18 Jan 10 The Truth Is
By John South
On the back porch of a house in a small Texas town, a little girl sat and dreamed of playing guitar and being a singer. She made up songs – singing through the day. She listened to the music of Joni Mitchell – she wanted to be just like her, to sing just like… Continue reading
Posted by: John South
Tags: Austin Songwriters Group, Jeanie Sliva, Milo Deering, nashville songwriters association, Patrick McGuire, Rocky Dribble
21 Nov 09 Welcome Home Shelley King
Shelley King, 2008 Official State Musician of Texas, presents us with a new offering, Welcome Home, that that not only highlights the flexibility of her vocal talent, but also underscores the craftsmanship that she and the Subdudes (John Magnie, Tim Cook and Steve Armedée) put into each and every song. One factor of craft that really standouts out in this recording… Continue reading
Posted by: John South
Tags: Shelley King, The Subdudes
14 Aug 09 Album Review: David Cline presents Big Slick
If you’re up for Texas Hold’em, take the flop, hit the turn and mosey on down the river to David Cline’s “Big Slick”. Continue reading
Posted by: Rick Matos
Tags: Ace in the Hole, Audio Dallas Studios, Bad Beat Blues, Big Slick, Brand New Friends, Circle Wire Records, Cline Acres Pub, Darned Ole Casinos, David Cline, Friday Night Poker Game, I’m All In, Lady Luck, Texas Hold'em, Texas Hold’em Championship Bracelet, Texas Music Journal, That Almighty River, Yorktown Digital
03 Jun 09 Album Review: The Snakecharmers – Been Gone Too Long
The Snakecharmers formed in 2002 as a family affair. Marie Angell, Will Blumentritt and their son Eric Blumentritt brought together diverse musical backgrounds to form an incredible blues sound. The missing element for the band was a lead guitarist that could feel the music and integrate into “the family”. They found that in the person of Larry Meeker, a saxophonist by… Continue reading
Posted by: John South
Tags: Eric Blumentritt, Larry Meeker, Marie Angell, The Snakecharmers, WIll Blumentritt
31 May 09 Anna Thomas’ stunning first outing: Splash of Red
I’ve been following the development of North Texas performing songwriter, Anna Thomas, for almost a year now. She has just released her first EP, Splash of Red, a locally produced venture. I have to say, I’m completely impressed.
Usually when you listen to a small regional release, you find yourself having to make a lot of excuses for shortcomings in… Continue reading
Posted by: Ryan Michael Galloway
Tags: Anna Thomas, Mathew Gaskins, Splash of Red
20 May 09 Album Review: Mike Darnell – The Promised Land
Mike Darnell brings us an offering of the “flues” as he calls it – a combination of Folk and the Blues. Like much of Texas music, it’s really the confluence of the many events, people and music that have impacted Darnell. He moved around the country as a youth and was impacted by folk and rock that he heard.
Darnell… Continue reading
Posted by: John South and Sam Moore
Tags: Big Lizard Boys, Bill Aspinwall, Lloyd Daniel, Mike Darnell, Smythe and Taylor
17 May 09 Album Review – Bill Aspinwall “Free Range Trout”
Bill Aspinwall offers us an album that crosses a number of Texas musical styles including folk, pop and blues. He has brought together a talented set of friends to produce an album that highlights their versatility and creativity including Gibson, the dog and Satchmo, the cat (highlighted in “Mister Crippen’s Banjo”). This is the first of two albums that we will… Continue reading
Posted by: John South
Tags: Bill Aspinwall, Free Range Trout, Lloyd Daniel, Mike Darnell, Smythe and Taylor
10 May 09 Album Review: Connie Mims “Go Deep”
At the recent Texas Music Awards, Connie Mims was named Songwriter of Year. Though that is an honor in itself, Connie also found herself that afternoon among a quintet of Houston songwriters, all excellent musicians and performers. This year, Connie stood out among that elite group of peers as the one selected to be Songwriter of the Year.
Behind that… Continue reading
Posted by: John South
Tags: Connie Mims, Songwriting
23 Apr 09 Album Review – Blues Rockers: For Adults Only
This album has been out for a while, but it is notable from several aspects – production value, the songwriting, and the performance. The versatility of the singer/songwriters comprising the Blues Rockers is evident in the diversity of compositions presented. From the heavy rock aspects of “Democracy” and “Window Pain” to the exquisitely heart-wrenching story in “Appletown” to the bluesy “Dreaming”… Continue reading
Posted by: John South
Tags: Appletown, Blues Rockers, Micheal Reames, Wayne Folse
