Nick Curran and The Nitelifes - Fixin' Your Head (1999)

Nick Curran describes his music as a cocktail consisting of the sounds of no less than seventeen widely differing musicians blended together with a cup of broken glass. That only begins to characterize the wallop packed by the 98-proof elixir of this singer, songwriter and monster guitarist who effortlessly carries the past with him as he blazes across the musical landscape in perpetual forward motion.

Nick Curran was born on Sept 30, 1977 in Biddeford, Maine, and grew up in nearby Sanford. He started playing drums when he was three, occasionally pounding the skins for his father’s rock ‘n’ roll band. However, when he received a guitar for Christmas at age nine he had found his instrument. He taught himself to play while following his father’s advice: “Listen to everything that you like and eventually you’ll find your own style within all your influences.”

Curran began accumulating his arsenal of influences early. “My mom and step-dad were listening to rock ‘n’ roll, my father listened to blues such as Freddy King, T-Bone Walker and B.B. King and my friends were into heavy metal.” Today, he cites his songwriting muses as Little Richard, Richie Valens, Chuck Berry and T-Bone Walker. The Ramones and The Misfits particularly inspire him to pen songs outside the box. He also looks to “the real raw, rough blues like Howlin’ Wolf and John Lee Hooker—guys singing about messed-up stuff and about falling apart at any second. I also like AC/DC, Hank Williams, Sr. and Gene Vincent.”

Curran began his professional career at age nineteen, leaving Maine to tour with Ronnie Dawson, “The Blonde Bomber.” Although Dawson was primarily a rockabilly musician, many blues and punk fans appreciated his performances. He taught Curran not to get pigeonholed. Curran toured next with Texas rockabilly doyenne Kim Lenz, moving to Dallas to join her backup band the Jaguars for two years, and performing on Lenz’s recording, The One And Only. Nick would stay with the Jaguars for two years. He is also featured on Lenz’s latest CD, It’s All True, and recently toured with her in the summer of 2009.

In 1999 the Texas Jamboree label issued Curran’s debut solo recording, Fixin' Your Head. As he would do on all future CDs, Curran used vintage recording equipment to achieve the feel and sound of old 45s and 78s, and the LPs of the 1950s. To support the recording he formed the band, Nick Curran and the Nitelifes, whose performances whipped audiences to frenzied devotion with their wild ride of retro, yet fresh and edgy rock ‘n’ roll, boogie, r & b, jump blues and a variety of other tasty stylistic devils in the details.

From 2004 to 2007 Curran played with The Fabulous Thunderbirds appearing on their 2005 recording, Painted On. Also during that time, Curran and bassist Ronnie James started the punk band Deguello, saying that it “sounded as if Little Richard sang with The Ramones.”

Curran performed four songs in a scene in the 2008 HBO Series "True Blood," based on The Southern Vampire Mysteries by Charlaine Harris, which explores the co-existence of humans and vampires.

1999 - Fixin' Your Head

Recorded live on August 24-26, 1999.

Personnel: Nick Curran (vocals, guitar); Jim Trimmier, TD "Murph" Motycka (saxophone); Matt Farrell (piano); Eric Matthew Przygocki (upright bass); Lisa Pankratz (drums).

Personnel: Nick Curran (guitar); Jim Trimmier (saxophone); Eric Matthew (upright bass); Lisa Pankratz (drums).

Track Listing:

1.  Women and Cadillacs
2.  Boogie With My Baby
3.  Just Love Me Baby
4.  I Want to Love You
5.  Good Rockin' Man
6.  Lonely Nights
7.  Loose Lip Mama
8.  It's My Life Baby
9.  She's Mine
10. Straighten Up
11. Do You Wanna Be My Baby?
12. I'm Waiting for Your Call
13. Get Rich Quick

A friend of mine told me to check this guy out a while back, when I finally did, it blew my mind.  This is some good stuff.  I felt like I was back in the 50's as soon as I pressed play.  I'm sure he's gained some notoriety since appearing on HBO's shitty depiction of Southern Louisiana known as "True Blood".  Even so, I'd say that this guy deserves it.  This album is definitely lots of fun to rock out to.  If any of you dig it, I have a few of his other releases as well.

Check out Nick and his new band The Lowlifes HERE


Start Rockin'

Left Lane Cruiser - All You Can Eat (2009)

2009 - All You Can Eat


Track Listing:

1.  Crackalacka
2.  Hillgrass Bluebilly
3.  Ol' Fashion
4.  Hard Workin Man
5.  Black Lung
6.  Hard Luck
7.  Broke Ass blues
8.  Putain!
9.  Poopdeflex
10. Waynedale

Here is another GREAT release by Indiana's Left Lane Cruiser.  This is without a doubt one of my favorite albums of 2009. Once again, a BIG thanks to Stonezilla over at the Sludge Swamp for turning me onto these guys.  The album opener "Crackalacka" is enough to have you stompin' your feet and gettin' your boogie on until the music stops.  This is a MUST.

Check 'em out here

getyousome

Left Lane Cruiser - Gettin' Down On It (2006)

2006 - Gettin' Down On It


Joe takes to the licks, backed by Brenn on one big-ass bass drum, and a whole toolbox full of percussive gear. With a sound so big, and raw, these two are bound to evoke a steady foot-stompin throughout the crowd. From shoddy apartments, to evictions, to a heatless garage, these two have practiced through thick and thin to hone a sound unlike any other. The deep-fried racket these boys serve is sure to stuff ya' gut, pop ya' top, and make ya' panties drop." (CD Baby Review)

Track Listing:

1.  Big Mama
2.  Riverwalk
3.  That Ass
4.  Get Me Free
5.  Mountain Top
6.  Pork n' Beans
7.  Down the Road
8.  My Country
9.  KFD
10. Shotgun Wedding
11. Heart and Soul
12. Cheyenne
13. Ain't Got No Home
14. Board Shakers
15. What You Want

Well, these guys are definitely one of my favorite groups right now.  A big thanks to Stonezilla over at the Sludge Swamp for posting this up about a year ago.  I listen to this non-stop, along with their 2009 release "All You Can Eat".  These guys play a stripped down dirty style of blues that I can't get enough of.  This is a must for fans of The Black Keys, Black Diamond Heavies, etc.  Don't miss this!

Check 'em out here

getyousome

The Sacred Mushroom - Self Titled (1969)

1969 - The Sacred Mushroom

Track Listing:

1. I Don't Like You
2. You Won't Be Sorry
3. Catatonic Lover
4. All Good Things Must Have An End
5. I'm Not Like Everybody Else
6. I Take Care
7. Mean Old World
8. Lifeline

Sacred Mushroom -- led by future Pure Prairie League member Larry Goshorn (guitar/vocals) and featuring brother Danny Goshorn (vocals) -- were a short-lived rock/blues quintet based in Cincinnati, OH. Their efforts coalesce on this, the band's self-titled debut (and only) long-player. The album contains a blend of proficient originals as well as a pair of well-chosen cover tunes, such as the blues standard "Mean Old World" and the Kinks' "I'm Not Like Everybody Else." While their name conjures images of late-'60s psychedelic or acid rock, Sacred Mushroom's roots were decidedly more bluesy than trippy. Likewise, their harder-edged performance style is well served by the tight and somewhat pop-driven arrangements, resembling artists such as the Allman Joys, Kak, or the pre-Blue Öyster Cult Stalk-Forrest Group. A few of the Larry Goshorn-penned tunes are certifiably lost classics. These include the up-tempo rocker "Catatonic Lover," which features some lyrical chord changes reminiscent of "3/5's of a Mile in 10 Seconds" by Jefferson Airplane, and the Chicago blues-style waltz "All Good Things Must End." The latter is highlighted by some inspired harp playing from Rusty Work. The opening track, "I Don't Like You," is a funky rocker spotlighting the Goshorn Brothers' tight harmonies as well as Larry's distinctive lead electric guitar licks. Another standout is their reworking of "I'm Not Like Everybody Else." The track retains a timeless pop sensibility that incorporates interweaving acoustic and electric guitar lines. "Lifeline," the most extended track on the disc, recalls the electric blues of seminal Fleetwood Mac or Stan Webb's Chicken Shack. Along the same lines is the blues boogie rendering of "Mean Old World," which might easily be mistaken for an obscure version by a mid-'60s lineup of John Mayall's Bluesbreakers. - review taken from Allmusic.com

I personally love this album, I find myself listening to it pretty much every time that I have a day off of work.  It's great stuff to sit back and get baked to, that's a fact.

getyousome

Dax Riggs - Unknown Album

 

Here's a bunch of "rare" songs by one of my favorite vocalists of all time, Dax Riggs.  I'm sure these songs have been spread all over the internet like the plague over the years, but fuck it!  i haven't posted it here yet so, here goes! Photo by J. Bennett

Track Listing:

1.  A Spinning Song
2.  Black Crayon
3.  Blood Music
4.  Filling Empty Holes
5.  Filling Empty Holes (1?)
6.  Fly on the Eye of LA
7.  Fly on the Eye of LA (1?)
8.  Grand Dark Feeling of Em
9.  Heart in Hand
10. How Long the Night Was
11. In Death I'm Only Hiding
12. Intro
13. Kissed By Lightning
14. Soul of a Beer Can
15. Stop I'm Already Dead
16. Stranger to Reason
17. Thing In a Jar
18. Thing In a Jar Mess-up
19. Tomorrow We Jump

Yeayourite

Kamchatka - 2009 - Volume III

 

2009 - Volume III

Track Listing:

1 "681"
2 "Pathetic"
3 "Astrobucks"
4 "Look Over Your Shoulder"
5 "See"
6 "Wood"
7 "Sorg"
8 "Confessions"
9 "Outnumbered"
10 "Guess I'll Be Leaving"
11"Whipping Post" (Gregg Allman)

Volume III is the third album of Kamchatka, an eleven track effort, containing the cover version "Whipping Post", originally recorded by The Allman Brothers Band. The album was produced by Kamchatka, recorded and mixed by Tobias Strandvik and Kamchatka at Shrimpmonkey Studios, and mastered by Johan Eckerblad at Mintelligence Studios.


This album is INCREDIBLE.  If you enjoyed the other two, grab this one as well.  This one features guest appearances by Jean-Paul Gaster (drums on "Whipping Post"), and  Per Wiberg (keyboards on "Look Over You Shoulder", "See", "Sorg" and "Guess I'll Be Leaving").



Look Over Your Shoulder

Lance Lopez - 2007 - Higher Ground

  

"Higher Ground", the amazing fourth studio disc from bad-ass Dallas blues/rock axeripper Lance Lopez featuring 11 killer tracks (64 minutes) of brain-damaging, intense, powerful, funky, soul-powered, bluesy, retro-70's Hendrix-inspired heavy guitar power trio rock that will trip your brain hard. An outstanding, bona-fide, supreme heavy guitar monster from start to finish.

2007 - Higher Ground

Track Listing:

1.   Higher Ground
2.   That's a Fact
3.   Let Me Love You
4.   El Paso Sugar
5.   Type of Girl
6.   Drinkin My Blues
7.   Every Dog Has His Day
8.   Thunderbird South
9.   Hard Livin
10. Every Time I Turn Around
11. Kool Iron Red

  Could there be a bigger monster guitar player out there than Dallas-native Lance Lopez? The guy plays gargantuan heavy Hendrix riffs that rip the cover right off the speaker. He destroys his axe, be it a flying “V”, “SG” or a Les Paul “Custom”. Here’s a guy that should be talked about in the same breath as Joe Bonamassa, Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Eric Gales. His six-string wizardry is primarily blues-based but there is plenty of funk, rock and metal in the mix. Hailing from Texas gives him a handle on the ‘Stevie Ray Vaughan’ shuffle heard in “Drinkin’ My Blues” and the hard driving “Thunderbird South.” Both pay homage to ‘the man’ but there’s enough of the Lopez signature aggression that keeps it original – giving respect without duplicating. Being from the Lone Star state also allows him to partner up with some of the area’s hotshot players. On this, his fourth disc, Lopez cuts saw with guest guitarists Wes Jeans and Phillip Brown where they trade licks on such blistering numbers as “Hard Livin”, “Everytime I Turn Around” and the scorching Mississippi Fred McDowell track “Kool Iron Bed.”

The disc takes its name from the Stevie Wonder hit “Higher Ground”. Lopez uses the song as his lead in track, which springs to action with a thick funky beat and finds the Hendrix soul to a signature R&B classic. The Funkadelic inspiration continues through “That’s A Fact” with a hot lead and lots of metallic muscle. Lopez augments his voice from his usual baritone gruffness to pulsed electronic fuzz then launches into Willie Dixon’s “Let Me Love You” with hard rock blues. His love affair with roots blues is very much at home in the 12-bar “Hard Livin” complete with juke joint piano. Among the many hair-raising tracks “El Paso Sugar” steals the show with its ZZ Top sting and some clever Elmore James slide. For a self-produced, self-played record Higher Ground has a remarkably beefy production. It allows the artist to pull out all the stops and work a Commodores spin on “Type of Girl” with a Bootsy Collins strut into “Every Dog Has It’s Day.” Strictly for fans of lead-foot guitar with no brakes. - Todd K. Smith (Cutting Edge) (11.07)





Thunderbird South

Kamchatka - 2007 - Volume II

2007 - Volume II

Volume II is the second album of Kamchatka, a 11 track album containing 1 cover: "Enemy Maker" originally written by Alan Haggerty. The album was recorded by Tobias Strandvik and Kamchatka, mixed by Nicholas Elgstrand and Kamchatka and mastered by Tobias Strandvik and Kamchatka at Shrimpmonkey studios.


Track Listing:


  1. "Who Am I?"
   2. "Breathe"
   3. "Terminus"
   4. "Withstand"
   5. "From Here"
   6. "Enemy Maker"
   7. "Heritage"
   8. "Sweet Relief"
   9. "Pogonophonics"
  11. "Jigsaw"


Here is Kamchatka's second release.  If you enjoyed their first one, don't miss this. Songs like the album opener "Who am I?" and "Terminus" are definitely gonna keep you hooked, and just make sure you are mentally ready for the mind-blowing "Pogonophonics". 



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Kamchatka - 2005 - Kamchatka

Kamchatka are a Swedish power trio highly influenced by late 1960s and early 1970s blues-rock bands. Their sound combines elements of blues-rock, stoner rock and psychedelic rock.
Kamchatka took their name from the volcanically active Russian Kamchatka Peninsula that divides the Okhotsk and the Bering Sea.

 

2005 - Self Titled 

Track Listing :

1. "Out Of My Way"
2. "Seed"
3. "No"
4. "Mnemosyne Waltz"
5. "Mixed Emotions"
6. "Wrong End..."
7. "Eggshell"
8. "I Love Everybody" 
9. "Auto Mowdown"
10. "Spacegirl Blues"
11. "Sing Along Song"
12. "Incognito"
13. "Daddy Says"
14. "Squirm"

These guys are the definition of  "power trio".  I was lucky enough to catch these guys when they came through the states in support of Clutch.  I have been hooked ever since.  If you are a fan of blues-laden rock music, then these guys deserve a spin. 


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