Category Blues
GA-20 – Crackdown (Karma Chief Records)
Boston blues band GA-20 have come out with their new album Crackdown. A crushed production approach gives this Chicago Blues release a definite blues-rock sound, a real nostalgic-feeling drive. Fairweather Friend starts this off with a modern Black Keys-eque sound, whereas Easy On the Eyes, Be My Lonesome and, I Let Someone In, amongst others, pull […]
Marcus King – Young Blood
Release Date: August 26, 2022 Label: Republic Records Marcus King‘s new release, Young Blood proves that he has become a musical juggernaut…plain and simple. On this release, King draws from his musical influences to capture the sound of Jimi Hendrix and ZZ Top. He does not disappoint. Lie Lie Lie is a standout anchored by a […]
Motihari Brigade – Algorithm & Blues (Creative Destruction Records)
Release date: September 8, 2022 Label: Creative Destruction Records Algorithm & Blues puts critiques of an Orwellian technocracy on top of a 60s/70s classic counterculture-inspired tracks with a reggae infusion. Fight the corporate dystopia to the sound of layered sax, vocals, dreamy guitar, and lush keyboards. Play! Track picks: 1, 3, 4, 7, 13 FCC: […]
Ali McGuirk – Till It’s Over (Signature Sounds) [LOCAL]
The latest album from BTV singer-songwriter Ali McGuirk runs the gamut of R&B sounds, from Memphis soul to hefty blues-rock, with elements of Americana and reggae creeping in around the edges. The musicianship is top-notch, unsurprising given the array of legendary session cats involved (Fred Tackett, Larry Goldings, Lenny Castro), but it’s Ali’s songwriting and […]
Mavis Staples & Levon Helm – Carry Me Home
Release Date: May 20, 2022 Label: Anti- From the label: Captured at Woodstock, New York’s Levon Helm Studios in the summer of 2011, Carry Me Home is a new album that showcases the music of Mavis Staples and Levon Helm, two of the past century’s most iconic voices who came together in love and joy, […]
Ali McGuirk – X Boyfriends (Signature Sounds) [LOCAL]
An ode to exactly what the title says, Ali McGuirk’s latest single pairs her smoky voice with a reggae-tinged neo-soul groove, with stabs of electric guitar and whirls of Hammond organ. FCC: Clean RIYL: Al Green, Susan Tedeschi, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, Sarah King
Ali McGuirk – All Back (Signature Sounds) [LOCAL]
The latest single from BTV singer-songwriter Ali McGuirk rides a smooth, easy R&B groove, with burbling Hammond organ courtesy of Larry Goldings. Described by the artist as “a song for the end of the pandemic,” McGuirk’s powerful and smoky voice is the star of the show as always. FCC: Clean RIYL: Bonnie Raitt, Al Green, […]
All Night Boogie Band – Taste These Blues [Self-released] (LOCAL)
All Night Boogie Band have become one of Burlington’s most popular live acts, and it’s easy to see why on their first studio outing. Jess Leone’s powerful voice, Brendan Casey’s gutsy guitar chops, Van Garrison’s glittering piano, and the locked-in rhythm section of Bruno John and Zach Santos add up to a powerful modern rendition […]
Cheryl Cawood – Bullet in the Cabin Wall
Cheryl shares the journey of her family history. Her great great grandfather was indigenous to the Cherokee. My favorite song on this album was ‘Running Out of Time’. Her music is very much story telling and rooted in deep emotion.
Steve Madwell – “Hometown Blues” (Album) [Barnsongs]
Released: October 8th, 2021 This is the kind of music which makes me cry. The fiddle, his voice, though I usually listen to uptempo dance music I also really enjoy albums like this. It feels so genuine, so rooted to the ground. The tracks “Early on in Life” and “To see your Face Again” are […]
Anna Ash – Sleeper [Black Mesa]
Some brilliant fuzzy folk music out of LA. Well-produced with some nice, homey and warm feeling white noise and lush horns and strings. FCC: Clean RIYL: May Erlewine, Frazey Ford, Vulfpeck
Ali McGuirk – That’s the Way I Feel About You [Signature Sounds] (LOCAL)
Boston/Burly-based blues musician Ali McGuirk brings her rich vocals to this cover of the Bobby Womack classic, featuring members of the Marcus King and Tedeschi Trucks Band backing her up. Also consider playing the song “Long Time,” from her first album, “Slow Burn.” If you play either song, please announce that Ali McGuirk will be […]
ALL NIGHT BOOGIE BAND – A WOMAN LIKE I (SINGLE) [SELF RELEASED]
All Night Boogie Band has just released their debut single and I am beyond stoked!! The new track features rippling keys, honeyed electric guitar, a dreamy horn section, and of course, signature, soul-baring vocals from the band’s incomparable vocalist, Jess Leone. These folks are extremely talented and their musicianship is evident in both their live […]
Black River Delta – Shakin'[SofaBurn]
More on the fuzzed out side like the White Stripes and Black Keys. Pretty solid stuff! “The band’s gritty blues-rock sound draws from classic blues legends… and modern artists such as The Black Keys, Gary Clark Jr. and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club.” American Blues Scene FCC: Clean
Christone “Kingfish” Ingram – 662
Release Date: July 23, 2021 Label: Alligator Records Christone “Kingfish” Ingram hails from the city of Clarksdale, in Coahoma County, Mississippi, just ten miles from the legendary crossroads of Highways 61 and 49. A blues guitar prodigy, Ingram proudly carries on the legacy of Mississippi Hill Country Blues. The title track is honest blues played […]
Tommy Dahill – E Pluribus Unum
Label: Self-released Self-described as Alaska DeathMetalBanjo Trance, Tommy Dahill plays heavy delta blues but as he describes it, his music sounds more like Booker White playing with the Minutemen. The music is simple – many of the songs share notes and chords but it’s an interesting listen to be sure. Tracks 2, 3, 4, 7 […]
Reid Parsons – No. Blood [Unsigned Seats] (LOCAL)
Reid Parsons – No. Blood [Unsigned Seats] (LOCAL) Americana singer-songwriter Reid Parsons blends country, blues and soul on her latest EP, No. Blood (“Northern Blood”). The title track is an ebullient dance number, while slow-burning blues tunes and two well-chosen covers make up the rest of the track list. Track Picks: 1, 3 FCC: Clean […]
CURTIS SALGADO – DAMAGE CONTROL [ALLIGATOR RECORDS]
Curtis Salgado testifies on this latest album of classic blues sounds made contemporary. Whether you dig the full band blues or slow jams to take you to church, Salgado does it all with delicious organ and vocals full of wisdom. Play! FCC: 3 TRY: 1, 6, 11 RIYL: Albert Castiglia, Tommy Castro, Chris Cain
Giovanina Bucci – Go Easy (Self-released) [LOCAL]
Burlington blues artist Giovanina Bucci’s latest single, from her upcoming album “Storytellers,” is a romantic number featuring a rustic instrumental – upright bass, dusty drums and excellent piano – over which Bucci’s sharp guitar leads and vocals nestle nicely. This is a subtly masterful performance, played with passion but not overblown. FCC: Clean RIYL: Susan […]
BOOGIE BEASTS – BRING IT ON (SINGLE) [NAKED RECORDS]
Fresh electric delta blues all the way from Belgium! Sexy slide guitar, wailing harmonica, and more await you on this track. Play! FCC: Clean RIYL: The Dynamite Blues Band, The Goon Mat, The Damned and Dirty
SELWYN BIRCHWOOD – LIVING IN A BURNING HOUSE [ALLIGATOR RECORDS]
Absolutely electric blues from Selwyn Birchwood! Some songs feature accents of horns and some organ, others feature boogie woogie basslines you won’t be able to keep yourself from grooving along to. So much good stuff on this record- give it a spin! FCC: Clean TRY: 1, 11 RIYL: Mike Zito, Anthony Gomes, Curtis Salgado
KERRY KEARNY – TALES FROM THE PSYCHEDELTA [HIGHLANDER RECORDS]
Biiiig slide guitar from Kerry Kearny on this classic blues album. Kearny enthralls with the sounds of the delta, plenty of storytelling lyrics, and a voice that sounds like a bucket full of rusty nails (as it should). There’s even a little bit of organ, as a treat. Play! FCC: Clean TRY: 2, 5, 9 […]
Sarah King – The Hour (Self-released) [LOCAL]
VT-based singer-songwriter Sarah King’s brand of “dark Americana” is perfectly exemplified on this new EP, her first release as a solo artist. Twangy Western guitars and sparse, echoey arrangements perfectly complement King’s smoky voice as she delivers sinister lyrics that strike a perfectly macabre and emotional tone. Track Picks: 2, 3, 4 FCC: Clean RIYL: […]
Sarah King – Not Worth the Whisky (Self-released) [LOCAL]
Booze, betrayal and murder are blues tropes for a reason, and VT singer-songwriter Sarah King’s latest single (from upcoming EP “The Hour”) combines the three with her usual lyrical skills and a sparse, echoey arrangement. FCC: Clean RIYL: Susan Tedeschi, Beth Hart, Warren Haynes
OBERON ROSE – HOLOGRAPHIC BLUES [THOUART]
Dynamic and moving, the latest from Oberon Rose features jumping rock with fantastic riffs and vocal harmonies reminiscent of 60s rock. There’s a mood for everyone on this album, from the Roadhouse of Twin Peaks to a mosh pit, even some more Americana-esque heavy piano and acoustic guitar. Worth every moment- give it a play! […]
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