​We've been waiting four years for a follow-up to 'Raise Your Bet', but it's all worth it! Swinging West Coast presented in a wonderful way. Handsome! The release 'Detonized' is highly recommended…! 

​Multi-instrumentalist Stefan Breuers’ heavy weight lyrics leave this slowcore album in a depressive mood.  Who wants to wallow in it?

​A two-time Blues Music Award-winning sax player Jimmy Carpenter, who's also been nominated recently for a Blues Blast Magazine award for best horn player, has something special in-store for his fans with the release of his new CD, The Louisiana Record, due September 16 from Gulf Coast Records. Now based in Las Vegas, Jimmy Carpenter lived and performed in New Orleans from early 2004 until 2016, and his time there clearly influenced his music. ‘The Louisiana Record’ is a special collection of Jimmy's favorite songs from New Orleans and Louisiana. Recorded on the bayou at Dockside Studios with Jimmy's old friends and outstanding New Orleans musicians!

​Strange brew on a French bagpipe with trance electronics makes you ready for a trip to a more organic world where you can loose control.

​‘Smack Dab In The Middle’, already the fourth release in the R & B Goes R & R series, catapults you straight back to the fifties, the heyday of rock 'n' roll. As has been said so many times, the basis of rock 'n' roll is nowhere else than rhythm & blues. That is again abundantly noticeable in the 28 tracks of this album. Tracks that naturally originated in America, but also artists from Australia, New Zealand and Argentina are featured here.
In addition to the tracks that underwent a sublime transformation from R&B to R&R, you also get a number of covers that stayed closer to the original, but are no less enjoyable for that.
It may once again be said that the compilations released by Atomicat are performed with knowledge of the facts. Just like the previous releases, we can only warmly recommend this album.

​If one band has to be named as the forerunner or even father (mother?) of high-standard bluesrock (I repeat: high-standard), it must be Cactus. Why, they are even among the very best earlier metal and heavy rock bands. Cactus recorded the heaviest and slowest version of rock’n’roll hit ‘Long Tall Sally’ and the heaviest and fastest version of trad blues ‘Parchman Farm’. Their format remained unchanged for four albums: a blues or blues pattern turned heavy, slow or fast, and often in boogie woogie style. Their own compositions are a delight too, think ‘Let Me Swim’ or ‘One Way and Another’. There’s the obligatory slower tune, but also great blues sections such as the self-written ‘Bro. Bill’ or their middle weight take on Chuck Willis’ ‘Feel So Bad’ – often featuring a nice slice of harmonica.
Let me also mention many relevant lyrics pertaining to societal matters, as in ‘One Way or Another’ and ‘Hometown Bust’.
All that beauty is courtesy of one of the finest rhythm sections ever – Tim Bogert and Carmen Appice from Vanilla Fudge – plus guitarist Jim McCarty (Buddy Miles, Mitch Ryder) and singer Rusty Day (Amboy Dukes). On their fourth album, Englishman Peter French of Leafhound and Atomic Rooster would successfully handle the rawest vocals.
Cherry Red released a box with no less than eight discs: all four albums for Atco, a series of bonuses, plus – and that makes it very special - four concerts. I think that is called a ‘must’.

Radio 68 will play choice tracks on Wednesdays 28 September, and 12 and 26 October. 

​In the review of 'The Blues According To Hank Williams / Hank Williams According To The Blues' we already announced this second luxurious edition of Richard Weize Archives.
The title of this album is taken from the cry the dancers shouted during the dances that were graced by the Trinidad String Band. The Trinidad String Band was led by violinist George Robertson Lovelace Baillie, simply known as Lovey. The band was at its best from the early 20th century until 1928, the year the band stopped. In 1912 the group, including Lovey, had twelve members. In the same year the group made a trip to New York for a few performances. During their stay there, the band recorded for the Victor Talking Machine Company and the Columbia Graphophone Company, which were the first wax recordings by a band from the Anglophone West Indies. The new Spanish-American character of their instruments was responsible for their success. Their reputation was so impressive that in the closing days before the outbreak of World War 1, engineers from Columbia traveled to Trinidad to make some fifty recordings, during sessions that started on July 31 and ended on August 5, 1914.
The three CDs in this superb edition contain recovered recordings from 1912, supplemented by 40 of the 50 or more recordings made in 1914.
The repertoire reflects rhythms from various islands in the Caribbean and mainland South America. Besides Cuba in the Caribbean, Argentina and Brazil, Lovey's is the earliest black band-made music on records in America. While not jazz or ragtime, the band introduced a different dance music style with 19th-century roots that became "hot" and first recorded.
And these recordings are not wrong. They may sound a bit strange on the first listen, but Lovey's Trinidad String Band soon has you in its grip. After all, these beautiful instrumental songs come from a time when the melody was still extremely important. It is therefore not surprising that the performances of Lovey's Band were hugely popular at the time during the appearances on the dance halls. The songs formed the ideal background for the faster paseo or the slower waltz.
The fact that we can enjoy this with this edition is more than unique. And although this music is more than a century old, the sound quality of these 3 CDs is unquestionably very good.
'Encore 'Lovey'!, The Historic Trinidad String Band Recordings 1912 & 1914' is a luxurious
limited edition on a 10 inch format. In addition to the 3 CDs with a total of 65 tracks, you will receive a 48-page book where you can find all possible information about the band. Book that is also very cleverly illustrated with memorabilia, such as photos, newspaper articles and announcements of performances. Since it is a 'limited edition', being fast is again the message. Keep in mind that this edition is not only a fantastic period document, but also contains unique music.

​Laura Tate's sixth album ‘Smokey Tango’, takes the listener on a captivating journey through the lush landscapes of southern Louisiana and the swamps. About visions of dancers in tuxedos spinning under a canopy of stars to a joint juke-juke on the table in French Street. Auditory surprises excite and inspire throughout the twelve tracks. Smokey Tango is released on the Blue Heart Records label. Laura Tate has recorded a very divergent album. Highly recommended! 

​Considered one of the best Latin guitarists in the world, Eljuri celebrates “Reflexión,” her fifth studio album, and will be touring with her powerhouse trio in support of the release during 2022 and 2023 in the United States, Mexico, and the Netherlands. In her new production, Eljuri offers us hypnotic and undeniable melodies that are both familiar and foreign at the same time, which you can hear in her latest single, “Salvando la Tierra.”.       This new record Reflexión is Eljuri at the top of her game, bringing life energy through our current challenges of Covid and political madness. Eljuri is celebrating the September 2022 release of her fifth studio album, Reflexión. The Eljuri power-trio delivers hypnotic and undeniable melodies that are familiar and foreign all at once. With her heavy guitar-driven grooves; rock, Latin, world, and funk, that envelop socially conscious stories. 

​Niecie is a workaholic who pushes herself relentlessly to optimize her sound. She has now succeeded very well in this. Great release! Billboard artist Niecie releases her latest album Queen Of The Hill. Co-produced with Grammy Lifetime Achievement award winner former Allman Brothers Johnny Neel. Raw and soulful rocking blues with Detroit flavor that will take you on a roller coaster of emotions.

​This soulful rockin' lady won a Midwest Music Award in 2015 as 'Female Vocalist of the Year', after introducing her promising debut 'Truly Me' to the world press. So now there is 'Burn It All Down', her third studio album on the Juno Records label. The album diverges from rock, over a rare ballad and some funky tunes. Greeat stuff! 

​‘Funhouse Mirror’, the fifth full length album release by Danish rock band Vinyl Floor (formed in 2007), sees the band returning to the experimental and symphonic expression as found on the earlier albums ‘Peninsula’ (2012) and ‘Vaudeville’ (2014).

Almost at the last minute of 2022, RWA (Richard Weize Archives) surprises with two absolutely sublime publications. A first release is this 'The Blues According To Hank Williams / Hank Williams According To The Blues'. The second edition 'Encore Lovey, The Historic Trinidad String Band Recordings 1912 and 1914' will be released soon. It's worth mentioning that both releases have been submitted to the Grammy committee, where they hope to be nominated. We keep our fingers crossed, but first let's take a closer look at 'The Blues According To Hank Williams / Hank Williams According To The Blues'.
Based on a collection of Hank Williams' songs that have been covered, this album tells a lot about Hank. He certainly wasn't the only one, but no country artist of the last century has gone through as many musical genres as Williams. The tracks on this album weren't all hits, but they do shed light on how Hank Williams influenced his black colleagues. An influence that was, by the way, greater than had been assumed. Hank was an ordinary white dude from Alabama with no significant musical education, and yet he managed to write songs that captivated artists like Fats Domino, Louis Armstrong, Dinah Washington, or Katie Webster, to name a few. This clearly demonstrates the universal character of Hank's music, all the more so because the artists who covered his songs managed to integrate them in a brilliant way into their own environment and music genre.
The 28 tracks give a more than formidable picture of this.
'The Blues According To Hank Williams / Hank Williams According To The Blues' is a luxurious limited edition released in a 10-inch format. In addition to the 28-track CD, you get a 32-page book where Bill Dahl goes deeper into the songs, the artists and their careers. Book that also contains formidable photos of these artists. Since it is a 'limited edition', being quick is definitely the message here. You don't want to miss this one!

​The boys of Riptunes went into the studio with producer Pieterjan Maertens and received vocal backing from Sarah Devos and James de Graef. Nine tracks, nine songs with a 'lady name', modest Americana and this on the Antwerp label Starman Records. Between 'Maurene' and the closing 'Grace' there is a lot of beauty. 'Clementine' is a jazzy structured piano song, the single 'Sheila' is a radio-friendly song and the listening song 'Elodie' gives us a lot of goosebumps. 'Sue' nails itself in between country, just like 'Martha' and 'Janine' remind us a bit of Nick Cave with its floatyness. The acoustic 'Norma' frames a lot of subtlety. Riptunes is highly recommended!

​Grammy and Americana-award-winning singer-songwriter and violinist Amanda Shires has pushed the reset button with 'Take It Like A Man'. Amanda Shires sheds light on her relationship problems with husband Jason Isbell on 'Take It Like A Man' in a very honest, ballad and direct way. Witness are the strong lyrics and wonderful musicality... 

​Drive-By Truckers have been making exciting Southern country rock for over twenty years without falling into clichés. The band from Athens, Georgia has built up a rock-solid live reputation over the past two decades, thanks to their fantastic records. So, Welcome to Club XIII…! The nine tracks were recorded live in the studio, which keeps you focused on every song. 

Vanessa Lively is one of the best singer-songwriters of the century. Her lyrics are pure poetry and very philosophical.  

Faced with the unknown future of his ability to sing or play again someday, Elvin Bishop, Bob Welsh, Willy Jordan, Kid Andersen and Alabama Mike joined him to share the healing power of his music during a two-day recording session at Kid's Greaseland Studio. . The resulting collection of soulful music is infused with the love and friendship of old musical comrades who gathered in support of their soulmates John.
John was recently diagnosed with an ameloblastoma, an aggressive, benign tumor in his jaw which required extensive, very specialized surgery NOT covered by insurance. A GoFundMe has been set up to help with the staggering medical costs that his family and John are facing.I'm grateful to you all for your support, your kind words of encouragement, and your prayers. https://www.gofundme.com/f/go-fund-johns-jaw
​

​Arabian Garage rock of Desert Blues, Al-Qasar will conquer the world with their addictive mix of western and arabian textures.

With this album Mick Kolassa has once again returned to his acoustic roots. No amplified instruments were used on any track, making this album purely acoustic. Once again working with producing partner Jeff Jensen, they have assembled a true Free Range Blues experience!

‘The Beatles, of course, remain our main focus’, The Analogues admit With their live reproduction of the iconische Beatles' albums from the late 1960s, the Dutch The Analogues are reaping national and international success. To realize this you need a lot of knowledge and craftsmanship. Bart van Poppel, Felix Maginn, Fred Gehring, Jac Bico and Diederik Nomden are multi-instrumentalists and vocalists. With enormous precision, an eye for detail and an immense love for music, they know how to perform live albums like 'Let It Be' and 'Abbey Road' perfectly. Corona unfortunately stopped their performances, so that there was time for an album with their own songs. With 'Introducing The Analogues Sideshow', that album is now available, which also highlights the qualities as songwriters of the group members. And those are not wrong. The 13 tracks exude sky-high songwriter talent. It was already known that the quintet cherishes an enormous admiration for the work of The Beatles, but that The Analogues could also create their own compositions, which should certainly stand next to the work of the Fab Four, we had not seen that coming in our wildest dreams.
The way in which this band reproduces the Liverpudlian foursome live is beyond fantastic and we can of course only applaud that. And yet we dare to say that it would be a shame if The Analogues were to leave it at this first 'Sideshow'. After all, this band contains superior musicians and composers, so that they can build a beautiful musical future on their own feet without any problems.
‘The Analogues Sideshow’ is a treasured album and a must, and not just for Beatles fans.

​Urban blues evolved from classic blues after the Great Migration. The Taylor family is the perfect example of this. Being the son or daughter of a legendary blues artist is by no means an attitude formation. Not even to live up to it in this small blues world.. Demetria Taylor, daughter of Eddie Taylor, has been an established name in and around the Chicago blues circuit for several years. Now Demetria is promoting her second album on Delmark Records. And she has already grown in her performance as a band leader. The tracks, recorded at Delmark's Riverside Studio, on this exciting new album are a balance of traditional blues, funk and modern R&B. Highly recommended…!

​Water is not only necessary for every living organism, which is why man has always been fascinated by seas and oceans. In the past, seafarers discovered new continents, products and traded through the water. The adventure of all this also inspired poets, writers and composers to write wonderful poems, novels and songs. As a metaphor, the waves also reflect the ups and downs of our lives.
With 'Sea Conditions, Swell Songs And Shanties For Breezy People' the German Bear Family bundles 31 songs that relate to everything that has to do with sea and ocean. Sailor songs and songs from the folk, country and pop genre will get you in the right mood. A number of songs will undoubtedly sound familiar to you.
Artists presenting with multiple songs include The Roger Wagner Chorale, The Kingston Trio, Jimmie Driftwood, and The Easy Riders. As a result, the 34-count booklet, in which you will find all the information about the songs and artists, requires some searching because the tracks are bundled per performing artist(s).
Sea Conditions, Swell Songs And Shanties For Breezy People is nevertheless a compilation that brings the stories and adventures of seas and oceans, in excellent sound quality, into your living room.

​John Primer has undisputedly helped build the sound and style of Chicago blues as we know it today. The echos of tradition bellowing from the birthplaces he played such as: Maxwell Street, Theresa's, Checkerboard and Rosa's Lounges, pulse from every chord in his fingers today. John Primer is a Chicago Blues Living Legend. These 13 hardcore traditional real deal Chicago Blues songs come straight from the heart and reflect John Primer's 2 time Grammy Nominated status. This Hard Times CD was made to get us through these hard times we are living in. If you love real deal Chicago Blues you will love this album.

​The collection of original songs ranges from traditional blues to honky-tonk to rock to New Orleans blues. By cooking up this diverse, rhythmic, sonic stew, Tuite has created a blues gumbo sure to satisfy any palette. ‘Hard Case  Of The Blues’ was produced by Grammy award winner Paul Nelson, who also plays electric, slide and acoustic guitar on the album, to the excited expectations of her ever growing, world-wide fanbase.