Laura Vecchione reveals immense talent on Love Lead album
Laura Vecchione’s latest album Love Lead grabs hold of the listener’s ears from the first track and never lets go. On fire for 13 songs, this Boston-based singer rocks, struts, and sometimes lulls her listener into a special place in each track.
Boston producer Michael Dinallo helms fine, fun Charlie Rich tribute CD for Memphis International
Boston roots rock guitarist Michael Dinallo recently helmed a special recording project in Memphis for the Memphis International Records label. He produced a collection of Charlie Rich’s songs that were originally recorded by legendary producer Sam Phillips at Memphis’s Sam Phillips Recording studio. Dinallo helms a band in this recording featuring himself on electric and acoustic guitars, Tim Carroll on electric guitar, and greater-Boston rhythm section of Preston Rumbaugh on bass with Tom Hambridge on drums. The CD also includes roots, blues, and country singers from around the country, making this album feel like a true national reflection on this old time singer-songwriter piano player. While many know of Rich from his 1970s AM radio hits, he was one of the pioneers at the time rock, blues, country, and rockabilly were often recorded by the same artists at the same studio.
Jon McAuliffe outdoes himself with exceptionally fine album Old School Moderne
Jon McAuliffe’s latest CD Old School Medicine is certainly medicine for the soul and for the ears. McAuliffe is uncannily adept at translating emotions and humor in a variety of nifty Americana roots styles. He has come up with an album that delights in a full, three dimensional manner with high quality production values and a broad, painterly vision.
Kala Farnham offers beauteous sophomore album Samadhi: Home Is Where You Are
Kala Farnham’s second album Samadhi: How Is Where You Are offers bold musical accomplishments and one of New England’s best voices in one of this year’s best written and best recorded works. A folk artist who incorporates many other roots elements, Farnham coats her gems with her astonishingly good vocal applications. The Connecticut singer-songwriter is also still young enough to take her music to a much higher level in the next few years.
Hilton Park strike solid gold acoustic beauty on Moments
The latest Hilton Park CD, Moments, offers much of the acoustic instrument beauty this Maine-based folk-rock trio has relied on in the past. Their singer-songwriter bent continues to sweep the listener away with the more familiar Hilton Park feeling and vibe, albeit more forlorn and wistful this time around.
Rumblecat standout with impressive debut disc ‘Till The Neighbors Shout
Rumblecat’s debut CD ‘Till The Neighbors Shout is loaded with hard driving, goodtime, soulful music. Delivered with talent and explosive energy, this disc shows why Vermont-based Rumblecat won a New England Music Award for Best In State: Vermont only three years after forming. The group has got their roots rock sound down pat and they know how to spread it around a song with cool vigor.
Sugar Ray And The Bluetones come up with a dandy CD Seeing Is Believing
One can never have too much of a good thing. Sugar Ray And The Bluetones have released another fine blues album, Seeing Is Believing. Brimming with powerful blues in all 12 tracks, this winsome album will be playing in many local stereo systems by the end of this year. Most of these songs are originals, as all the band members are songwriters, and that makes this whole thing feel fresh and personal even though this kind of blues music has been with us for generations.
Ilene Springer paints large canvas of words and sounds on Got To Be Brave album
Ilene Springer’s new CD Got To Be Brave offers listeners of seriously good singer-songwriter material plenty to feast their ears on. Springer’s voice gives new meaning to the word lovely and she applies it to several larger than life themes and soundscapes.
Blues scene veteran Bobby Leger scores big with impressive debut CD Imaginary Dream
Bobby Leger’s debut CD Imaginary Dream is loaded with fantastic blues songs and some fine songs influenced by the blues. Leger’s voice is often a plaintive scream. At other times it’s a drawling lead vocal over a slow boil build up. His flair for writing and co-writing the music that best serves his voice is on full display in these ten knock out, drag out original numbers.
Young Frontier offer impressive debut album
Young Frontier is a soulful folk-rock outfit with a good amount of dramatic tension in their songs. Actually, “soulful folk rock” might not even be the best terminology to describe their music. It’s hard to pigeonhole what this trio and their guest musicians are doing here. Vocalist Joe Young, guitarist Daniel King, and cellist Bethany Weiman are doing their own thing, regardless of the number of roots elements they incorporate here. Besides, how often does a roots combo or folk band utilize a cello?
