SEASiCK STEVE w/John Paul Jones - Don't Know Why She Love Me But She Do

Watch the whole show online @ The Guardian!

OLD GRAY MULE - 40 Nickles For A Bag Of Chips (Available Tuesday May 31st!)

Old Gray Mule @ Facebook // OnLine //  iTunes // CdBaby

That other little ol' band from Texas is back with more of their North Mississippi Hill Country grooves flooded with muddy Rio Grande instrumental grit and goodness. 

Forty Nickles For A Bag Of Chips is a ten song tribute to the men who inspired C.R. Humphrey to play guitar in the first place. Men like Belton Sutherland, Jack Owens, Paul "Wine" Jones, R.L. Burnside, Junior Kimbrough, and others. Each song, with the exception of a cover of Closer Walk With Thee, is original and all but two of the songs are first-takes.  

Wondering what the album title is about? 
C.R. reminded me that on R.L. Burnside's album Ass Pocket Of Whiskey, Jon Spencer (of The Blues Explosion) is heard asking R.L. for "40 Nickles for a bag of chips". Geez, the things I forget. I used to know that album sideways. I done got olde, people. Time to bust it back out!

40 Nickles was recorded at Jimbo Mathus' Delta Recording Services in Como, Mississippi in one-hour and fifty-minutes ( plus a couple breaks ).  C.R. and Kinney Kimbrough recorded all the songs while Jimbo was out gettin' beer and gas, which is why Mathus is credited in the liner notes as "Spiritual Advisor and Sketch Artist" rather than producer. Well-deserved monickers, none the less, i'd reckon.

Once again, this album is a two-man operation: C.R. Humphrey, of course, on guitar with the legendary Kinney Kimbrough ( son of the late, great Junior Kimbrough ) on drums. And once again, you don't even miss the vocals. The music is just that good.  C. R. was between drummers when the time came to record and since he and Kinney had played together some at C.R.'s annual Junior Kimbrough's birthday bash it seemed a natural fit to enlist him to fill the spot. Kinney hadn't heard any of the songs prior to recording but you'd sure as hell never know it.  As C.R. says, "The man is an absolute pro." and it shows on this album. Humphrey himself is no slouch. His guitar style is full and intricate, but he leaves space to allow the songs to breath, slink and groove. He studied the masters but did not let that get in his way. I have no doubt he would make his heroes proud.  
40 Nickels For A Bag Of Chips is another delicious collection of songs done the way only Old Gray Mule can do 'em. It's like Chris Johnson-style BBQ for your ears. Gotta have it!

Here's what Jimbo Mathus and Justin Showah had to say about Old Gray Mule:

"Either you find an old tube amp in the garbage or you drive halfway across the country to look a turtle in his eye. I shook Charley’s hand at 11:00 am and at 5 o’clock he left with his record, mixed and finished. Every track was one take flawless. The heartbeat of the hills was steady beneath the heels and wrists of a giant, Kinney Kimbrough, and sounds clapped off the walls like quick flashes of lightning or knives being flung at your ears.
Keep your mouth shut and master the notes of the instrument, and you make a map for the soul and your fingers trace it out on a piece of wood and metal strings like connecting the dots across the stateline skies.
You woke up out of a trance to find a recording was made of your journey to the center of the groove and it is the CD you’re holding in your hands."

Old Gray Mule - 40 Nickles - Poor Boy On The Line mp3

Old Gray Mule - 40 Nickles - Kill The Old Gray Mule mp3

BONUS! 
Old Gray Mule f/ C.W. Ayon- Live: Slightly Returned mp3
Old Gray Mule f/ C.W. Ayon- Live: That's my Girl (Cedric & Lightnin' cover) mp3

GARY CLARK Jr!

THX Stacy!

Gary Clark Jr @ Facebook // OnLine // WiKi // iTunes

HOUND DOG TAYLOR - Roll Yr Moneymaker!

ASiE PAYTON via You See Me Laughin' documentary

The Blues Art of N.E. Florida Artist NiCKLOS

I've noticed this guys artwork at Mojo BBQ in Jacksonville but had no idea who did it. Last week, artist Mike Mitchell wrote an article for Jacksonville's Folio Magazine ( you can read the article in PDF form HERE ) about the artist Nicklos and his work. 
Here's a video showing more of what Nicklos does:




PS -  Big thanks to Mike for the shout out. To be named in the same sentence as the late Marty Scott is an honor indeed, but to be called a  "blues historian" is kind of over the top. Historian of blues of the future, maybe. 

Images of Nicklos' work stolen from this very cool site without permission.

new CHiCKEN DiAMOND video:: Power of The Ancient People

New Video from our man Chicken Diamond!

JAMES LEG - SOLiTARY PLEASURE

Facebook // Alive Records // iTunes // Amazon 

I've had the new James Leg cd titled Solitary Pleasure  sitting on my desk for weeks.

Mocking me. 

The tense, yet meditative cover depicting two hands, fingers intertwined. Waiting. Patiently. 

Listening a couple nights ago it finally struck me.  
This is the album I've been waiting for from James Leg since day one.

  As you might know, James Leg co-helms with the drummer Van Campbell, The Black Diamond Heavies (BDH).They rule as East Nashville's dirrrty soul blues boys. Listen, I'm a drummer and I don't much like other drummers. Whatever. That's kind of a dick thing to say but It's not personal. With most other drummers I hear what they should have played. Campbell always plays what should be played. That's why he's arguably my favorite drummer working today and why it took me some time to connect. I missed the sound of Van Campbell. 
I know, right? Pfft. I digress. Sorry James. Let's start:

A warning siren wails through a blast of feedback and James Leg makes it clear that this is his new thing. And it's gonna get loud. Track one is the low-down grinding sandpaper howler Have To Get It On, which slides hard into the Sexxxy stony booty moving moaner Do How You Wanna*, which falls to the old-timey piano balled of Nobody's Fault But Mine. With that three song baptism  James Leg makes a seasoned and strong return. 

Whatever It Takes is a totally delightful surprise. It's like nothing you've heard from James Leg before. An English-infused, horn-augmented, pure pop, bitter-sweet soul nugget. In a better world this song would be a hit somewhere. 
This is music played by an envelope pusher who has terrific musical taste. A man Sinatra would have called,"broad minded." It's really been a pleasure listening to this guy grow as an artist. I've been following him for years now and while each of the BDH albums have been a step forward this album is a long stroll and roll forward. 

Solitary Pleasure is ingrained with James Leg's extensive knowledge of the rock and roll canon and the album displays his passion and originality to full effect. Granted, Leg's gargled-with-goat vocal style could be an acquired taste, but it's also a quality instrument that, like his keyboard work, will prove powerful, yet supple and dextrous over the course of the album.
Imagine Tom Waits doing Bobby "Blue" Bland covers.

There's some wonderful Waits-ian weirdness  spread throughout and Leg takes some good chances. Perhaps some efforts succeed more fully than others, but these are James Leg's ladies and he works them properly.

I'll tell you what: I have no idea where drummer Andrew Jody came from but he rocks, drives, and follows Leg's lead like Leg's ghost. Ace job, sir.

The barrel-rolling gospel piano rave-up No Time To Tarry ends the album. It features Leg on piano accompanied by tambourine. A nod to our man's righteous upbringing, perhaps. It's in him. It's hot and bound to seek release.
One of the things I dig about Solitary Pleasure is that it sounds like freedom. It sounds, from beginning to end, like he was having a great time and would be happy to kick if it serviced the song. He and we are rewarded by that ethic.

Solitary Pleasure is an album that bleeds rock and roll, from dirty garage blues to  potential old skool AM radio hits, to 1969 Detroit (occasionally played at the same time) then filtered and distilled by James Leg. 

We've got this movement of folks around the world who've absorbed punk, metal, electronic music, and all of it's mutations, then walked and wallowed backwards thru hill country hard blues, deep  soul, primitive gospel, and rare early rock and roll. These folks, like James Leg, like it raw, rough, and real.
James Leg's Solitary Pleasure reminds us why he is a Vice-Lord and High Worthy Icon of that movement. 

James Leg - Solitary Pleasure - Drowning In Fire - mp3
 

Listen. James Leg deserves our money. You know it. I know it.  

Alive Records brings us more good music than any of us should be allowed to have. They need and deserve our support. Some folks you back up. 

Go to the shows, buy the merch, support art.

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*Hey- Will somebody please tell me: Who the hell is Dillon Watson?  According to the liner notes the dude plays, "Impromptu Guitar Wizard" on Do How You Wanna. This track is fully frkn epic. The howl of his tone made me walk with a limp. Like i'd fallen while dancing to The Stooges playing P.Funk's Maggot Brain (that never happened so don't freak out). Anyway,on this track Watson plays Thee Best Guitar Solo I have heard in years, then makes no other appearance on the album. Wtf?

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FAT POSSUM RECORDS: A short doc via The NewMusic/MuchMusic

SNOW-HEEL SLiM and The BOOGiE iNFECTiON!

Facebook // MySpace

SON OF DAVE

SON OF DAVE !

Alan Lomax- THE LAND WHERE THE BLUES BEGAN on YouTube

I had no idea Lomax's The Land Where The Blues Began was on YT! 

I've got it on vhs and have seen clips on YouTube. 
C.R. Humphrey from Old Gray Mule sez,  
"In my opinion, this is the best blues doc out there bar none...if'n you haven't seen it, set aside an hour some evening it's for damn sure worth watching." 
I'd say it's a three-way tie with Deep Blues and You See Me Laughin'. 
All three are essential viewing for blues fans.

R.L. BURNSiDE - Let My Baby Ride & Alice Mae - Live @ Roseland Ballroon NYC - Pro-shot Video

BLiND WiLLiE JOHNSON - A free 28 track Cigarbox Guitar Tribute

Stop whatever you are doing right now and click THiS LiNK to download Cigarbox Nation's Tribute to Blind Willie Johnson.  
It's a terrific 28 track compilation featuring 28 different cigarbox guitar stylists.  
And it's free!

ROBERT BELFOUR w/T-Model Ford's Nine Year Old Grandson Stud Playin' Johnny Lowebow's Drums!

THX to OLD GRAY MULE for the tip!

From the Streets of Clarksdale, MS from TransMotion Media on Vimeo.

THE SLY FOX ~ Sinner's Dream

Eugene Fox was a sax man with Ike Turner.  He just wanted to play sax behind Ike.  Mr. Fox was not interested in a recording career, but in 1954 Ike had other ideas, "It was something I didn't want to do anyway. It was something Ike wanted to do. I knew I wasn't a singer, and I could just play the horn the way the man wanted me to play, you see. But I wasn't no singer. It was Ike's idea. He thought, because I had a gravel voice, it'd be better if I did it. I never sang, I don't sing."  

Mr. Fox, as The Sly Fox, recorded four weird tracks accompanied by Ike on guitar, before returning to Clarksdale, MS to attend college. Fox graduated in 1956 and took a teaching position with the Clarksdale school system. He continued to play casually until 1962 when he laid his horn down for the last time. He retired as a school principal and passed away in 2000. In an interview for Uncle Marv's R&B Notebook, Fox sums up his brief musical career, "That's all it is about my little musical experience, you know. I enjoyed playing with the fellows and I enjoyed the hours. But it was exciting, though. An adventure, I'll tell you that."

Sinner's Dream - mp3

Hoo-Doo Say - mp3

I'm Tired Of Beggin' - mp3

The Dream (alt take of Sinner's Dream) - mp3

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SEASiCK STEVE - Walking Man

THE BONNEViLLES - Good Suits & Fightin' Boots - New Video + Free MP3s!

Watch the vid then go HERE and grab free mp3s of the songs Good Suits & Fightin' Boots + God Might Love Me ( But he don't know me like the Devil does ). While yr at it, if you've got any sense you'll just thrown down for the whole album and thank me later. New low prices + cheap international shipping. Or download it from iTunes. Good Suits & Fightin' Boots is one of the best albums of the last couple years. The Motor Sounds compilation Blood On The Scratchplate '65 is a killer too. Might as well download their free ep while yr there, too! Go!

CHiCKEN DiAMOND

photo stolen from HERE.

Hi Rick,
I am a french one-man-band, playing punk blues style. I am going to release my first LP next month on Beast Records ( Black Diamond Heavies, Hipbone Slim, Chicken Snake, Shake it Like a Caveman ). I thought you could be interested in reviewing this record for your Deep Blues blog. Tracks are available on myspace for preview.

Information on Chicken Diamond:
Chicken Diamond is a punk blues one-man-band. He is influenced by the North Mississippi bluesmen (RL Burnside, Junior Kimbrough…), as well as noisy/punk rock’n roll (The Stooges, The Velvet Undergound, Suicide…). His first record includes 10 tracks either recorded in live conditions or backed up by an electronic rhythm section.

Chicken Diamond has shared the stage in France with artists such as: Black Diamond Heavies, Jake La Botz, James Leg, Shake It like a Caveman…
 

Next major gigs: Cosmic Trip Bourges (with Thee Oh Sees, Thee Vicars, Rev Beat Man), 

Binic Festival (with Left Lane Cruiser, Radio Moscow…)

Please let me know if you need more information.
Thank you
Chicken Diamond

I'm totally digging this dudes stuff. 
It's like a combo of Honkeyfinger meets the Velvets meets Hollowbelly vs I don't know what. Mountains of fat groove and over-driven, raw, sexy metallic stoney blues swagger. 

I did a quick email FAQ with the man known as Chicken Diamond. 
Here's what I found out:

How long have you been playing, and have you always done the one-man band thing? What kind of equipment, besides the appropriate wine crate stomp box? Will there be a digital download of the album available at some time?

I’ve started playing at 15 or so, so it’s like 22 years ago. When I was a student I played in some noisy/punk bands. I also played as kind of noisy OMB a couple of times, with a drum machine plugged into a distortion pedal.

I really didn’t touch a guitar for 10 years maybe. I started again like 5/6 years ago. I had always been interested in blues, but didn’t know how to play it. I listened to the Black Keys, then Junior Kimbrough, Fred McDowell. I tried to play these kind of riffs. I wanted to have a kind of dirty and “vintage” sound. So I got a Telecaster, a Danelectro and a Cornell Amp.

Then I wanted to do “real” songs, so I got interested into what I could do with computers for backing me up. I used some drums and bass samples and learned programming and recording. I have set up a small studio under my roof. And I have recorded things, like the ones you heard which sounds more or less like a band.

Then I put these things over the web because I thought maybe somebody could be interested into putting this on a record. I got some contacts and proposals for playing live. I did some gigs with the computer, but it was not that good. So, I looked for something that would give me more freedom while I was playing. And I did this thing with the wooden box and a crash cymbal. That’s also when I started playing guitar differently, always playing the bass with my thumb. There are some tracks that I played that way on the record. 

By the way, there is no plan for download now: the label is not at all into this. They are more focused on vinyl.

What's happening, music-wise in France? I know Biram, BDH & James Leg, and others always do well there.
Has that inspired a OMB or other kind of punk infected blues scene there?

Regarding France, that’s not really the land of rock’n roll! BDH, Left Lane Cruiser, Bob Log III, Shake it like a Caveman, etc are touring here, but they don’t often do really big stages, unfortunately. They are starting getting recognition now. There is this festival in Binic, which is helping a lot. 

There are also some other festivals open to punk blues ( Blues autour du zinc, Blues sur Seine, Blues Rules Crissier Festival in Switzerland…).

I would say on the “sort of” punk blues, only Jon Spencer is really kind of popular here, playing big festivals. Black Keys, since they changed their style are also doing well.

There are some good one man bands, but they are more on Hasil Adkins side I think ( King Automatic, Sheriff Perkins, Venus Fly Trip One Woman Band, Mr Bonz, Dusty Dandy ). The only one I know, who is more into blues is Birds Are Alive. There are also Thee Verduns, a duo (I think they played in the US). But I do not know all the ones who are touring: OMBs are generally playing in small places and don’t get too much exposure.

Chicken Diamond has been kind enough to let me share one of my favourite tracks off the album with you. For free. 

Chicken Diamond - Bones - mp3

Chicken Diamond's album will be available (vinyl only!) in early June and is limited to 500 vinyl copies. It's available for pre-order from Beast Records. 

Chicken Diamond @ Facebook // MySpace // Beast Records

ROBERT JOHNSON 100th BiRTHDAY PARTY iN CHiCAGO::Not The Same Lame Blues!

Hey kids!

If you plan to be in the Chicago area May 7th,

one of America's most esteemed blogs, Big Rock Candy Mountain along with Hell Hound Trail Booking, is hosting a killer 100th birthday party for Robert Johnson. Some of your favorite band will be there as well. I've been given some tracks to share with you so you'll know what yr missing or what yr in for:

Me and The Devil

Devil In Her Eyes mp3

John Henry mp3

Tiger Man mp3

The Black Oil Brothers

Dirty, High and Confused mp3

Going For Broke mp3

Johnny and The Pale Rider mp3

Woodrow Hart

Honest Man Blues #3 mp3

In The Paint mp3

Illinois John Fever

Keep Ta Boogie If Ye Like It mp3

The 4-12 March mp3

BOYD RiVER - Mississippi Delta Blues Festival 1980

BiG JOE WiLLiAMS - Mississippi Delta Blues Festival 1980