I don’t know when I first saw Rosie Flores perform. She’s just always been part of the fabric of the music I favor, from the early days of cowpunk to rockabilly to revival of some of the classic old country styles. She was front and center at last month’s Americana Music Festival, where she celebrated her 75th birthday and her new album, Impossible Frontiers. Featuring her current Austin band, the Talismen, it weaves in several genres to reflect a lot of what we now call Americana.
If Rosie is known for anything, it’s rockabilly, and there’s plenty of that on the record. I Got A Right To Cry features Emily Gimble on piano, and when Flores sings “you never call me up like you used to”, she notes it’s her heart that’s broken. Another autobiographical sounding number is Who’s Lookin’ For Me. Her end-of-phrase squeaks put a little texture in a two-stepper at home on any wood dance floor. For something a little different, Dracula’s Haunt is a rockabilly-styled, Monster Mash-themed bundle of fun. With the Count Dracula chants and silly screams, “you’ll never see sunlight in your eyes” is a double-edged sword.
There’s also plenty to keep things from becoming too one-note. So Sad is an Everly Brothers number that’s more country than the original. It has a timeless quality to it that never gives away whether it’s a 50-year-old cover or brand new. See You Again is a slower waltz that’s simultaneously melancholy and light. The latter due in part to the appearance of DJ Bonebreak, playing vibraphone a la his jazz band side projects. Honky Tonk Moon tells the tale of a bar where we all want to be. It’s got a bit of Texas swing, perhaps reflecting some of Rosie’s time with Asleep At the Wheel. I’ll Be Your San Antone Rose is a Susanna Clark-penned country waltz, with a twangy Bakersfield guitar right at home in Buck Owen’s Crystal Palace (god rest its soul).
I couldn’t find how many albums Rosie has put out. Given her first one was in 1987, it’s no doubt in the double digits. But what she’s really known for is her live shows. She’s a bundle of energy and fun, and you can’t help but walk away smiling. She’s opening for Robert Plant this fall and that will undoubtedly raise awareness with some new fans. So get on the bandwagon early, and if you’re not already a Rosie Flores admirer, you will be after Impossible Frontiers.
About the author: I've actually driven from Tehatchapee to Tonopah. And I've seen Dallas from a DC-9 at night.