper" 
CALL ME LUCKY out February 15, 2019 on Red House Records 


January 30, 2019: Memphis, TN: Over his lengthy career, honky-tonk artist Dale Watson has found songwriting inspiration in real-life situations and his interractions with fans. A chance email Watson received from Texas fan David Buxkemper led to the aforementioned "truckin' farmer" being immortalized in his namesake song, which appears on CALL ME LUCKY, Watson's February 15 release on Red House Records. 
"Him and his granddad would watch Hee Haw, and loved listening to truckin' songs as they were doing their farming," Watson tells The Boot. "So I wrote back and asked him to expound a little bit, because he had inspired me to write a song. He ended up telling me that he was an illegal truck driver two days out of the year. He kinda has to sneak his crop out twice a year, because he doesn't have the license for it," Watson added. "So I thought it was a great story, and with a name like that -- David Buxkemper?! You can't make that up."
Over the last three decades, Dale Watson has been labeled as everything from alt-country to Ameripolitan. But the most humble description may come from the title of his newest album, CALL ME LUCKY. A fixture of the Austin, Texas, music scene for years, Watson recorded all but one song on the album at historic Sam Phillips Recording in Memphis, TN. The album features some of Memphis’ finest as well as Dale’s longtime band, His Lone Stars, and includes a horn section on some of the tracks. In early 2018, he bought a house there and now divides his downtime equally between Texas and Tennessee. He also sold the bars he owned in Texas and purchased the fabled Memphis nightclub Hernando’s Hideaway in an effort to provide a hospitable place for touring musicians to perform.

Throughout CALL ME LUCKY, Watson’s songwriting is so descriptive that you can almost see him cruising into Memphis as he sings “Tupelo Mississippi and a ‘57 Fairlane,” a throwback tune backed by a Memphis-style horn section. Meanwhile, a Hank Williams influence seeps into “Haul Off and Do It,” which is already a favorite in Watson’s live shows. And like the music from his musical heroes, many of the new songs clock in at roughly three minutes long – sometimes less.

“I’ve always been a fan of keeping songs short,” Watson confirms. “Long ago, I went to a library and checked out Tom T. Hall’s How I Write Songs. And in there, he said it’s not about keeping the songs short, it’s keeping the point. Make your point and get out. That’s always been my way of writing. There are some songs I’ve written that go on a bit more like a story, but I guess it’s probably my ADD that I don’t drag it out too much.”

Watson featured artist on the sold-out Outlaw Country Cruise joining Margo Price, Lucinda Williams and others. He’ll then gear up for the Sixth Annual Ameripolitan Music Awards in Memphis in February. Founded and operated by Watson, the ambitious event celebrates touring roots artists who write their own music – a winning formula that Watson has embodied for more than 30 years.

“I write a lot. It doesn’t mean I write good songs, but I do write a lot of songs. So I think as with anything, you keep at it and you get better at it. But as for writing just a simple country song, I can accept that I’m good at that,” Watson says. “I’m just really, really grateful to be able to do what I do for a living, for as long as I’ve been doing it.”
For Dale’s full tour schedule, please visit www.dalewatson.com.

Track Listing:

1. Call Me Lucky
2. The Dumb Song
3. Johnny And June
4. Tupelo Mississippi And A '57 Fairline
5. Haul Off And Do It
6. Restless
7. David Buckskimper
8. Inside View
9. You Weren't Supposed To Feel This Good
10. Mama's Smile
11. Who Needs This Man

KIND WORDS

“Honky tonk hero recalls a celebratory Johnny Cash … very enjoyable”– MOJO

“…this album is a toe tapping treat for anyone who likes a large helping of down home honesty in their country music….get yourself a copy of this album, it’s one of Dale’s best and a great addition to any collection of good country listening”  – Country Music People

“Watson mixes a devilish charm with a touch of smarm” – Rolling Stone

“Watson infuses every track with unashamedly blue-collar, grass roots honesty.
”  – American Songwriter

"He’s spent the past two decades proving there are still powerful tales to be told from the honky-tonk pulpit, and he's brought that message to the faithful.”  – The Nashville Scene 

 “I’m one of Dale’s biggest fans.” –  Willie Nelson

“His objective importance lies in his priceless role as devoted counter to insipid pop-country.”  – No Depression


TOUR DATES
2/1/2019 Continental Club-  Austin, TX

2/2/2019 The 4 Star Concert Hall - Brenham, TX

2/2/2019 Confederate Square - Gonzales, TX

2/14/2019 Gruene Hall - New Braunfels, TX

2/15/2019 Luckenbach Dance Hall - Fredericksburg, TX

2/16/2019 Broken Spoke - Austin, TX

2/23/2019 Blues City Cafe - Memphis, TX

3/1/2019 Longhorn Saloon - Fort Worth, TX

3/2/2019 The Broken Spoke - Austin, TX

3/6/2019 Rollins Studio Theatre -  Austin, TX

3/8/2019 Continental Club - Houston, TX

3/9/2019 Honky Tonk Texas - Silsbee, TX

3/12/2019 Gsdm-  Austin, TX

3/13/2019 Daryl's House - Pawling, NY

3/14/2019 The Birchmere -  Alexandria, VA

3/15/2019 Roxy & Dukes Roadhouse - Dunellen, NJ

3/16/2019 Murmrr Ballroom - Brooklyn, NY

3/17/2019 My Father's Place - Roslyn, NY

3/18/2019 The Locks at Sona - Philadelphia, PA

3/19/2019 Cafe Nine - New Haven, CT

3/20/2019 Godfrey Daniels - Bethlehem, PA

3/21/2019 Creative Alliance - Baltimore, MD

3/22/2019 Hard Rock Cafe - Pittsburgh, PA

3/23/2019 Circuit of the Americas - Del Valle, TX

4/5/2019 Continental Club - Austin, TX