Lucifer's Friend - S/T (1970) (1990 reissue with bonus tracks)

A German outfit fronted by a British singer, Lucifer's Friend first gained minor notoriety, and later major cult status, as both early practitioners of heavy metal and progressive rock.
Formed in 1970 Hamburg, by former German Bonds members Peter Hesslein (guitar), Peter Hecht (keyboards), Dieter Horns (bass), and Joachim Rietenbach (drums), the group was initially dubbed Asterix and recorded an entire album's worth of material before connecting with singer John Lawton, whose then band, Stonewall, was playing a residency at the city's famed Top Ten Club. Lawton's vocals would grace Asterix's only, eponymous album later the same year, and all involved were excited enough by the results that they immediately began collaborating on more material with which to relaunch the band under the provocative new moniker of Lucifer's Friend.
Released in early 1971, the Lucifer's Friend album contained organ-intensive hard rock along the same lines as contemporary proto-metal bands like Deep Purple, Atomic Rooster, and, especially, Uriah Heep, for whom, coincidentally, Lawton  would wind up singing several years down the line. But, for now, Lucifer's Friend's biggest challenge was a problematic aversion to touring, as well as a compositional restlessness that saw their sophomore effort, 1972's curiously named Where the Groupies Killed the Blues, morphing drastically to acquire progressive rock tendencies reminiscent of King Crimson  and, to a lesser degree, the quickly emerging Krautrock acts of the period. These compositional experiments would only intensify on 1973's I'm Just a Rock 'n' Roll Singer, which added entire brass sections in the vein of Chicago Transit Authority, and 1974's Banquet (featuring new drummer Herbert Bornhold), which soared upon even jazzier elements and symphonic arrangements delivered with help from the James Last Orchestra.
Lucifer's Friend would finally reign in such extravagance on 1976's Mind Exploding LP (where Bornhold was demoted to percussionist behind new drummer Curt Cress), and they even considered increasing their touring engagements, but their only problem now was that Lawton had quit -- accepting the offer to join Uriah Heep that was mentioned earlier. Scotsman Mike Starrs (formerly singer for Colosseum II) was brought in to replace him and Lucifer's Friend proceeded to abruptly abandon their progressive past for good, embracing melodic mainstream rock on a pair of albums: 1978's Good Time Warrior and 1980's Sneak Me In (adding second keyboardist Adrian Askew). Then, John Lawton returned for a final, harder-rocking Lucifer's Friend album, 1981's Mean Machine, after which the group officially split up until 1994's one-off reunion LP, Sumo Grip.
Interestingly, through all of these years and stylistic changes, it's ironically that original Lucifer's Friend  album -- more so than their more abundant prog rock releases -- which has enjoyed the most frequent reissues, being considered a classic document of early heavy metal. by Eduardo Rivadavia



1. Ride in the Sky
2. Everybody's Clown
3. Keep Goin'
4. Toxic Shadows
5. Free Baby
6. Baby You're a Liar
7. In the Time of Job When Mammon Was a Yippie
8. Lucifer's Friend

Bonus tracks

9. Rock 'N' Roll Singer
10. Satyr's Dance
11. Horla
12. Our World Is A Rock 'N' Roll Band
13. Alpenrosen

320AAC
Puck's Place

Stone Machine - American Honey (2012)

New Effort From West Virginia Outfit Playing Guitar-based Rock Along The Lines Of American Minor Or The Holy Goats…Good Shit


01. American Honey
02. Stone Cold
03. Rock N' Roll Queen
04. Long Road
05. Better Days
06. Corn Bread
07. Shake That Thang
08. Speed Demon
09. Midnight Gypsy
10. Bad Lovin'
11. May You Run Forever
12. Bye Baby Bye
Buy It

Hoodoo Gurus - Crank (1994)

After a decade of making music, the Hoodoo Gurus sound much the same as they did back on their first hit, "I Want You Back." With Crank, the Gurus continue to mine the power-pop they love so dearly with suprisingly great results. "Less Than a Feeling" mines the Boston/Nirvana riff with more than a touch of sarcasm, and "The Right Time" is a great four minutes of what the Gurus do best. Get a copy of Crank, and crank it up. by James Chrispell



1. The Right Time
2. Crossed Wires
3. Quo Vadis
4. Nobody
5. Form a Circle
6. Fading Slow
7. Gospel Train
8. Less Than a Feeling
9. You Open My Eyes
10. Hypocrite Blues
11. I See You
12. Judgement Day
13. The Mountain

Gumball - Super Tasty (1993)

Rock producer Don Fleming (Sonic Youth, Screaming Trees) was such a successful producer that he never quite got his due as a musician. While his friends reaped the benefits of the grunge revolution in the early '90s, Fleming was making equally good music to very little fanfare. Super Tasty might be his best album, all pop-punk gusto and very little filler. "Accelerator" begins the album in full fuzz guitar glory, and the next few songs do not let up on the catchy riff-rock that Fleming makes so effortlessly. There are moments where Fleming and producer Butch Vig quiet the loud guitars, showcasing the band's pop sense instead. "The Damage Done" is a perfect example, with Fleming's sweet, lazy voice humming gently over mid-tempo guitars and crisp drums. Unfortunately, this album fell through the cracks and never quite found its audience. Fans of this brand of early-'90s rock should do themselves a favor and find this album; it's a gem that needs rediscovery. by Bradley Torreano

An AMG Album Pick

1. Accelerator
2. Hell of a Message
3. Here It Comes Again
4. Tumbling
5. Marilyn
6. The Damage Done
7. Real Gone Deal
8. Thunder
9. Black Payback
10. No More
11. Got the Cure
12. Upsetters Theme Song

An Emotional Fish - S/T (1990)

The disappearance of An Emotional Fish was one of the great disappointments of the 1990s. Released in September of 1990, An Emotional Fish likely was a victim of the Rattle and Hum era U2 backlash. Though released through Atlantic, the band's first singles were on U2's Mother Records label. That, and their Dublin roots, made the band an easy target for critics. But the album was filled with some wonderful melodic rock songs. "Blue," "Lace Virginia," "Celebrate," and "Julian" were strong songs. The CD version included one extra track, "Move On." Sadly, the band's music changed after their debut (possibly as a reaction to a critical backlash). A great debut album from a band that never again reached such heights. Perhaps a testament to its quality is how incredibly hard to find An Emotional Fish is, meaning fans are unwilling to part with it, even years later. Well worth the search. by JT Griffith

An AMG Album Pick

Rip Note: iTunes ignores "an" & puts this band under "E"

1. Celebrate
2. Grey Matter
3. Blue
4. Lace Virginia
5. Julian
6. All I Am
7. Change
8. Colours
9. That Demon Jive
10. Brick It Up
11. Move On

Shoes - Fret Buzz (1995)

Though all three members of Shoes are gifted power pop songwriters, the production on their albums has always been a little too slick, burying some potential classics under too thick a layer of gloss. As a result, the 1995 live album Fret Buzz is absolutely essential not only to Shoes fans, but to those on the fence about the Zion, IL, homeboys. The album title, taken from a particular type of guitar feedback, is appropriate: for all the polish and control of Shoes' studio albums, these are surprisingly rough-edged performances. We're not talking Metallic K.O. or anything like that, but it's surprising and refreshing to hear the occasional bum note or slightly off-harmony vocals. Split roughly equally between the three singer/songwriters, the 12 songs cover all phases of their by this point two-decade career, largely foregoing hits like "Tomorrow Night" in favor of less well-known album tracks. The stripped-down sound really benefits the songs, and had Shoes not chosen to follow Fret Buzz with the most extended layoff of their career, it would have been interesting to see how the boys followed it up. by Stewart Mason

1. Animal Attraction
2. Mayday
3. When Push Comes to Shove
4. Want You Bad
5. I Don't Wanna Hear It
6. Turnaround
7. Love Is Like a Bullet
8. Your Devotion
9. Feel the Way I Do
10. Silence Is Deadly
11. Tore a Hole
12. In Harm's Way

Bigelf - Cheat The Gallows (2008) (3 vinyl bonus songs)

As just about any music fans can tell you, there’s a ton of bands who have been influenced by The Beatles. And, as any metal fan can tell you, there are a ton of bands influenced by Black Sabbath. But I am here to tell you, there is probably only one band equally influenced by both bands and THAT band is Big Elf.

A metal band in looks and style, when the music starts its’ a hard rock story, but one with many different chapters and twists and turns aplenty. Listening to a Big Elf album will expose you to the aforementioned Black Sabbath, but then some Queen, Jellyfish, Bad Company and Beatles will show up in their songs, which are heavy but very, very melodic. Leader Damon Fox’s vocals have every thing I like in a rock singer’s work: expressive vocals, power and much, much melodic range. Not too mention being able to understand every word he says, something sorely missing from most metal and hard rock bands today. He’s no Freddie Mercury, but Fox is head and shoulders above most rock vocalists in his delivery, which is very solid. His biggest strength, however, is his songwriting. Very telling is the name of his publishing company, “Evil Beatle Music”, which just about sums up his band’s vision. Fox is a master at writing very well-constructed, melodic songs dealing cleverly with many of the same topics handled ham-handedly by many of his peers. Death, wealth, sex are all touched upon, but in a way that sets his songs apart from most of the pure bludgeoning hard rock out there today.

If you love rock but feel it is bland, dumbed down and missing something to make it special, I would check out Big Elf. Very good album. (rockandrollreport.com)

An Excellent Band That Seems To Have Disappeared

1. Gravest Show on Earth

2. Blackball

3. Money, It's Pure Evil

4. The Evils of Rock & Roll

5. No Parachute

6. The Game

7. Superstar

8. Race with Time

9. Hydra

10. Counting Sheep

11. Snake Eyes

12. Demon Queen Of Spiders

13. Don't Blow It

Aztec Camera - Stray (1990)

A welcome comeback after the flaccid dance-pop of 1987's insipid Love, Stray is among Roddy Frame's most assured and diverse collections of songs. Unlike previous Aztec Camera albums, there's not one unifying style to the disc, and the variety makes Stray one of Frame's better collections. From the assured rocking pop of the singles "The Crying Scene" (the closest thing Aztec Camera ever got to an American hit single) and "Good Morning Britain" (a rousing collaboration with Mick Jones of the Clash and Big Audio Dynamite) to the cool, Chet Baker-ish cocktail jazz of "Over My Head," Frame covers the waterfront, but it's the quartet of songs that constitutes the second half of the album that impress the most. These four songs, "How It Is," "The Gentle Kind," "Notting Hill Blues," and the tender acoustic closer "Song For A Friend," are a loosely connected cycle mingling folk, soul, and pop in varying proportions. Starting with a bitterly cynical denunciation of modern society, the four songs move through sadness and resignation to a hopeful, sweet closure. Shorn of the pretentiousness that mars some of Frame's earlier lyrics -- written, to be fair, while he was still in his mid-teens -- the lyrics on Stray are the first that stand up to Frame's remarkable melodic sense. The simple, low-key production by Frame and Eric Calvi also retreats from the unfortunate excesses of both Love and its misbegotten Mark Knopfler-produced predecessor, Knife. With the exception of Aztec Camera's 1983 debut High Land Hard Rain, this is Roddy Frame's best album. by Stewart Mason



1. Stray
2. The Crying Scene
3. Get Outta London
4. Over My Head
5. Good Morning Britain
6. How It Is
7. The Gentle Kind
8. Notting Hill Blues
9. Song for a Friend

Green On Red - Too Much Fun (1992)

Always wary of their paisley underground tag, it was only Green on Red's debut EP that leaned on the psychedelic sounds of the '60s before they traded it in for a boozy, all-American sound. They have been credited as latter-day forbears to the No Depression sound forged by Wilco and Son Volt. Singer and songwriter Dan Stuart, Chris Cacavas (keyboards), and Jack Waterson (bass) formed their first group in Tucson, AZ, in 1979. After the band relocated to L.A., drummer Alex MacNicol joined up and Green on Red released their debut EP on Steve Wynn's Down There label in 1982. By 1983, they had dumped the trippy psychedelic stuff for Gravity Talks, their Slash debut. By the time 1985's Gas Food Lodging rolled around and the band had added guitarist Chuck Prophet, Green on Red were earning critical accolades, but their greatest success came overseas with the release of 1985's No Free Lunch (Polygram). Between albums, Stuart paused to work with Steve Wynn and a smattering of their respective bandmembers under the Danny & Dusty moniker, a side project that allowed Stuart to play on his "drunken bum" persona. Prophet and Stuart continued to hone their darkish, down-and-out loser blues on The Killer Inside Me (1987, Mercury) and Here Come the Snakes (1989, Mercury), but by the time 1989's This Time Around (also on Mercury) came out, interest in their work stateside had ceased.

Cacavas then left the fold to begin what had become a consistent, albeit overlooked, solo career. Prophet and Stuart found an audience for their music in Europe for Scapegoats (1991, China) and Too Much Fun (1992, Off Beat), but ultimately traded in the madness of what had become their collaboration for quieter lives. Stuart relocated to Spain and Prophet continued the career he launched in 1990, performing as a solo artist and with his band the Mission Express (featuring his wife, Stephanie Finch, on keyboards and vocals). As it turns out, Prophet was a sleeper, with a number of releases into the 2000s bearing little resemblance to the ramshackle outfit that was Green on Red. However, Prophet did join a briefly reunited Green on Red -- with a lineup also including Stuart, Cacavas, and Waterson -- for a series of shows in 2005-2006. Drummer Alex MacNicol died in 2004. by Denise Sullivan


1. She's All Mine
2. Frozen in My Headlights
3. Love Is Insane
4. Too Much Fun
5. The Getaway
6. I Owe You One
7. Man Needs Woman
8. Sweetest Thing
9. Thing or Two
10. Hands and Knees
11. Wait and See
12. Rainy Days and Mondays

Randy Holden - Guitar God 2001

A '60s guitar hero who never seemed to be in the right place at the right time, Randy Holden has attracted a small but intense cult following for his work with various California groups in the '60s. After a couple of surf singles with the Fender IV that featured his inventive reverbed fretting, Holden joined the Sons of Adam, a Los Angeles band that cut three decent garage-psychedelic singles. Holden's characteristic Jeff Beck-like sustain can already be heard on these, the best known of which is "Feathered Fish," which was penned by Arthur Lee of Love (although Love never recorded it). When the Sons of Adam broke up, drummer Michael Stuart, in fact, joined Love, while Holden joined the underrated punky San Francisco psychedelic band the Other Half. His searing, suspended leads are the highlights of their sole album (they also recorded a few single-only songs).

Holden is actually best known for his short stint in San Francisco's Blue Cheer, which bridged psychedelia and heavy metal. Holden replaced Leigh Stephens, but left during the recording of the third Blue Cheer album, New! Improved! (he appears on side two only). Holden then recorded an extremely hard-to-find hard rock album as a solo artist, Population II, for the small Hobbit label in 1970 before drifting out of the music business. Most of his work, however, has been reissued sporadically by small labels in the '80s and '90s. by Richie Unterberger


1. Space Surf Rider
2. I Sail On Love
3. Prayer To Paradise
4. I'll Take Your Blues Away

Widowmaker - S/T (1976)

On paper, Widowmaker seemed no different than many mid-'70s British groups stitched together from their imploded rivals' ashes. Guitarists Huw Lloyd Langton and Ariel Bender (born Luther Grosvenor) had played in Hawkwind and Mott the Hoople, respectively. Singer Stephen Ellis was familiar from his Love Affair days; Daisley, from heavy-hitting rockers Rainbow; and Nicholls, from progressive folk band Lindisfarne. Such varying pedigrees couldn't fail to produce distinctive music, and this album is staggeringly diverse. The emphasis is on gut-busting blues-rock, as exemplified by "Such a Shame," "On the Road," and "Ain't Telling You Nothing," which also make effective use of tempo changes. Bender is the main songwriter, but he also dabbles in bumptious soul funk ("Shine a Light," complete with gospel-style vocal backups), plus folk-pop, too ("Running Free"). Langton's "Got a Dream" is another nice surprise, being a relaxed acoustic blues that naturally closes out the album. Ellis' contributions are less engaging: his "Leave the Kids Alone" is overwrought enough to beg for a fascist government's ham-fisted retort, and his strangled vocals wear thin after awhile. Still, even the missteps are delivered with conviction, and the depth of talent here is impressive. Save this album from a dollar bin if it pops up. by Ralph Heibutzki

I Disagree With The Reviewer...IMO Shine A Light Sounds Quite A Bit Like Early Spooky Tooth  As Well As Some Other Titles Have That ST Vibe, After All, As The Reviewer Fails To Mention Luther Grosvenor Was A Founding Member Of Spooky Tooth.

Not My Rip, Although I Do Own The Vinyl

1. Such A Shame
2. Pin A Rose On Me
3. On The Road
4. Straight Faced Fighter
5. Ain't Telling You Nothing
6. When I Met You
7. Leave The Kids Alone
8. Shine A Light On Me
9. Running Free
10. Got A Dream

Juicy Lucy - Get A Whiff A This (1971)

Juicy Lucy's third album in 18 months, and the third to draw as much attention for its artwork as its contents, would prove to be the band's last. Although a fourth Juicy Lucy album would appear in 1972, not a single founding member was left on board. Get a Whiff of This itself was very much the son of its predecessor, still locked firmly into a country groove (the twanging "Mr. A. Jones," the fast-pickin' "Jessica"), but looking out toward more unexpected pastures. The funky "Big Lil." and the blistering antiwar anthem "Midnight Sun" were both strong inclusions, while a take on the Allmans' "Midnight Rider" remains one of that particular anthem's most dynamic revisions. Despite at least half an album's worth of highlights, however, still there was nothing that really leaped out and grabbed the listener -- and nothing that could ever displace the band's debut from its sacred spot on the turntable, a fate that Glenn Campbell admitted he predicted when he conjured up that most distinctive title. It was his way of saying "the whole thing stinks." by Dave Thompson

Excellent Vinyl Rip

 

1. Mr. Skin

2. Midnight Sun

3. Midnight Rider

4. Harves

5. Mr. A. Jones

6. Sunday Morning

7. Big Lil.

8. Jessica

9. Future Days

The Suede Brothers - The Night (2010)

The Suede Brothers are back with the third and recently released album, The Night. Third times a charm and so is this album. The Night is The Suede Brothers followup to 2008′s Ill New You. This Ohio trio brings you their best to date.

Right out of the gate the band hits hard with the crooning track “Coos Bay Boogie.” the track reminded me a little bit of Wolfmother’s “Woman”. Don’t worry, it’s much better than that. “Game of the Golds” slows down a bit. You can hear a lot of the percussion in the track. “Prospect and Ninth” gets your foot thumping right from the first riff. “Doctor and the Devils” has a bit of a darker theme with a bit more down tuned guitars. “The Night” is a but like that as well but somewhat faster paced. “On a Friday” is a nice mellow track. “Omega Man” is a straight forward rock track. It’s my favorite on the whole album. “Forrest City” is another hard hitting track which ends the album in a “WTF, it’s over?” fashion. Time to hit the repeat.

The album continues the band’s sound from previous albums. It’s part punk, part boogie and a whole lot of rock. It’s a shame though why they these guys don’t get more recognition. They’re solid enough that they can hold their own and if it went that far, hold a top spot on mainstream radio. This is their third solid album. You definitely wouldn’t go wrong picking up this gem. (THE SODA SHOP The home for stoner rock news and reviews.)

In an era of disposable pop icons, Cleveland's Suede Brothers specialize in an unfettered brand of fuzzed out power trio bombast. The Night, officially released on December 30, 2010, pays homage to psychedelic blues-rock innovators Blue Cheer, with a heavy nod to Black Sabbath. Lead singer/guitarist Dylan Francis dials up the distortion with gratuitous riffing and vocals akin to Sabbath-era Ozzy filtered through Jack White, while bassist Kevin Naughton and drummer Mike Varga provide a thunderous spine to it all. And while the music may sound anachronistic, the lyrics are rife with North Coast imagery and sensibility, making for a collection of 10 uniquely steely songs. (ohioauthority.com)




1. Coos Bay Boogie
2. Game Of The Golds
3. Prospect And 9th
4. Doctors And The Devils
5. The Night
6. On A Friday
7. Too Late
8. Omega Man
9. Mr. Lowly
10.  Forest City

Universal Honey - Magic Basement (1993)

Universal Honey was comprised of Leslie Stanwyck (guitar, vocals), Simon Craig (guitar), Johnny Sinclair (bass), and Tim Timleck (drums). Honey began in the fall of 1992 after Stanwyck and Sinclair left the Pursuit of Happiness in 1990. Magic Basement, Honey's full-length debut, was released in 1993; Earth Moon Transit followed in 1997. The group gained exposure from MTV2, but overall the record did not provide the breakout the bandmembers would have liked. A self-titled release for Oasis Records arrived in 1999, and soon much of their music was appearing on TV shows like Dawson's Creek and Grosse Pointe. A fourth album, Fearless, came out in 2001 and much of the music from the documentary Searching for Debra Winger came from the record. The following fall, Invincible marked their fifth album. In 2003, Sinclair and Stanwyck wrote 12 original holiday tunes for the Universal Honey album Can't Stop Thinking About Christmas. Vicious Circles quickly followed in early 2004. ~ Gina Boldman, All Music Guide


 
1. Find Yourself
2. Just Before Mary Goes
3. Dirt Road
4. Asleep in My Bed
5. Upfront With You
6. Don't Open Your Mouth
7. Angel's Slow Burn
8. The Future's Never Seemed More Uncertain Than It Does Right Now
9. So Far
10. Electric Chair

The Rise and Fall of Butch Walker and the Let's-Go-Out-Tonites (2006)

Butch Walker has been doing the '70s-inspired rock thing for quite a while, and doing it quite well, though without much acclaim from the general public. The music biz has embraced him as a hot producer, though. Working with Avril Lavigne, Pink, Lindsay Lohan, and Tommy Lee as well as on the second season of Rock Star has brought Walker some connections, fame, and money. Certainly it has given him plenty to write about on his 2006 album, The Rise and Fall of Butch Walker and the Let's-Go-Out-Tonites. The lyrics trawl the seamy side of L.A. fame and are filled with drugged-out starlets, late nights, struggling actors, wild parties, and huge morning-afters with pit stops at politics and the music business. The members of his large band whip through the tunes like pros with something to prove, sounding full and tough but also a bit unhinged at times when the moment calls for it, and sensitive when Walker brings the mood down on the ballads. There is a strong Marc Bolan current running through the album, and you also get hints of classic rockers like Thin Lizzy and Badfinger, modern power poppers like the Posies and Oasis (especially on the ballads), and guys like Pete Yorn and Sam Roberts, but you never get any sense that Walker is copping riffs or attitude -- he has arrived at a sound that is informed by his influences but totally his own. Not to mention the fact that, influences aside, the record is a blast, careening from the fiery political rocker "Paid to Get Excited" to the country corn of "Rich People Die Unhappy," from the lush balladry of "This Is the Sweetest Little Song" to the champagne glass-rattling fever of should-be-a-hit-single "Hot Girls in Good Moods." Although it sounds like he might be a little sick of the big-time music biz scene and the junk that comes along with it, Walker should keep the day job if it inspires albums as much fun as this. by Tim Sendra


1. Oooh...Aaah... (Walker 0:21)
2. Hot Girls in Good Moods (Walker 3:45)
3. Ladies and Gentlemen..."The Let's-Go-Out-Tonites!" (Walker 3:43)
4. Bethamphetamine (Pretty Pretty)  (Walker 3:09)
5. Too Famous to Get Fully Dressed (Walker 3:04)
6. We're All Going Down (Walker 4:16)
7. Dominoes (Walker 3:57)
8. Paid to Get Excited (Walker 3:00)
9. Song Without a Chorus (Walker 2:36)
10. The Taste of Red (Walker 4:05)
11. Rich People Die Unhappy  (Walker 2:28)
12. This Is the Sweetest Little Song (Walker 4:13)
13. When Canyons Ruled the City  (Walker 4:44)

Tracks 1 & 2 Have Been Joined 

1st Anniversary Ripple Music Sampler

This sampler is a collection of tracks from the Ripple Music roster of Artists through 2011 and is meant as a celebration of the great music that has helped fuel the labels energies and creative juices. www.ripple-music.com

Lovers Of Rock From The 60's & 70's Will Especially Dig This Sampler Of Bands From Ripple Music...Check Em Out

And Many Releases Can Be Had On Vinyl!!!

1. Stone Axe - Riders of the Night 03:28
2. Grifter - Good Day For Bad News 03:11
3. JPT Scare Band - It's A Jungle 03:19
4. Poobah - Rock n' Roll 03:48
5. Modern Day Moonshine - Home On The Road 04:21
6. Iron Claw - What Love Left 03:01
7. Mos Generator - Stone County Line 03:23
8. Venomin James - Bullet Juice 02:35
9. Fen - Queen of the Mountain 04:30
10. Mighty High - Don't Panic, It's Organic 03:41
11. Kevin Beadles - Sharkskin 03:02
12. Tripdavon - By The River 04:09

The Godfathers - Birth School Work Death: The Best Of The Godfathers (1996)

The Godfathers had a brief moment of critical adulation in the late '80s, particularly around the release of their debut album, Birth, School, Work, Death. Their Best of collection takes its title from their debut and features all of the highlights from that record, in addition to the best tracks from their subsequent albums. Consequently, it's the best, most consistent record in their catalog. Stephen Thomas Erlewine

An AMG Album Pick


1. Birth, School, Work, Death
2. She Gives Me Love
3. Unreal World
4. Just Because You're Not Paranoid Doesn't Mean to Say They're Not Going To Get You
5. Cause I Said So
6. Angela
7. Walking Talking Johnny Cash Blues
8. Miss That Girl
9. This Is War
10. If I Only Had Time
11. Love Is Dead
12. Another You
13. Gone to Texas
14. Don't Let Me Down
15. Lonely Man
16. When I Am Coming Down
17. Cold Turkey
18. Birth, School, Work, Death [Extended Remix]

The Del-Lords - Based On A True Story (1988)

The Del-Lords' debut album, Frontier Days, sounded too sparse and didn't kick hard enough, and the follow-up, Johnny Comes Marching Home, sounded too slick and was weighed down with clichéd 1980s drum and guitar sounds. In the grand tradition of Goldilocks, the band's third LP, Based on a True Story, was where they finally got the proportions just right. While Neil Geraldo returned as producer after Johnny Comes Marching Home, he applies a much lighter hand on Based on a True Story, and Frank Funaro's drums sound a lot more natural and have regained their natural hard-swinging grace on this set. A number of guest musicians were brought in for Based on a True Story, but this time they add new textures rather than cluttering the arrangements, and Johnny Powers' wailing harp on "River of Justice", Lenny Castro's beatnik bongos on "The Cool and the Crazy," and the uncredited but wildly honking sax on "Whole Lotta Nothin' Goin' On" are welcome additions that help the songs come alive. Mojo Nixon's addled preaching on "River of Justice" is both hilarious and kicks up the song's righteous energy, and if Geraldo pushes Pat Benatar's backing vocals too high up in the mix, hey, they were married and she was probably working for free. And though Scott Kempner was always a fine songwriter, Based on a True Story is the most solid and consistent set of tunes he ever crafted for the Del-Lords, and whether he's wistful ("Cheyenne"), righteously pissed-off ("Crawl in Bed"), taking a stand ("I'm Gonna Be Around"), or just getting goofy ("Whole Lotta Nothin' Goin' On"), he brings his A game. Hard touring had turned the Del-Lords into a tight, impressively powerful band, and they rarely sounded better than they did on Based on a True Story, with Kempner and Eric Ambel's guitars roaring like a fine-tuned machine, and Funaro and bassist Manny Caiati laying down the rhythm with fury and precision. If they never made an album that quite captured the glory of their live shows, the Del-Lords never had a finer hour in the studio than on Based on a True Story, and it tells their story remarkably well. by Mark Deming


1. Crawl in Bed
2. Judas Kiss
3. River of Justice
4. Cheyenne
5. Poem of the River
6. The Cool and the Crazy
7. A Lover's Prayer
8. Ashes to Ashes
9. Whole Lotta Nothin' Goin' On
10. I'm Gonna Be Around

An AMG Album Pick

Buffalo Killers - Buffalo Killers (2007)

In their days as members of the Shams, the Gabbard brothers kicked out down and dirty, high adrenaline rock, slamming the Rolling Stones straight into the heart of psychedelic garage. Now with their new project, Buffalo Killers, the brothers are joined by drummer/pianist/harpsichordist Joseph Sebaali and have closed the garage door and embarked on a journey into classic rock. "San Martine des Morelle," which opens the Buffalo Killers eponymous set, makes their evolution crystal clear, presenting a slowly simmering track that's bluesy to the core, but lashed with Jimi Hendrix-esque wah-wah guitar. "Down in the Blue" is even slower-paced, all the better to luxuriate in the heaving blues riff, while "Children of War" is even heavier, a pointed reminder of that time in the late '60s when bands discovered the power of slowing R&B down and thrusting up the bottom end. But these Killers aren't totally detached from their old roots, "SS Nowhere" adapts the riff from the Stones' "Jumping Jack Flash" twining it through Rubber Soul-era Beatles (now that's an inspired match), "River Water," in contrast, sounds like the Stones covering Gregg Allman's "Midnight Rider."

"Fit to Breathe" and "The Path Before Me" move strongly into Cream territory, although the former drags the Stones along for the ride, while the latter's ringing guitars remind you of U2.

And that's the incredible beauty of this set: rock fans will recognize all of these influences within virtually every vocal inflection, guitar riff and solo, and many of the rhythms as well, but each is lovingly showcased in an entirely new context. And for all its "classic" sound, the Buffalo Killers incorporate more modern ones as well, a shade of Brit-pop atmosphere here, a tinge of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal there. What the Jesus and Mary Chain were to the '80s, Buffalo Killers may well be to this decade, brilliantly bringing the beloved sounds of yesterday into a new millennium. by Jo-Ann Greene


1. San Martine des Morelle
2. SS Nowhere
3. Heavens You Are
4. The Path Before Me
5. River Water
6. With Love
7. Children of War
8. Down in the Blue
9. Fit to Breathe
10.Something Real

An AMG Album Pick

Whiskeytown - Faithless Street (1995)

A band with as turbulent an existence as Whiskeytown was bound to implode sooner or later, but by the time they did, they had one of the largest cult followings of any alt-country band. Most accounts traced the source of all the turmoil to bandleader Ryan Adams, a gifted young songwriter whose flashes of brilliance came hand in hand with a volatile temper and an appetite for alcohol. Adams became notorious for his outbursts and erratic performances, and countless disputes with bandmates (some of them on-stage) inevitably led to frequent personnel changes. Yet during their five-year lifespan, Whiskeytown made some undeniably compelling music that only increased the mystique around their enfant terrible leader.

Whiskeytown was formed in 1994 in Raleigh, NC, by singer/guitarist/banjoist Adams, a 20-year-old ex-punk rocker who'd discovered the country-rock of Gram Parsons. The band's other charter members were fiddler/occasional lead singer Caitlin Cary, guitarist Phil Wandscher, bassist Steve Grothmann, and drummer Eric "Skillet" Gilmore. They cut a seven-song EP called Angels for the local indie Mood Food in 1995 and quickly followed it with their full-length debut, Faithless Street, in early 1996. Strongly indebted to Parsons, Uncle Tupelo, and the Replacements, the album earned rave reviews from the alt-country press (No Depression magazine in particular), and a performance at that year's South by Southwest music festival helped net them a deal with the Geffen roots affiliate Outpost. Mood Food issued Rural Free Delivery, a compilation of early recordings, in 1997, the same year Whiskeytown completed their major-label debut, Stranger's Almanac. There was already a new rhythm section, in the person of bassist Jeff Rice and drummer Steven Terry, and Wandscher left not long after the album was released that summer.

The supporting tour for Stranger's Almanac was a stormy one, doing much to earn Adams his bad-boy reputation, and by the time the dust settled, Adams and Cary were the only members standing. They added multi-instrumentalist Mike Daly, who not only played keyboards, guitar, pedal and lap steel, mandolin, mandocello, and dulcimer, but also co-wrote a great deal of material with Adams for the band's next album. Supporting musicians came and went at a furious pace, including onetime fIREHOSE member Ed Crawford and original drummer Gilmore. Somehow, a semistable studio lineup coalesced long enough to complete Pneumonia, the third official Whiskeytown album, in 1999. However, a series of label mergers shelved the record indefinitely, during which time it was heavily bootlegged and acquired a strong underground reputation. With the album in limbo, Whiskeytown gave up the ghost. Adams released his solo debut, Heartbreaker, in 2000, and Cary issued her own solo EP, Waltzie, that year as well. Pneumonia was finally released in 2001 on the Universal roots subsidiary Lost Highway and earned some of the group's strongest reviews yet for its eclectic approach. Adams' second solo album, Gold, appeared in 2002, and Cary released the solo albums While You Weren't Looking and I'm Staying Out in 2002 and 2003, respectively. by Steve Huey