So Glad You Made It, Fantastic Cat (from the Missing Piece Group Records release Now That’s What I Call Fantastic Cat)
Fantastic Cat showcase their humor by maintaining a countdown clock until they’re eligible for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, prominently displayed at their shows. Yet, it’s not entirely a joke – if they maintain their potent combination of stellar songwriting and energetic live performances, it’s within the realm of possibility.
Their sophomore album is a brilliant continuation of the charm they brought with their debut. They open with the raucous “Oh Man!”, hand-clap percussion and pounding drums setting the stage for a chorus ripe for shout out loud sing-alongs. The tongue-in-cheek “All My Fault”, sung by Anthony D’Amato, finds the singer taking responsibility for his significant other falling in love, “It’s all my fault that you kissed me,” he sings, “All my fault that you liked it”.
The freewheeling “So Glad You Made It”, punctuated by piano and accordion, celebrates someone who has found success but not a touch of cynicism. “No misery you’ve got nothing left on me, you can twist the truth but the rules remain the same,” the group sings in harmony (with added vocals from Counting Crows’ Adam Duritz).
Brian Dunne brings the rock on “Go All Night”, with an underlying 1960’s pop vibe amped up with a modern day urgency. “I had a band up in Boston, we went our separate ways,” he shares, “And I got a job at Guitar Center, I fucking hate this place.” The retro undercurrent, in this case more 1970’s than 1960’s, continues on the mid-tempo “Edinburgh” and “Sometimes Your Heroes Let You Down”. Think Big Star and Badfinger if they were still writing and performing today.
Every song on the album features the group’s dynamic harmonies, not to mention their unbridled enthusiasm. It makes Now That’s What I Call Fantastic Cat all the more impressive, the first of hopefully many stepping stones on the road to the rock hall of fame.
Where I Started From, Kyshona (from the Soundly Music release Legacy)
Some albums just breathe their ambition and majesty. This is one of them. Nashville-based Kyshona explores her own family history in this powerful thematic piece.
The cornerstone of the album is a collection of songs about several generations of grandparents. “Alma Ree”, “Waitin’ On the Lord”, and “The Echo” not only bring to life their stories, but also the inspiration that they provided for subsequent generations. “You are the song,” she declares, “I am the echo”.
Kyshona calls on master guitarist Keb Mo for the bluesy “Carolina”, which explores her complicated relationship with her home state. The soulful, horn-laced “Where I Started From” takes a more nostalgic view on her youthful innocence and how it can be recaptured – “When I have music and song, I know I belong, Going right back where I started from”.
“Comin’ Out Swingin’”, which was written with her brother and was inspired by a favorite cousin, bristles with defiance in the face of adversity:
I ain’t throwing that towel in
I things go wrong I still can’t quit
If I have one less shot left to win
I’m placing that bet on me
I’m coming out I’m coming out I’m coming out
I’m coming out swinging
Comin’ out swinging
Comin’ out swinging
“What’s In a Name” digs into the essence of family. “What’s in a name,” she asks. “Beauty and pain, power and joy, love and shame,” is the immediate answer before she summarizes it in a single word, “everything”.
In “Where My Mind Goes”, Kyshona confronts a medical emergency with fiery defiance, heavy percussion and a gospel choir adding to the song’s intensity. “My body strains to keep me standing I ignore the signs and keep demanding My will pushes me ’til I’m falling down.”
Legacy is a powerful artistic statement, moving with its highly personal yet often universal meaning.
Hello Sunshine, Jon Muq (from the Easy Eye Sound release Flying Away)
These are the kind of stories we love. Uganda-born Jon Muq makes his way to Austin for SXSW, sticks around, and serves up a stellar debut album. This is masterful R&B, uplifting and infectious. I mean, it says something that a third of the song titles have the word “love” in them. Muq wants you to be happy, enjoying a life filled with love and tranquility. “Hello Sunshine” sums it up beautifully:
Hello,?hello?sunshine
Goodbye?rainy days
Love is,?love is the?answer
Musically, the songs on Flying Away flow with a relaxed vibe. Think lazy Sunday afternoons getting lost in sunshine and music. Add in the gentle charm of Muq’s voice and the result is a debut album that is warm and inviting.
The Hard Way, Jesse Dayton (from the Hardcharger/Blue Elan Records release The Hard Way Blues)
Jesse Dayton may have travelled to LA to record his latest album, but his distinct brand of fiery Texas rock and roll is as strong as ever. Dayton is a true Texas storyteller and his songs chronicle lives hard lived and hard earned. Heck, the album title says so itself. “Bangin’ my head up against the wall ever since I was a kid,” he sings, “Could have took their advice for an easier life, but I guess I never did.”
From there, Dayton takes on everything from economic disparity in “Talkin’ Company Man Blues” (“30 years punchin’ a clock for a big steak dinner and a fake watch”) to coping with stress-induced sleeplessness in “Night Brain” (“I’d take some straight up scary nightmares just to get me some sleep, ‘cause they ain’t shit compared to this night brain.”) to childhood visits to a prison rodeo in “Huntsville Prison Rodeo” (“Well at the Huntsville Prison Rodeo there ain’t too much to lose, while the warden takes in all the money but all the prisoners pay the dues.”).
Album closer “GoD Ain’t Makin’ No More of It” strings together tales of love, money, and music lost to time, making the point that one needs to savor every moment because, well, it ain’t gonna last. “Well this ain’t about FOMO, that’s the fear of missing out,” he counsels, “we can replace all the money, it’s the time I’m talkin’ about.”
True to form, Dayton’s guitars – both acoustic and electric – growl and wail across The Hard Way Blues. They are a force unto themselves, infusing the songs with grit and urgency. More to the point, as good as these songs sound on record, one knows that they’ll be the best kind of nasty live.
Doin’ It Right, Silverada (from the Prairie Rose Records release Silverada)
A name change doesn’t mean a change in music, and that’s a damn good thing. Silverada, formerly Mike and the Moonpies, make some of the most authentic and artistically pleasing country music to be found today. You won’t find songs about beer and trucks here; Silverada are better than that.
Opener “Radio Wave” finds singer-songwriter Mike Harmeier weary in his own musical skin. “I hate the way I play they blues one four five with a minor two,” he admits before declaring “If there’s a weapon you can’t trust me with its a major third, the perfect fifth, Americana is a myth I told ya”.
“Load Out” offers its own reference to the name change and a need to infuse new life into the band. “I’m too easy to forget about, I need to put another record out,” Harmeier sings, “but all the guys are burning out and I guess I am too.”
While they don’t sing about beer, the group does have a soft spot for whiskey and tequila. But for Silverada it’s about what the drinking signifies rather than the act itself. Album stand-out “Doing It Right”, for example, finds singer-songwriter Mike Harmeier at a bar lamenting a cheating lover while admitting his own errors in judgement. “Shooting tequila, bumming a light, finding someone to touch at the end of the night,” he sings, “if she’s doing it wrong then she’s doing it right.”
While some songs, like “Radio Wave” and “Wallflower” lean more in a rock direction, the band still maintains a connection to its country roots. “Something I’m Working On” is pure honky-tonk while “Stay By My Side” recalls classic 1970’s Willie Nelson.
Mike and the Moonpies were notable for their musical restlessness. Their evolution into Silverada is just another example of the group pushing themselves, setting the stage for the next phase of their musical journey.
Well Alright, Johnny Cash (from the Mercury Nashville/UMe release Songwriter)
New Johnny Cash? Sign me up. Songwriter contains songs from throughout Cash’s career, all recorded as demos in Nashville back in 1993. Fast forward over 30 years and his son, John Carter Cash, stripped the recordings back to just Cash and his guitar, then invited a group of Nashville musicians including Marty Stuart to re-build the tracks. As they should, the results keep the focus on Cash – his voice, songs, and guitar.
The songs themselves cover lots of ground, from space and the heavens (“Hello Out There”) to the tale of a soldier persevering after the Vietnam War (“Drive On”) to finding love at the laundromat (“Well Alright”). Taken together they are a welcome reminder of the talent and personality that Cash brought to his music.
Ain’t Much I Can Do About It, John Moreland (from the release Old Omens/Thirty Tigers release Visitor)
John Moreland has returned after an extended, self-imposed hiatus that included six months without a smart phone. Not surprisingly, this experience, as well as the social, political, and economic turmoil that surround his return, permeate Visitor. Proof to the point is “Silver Silver”, which captures the full range of his lyrical focus:
There’s a world of beauty, there’s a world of shit
There’s a world at the end of my fingertip
A digital balm for an analog bruise
Which world do I choose?
A lot of the album deals with the changes, many unwelcome, that come with the passage of time. Moreland takes a tone of resignation on “Ain’t Much I Can Do About It”. “Living in a town I don’t recognize, the old one disappeared before my eyes,” he sings, “there ain’t much I can do about it.” It is also top of mind in the more personal “No Time”. “The future’s coming fast, neck deep in the past,” he laments before adding “don’t miss the moments while they’re passing”.
Musically, most of the album is stark and acoustic, letting Moreland’s voice and lyrics carry the weight of the songs. In that vein, it recalls some of his earliest albums. It’s exactly what we want and expect from Moreland. It’s good to have you back, John.
Just a Little Bit, McKinley James (from the release Working Class Blues)
There’s something simple – and enjoyable – about the early days of rock and roll. The blend of blues and R&B was dirty and intoxicating. It’s ground that McKinley James mines to perfection on Working Class Blues. There are a few songs about a musician’s life on the road, notably “Movin’” and “Get to My Baby”. There are even more songs about love gone, from the relaxed sway of “Leadin’ Me On” to the bluesy groove of “Call Me Lonesome”. All are delivered by James with charm and perfection.
Souvenirs, John Prine (from the Oh Boy Records release Live on Mountain Stage: Outlaws and Outliers)
For more than 40 years NPR Music and West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s Mountain Stage live radio show has been a cornerstone of Americana. So it’s not surprising that the show has amassed a tremendous archive, a small portion of which is showcased on Live on Mountain Stage: Outlaws and Outliers. The collection is anchored by so many classic songs and performances, from John Prine’s “Souvenirs” to Indigo Girls “Closer to Fine” to Lucinda Williams’ “Joy”. More recent gems include Jason Isbell’s “Traveling Alone”, Margo Price’s “Hurtin’ (On the Bottle)”, and Tyler Childers’ live version of his previously unreleased “Goin’ Home”. And even that is just scratching the surface.
Bad Days, Broken Gold (featuring Alejandro Escovedo) (from the Chicken Ranch Records release Wild Eyes)
Austin’s Broken Gold are prime for any summer soundtrack. The album bristles with anthemic rock – hook heavy and ripe for sing-alongs. The songs are awash in electric guitars with singer Ian MacDougall’s shouted vocals giving them extra edge. Turn it up!
Respect Yourself, The Staple Singers (from the Omnivore Recordings release Africa 80)
Gospel, R&B, and soul – The Staples Singers could do it all. This incredible archival release captures the group on a US government-sponsored tour of Africa in 1980, their first visit to the continent. The performance is sublime. Sure there are hits like “Respect Yourself”, “Come Go With Me”, “Touch a Hand, Make a Friend”, and “Let’s Do It Again”. But it also showcases the Staples grooving with a take on “Ease On Down the Road” from “The Wiz” and a rousing version of “Will the Circle Be Unbroken”. Classic songs from a classic group.
About the author: Mild-mannered corporate executive by day, excitable Twangville denizen by night.