Drag
The River - You Can’t Live This Way
(Suburban Home)
I’m not too well versed in the alt-country
scene, but this seems to be a pretty solid
release. I’ve tried a few times to develop
a taste for this type of stuff but it hasn’t
happened enough to make me want to go out
and purchase a bunch of records, but maybe
this will be my gateway into it. Anyway, Drag
The River hails from Colorado and plays country
that reminds of Lucero and Tim Barry’s
solo work. The lineup includes Chad Price
from ALL and JJ Nobody of The Nobodys and
The Queers fame, as well as a revolving cast
of characters with plenty of punk rock background.
The last track on this record is the entire
album repeated over again, apparently so fans
can pay once and hear the entire album incase
they find it on a juke box in a bar. If this
is your bag, then I recommend picking it up.
I can see myself listening to this while driving
down an empty highway on a sunny day. –Dave
Dillon
The
Felice Brothers - (www.team-love.com)
I thought The Felice Brothers sounded familiar,
but I couldn't place them right away. Then,
after reading their press kit a bell with
off in my little toy brain (ding)! I had heard
them play, and do an interview early last
year with Vin Scelsa on his Idiot's Delight
radio show on 90.7 FM. On the show they were
a lot of fun, interesting, and played some
amazing tunes! On their new self-titled album
they combine some new songs with some select
and hard-to-find tracks from their last full
length, The Adventures of The Felice Brothers
Vol. 1. These 15 songs are drenched with rocky
rootsy Americana that bridges the gap between
The Band, Dylan, Springsteen, Van Morrison,
Wilco, and their musical roots and branches,
while still keeping The Felice Brothers’
originality intact. "Greatest Show on
Earth" is a Mardi Gras-worthy ditty that
is followed righteously by "Frankie's
Gun," a clear-voiced, slow-burner that
is organ-driven with a fresh take on what
it's like to walk on the wild side. The whispery
heartache of "Goddamn You Jim" owes
its understated feel to its homemade roots.
It's as if The Felice Brother's were playing
in your living room. It's warm, real, and
raw. "Murder By Mistletoe," "Whiskey
in My Whiskey,” and "Radio Song"
are, well... the best I can come up is a quote
from Pete Seeger..."Any damn fool can
get complicated ( writing a song). It takes
genius to attain simplicity." On their
album, and from what I heard live on Vin Scalsa's
show, The Felice Brothers fit that definition
to a T! - Phil Rainone
The Morning Light - “The Sounds of
Love” EP (Fearlessrecords.com)
Starting with the melancholy, slush puppy
hit "The Love," The Morning Light
cover a lot of ground on this six song EP.
The music climbs as the songs become more
about love in need of repair, and the stories
grow deeper. "A Safe Bet" could
be a super-catchy single that comes fully
loaded with infectious hooks, over a rush
of nouveau-punk guitar chords. The Morning
Light seems to make songs that are both a
hit because it's beautiful, and beautiful
because it's a hit. - Phil Rainone
CD Reviews 
