album reviews/previews

Legendary Detroit rock band The Rockets release 4-song EP

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therockets2014When original guitarist Jim McCarty decided in 2011 to quit the legendary Detroit rock band The Rockets, the brief reunion seemed over.  McCarty and drummer, songwriter and co-founder Johnny “Bee” Badanjek were members of  Mitch Ryder’s Detroit Wheels, and later formed The Rockets, a Midwest, heartland rock and roll band that could never quite hit the heights of a guy like Bob Seger. Cleveland has the Michael Stanley Band. Detroit had The Rockets
A few years ago, the two enlisted frontman Jim Edwards, and made a comeback.  Live shows, but no albums.  Until now.  The great Gary Graff, a longtime Detroit area music writer does a terrific job telling the story of the new record.  Worth a read. The first studio release in 30 years is a four song E.P. called Greetings From Detroit
They played a show on Saturday, Dec. 28, at the Fillmore Detroit, debuting the material.

New Mellencamp Album for 2014

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mellencamp_scarecrowtourThe trifecta from the mid 80’s – Uh-Huh, Scarecrow and Lonesome Jubilee – forever cemented the John Mellencamp legacy.  His heartland rock was both ubiquitous on the radio and was integral in opening the opportunity for the of heartfelt, energetic electric guitar and slamming snare roots rockers, alt-country-ers and Americana rockers like Uncle Tupelo, Del Fuegos, Georgia Satellites, BoDeans and Bottle Rockets to appear.  If that was the ex-John Cougar’s  entire legacy, it would still all be good.  Real good.
Just as there was lesser material and albums preceding those three, he pushed on with another 20 years of releases, almost all of them good, not great, and only teasing with echoes of the old sound.
With this as background, the new Rolling Stone magazine has a multi-page story in the December 19 edition, and their website reveals in an interview with Mellencamp that he wants to play 100 North American shows in 2014 and is getting ready with a new album.  Mellencamp sounds fired-up in the interview, recounting the recent occasion of waking up at 4:30am with a need to write a song.
It will apparently be T Bone Burnett producing, as he has for the previous two Mellencamp efforts. Expect nuanced and subtle instead of crack, boom, bam.  Me?  I need a little more of John’s crack, boom, bam.
Read website article
woodybakerBONUS: Who was the guy on the iconic b/w cover shot of The Lonesome Jubilee at the bar?  It was Woody Baker.
Read story here
VIDEO: Everything post-1987 was not necessarily below-average.  There’s a lot of good music that just was not as anthemic and iconic as the previous records had been.  It’s really hard for any artist to sustain a period of success like Mellencamp has done  –  both as a white-hot hitmaker for most of the 1980’s, and as a career songwriter/rocker.  I’d bet the new album could be out sometime in the summer of 2014, and would love a guest shot from ex-guitarist Larry Crane, if anyone is asking.

Prediction Station: Dierks Bentley's new single "Bourbon in Kentucky" will be huge

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dierksbentleyJust want to take a moment and go on record with this prediction: Dierks Bentley’s song “Bourbon in Kentucky” (out on June 15) will end up as the smash, everybody-knows-the-words country hit of the year.  Sweep the year-end awards.  Make him piles of money as a catalyst for his new Riser album.
Huge.  I’m just sayin’.
I can’t be sure how I came upon the streaming track this week- either banging around the iTunes store or down some crazy web musical rabbit hole.  Doesn’t matter.  Heard it once and knew it. The song “sounds” huge. Arena rock huge. Big like a U2 anthem.  But the vocals are close-miked.  Nuanced.  Lyrics?  They work, because the sound is freaking countryfried long-lasting ear candy.
Heard it here first.  Biggest song in country music.  Unlike anything else on country radio right now.

Album Review: The Delta Saints – "Death Letter Jubilee"

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the-delta-saintsKThere is history and beauty in taking rock and blues and a bit of country, turning it up loud, and making swamp rock.  It is what Creedence Clearwater Revival did to great success. That’s what – with their own twist – The Delta Saints have done.
Nashville-based group released its debut full length, Death Letter Jubilee, on January 15th.
delta_saints_typeThe opening cut is “Liar” is a taste of that swampy southern rock .  Shout out to Little Feat, with a funky bass breakdown that helps hips sway.
“Chicago” grooves to the old Chess blues sound, grinding through a tale (“gotta dollar in my pocket and my feet on the ground”) of ain’t-got-much-but-gonna-make-it.
Consisting  of Ben Ringel (vocals/dobro), Dylan Fitch (guitar), David Supica (bass), Ben Azzi (drums), and Stephen Hanner accompanying on harmonica while on tour, the band’s ongs rise and fall, throwing loud guitars and pulling back to highlight singer Ringel’s shouts.
The title cut coasts with bumping harp and a bass line that eventually opens up to a thumping and running “I’m gonna dance and I’m gonna sing” chorus, with a full-on group shout/clap bridge. Fun.
“Jezebel” tweaks the album’s mold with a throwback to a 1950’s Mississippi front porch blues conversation. “From the Dirt” mines Black Keys territory, raising that ante with some southern funk.
You like the Avett Brothers?  check out “Out to Sea”.
The band enlists some gospel background singers to makes the quick “River” anode to the South’s musical heritage.
Having met at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee and has gained some good fortune throughout in Europe, and will spend two months this spring playing shows overseas.
Their sound is a Memphis soul-rock stew mixed with distorted electric guitar and harmonica.  For Indiana fans of the crashing, electric country blues (think of Rev. Peyton) this one is for you. Fans of jam bands can like them. Black Crowes fans too.

www.thedeltasaints.com