The Money or the Time, Goodnight Texas (from the 2 Cent Bank Check Records release Signals)
Goodnight Texas have built a career around storytelling. Their early albums were thematic period pieces, snapshots of time vividly captured in song. Later albums, including the recently released Signals, may lack an overarching narrative but are no less compelling with their storytelling.
Titles like “Frankie, Where Are You Now”, and “The Lightning and the Old Man Todd” make it clear that the songs are character-driven. The latter song is particularly striking, the story of a reclusive old man who lost his wife in a lightning strike.
“Among Tumbleweeds” is driven by edgy electric guitars, all the better to accompany the tale of a woman struggling struggling in rural Northwestern New Mexico. “Among tumbleweeds and yucca flowers is a town of crows on decaying towers,” sings the band’s Avi Vinocur.
“The Money or the Time” perfectly captures a paradox of life, to wit: “You used to not have the money, Now you don’t have the time.” Very true.
Signals has more of a rock edge than their early acoustic albums. “The Ghost of D.B. Cooper” is a fine example. Electric guitars, including a nasty slide guitar, fuel the song even as a mandolin fights its way through the mix. The exclamation point comes in “Runaways”, however, which features an incendiary guitar solo from Metallica’s Kirk Hammett.
Signals is literary songwriting at its finest, all the better when set to a gritty yet melodic soundtrack.
Little Heart Racer, Fancy Gap (from the Ghost Choir Records release Fancy Gap)
I’d like to think that we’re nearing the end of albums born during the Covid era. If there are more to come that are as good as Fancy Gap’s debut, however, then I hope that I’m wrong.
The album – and band – came about when Stuart McLamb of indie rock band The Love Language and songwriter/producer Charles Crossingham decamped to a Crossingham’s cabin in Fancy Gap, Virginia during the pandemic. They emerged with an album full of catchy anthems.
They kick off the album with a double dose of pop perfection. Both songs share a sense of anxiety and self-reflection but lean in different directions musically. Opener “How To Dance” has a relaxed, country flair while “Little Heart Racer” is straight up power pop.
Singer McLamb unleashes his falsetto to dramatic effect on “Old Ways”. The song starts as an acoustic ballad before a rock beat kicks it up several notches, McLamb’s adding to the catharsis.
The irony here is that as uplifting as the songs are musically, the lyrics deal with loss, isolation, and apprehension – exactly what one would expect from a pandemic album. “Magnolias” pays tribute to a friend who passed away while “Filthy Habits” laments bad behaviors. Of course the latter song is arena rock ready, complete with a “sha la la” chorus. Bad behavior never sounded so good.
Falling Out of Love, The Damnwells (from the Poor Man Records release Bad as Beautiful)
Nearly 25 years since they first came together in Brooklyn and nearly 10 years since their last album, The Damnwells have reunited their original line-up for a new album. And, damn, it’s a charmer.
Singer-songwriter Alex Dezen sure knows how to craft a melody. His verses are sweet with a dose of melancholy, leading the way into soaring and often sing-along choruses. Relationships – the good, the bad, and the unsettled– are a frequent topic.
“Falling Out of Love” is, as the title suggests, about a failing relationship. “To the endless goodbyes let’s all raise a glass up high,” sings Dezen in the anthemic chorus, “I’m out of luck, yeah I’m giving up, falling out of love.”
“All For the Taking” finds Dezen trying to to salvage a relationship. Guitarist David Chernis’ guitar fills the song with angst as Dezen confesses, “I’ve been planting all new seeds but they’re coming up weeds, yeah, it’s all dandelions.”
“What If I Talked”, well, talks about being more open in a relationship. The interplay between piano and electric guitar give the song both a smoothness and a sense of urgency.
The catchy “Shephard of 12th Avenue” hearkens back to their early Brooklyn days, the singer name-dropping NYC locations even as he laments the experience he is having. “I’ve had enough, come and pick me up,” he decries.
Bad as Beautiful is a welcome reminder of what great melodic rock sounds like… and how well The Damnwells do it.
You Don’t Get Me Down, Benny Trokan (from the Wick Records release Do You Still Think of Me)
Benny Trokan has played with some of the finest retro soul singers of the past 20 years – Lee Fields, Charles Bradley, and Sharon Jones – so it’s no surprise that his debut solo album is a classic throwback. Think your favorite 1960’s British invasion band, served up 2024 American style.
Do You Still Think of Me is chock full of pop songs with gritty edges. Songs like “Nowhere To Be Found” and “Just Wanna Love You” have catchy melodies brought to life with taut, slithering guitars and a rhythm section heavy on swagger and beat. “Get It In the End” has a slightly subdued Jimi Hendrix or Cream vibe while “Save a Place” and “You Don’t Get Me Down” flow with a relaxed but still rockin’ edge. Trokan’s scrappy vocals only add to the album’s character.
Here’s hoping there is more retro goodness on the horizon from Trokan. Do You Still Think of Me shows that he’s got the magic touch when it comes to bringing rock and roll from a bygone era into the modern age.
Drunk on You, Marley Hale (from the self-released By My Own Ways)
Marley Hale’s debut EP is an enticing throwback to the classic era of country. She opens with the edgy “To Those at My Window”, fiddle and pedal steel combining with a tense rhythm to give the song an air of uneasiness.
“On Your Knees” and “Good Man” are true old school country. The former is the kind of song that you expect – and, frankly, want – to hear at a dark and dingy dive bar while the latter is more suited for an authentic honky-tonk.
“Drunk on You” is a signature song, Hale’s tale of heartbreak brought to life in dramatic fashion through her lyrics. Opening lines don’t get much more striking than “if whiskey were a woman, I’d fuck her.” The quote isn’t from Hale, but rather from the source of her heartbreak. She continues on to describe the pain of the break-up, “If I can’t drink to ease the pain, then what can I do, is there really any way to get over you.”
She closes the album with the spaghetti western-flavored “Dear Girl”. It’s icing on the cake for the musical statement that Hale makes on a fine, fine debut.
My Old Friend the Blues, Steve Earle (from the Howe Sound/Missing Piece Records release Alone Again (Live))
Anyone who has seen Steve Earle live knows how special the shows can be. All the better when they’re solo acoustic, shining a light on Earle’s voice, songs, and guitar (with the occasional mandolin and harmonica guest appearance).
Alone Again (Live), a nod to the recent dissolution of his band the Dukes, leans heavily on classics from Earle’s extensive catalog. He opens strong with a string of long-time fan favorites, including “The Devil’s Right Hand”, “Someday”, “Guitar Town”, and “I Ain’t Ever Satisfied”. Then there are back-to-back break-up songs “Now She’s Gone” and the stark “Goodbye” (introduced as “same girl, different harmonica”). Fifteen songs all in, including one of my all-time faves – “My Old Friend the Blues”.
Where Is My Home, Helen Rose (from the Clover Music Group release Rugged Elegance)
One definition of Americana is music that reflects the range of musical styles to be found across the United States. By that definition, Helen Rose’s sophomore album is true Americana. In some ways the album reflects Rose’s own experience, having spent time in California, New Orleans, and New England, among other locales. Rose brings that experience to life in an album filled with confidence and attitude.
You like blues? There’s the dirty harmonica-laced blues of “King of This Town” and the nasty blues-rock of “Wolf Tones”. You want country? A pedal steel guitar weaves its way around “Demons” while the title track brings out some honky-tonk. There’s even a dose of folk in the form of “This Ship”.
Ballads “Raspberry Plain” and “Where Is My Home” lean in the Americana pop direction and showcase the beauty of Rose’s voice while album closer “Get Me Out of This City” has a New Orleans gospel flavor.
While the album is someone eclectic, the songs come together beautifully. It’s a testament to the range of Rose’s talent.
Can You See Me, L.A. Edwards (from the Bitchin’ Music Group release Pie Town)
L.A. Edwards, the band led by Luke Andrew Edwards and featuring his brothers Jay Edwards (guitar) and Jerry Edwards (drums), gloss things up a bit on their latest release. The underlying hook-laden rock of their earlier releases remains, for sure, but synthesizers and polished production give the songs extra sheen.
Much of the album is hearty rock and roll, most notably on album opener and closer, “Don’t Know Better” and “Comin’ Around”, respectively. “Don’t Know Better”, in particular, hits like an arena rock anthem. “I Won’t”, which appears at the album’s midway point, is also notable with its heavy guitar riffs and pounding rhythm.
Ballads “Can You See Me” and “Angel Wait” are both centered around stirring piano. The songs build in intensity with the addition of brotherly harmonies and strings as they progress.
Pie Town closes with a song titled “Comin’ Around” which begs a question of the California-based but primarily European touring band: how about a US tour guys?
Hard Few Days, The Great Dying (from the Dial Back Sound release A Constant Goodbye)
The Great Dying is the nom de plume of Mississippi’s Will Griffith. A Constant Goodbye, his latest release, delves into the fringes of Southern indie rock with a raw intensity.
Griffith sets the tone right out of the gate, singing “I knew you were fucked up when you were so sweet to me” in opener “Blood”. With little more than acoustic and electric guitars, not to mention Griffith’s gruff vocals, the song bristles with a sense of urgency.
Griffith nods in Tom Waits direction with the spoken more than sung storytelling of “New Meithico” and “Truck Stop”. The former is particularly compelling with its tale of a drug-addicted couple making their way from California to New Mexico. A soothing fiddle and a 3/4th beat give the song a gentle sway that stands in contrast to its lyrical darkness.
Elsewhere, such as on stand-out “Ride”, he demonstrates that he knows how to rock. “Easy Way Out” and closer “New Years Day Blues” recall early REM while “Hard Few Days” brings in some Southwestern horns that call to mind Calexico. He even scratches the country itch with the ambling “Arterial Rain” and honky-tonk “Hurt Me”.
The Great Dying’s A Constant Goodbye is compelling from start to finish. It is a wonderful showcase for Griffith’s vivid storytelling, all set against an engaging Southern-flavored indie rock backdrop.
(Heaven Is) A Moment Here With You, Greg In Good Company (from the self-released Quiet Days and Quiet Nights)
Greg in Good Company, led by LA singer-songwriter Greg Gilman, make a mighty fine racket on their latest album. Opener “(Heaven Is) A Moment Here With You” sets the tone with its percussive indie folk in the vein of early Lumineers. A gospel-style chorus marries well with both the song’s grittiness and message.
People go to church, others pray at home
Some believe that heaven is a world above our own
I can’t say that they’re wrong but I’ll stand by my truth
That heaven is a moment here, a moment here with you
The vibe is similar in songs like “Home” and the slower but no less rollicking “Dedication Song”. Both undoubtedly sound great live, getting feet a tappin’ and voices singin’ along.
But the group isn’t afraid to venture into other musical territory. “Just a Sunset” has a bossanova pop charm and album closer “Wake Up” has a jazzy vibe.
Gilman and company also share several ballads that are packed with emotion. The stripped down arrangement of “Is It Any Wonder”, mostly centered around Gilman’s voice and electric guitar, gives it an alluring rawness. “Better Days (Are In My Head)” is mostly piano, beautifully portraying the sense of abandon about which Gilman sings.
Teenage Nightmare, Maggie Baring (from the self-released Uncovered)
When you title a song “Jolene”, you’re taking on the weight of expectation. In this case Baring’s inspiration was Ray LaMontagne’s song of that name rather than Dolly Parton’s, but a high bar nonetheless. Baring proves herself up to the challenge. Her take, in ¾ time no less, starts with just her voice and acoustic guitar but builds towards a stirring, string-laden conclusion.
The rest of her new EP is similarly wondrous indie pop. “Teenage Nightmare”, a catchy song about the travails of young love (and a song ripe for my Kiss Off playlist), is fueled by an anthemic sing-along chorus. “And then you call me up right out of the blue, then saying bullshit like ‘baby I need you’,” she sings, “and I know that you don’t and I tell you to go”.
“Wallflower”, a song about a one-sided romantic relationship, leans more in the folk direction. “I’m the project that you planted but I’m not the one you chose,” she admits, “I’m the wallflower on your window sill, but you were never mine to lose.
Uncovered is a welcome introduction to a talented new singer-songwriter. Here’s to more great music to come.
About the author: Mild-mannered corporate executive by day, excitable Twangville denizen by night.