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Ukulele Jim: Ukulele Jim’s Jumping Flea Circus

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Delightful and catchy children’s songs

Albums written and recorded especially for young children are the diciest of propositions for parents. Repeated requests (nay, commands) of “play it again” can soon become torture to older ears. There are precious few records in the world that you can listen to over and over (and over and over), and even fewer that will entertain both toddler and adult. James Andrew “Ukulele Jim” Clark has found a winning formula in combining clever original songs, well-weathered favorites of the playground set, and a few left-field selections that fit nicely in the mix. Central to Clark’s appeal is his inviting singing voice and the ukulele’s unique ability to create a friendly, relaxing mood anywhere, anytime.

The album opens with the title song’s brilliant evocation of a magical jumping flea circus. Instrumentalist Ben Ticehurst adds musical flair with his tuba, organ and celesta, and Clark’s Alvin-and-the-Chipmunks styled flea voices are very cute. But it’s the cleverness of his imagery that will amaze and astound. For one night only, a tiny-top tent houses a ukulele-playing flea standing upon a thimble as he presents his singing and dancing brethren, a high wire centipede act, acrobat grasshoppers jumping through rings of fire, pill bug canon balls, and an all-beetle band. The circus returns later in the album to reprise a lullaby coda of crickets accompanying the circus’ exit and dreams of its return.

Clark provides his young audience many opportunities to stretch their imaginations, wondering what they’ll be when they grow up, picturing dream worlds, selecting super-powers, and providing a happy ending for the anthropomorphic horn of “The Lonely Little Saxophone.” Clark’s rendition of “Wheels on the Bus” manages to swing a bit mid-song, and with “Rock a Bye Baby” he marries the classic lullaby (three distinct verses, plus refrain!) to the bass line and piano vamp of the Beatles’ “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La Da.” Ticehurst adds lovely strings and glockenspiel to “Little Star,” and the exotica classic “Yellow Bird” (famously recorded by vibraphone master Arthur Lyman) provides an unexpected treat from the past.

The disc winds down with the restful “Cowboy Song” which might help ease children to bed if not for the litany of excuses cataloged in “The Bedtime Blues.” As a bonus, and just in time for the holiday season, the disc closes with an original Christmas song. The vocal accompaniment of his young twins will remind you of the banter between Alvin and Dave Seville, though here the children scold the parent when his imagination strays. Clark will delight children with his singing and songs, and he thankfully avoids the pitfalls that make such albums a trial for parents. [©2010 hyperbolium dot com]

Ukulele Jim’s Home Page
Ukulele Jim’s MySpace Page
Buy Ukulele Jim’s Jumping Flea Circus at Bandcamp

The Mad Tea Party: Rock ‘n’ Roll Ghoul

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Rock ‘n’ roll Halloween!

Just in time for Halloween, Asheville’s Mad Tea Party (not to be confused with some other teabaggers that’ve recently been in the news) unleashes this four-song EP of horror-themed rock ‘n’ roll. The title track sounds as if the Fugs returned from the grave as a punkabilly band that feeds on the flesh of its own critics. “Possessed” digs up the bones of classic ‘60s garage rock, with Ami Worthen singing like Elinor Blake fronting the Pandoras, and producer Greg Cartwright ripping a Pebbles-worthy guitar solo. Forrest J. Ackerman would have appreciated the ukulele-fueled ode to Vincent Price’s “Dr. Phibes,” and the doo-wop party-vibe of “Frankenstein’s Den” sounds like the Coasters meeting up with Bobby Pickett’s Crypt-Kickers over a witch’s cauldron. You can’t play “Monster Mash,” “Great Pumpkin Waltz” and “Thriller” all night long, so add these tracks to your Halloween playlist today! [©2010 hyperbolium dot com]

The Mad Tea Party’s Home Page

Dale Watson: Carryin’ On

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Watson makes old-school sounds with old-school players

Dale Watson has always been a country music militant. But as he’s aged, he’s moved away from explicit railing against the modern country music establishment, choosing instead to show them up by crafting songs that are more country than “country.” Of course, there’s some irony in Watson’s embrace of an era that was scorned by then-contemporary critics who felt Nashville had irrevocably compromised the hillbilly roots of earlier times with the introduction of electric guitars and drums. But one can easily trace the DNA shared by the Carter Family, Merle Haggard and Dale Watson, while many of Nashville’s modern radio stars seem to have grown from the Petri dish of arena rock. The music that Watson idolizes, and the place from which he composes, grew from the same roots, even as electric instruments were introduced and pedals were added to the steel guitars.

His latest album draws directly upon the golden age by featuring Lloyd Green (steel guitar), Hargus “Pig” Robbins (piano) and Pete Wade (guitar) as instrumentalists, with the Carol Lee Cooper Singers (led by the daughter of legends Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper) adding deft countrypolitan touches in the background. Watson’s baritone is less strident than in his earlier days, showing his love of country songs with his vocal caress rather than with lyrical barbs. He shuffles with the swinging glide of Ray Price, tenderly holding a lover, switching to the bottle’s embrace when left behind, and finally counseling the cheaters of the world “How to Break Your Own Heart.”

The album’s title track borrows the rolling rhythm of “Gentle on My Mind,” but its self-assessment of an aging party boy charts a future without John Hartford’s wistful memories. Robbins’ piano and Green’s steel underline the emotions as Watson’s songs wallow in romantic misery, moon over absent mates, and celebrate being in love. The album’s one moment of modern-Nashville-inspired enmity is the closing “Hello, I’m an Old Country Song.” But here the words are filled with sorrow rather than barbs, more nostalgic and resigned than ready to pick a fight. Still, as long as Waston is writing and singing, he keeps the flame of his beloved country sounds vital, and that’s truly the best rebuttal of all. [©2010 hyperbolium dot com]

Dale Watson’s MySpace Page

The Famous: Come Home to Me

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Post-punk informed country twang

San Francisco’s The Famous, led by guitarist/vocalists Laurence Scott and Victor Barclay, debuted five years ago with the post-punk rock of Light, Sweet Crude. They still profess deep affection for the Pixies, but their new release isn’t nearly as raw as the debut, and the country twang explored on the earlier “Deconstruction Worker” is the new record’s raison d’être. Scott’s vocals retain their edgy emotion, and the music still has its rock power, but the band plays with more dynamics, and the tempos mull over the lyrics’ angst rather than spitting them out. If country music’s original outlaws had made their break with Nashville in the post-punk era, it might have sounded a lot like this. Scott’s bitter words and needy tone straddle the line between anger and remorse on the perfectly unconvincing “Without You,” and though “Perspicacious” sounds like the post-punk power-pop of Sugar, Scott retains the twang in his voice. The band shows their instrumental chops on the lengthy spaghetti-western intro to “Happy,” and the title track mixes the growl of Tom Waits and dark theatrics of Screamin’ Jay Hawkins with a mix of trad-jazz trombone, hard-twanging guitar and pedal steel. The closing instrumental “Under the Stars” is wistful, with countrypolitan piano, lazy steel and a terrific Endless Summer guitar that draws the day’s surfing (or perhaps trail ride) to a close. The melding of eras and influences is heard throughout the album, with heavy lead guitars winding into hard-charging Gun Club-styled verses, and spare solos that build into musical walls. This is a terrific evolution from the band’s debut, focusing the muscle and energy of their post-punk rock into compelling, emotional twang. [©2010 hyperbolium dot com]

MP3 | Under the Stars
Stream Come Home to Me
The Famous’ Home Page

Manning-Dickson: Drive

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Strong male duo sings honky-tonk, acoustic roots and 70s-styled harmonies

After listening to this Ft. Worth band’s debut, one might assume they’ve spent some time playing cover songs. That might be read as an insult, but it’s not; it’s an acknowledgment of the ease with which they cover a lot of country, country-rock and soft-rock sounds. The album opens with the foot-stomping “Cold as Her Heart,” effortlessly throwing out the lyrical hook, “if I could only find a beer as cold as her heart.” But the song’s harder honky-tonk sound is a bit of head fake, as the duo moves on to smooth, Eagles-styled harmonies that bring to mind ‘70s acts like Gallery, Brewer & Shipley, Alabama and the Stampeders. A little research reveals that Jason Manning leads the Eagles tribute band, 7 Bridges, and brings his influences with him to this duet.

The album punches up the vocals into modern rock-based country on the title track, but it’s the softer songs that really hit home. The whispery harmonies of “No More California” and West Coast sunshine pop of “Backroads” are superb. After tracking through all ten originals, the leadoff turns out to be an anomaly, which isn’t really disappointing – since the rest of the album is so perfectly tuneful. Perhaps there’s more boot scootin’ in their live set, but their quieter songs – including an acoustic reprise of the title tune – show this band’s ace-in-the-hole is their vocal prowess. Now that Brooks & Dunn have finally retired, perhaps Manning-Dickson can break through as a duo! [©2010 hyperbolium dot com]

Manning-Dickson’s Home Page
Manning-Dickson’s MySpace Page

Drunk on Crutches: People. Places. Things.

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Rootsy California rock from transplanted Georgian

Transplanted Georgian Jennifer Whittenburg isn’t entirely comfortable with her adopted Los Angeles. Her music has the earthy country-tinged California rock sound of Sheryl Crow’s Tuesday Night Music Club, but her lyrics aren’t fully settled into the City of the Angels. She writes of harbored doubts and indecision in “Calif., You’ll Have to Wait,” and the city’s nocturnal lures nearly wear her out in “Using Me Up.” There are lights, music and bars in other cities, but the intensity of late-night Los Angeles threatens to unmoor and consume the singer. This contrasts with the opening “Tupelo,” in which Whittenburg seeks action in a “slow motion scene,” suggesting she’s not fully at-home at the other extreme, either. Having written these songs while she traversed Atlanta, Nashville and Los Angeles, the results do not naturally settle into any one place. The relationships of “Waitin’ on You” and “Oh Well” are in emotional limbo, and the seething anger of “Drink Up Buttercup” speaks to an ending that hasn’t been completed. Ironically, the album’s most decisive moment is found in the never-intended-to-be-kept promises of “One Night Stand.” The album’s lone cover is a relatively obscure Neil Young number, the fever-dream “L.A.,” from 1973’s Time Fades Away. Whittenburg’s voice suggests a rootsier version of Natalie Merchant, and with her band and producing partner Andrew Alekel, and friends like Wallflowers keyboardist Rami Jaffee, she’s waxed a solid rock album whose guitar, bass, drums and organ reach back to the early ‘70s, when rockers were exploring country and long-hairs were still frightening the Nashville establishment. [©2010 hyperbolium dot com]

MP3 | Waitin’ on You
Drunk on Crutches’ MySpace Page

Shinyribs: Well After Awhile

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Gourds’ lead vocalist sings country-soul

Kevin “Shinyribs” Russell has taken a break from his front-line duties with the Gourds to record his second solo album. The voice and obtuse lyrics will be familiar to fans, but the sound isn’t as driving or rough as the Gourds’ records, sitting instead in a deep country-soul groove that sports unusual production touches around the edges. The second-line rhythms that pop-up with the Gourds are still here, but relaxed from a march to a stroll, and electric piano is dominant on many tracks. Russell sings with the sort of choked vocals made famous by Boz Scaggs, and though this music is lighter with its blues, the vibe may remind you (those few of you who are remindable) of ‘70s concert stalwarts the Climax Blues Band.

The album opens with a lunar creation myth that manages to evoke both ancient times and space-age travel, and “Country Cool” essays Russell’s easy-going, unpretentious tastes. There’s a fever to “(If You Need the) 442,” though it’s not exactly clear what the testimony is about, and the unusual selection of goods at the “Poor People’s Store” will be familiar to those who know their city’s thrift store treasures. The band turns funky for “East TX Rust,” bringing to mind Dr. John’s Gumbo and Swamp Dogg’s Cuffed, Collared and Tagged. It’s a shame Russell didn’t cover “Sam Stone,” though he does close with a wailing solo version Sam Cooke’s “Change is Gonna Come,” and it’s a treat to finally hear him sing a straightforward lyric. [©2010 hyperbolium dot com]

MP3 | Shores of Galilee
Shinyribs’ MySpace Page
The Gourds’ Home Page
The Gourds’ MySpace Page

Joe Whyte: When the Day Breaks

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Singer-songwriter folk, country and Americana

East Coast Americana singer-songwriter Joe Whyte returns with an EP that strips down the band production of 2007’s Devil in the Details to acoustic folk-country. Whyte’s joined on a few tracks by Catherine Popper (bass and harmony vocals) and Dan Marcus (guitar, dobro and mandolin), and takes several with just his guitar and harmonica. The quieter arrangements allow Whyte to sing with more texture and nuance than with an electric band, leaving him to focus on his contemplative lyrics of leaving, hard living and uncertain futures. His protagonists are truckers and night owls whose problems are self-made, and soldiers and flood victims whose troubles are visited upon them. Whyte’s been playing out solo, and now brings that act to the studio with this latest EP, available for free download here. [©2010 hyperbolium dot com]

MP3 | Please Believe Me
Download When the Day Breaks for Free!
Joe Whyte’s Home Page
Joe Whyte’s MySpace Page

Andrew Combs: Tennessee Time

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Fetching new singer-songwriter ala Clark, Van Zandt and Earle

Andrew Combs is a young Texan who’s developed a folksy, throwback singer-songwriter sound amid the crossover dreams and overproduction of Nashville. He cites Guy Clark and Townes Van Zandt as influences, and the edges of his voice bring to mind Chris Knight and Gram Parsons; Combs’ girlfriend Heidi Feek adds harmony on a few tracks, lending a Gram/Emmylou vibe. There’s a strong feel for Steve Earle in the album’s title track, particularly in the way the verses peak in the middle and trail off to find the song’s title sung as a contented exhalation. All fives tracks are taken at mid-tempo, but two are turned out as honky-tonkers and two as introspective country-rockers. Combs’ longing on the opening “Hummingbird” is shaded blue by Dustin Ransom’s barroom piano, echoing the mood Jack Ingram laid down on Live at Adair’s. Combs’ satisfaction with the Volunteer State is expressed in the comforts of “Tennessee Time” as Luke Herbert keeps time on the rim of his drum and Jeremy Fetzer adds a soulful baritone guitar solo. You can hear Hank Williams’ yearning in the confessional love song, “Wanderin’ Heart,” and the closing “Won’t Catch me” is sung with acoustic guitar and harmonica. All five tracks are thoughtfully sung and played, and a bonus cover of “Dark End of the Street,” available with EP purchase at Bandcamp, further exemplifies Combs’ affinity for Southern soul. Here’s hoping a full album is coming soon! [©2010 hyperbolium dot com]

Andrew Combs’ Home Page

Roland White: I Wasn’t Born to Rock ‘n’ Roll

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Long-lost string-band music from 1976

By the time mandolinist and vocalist Roland White cut this album in 1976, he was a well-seasoned bluegrass performer. His family band, the Country Boys had morphed into the Kentucky Colonels, released several albums and toured the U.S. When the Colonels broke up in 1965, White’s brother Clarence became a sought-after session guitarist, a member of Nashville West and, in 1968, a member of the Byrds. During the same period Roland joined Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys, and later, Lester Flatt’s Nashville Grass. The brothers had a short-lived reunion in a reformed Kentucky Colonels, but when a drunk driver struck and killed Clarence, Roland was once again on his own. White joined Country Gazette in 1974, staying for 13 years and recording this album with their instrumental and vocal backing. The progressive elements the band brought to their group albums are left behind as these songs are drawn from classics by Flatt & Scruggs, Jimmie Davis, and Bill Monroe, highlighted by the seven-minute, six-song medley, “Marathon.” White proves himself a compelling vocalist, adding bluesy slides to his solo phrases and fitting tightly into the backing harmonies. The set’s lone original is the White brothers’ “Powder Creek,” joining two other instrumentals on the original album. This first-ever CD reissue, with one bonus track (“She is Her Own Special Baby”), is remastered from the original tapes, and sparkles with the energy the players brought from the stage into the studio. [©2010 hyperbolium dot com]

Roland White’s Home Page
See Roland, Eric and Clarence White’s childhood home movies