| Bap Kennedy...Lonely Street Lonely Street Discs...**** Bap Kennedy was born on June 17, 1962 and grew up in turbulent Belfast, Ireland where he spent his early years listening to such local acts as Van Morrison, The Undertones and Stiff Little Fingers. His real first name is Martin, and he got the nickname �Bap� - which is a bread roll - from a local bakery that went by the name of Kennedy�s. He later got a record deal with MCA, and his band �Energy Orchard� released several albums which were acclaimed both in the UK and in the US. In the mid-nineties, Bap connected with one of his musical heroes, Steve Earle, and released �Domestic Blues� on Earle�s E-Squared Records. It was a seamless blend of Irish roots and unadorned Country styling. The album consisted of unpretentious, insightful originals that fit right in with the then burgeoning Alt-Country scene here in the U.S. Domestic Blues was graced with a great set of guest stars including the late Roy Husky Jr., Peter Rowan, Jerry Douglas and Nanci Griffith. Steve Earle said that �Bap Kennedy�s songs would be great no matter where he grew up, as it is, growing up in Belfast with things blowing up around him made his songs vital.� After having his career furthered by Steve Earle, Bap released an album consisting totally of Hank Williams covers entitled Hillbilly Shakespeare. These songs shined with the Belfast Cowboy�s honest, appreciative touch. Bap says �Irish music is the forerunner of (U.S.) country, everything with the roots feeling and swing - fiddles and banjos - we did first.� Now we have his newest effort, Lonely Street, recorded on his own label, Lonely Street Discs. Lonely Street, consists of cleverly crafted songs inspired by Hank Williams and Elvis Presley. The band is a very talented blend and includes collaboration with internationally acclaimed bassist Herbie Flowers. The songs include �Goodtimes On Franklin Road�, about the house Hank and Audry bought with their first real success, and where they fought like cats and dogs. Bap wrote �Almost Always Wrong� about trying to figure out the chords to �Suspicion� on his guitar. �Lonely Street� is about Elvis walking around Memphis in disguise just so he could think, and avoid being recognized. Then there�s one of my favorites, �Gladys And Vernon�, about which Bap says in the liner notes: �Gladys Love Smith met Vernon Presley, got married and in 1935 Gladys gave birth to twins during a hurricane. Only one child survived. They were dirt poor and the parents of a phenomenon.� We also get to hear �Hank�s Last Waltz�, a song about Hank Williams Jr. and �Drunk On The Blood Of Christ�, a song Bap calls an Irish �I saw the light�. Bap Kennedy, The Belfast Cowboy just keeps getting better, and this album proves it. This Hillbilly Bard takes American country and infuses it with his own Irish touch creating something dedicated to the past, yet somehow refreshingly contemporary. Bap once said �If you can go through all the shit I�ve been through and come out of it still wanting to make music, it�s got to be worth doing. I�ve seen everything that they can throw at you, and I feel like I can survive anything now. Let them try their best to stop me. Come on, I dare ya...� Ray Mason Band...When The Clown�s Work Is Over Captivating Music...*** This is Ray Mason�s fifth disc (or 11th counting Ray�s cassettes from �82 - �87), and is the first on Ray�s own Captivating Music label. When The Clown�s Work Is Over contains some of the best rock and roll music to come across my desk in a long time from a self-motivated artist who has been doing his thing for as long a time as Ray�s been doing it. Ray does almost everything himself as far as booking gigs, getting press and pounding the bricks go. He�s just turned 50 and music has been his life and source of income for most of his professional life. Ray�s band has opened for the likes of Marshall Crenshaw, Graham Parker, Steve Forbert, The Bottle Rockets, The Band, Warren Zevon and Joan Osborne. The songs on the new album captivate with such on the mark influences as The Band, Neil Young and NRBQ. A garage band vibe with a new wave tinge runs through many of the cuts. The stand-out cuts are many, my favorite being �Got It Right� with it�s definite Big Pink influence and such lyrics as: �Got it right, don�t need no big label sniffing �round. got it right, took years to get a sound, got it right, don�t know what it means to you, but all the trendy bands are gonna wind up as glue.� Other great songs on the album are �You Sold Me On A Joke� and the Elvis Costello-like �Everly�. Every song on this album deserves a good listen and I promise you won�t be disappointed if good old, quality rock and roll is what you love. Forrest McDonald...What�s It Gonna Take? World Talent Records...*** This is a kick-ass blues album! Forrest McDonald plays a mean 6-string and is joined by Raymond Victor, Roy Gaines and the 3-D Blues Band. Raymond Victor wrote many of the songs and sings lead vocals and plays keyboards on the majority of the cuts. Raymond Victor�s gutsy, blues-drenched, gut-bucket voice and ear-grabbing keyboards perfectly complement Mcdonald�s electrifying, fiery guitar licks. These guys definitely have their shit together on this album, and Victor�s work has supported such blues dignitaries as John Lee Hooker, Bobbie �Blue� Bland, Elvin Bishop, Michael Bloomfeild and Charlie Musselwhite. If you like your blues down and dirty, then kick back and turn this one up loud. You won�t be disappointed. Brian Templeton...Home Stone Cold Records...**** Brian Templeton was co-founder and front man for the Boston based Radio Kings for 8 years. Formed in 1991, the Radio Kings won the Boston Battle of the Bands after only 4 months. Templeton possesses a great baritone singing voice that perfectly matches his songs selections, and his harmonica playing allows him to cover old tunes with authority and ease so that he sounds as if he�s never reaching beyond his grasp. Now out on his own, and starting a new solo career, he has joined forces with guitar prodigy Mike Welch and released one hell of a blues based, rocking, soul-drenched, country and gospel album that promises to be a god send for every fan of American roots music. Home features nine new songs written by Brian and some really cool covers including a swampy version of Marvin Gaye�s �Trouble Man�, �Dead Love� a slow blues by Little Milton, and a unique R&B version of �Long Gone Lonesome Blues� a classic Hank Williams tune. An exceptional CD. |