Roots, blues and Americana releases take center stage

Authentic songcraft fused with real world emotion is at the center of epic roots-minded releases from the Tedeschi Trucks Band, Sonny Landreth, Joan Osborne, and Michael and the Lonesome Playboys. All these wonderful releases are out now.

Artist: Tedeschi Trucks Band
Album: Everybody's Talkin' (Sony Masterworks)
You might be interested in buying this if you like: The Allman Brothers Band, Sonny Landreth, Joan Osborne
Tell me more: For blues lovers who somehow missed hearing the Grammy Award-winning debut Revelator from the Tedeschi Trucks Band in 2011, no worries. The powerful sophomore effort Everybody's Talkin' is an equally-impressive chance to discover the 11-member ensemble. Husband-wife team Derek Trucks (slide guitar) and Susan Tedeschi (lead vocals, lead and rhythm guitar) and their troupe have been tearing up concert halls and festivals with an appealing approach that uses a mix of outstanding songs (original and artful remakes), virtuoso musicianship and an obvious chemistry among the members as they unleash their menu of blues, gospel, soul and R&B on the collection.

Listen to more and get Everybody's Talkin' Here

Artist: Sonny Landreth
Album: Elemental Journey (Landfall Records)
You might be interested in buying this if you like: Eric Johnson, Joe Satriani, Bruce Cockburn's Speechless
Tell Me more: While it's possible to walk into a Guitar Center retail location on any day of the week and hear speedy finger players run laps on their fretboard, what is equally impossible is to find guitarists whose artistry and command of their instrument can inspire. But inspiration can be found in spades on the latest disc from Louisiana slide virtuoso Sonny Landreth. While Elemental Journey is Landreth's 11th album, it is his first all-instrumental collection. And what a great album Elemental Journey is. From the astounding melodic grace of "Heavy Heart Rising" to the sonic dance of the aptly-titled "Wonderide" and tender "Brave New Girl." Adding icing on the sonic cake are guest turns from fellow guitar wizards Joe Satriani on the breathtaking "Gala Tribe" and Eric Johnson on the neo-jazz blues gem "Passionola."

Listen to more and get Elemental Journey here

Artist: Joan Osborne
Title: Bring It On Home (Saguaro Road Records)
You might be interested in this if you like: Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Bonnie Raitt, Etta James
Tell Me More: Music lovers know Joan Osborne for radio hits such as “One of Us,” “Right Hand Man” and “St. Teresa.” But increasingly fans recognize the Kentucky native for her soulful and powerful approach to singing the blues, especially since the release of her latest disc Bring It On Home (Saguaro Road Records). Released in late March, Bring It On Home marks Osborne’s first collection of hand-selected vintage blues and soul songs. Osborne has hit a home run on the 12-track set, offering up powerful versions of material from Willie Dixon (“Bring It On Home,” “I Want to Be Loved”), Ike Turner (“Game of Love”), John Mayall (“Broken Wings”), Otis Redding (“Champagne and Wine”) and others that are a perfect fit with her fervent vocals. Information: www.JoanOsborne.com.

listen to samples and get Bring It On Home here

Artist: Michael and the Lonesome Playboys
Album: Last of the Honky Tonks (Blackwater Records)
You might be interested in buying this if you like: Gram Parsons, the Jayhawks, David Serby
Tell me more: There are millions of modern-day country music fans who love the celebrated likes of Carrie Underwood, Rascal Flatts and Kenny Chesney. But there is a small, but growing contingent of Americana fans who have been drawn to the authentic sounds of Michael and the Lonesome Playboys. On the group’s commercial debut, the aptly-titled “Last of the Honky Tonks,” singer-songwriter Michael Ubaldini and company blend the sound and spirit of Merle Haggard, Hank Williams and the Flying Burrito Brothers across the 14-song disc. From the confessional “Cross Country Ride” and beautiful “Hearts & Flowers” to the rollicking “Shambles” and Delta blues-minded “When a Freight Train Rolls Right Over You,” Ubaldini’s emotive vocals are used in the service of superb material that resonates whether the listener is a bona fide cowboy or simply a city slicker who appreciates great songs.

listen to samples and get Last Of The Honky Tonks here

Episode 44 Michael Ubaldini and Jamey Johnson

Get Michael And The Lonesome Playboys Here

Get the Guitar Song on CD here

Get the Guitar Song on Mp3 (with digital booklet) here

Limited Edition Vinyl Version here

TJR Reivews Ryan Bingham - Roadhouse Sun - Music Worth Buying 07/08/09

Artist: Ryan Bingham
Album: Roadhouse Sun
Worth Buying: Every song
You might be interested in this album if you are fan of: Springsteen, Mellencamp, Tom Petty, Michael Ubaldini, Americana Rock, Southern Rock

Tell Me More: It's no secret within the music industry that most new albums are way over compressed. New recordings are compressed and
compressed in an attempt to make them louder. The reason for making albums louder, is that everyone is afraid that if there album isn't as loud as everyone else's, no one will notice them when the first note starts playing. This is not relegated to just Rock, Pop, and Hip Hop. Even a soft acoustic ballad will be compressed so that it is just as loud.

The downside to this, is that there is no dynamic range to a lot of today's music. The softer parts of a song are just as loud as the.....louder parts of the song.

Studies have shown that louder will get the listeners attention...for a moment, but that if every song and every part of the song is at the same level of loudness, the listener starts dismiss it all as background.

So that is why it was such a surprise to hear dynamic range on the latest album by Country/Roots/Americana/Rock Singer Songwriter Ryan Bingham.

The albums first track "When The Day is done" opens with a quiet refrain. So quiet that I turned up my car stereo for a moment to hear it better, suddenly The Electric guitars came bursting into chorus and suddenly I was turning my car stereo down....I had to laugh, because It's been some time since an album or song fooled me like this, and then I realized.....There is some dynamic range to this album......What a novel idea.

The next thing I noticed about Mr Bingham's album is that on Amazon he is listed as Country, but when I put the CD into my itunes he is categorized as Rock.

My take: If this album had come out in the 70's, Ryan Bingham would have categorized somewhere between the Populist rock of Springsteen and the Southern rock of Skynnard.

There are definite country influences and some songs are definitely more legitimately country than most of the Pop disguised as country that has turned me off of Country radio....but for my money this is a rock album.

What about the packaging? The CD comes in a standard 4 panel digipak. Lyrics are not included.

NOTE: The amazon mp3 store version comes with an exclusive bonus track

2ND NOTE: Right now the CD version is only 6.99 at Amazon!....This could change at anytime.

listen to samples and get in mp3 version (with bonus track) here

CD Version

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXFc-OTNbxM

Music Worth Buying 11/24/08 Michael Ubaldini

Artist: Michael Ubaldini

Albums: Acoustic Rumble & Street Singin' Troubadour

Worth Buying: Yes, Both Albums

You will be interested in these albums if you are a fan of: Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, John Mellencamp, Brian Setzer, Johnny Cash, Roots Rock'n'Roll, Americana

Tell Me More: When Bruce Springsteen first hit the music scene there where those who called him a poor man's Bob Dylan. When John Mellencamp first hit the music scene there where those who called him the poor man's Bruce Springsteen. But when Micheal Ubaldini released Acoustic Rumble in 1999, LA Times critic Mike Bohem wrote "Better then Springsteen at probing the national soul".

As a musician working the local scene, I wasn't aware of any of this. But people would say to me "Have you heard Micheal Ubaldini?". No I would reply, figuring that I better start.

That start began with Acoustic Rumble. The title implied that this would be a stripped down acoustic album. It also implied that it would rock. It didn't dissapoint on either count. Starting with the album first track The Seventh Trumpet with it's mean rock groove and lyrics shouting out at me:

Well it's a death sentance if you have sex in the morning time

You wanna be a celebrity or a hero? commit a heinous crime!

Where we gonna go, yeah where we gonna go, when the 7th trumpet blows

Before this song even  ended I was thinking, "This guy could be the next Bob Dylan".

Acoustic Rumble is sparse with usually just two acoustic guitars playing together, some occasional lead guitar, some subtle bass guitar, and light percussion. But it rocks. It rocks with conviction, It it rocks like a young man who is hungry and anxious to get his message out.

I am not always sure if he always intended it to be an acoustic album. Sometimes I wonder if he just didn't have the resources to record a full band album, or if he was just in a hurry to get his musical statement out and doing it acousticly was the best way to achieve that. Either way it worked. Because when I listen to Acoustic Rumble, it feels like the band is there. Rocking right alongside him.

Now almost 10 Years later (and after releasing several albums with songs ranging from Rock, Blues, Rockabilly, Country, and Roots) He appears (at first glance) to be returning to Acoustic Rumble with his latest CD Street Singing Troubadour. Like Rumble, Troubadour is an acoustic album, but the similarities end there.

Troubadour is quieter. It is the quietest album he has ever done. It is also the darkest album he has ever done, and a whole helluva lot more reflective. This time it's just one guitar, one voice, and occasionally a harmonica. If Rumble is stripped down, then Troubadour is the skeleton. For all I know, he might have recorded each one of these tracks live, and if he did, so much the better, because the performance is startling. And even though this is very much a folk album, it is still able to convey feelings of anger and outrage at society's ills, and tell stories about life, as well as any rocker could. But then Ubaldini is a Rocker, and this is his folk album in the tradditional sense of the word.

Acoustic Rumble is an acoustic album that rocks you. It rocks you physically and intellectually. Street Singin' Troubadour does not rock. But take the time out from your busy schedule to really listen to it, it will move you in quieter more subtle ways that will surprise you.

I will close out this review with first lines of lyric from the first song from Street Singin' Troubadour

Kingdoms are slowly falling The sky's fire evil and despair

River waters overflow with anger

Winds of Fire Burn Terrain everywhere

The voice of anger is rising with the sonnets of the sage

The voice of truth the four winds rage

ringing out with the sound of the age

Listen to (and buy) Acoustic Rumble

Listen to (and buy) Street Singin' Troubador

To order in the CD format click here

Music Worth buying week of 09/01/08 Michael Ubaldini

Artist:Michael Ubaldini

Single: Talkin'  High Gas Price Blues

Worth Buying: Yes

You will be interested in this song if you are a fan of: Blues, Folk, Country , Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Protest music, Satirical music

Tell Me More:You know, I've always said that it's great if you want to write a song with with a "message", or a "protest song", or a song about something "topical" (God knows I've done it). But often I find that artists who write these kinds of songs forget that no matter what your message, you still have to write a good song, and you still have to entertain the audience: Well,  Roots Rocker Micheal Ubaldini didn't forget this and he has hit the proverbial nail on the head with his latest single "Talkin'  High Gas Price Blues". There is no one driving a car in the US right now who won't be able to relate to his latest single release. This song definitely vents, but it's also fun. It's humor and anger are in all the right places. Once you hear this song, you will want to tell your friends about it (that's what I'm doing right now).  Give some love to a hard working indie artist by spending only 99 cents.

listen and purchase in the mp3 format here