Yep!

Yep!

Track Listings

1. Yep!

2. Boy on a Roof

3. Long Blonde Hair - Dirk Hamilton

4. Jesus, the Devil and You

5. Lonely Videos

6. On a Volcano - Dirk Hamilton

7. Stranger Song

8. Rainbows in the Night

9. Tunnel at the End of the Light

10. 1-2 Sucker Punch

11. Only Thing That Matters

12. Soul and Body

13. When Ivan Makes a Sound

14. Ain't Licked Yet

Tracks:

A Better Man
Long Limbed Girl
I Trained Her To Love Me
The Club
Hope For Us All
People Change
The Man In Love
Love's Got A Lot To Answer For
Rome Wasn't Built In a Day
Not Too Long Ago
The Other Side Of the Coin
Feel Again

Amazon.com

When he laid down 1994's The Impossible Bird--the ninth solo album in a career that already, via Rockpile, Brinsley Schwarz, Kippington Lodge, and production work for Elvis Costello, the Damned, and the Pretenders, stretched back over 25 years--Nick Lowe probably wasn't setting out to create a four-part trilogy à la Douglas Adams. But with At My Age (which is 58, incidentally, as of the album's June 2007 release), Lowe has created a fine companion to Bird, 1998's Dig My Mood, and 2001's The Convincer. Six years was a bit too long of a wait, 2004's live Untouched Takeaway notwithstanding. And given all that time, Lowe breaks no new ground: At My Age is essentially more of the same combination of blue-eyed soul and pre-Sweetheart country-rock that characterized those previous releases. But when the results are so deliciously horn-drenched and include songs like "Long Limbed Girl," "People Change," "The Club," "Not Too Long Ago," and the delightfully malicious "I Trained Her to Love Me" ("If you think that it's depraved and I should be ashamed, so what? / I'm only paying back womankind for all the grief I got"), who's complaining? Good things have indeed come to those who waited. --Benjamin Lukoff

Album Description

Blue-eyed soul? You don't even know the definition until you've heard the sweet smoke of Nick Lowe's trademark croon. Now, later in life, Lowe's rootsy, grown-up soul has risen to the surface of what was a cracked and stripped-down artistic aesthetic in the late '70s, when he produced records for Elvis Costello, the Pretenders, and influential British proto-punkers the Damned. During his years as house producer for Stiff Records Lowe's oft-copied rough-hewn production style set the stage for the DIY philosophy of the punk revolution.

Sublimely aged in a solid oak barrel, At My Age showcases Lowe's perfection of his own unique brand of soul-soaked country-pop, resulting in an album as refined and perfectly distilled as he is. Lowe's convention-breaking phrasing shines backed by gorgeous '60s Memphis-style horns and tastefully subdued guitar hooks. At My Age displays, with Nick's signature polish, the sublime, linear connection between country, rhythm and blues, and rock 'n' roll. So, grab a drink, a smoke, and hear Americana done right...by a Brit.

Customer Reviews:

Finally clicked.......2007-08-02

Boy, it has taken a long time for Lowe's last three to click with me. Of those that came before, I suppose Dig My Mood works the best for me over Impossible Bird and The Convincer. At My Age took a few plays, but I like it better than any of the previous three.

To call At My Age five stars, however, does not distinguish it from Jesus of Cool, Labour of Lust or Rose of England, all of which are better investments. Gone now, and apparently forever, are the driving backbeats of the 70's and 80's. Without them, the humor and irony in the lyrics lose part of their cynical bite, and hence their impact.

What is left over is Lowe Brow Lounge, music for adults in shades of blue and gray, to be tippled with your Manhattan, as opposed to slugged with your Newcastle Brown. Nick is older now, less of a Basher and more of a Professional Gentleman. It's hard to swallow for me sometimes because I remember What Was. This is a different artist than the Nick of 1983. But I have the feeling that this music will age well in my collection. Should Nick choose to keep on making records like this, I'll be ready to buy them.

didn't know him.......2007-07-30

I'm middle age and never heard of Nick Lowe before. I read a review in " The Week " magazine which praised this new record. I really love it. Every song is enjoyable and I plan to get more of his music. Glad to discover this guy.

Still Sounding Great.......2007-07-30

Continuing in the style he laid out on "Impossible Bird," Nick Lowe has written another great album. Here's a musician playing music to please himself. It's laid-back, but with great emotion. Wonderful use of horns enhances many of the tracks. Classic vocal music by a master songwriter.

Well Done Old Friend .......2007-07-27

Pour a drink, light a smoke (tobacco optional) and let Mr. Lowe take you on a velvet ride with just the right dose of rocking. Does our generation now have its very own Mel Torme? These are songs one would write after a dose of Viagra but your date cancelled. Glad to see that Nick is still getting it up. Bravo

Aging to perfection.......2007-07-26

A wonderful listen, this cd flows beautifully. Nick Lowe rates with Ray Davies as one of the best songwriters of the last 45 years. He excels at wry views on life, he vocal style is undestated and he gives you a glimpse at his thoughts. We all should age so well!

Average customer rating:

An Undiscovered American Treasure
Just Fabulous
STOP, BUY THIS NOW!
Spend Some Time in the Wilderness
Brilliant...(don't tell anyone)

A Year in the Wilderness
John Doe
Manufacturer: Yep Roc Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Translated From Love

ASIN: B000NJWSHQ
Release Date: 2007-06-12

Tracks:

The Wilderness
Hotel Ghost
The Golden State
Darling Underdog
A Little More Time
Unforgiven
There's a Hole
Lean Out Yr Window
Big Moon
The Bridge
The Meanest Man In the World
Grain Of Salt

Amazon.com

It comes as little surprise that John Doe employs three different female vocalists (Kathleen Edwards, Jill Sobule, and Aimee Mann) to assist on A Year in the Wilderness. After all, it was Exene Cervenka's restless harmonies that bolstered Doe's own dusky lead vocals, providing X with a distinctive sound that has seldom been imitated and never bested, even by the group's own alumni. Doe nonetheless continues to refine the formula, delivering sharp, literate lyrics to rugged, often pensive odes. He mines a kinder, gentler, but no less incisive territory of the somewhat precarious space between the sexes. Doe even strums an acoustic guitar in full folk-ballad mode on "A Little More Time," a somber reflection on love lost. Former X guitarist Dave Alvin provides rootsy firepower on the driving "Hotel Ghost," as close as this disc comes to the old L.A. punk days. But Doe's raw approach chafes at the introspective nature of these songs, adding somber, gritty gravity to the uncompromising lyrics of "Unforgiven," "you say I'm good for nothing, so nothing's good enough for me." While the set lacks the blazing nervousness of X's best material, the older/wiser Doe preserves an uneasy sense of youthful alienation that sports a musically grizzled, five-o'clock shadow. These songs resonate with a mature, biting broodiness that updates, but never dilutes, his legendary early work. --Hal Horowitz

Product Description

John Doe is back again. As a founding member of punk monoliths X, he seized his rightful place as one of the most influential musicians in American alternative music in the 1980 s, clearing a path for the revolution in that genre that would take place a decade later. Since launching his solo career in 1990 with the dusty road-poetry of Meet John Doe, John has produced six stunning roots rock albums of frightening honesty and vision. A Year in the Wilderness is no exception.

This time around John has invited his friends and frequent conspirators to help him interpret songs that came fast and hard. Doe dubs the Wilderness sessions, A scary and wondrous process where a blast of intuition and force that takes only moments to realize, but that can last forever and carry consequences you never imagined. Guest stars appearing on A Year in the Wilderness include Dave Alvin, Jill Sobule, Kathleen Edwards, Dan Auerbach (from The Black Keys), Greg Leisz and Aimee Mann.

Customer Reviews:

An Undiscovered American Treasure.......2007-07-21

After being introduced to X in the early 80's, John Doe has never let me down. This album is no exception. He was part of my soundtrack to growing up in LA. Hearing him jam with Dave Alvin on Hotel Ghost really brought me back. Even Kathleen Edwards adds a little Yin to John's Yang the way Exene did back in the day, especially on Lean out yr window. He's as raw as ever. Maybe his words have matured, but his delivery is like it was in '85. I'm actually going to see him next Thursday in NYC and I'm beside myself with anticipation. If you don't' know John Doe, your need to. Although he's been in more movies than I can count, if you are a John Doe fan, you gotta see Roadside Prophets. He's the best.

Just Fabulous.......2007-07-07

Although a long-time fan of X, I'd never bought any of John Doe's solo work before. I read a good review of this album in the LA Times, and thought I'd take a shot.....

I love it. The most commercial cut is "The Golden State", a great tune. I think my favorite song is "Unforgiven", and "Big Moon" seems to haunt my head. The whole album has this vibe that I can't describe, other than to say I find myself wanting to play it almost every day. It has a "deep sound", both musically and lyrically. The songs flow so well that listening is effortless, and leaves you wanting more when the album is finished.

I believe than John Doe is a great creative talent who seems to get better with age. You won't regret buying this release; on the strength of this one, I'm going to buy some of his previous releases!

STOP, BUY THIS NOW!.......2007-07-07

I don't usually write reviews, but I am making an exception for this fantastic album.

BUY IT NOW! YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT.

I've loved John Doe since way back in the X days. I've had the pleasure of enjoying his music for decades. This is by far his best work and collaboration.

A true gem.

Spend Some Time in the Wilderness.......2007-06-28

From the rollicking rhythm of "There's a Hole" to the breathtakingly soft intensity of "Grain of Salt," from the seductive and bluesy "Big Moon" to the "hauntingly" punkish "Hotel Ghost, "A Year in the Wilderness" contains all of the elements that have made John Doe one of America's greatest (although often underappreciated) singer/songwriters: poetic lyrics, vocal intensity, and well-chosen guests.

No one expresses the possibility, the longing and the loss of the landscape of love better than Doe. Like the wilderness, Doe's landscape is striking-- awe-inspiringly beautiful and able to make us feel connected to each other and the world while it resonates with a sense of isolation. This album features some of Doe's best writing to date, yet even when he makes use of a familiar phrase his delivery is transformative. No where is this clearer than in "The Golden State" where Doe uses phrases so familiar they have become clichés and transforms them in to a unique and powerful revelation about the complex nature of relationships through the alchemy of his delivery.

This album is a must have for long time Doe fans and a wonderful introduction to his work for those discovering him for the first time.

Brilliant...(don't tell anyone).......2007-06-17

I've loved having John's solo work all to myself...pop music's best kept secret...music to share with your most musically sophisticated friends...music for long road trips. I suppose that's all over now.

And it's about time.

Because this MF is too big, too smart, too rocking, too cutting, to be denied a wide audience. I would love to see this thing come out of left field and sell 6 million copies, and have John win 5 or 6 Grammy's next February. Not that awards mean anything, but every once in awhile it's nice to see an exceptional artist, at his best, get recognized.

Besides, John has the best hair in rock and roll. "John, see you in Denver (6/22). Yrs. George Tadich Jr."

Average customer rating:

This CD Rocks!!!
Ian's Righteous Return
Good rock n roll
One Of the Boys
Ian's still the best...

Shrunken Heads
Ian Hunter
Manufacturer: Yep Roc Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Don't Tell Columbus
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Preludes

ASIN: B000NTPGCK
Release Date: 2007-05-15

Tracks:

Words (Big Mouth)
Fuss About Nothin'
When the World Was Round
Brainwashed
Shrunken Heads
Soul Of America
How's Your House
Guiding Light
Stretch
I Am What I Hated When I Was Young
Read 'Em 'N' Weep

Amazon.com

Though Ian Hunter hit his popular peak in the 1970s, as the frontman for Mott the Hoople and with solo favorites such as "Once Bitten, Twice Shy" and "Cleveland Rocks," fans who have followed his career ever since will find him in fine form here. Co-produced by Hunter and Andy York (guitarist for John Mellencamp), the album mixes the hard-crunching rock 'n' roll, literate lyricism, bittersweet balladry, and self-deprecating humor that have long marked Hunter's best work. Musically, both "Stretch" and the piano-driven "How's Your House" have the dynamics of Mott (though the latter was inspired by the aftermath of Katrina), while "When the World Was Round" and "I Am What I Hated When I Was Young" find Hunter in older-and-wiser mode. After "Brainwashed" attacks consumer culture with a feverish immediacy, Hunter finds soul-stirring redemption in "Guiding Light." --Don McLeese

Customer Reviews:

This CD Rocks!!!.......2007-07-30

To paraphrase another fine british Rocker, Graham Parker: Ian Hunter's new CD "Shrunken Heads", "rocks like a safari chimp!" I don't think there's a bad track on the whole disc. Ian's biting wit, strong arrangements, and even stronger vocals remind me of his heydays with Mott the Hoople, as well as his early solo discs from the 80s. It's difficult to believe this guy is pushing 70! Listen to "Fuss About Nothin'", "Brainwashed", or any song on this disc, and ask yourself why there isn't more of this kind of rock on radio today? More's the pity...
This CD belongs on anyone's top 10 discs of the year. Better yet, go to ianhunter.com, and let Ian himself know what you think of the disc. A fine effort, and please Mr. Hunter, let's have more like this!

Ian's Righteous Return .......2007-07-17

This collection of songs blew me away! Every song is fantastic! He's like a young man but with the experience of 68 years of livin'. Excellent lyrics and music (Ian composed both). It's a tour de force. I want to be taking whatever Ian Hunter is taking. He's living proof age is only a number. He is more alive and vital on these songs than artists one-third his age. Shrunken Heads is a rollicking, driving, ROCKIN' CD. My compliments to the artist who always KNEW Cleveland Rocks!

Good rock n roll.......2007-07-16

This is the first Ian Hunter CD that I have bought. I think it's very good for new music. It has even inspired me to check out some old Mott the Hoople stuff.

One Of the Boys.......2007-07-15

Like many of you, we were turned on to Ian and Mott the Hoople in 1974. I will never forget it. They produced some of the most melodic rock of the years 1974-1976. We had a large group from Philadelphia at St. Joe's College that rallied around Hunter. This is indeed an extraordinary album. It is incredible to believe he is in his late sixties. I believe "Soul of America" would be an incredible smash hit for any of the top artists today. It is indeed a shame that only those of us left from that era will get to appreciate this masterpiece. Here's to all of you who realize how good "One of the Boys" was, especially as a live song. Hunter said: "this is what we're all about"... Amen!

Ian's still the best..........2007-07-03

Ian Hunter is still the greatest. His song writing is impeccable. His delivery is right on the money & engaging. He's topical. He's current. He rocks, & still lays out a Helluva groove. I love this album so much, that I bought & sent copies to several friends.

Average customer rating:

Throwing all five stars at this album
The Gourds at their most mature...and consisten
Consistent

Noble Creatures
The Gourds
Manufacturer: Yep Roc Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000R7I2BA
Release Date: 2007-07-10

Tracks:

How Will You Shine?
Kicks In the Sun
Promenade
A Few Extra Kilos
Last Letter
The Gyroscopic
Moon Gone Down
Red Letter Day
Out On the Vine
Cranky Mulatto
Steeple Full Of Shadows
All In the Pack
Flavor On the Tongue
Dr. Spivey

Amazon.com

Three tracks into Noble Creatures, you hit the album's heart. The opening notes of "Promenade" faintly recall the Band's non-pareil classic, "The Weight," but it's Kevin Russell's high lonesome vocal quaver and Max Johnston's long-toned, austere fiddle lines that make "Promenade" possibly the most beautiful song of this century's first decade. The Gourds, perennially unpredictable, include several gorgeous, slower tunes here, from the plaintive "Steeple Full of Swallows" to the sashaying "Moon Gone Down," and the aching "Last Letters." But these Texans are old-school itinerants, invoking wide-prarie country and Cajun and sloppy bar-room cow punk in equal measures--witness the Tom Waits-tinged "Dr. Spivey" for one growly-blues, off-center example. Jimmy Smith's "A Few Extra Kilos" plays on the boozy, aging-body refrain of "spillage in the morning and again in the night," a mid-tempo paean to the torso expanding beyond its younger self. For the high-stepping, up-kicking Cajun touches, Smith steps back up to the mic for "All in the Pack" and Russell throws in the potentially politically incorrect "Cranky Mulatto," all of which is grand. Make no mistake, however: "Promenade" alone is worth the cost of admission. Treat yourself. --Andrew Bartlett

Customer Reviews:

Throwing all five stars at this album.......2007-07-27

It's an easy task being a Gourd's fan these days. This well-traveled quintet of stellar musicians from Austin, TX, have, with their latest offering, "Noble Creatures," retained their signature, cross-cutting fusion of musical genres and finely burnished their sound so that it glows. And their signature warped humor, off-beat insights, and stop-did-they- really-say-that lyrics make for some fun listening.

On this set of songs, more slice-of-life vignettes for the "well read and unwashed," the Gourds launch from their familiar country-bluegrass-folk-roots-rock platform and incorporate some new flourishes. The opening track features horns and on others the organ shines, or the pedal steel, or the guitars. None of these are radical departures for the Gourds, but the new elements keep things fresh.

Perhaps the inclusion of four ballads may strike some twinge of fear into the hearts of long-time Gourd's fans, but those songs really work well, are easy on the ears (but tough on the heart), and offer a nice balance to the mix of tunes here. This long-running collaboration continues making some of the best music around. Fans of the band know, too, that "Gourds' music," as it is often pegged, is something special. I throwing all five stars at this album.

The Gourds at their most mature...and consisten.......2007-07-24

I'd heard the Gourds before, but wasn't knocked by them. Their new disc is nothing short of spectauclar. It sounds like a more mature band than before; Promenade aches like a classic country ballad. How Will You Shine employs horns in a tune about how to face the dark times in life, and I can't stop listening to it. Moon Going Down is just a gorgeous mid-tempo tune.

That's not to say the guys aren't having fun. The Gyroscopic simply kicks, along with A Few Extra Kilos and Cranky Mulatto (which has a great cajun/zydeco sound). The demented country shuffle Red Letter Days sounds like some 50s honky tonk outtake; it might be my favorite track.Before this disc, the other Gourds material I heard was good, but the entire albums weren't of this quality. I haven't heard all their albums, but I'm familiar with their past three.

It's hard to describe this music; people keep comparing them to The Band, but the Gourds are so much more fun and enjoyable to listen to. They mix rock, folk, country, and blues into a stew. I can't label it; it's just good music, and I hope more people hear it.

Consistent.......2007-07-19

One of the best bands out there...amazing.

what else to say?
do you like rock or roll, true country, bluegrass, zydeco, the blues, moan n' wail jump-up whiskey and watermelon soaked soul?

OK, then buy this NOW.

Average customer rating:

What A Cool Detour...
fantastico
Great CD
good pick!
Mucho Fun!

Rock En Español, Vol. 1
Los Straitjackets
Manufacturer: Yep Roc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

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Surf Rock | Oldies & Retro | Rock | Styles | Music

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Countrypolitan Favorites
The Utterly Fantastic and Totally Unbelievable Sound of los Straitjackets
Eddie Angel Plays Link Wray

ASIN: B000N3SSJO
Release Date: 2007-04-03

Tracks:

All Day And All Night
Dejenme Llorar
Anna
Dizzy Miss Lizzie
Gimme Little Sign
Poison Ivy
Slow Down
Hang On Sloopy
Lonely Teardrops
Bony Maronie
Devil Woman
Wild Thing
You'll Los A Good Thing
Bonus Track 1

Amazon.com

Between their name, stage introductions spoken in a uniquely twisted form of Spanglish, bizarre lucha libre attire, and ongoing association with Latino rockabilly revivalist Big Sandy, Spanish has always been a major facet of Los Straitjackets' shtick. So it's little surprise that the Nashville-based garage/surf/twang/trash rockers decided to head south of the border for an all-covers album. You don't need to hablar español to shimmy, shimmy, shake along with the quartet. Guest vocals from Cesar Rosas of Los Lobos (who also produced the disc), Little Willie G. of East L.A.'s vintage Thee Midniters, and Big Sandy bring a soulful strut to these punchy stompers. True to form, liberties are taken with the song titles: "Hang on Sloopy" is now "Hey Lupe," "Bony Maronie" comes out as "Popotitos," and "Dizzy Miss Lizzy" inexplicably appears as "El Microscopico Bikini." But that's all part of the fun as the masked men and singers swing through hot-tamale versions of signature hits from the Kinks, the Troggs, the Coasters, and others. Although the Fab Four aren't here as songwriters, their spirit energizes rocking renderings of "Dizzy Miss Lizzy," "Slow Down," and "Anna," all early Beatles staples. The Straitjackets haven't entirely abandoned the instrumentals from their own early years, as the scorching "Whittier Blvd." attests. Slow dancers will swoon to ballads such as "Dejenme Llorar" and Barbara Lynn's sublime "You'll Lose a Good Thing." Liner notes tell us that Spanish covers of many of these tunes managed to become moderate hits in the '60s and '70s, but it's safe to say these fresh versions will spice up any carnival. Let the fiesta begin! --Hal Horowitz

Customer Reviews:

What A Cool Detour..........2007-07-29

...for Los Straitjackets. These guys known for their flawless and energetic surfing instrumental music decide to dig up some old relics from Mexico and do a historically significant CD. This CD is excellent...raw...basic...soulful...Spanish is an awesome language for rockabilly...this is the Buena Vista Social Club of Mexican rockabilly.

Make sure to listen to the very cool interviews on NPR on the World Cafe and Fresh Air on the making of this album.

fantastico.......2007-07-14

The whole family starts singing and dancing around every time we listen to the CD. The music is just plain fun!

Great CD.......2007-07-14

Fun band - great at parties. You'll want their other CDs after listening to this one.

good pick!.......2007-07-13

This is my first Los Straight Jackets CD but it won't be my last! Really enjoy the old yet new sound!

Mucho Fun!.......2007-05-26

Great song selections, rock solid playing and vocals from some terrific performers... what more could you ask for? I have no idea why one person gave this release a single star. This is a fun album. Los Straitjackets & Big Sandy also put on a heck of a live show by themselves, but when they tour together... watch out! You won't stop dancing for about a month. This disc is highly recommended.

Average customer rating:

Fun
Favorite party album band brews up another gem
southern culture music
Mary Huff Rules!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"Something To Hollar About!"

Countrypolitan Favorites
Southern Culture on the Skids
Manufacturer: Yep Roc Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Rock En Español, Vol. 1
Plastic Seat Sweat

ASIN: B000MDH8C8
Release Date: 2007-02-20

Tracks:

Oh Lonesome Me
Muswell Hillbilly
Funnel Of Love
Wolverton Mountain
Rose Garden
Let's Invite Them Over
Life's A Gas
Te Ni Nee Ni Nu
Tombstone Shadow
Have You Seen Her Face
No Longer A Sweetheart Of Mine
Engine Engine #9
Fight Fire
Tobacco Road
Happy Jack

Amazon.com

What a blast! Applying garage-band urgency to a selection of material that extends well beyond countrypolitan favorites, the freewheeling SCOTS demonstrate surprising range and ferocious chops. At the heart of this labor of love, as the album's title suggests, are crossover country favorites from an era when the music was a staple on Top 40 AM radio (where many fans first heard "Oh, Lonesome Me," "Wolverton Mountain," and "Rose Garden"). Yet the release shows an equal affinity for the rock of that era, as the band gives the Kinks' "Muswell Hillbillies" an arrangement that recalls the Sir Douglas Quintet, injects a guitar surge from "Gloria" into the (pre-Creedence) Golliwogs' "Fight Fire," savors the fuzztone dreaminess of T. Rex's "Life's a Gas," and transforms the Who's "Happy Jack" into a banjo-driven hoedown. In other highlights, the band puts pedal-to-the-metal overdrive into the psychedelic shimmer of the Byrds' "Have You Seen Her Face" and adds some pop bounce to the swamp blues of Slim Harpo's "Te Ni Ne Ni Nu." The result is an irresistible party platter. --Don McLeese

Customer Reviews:

Fun.......2007-07-16

I recommended this disc on a Rolling Stones' Fan-Club site and someone remarked "that album scratches me right where I itch". I can't write a better review than that. This has a great, eclectic, choice of songs and strong lively performances. What more than fun do you want from your rock n roll?

Favorite party album band brews up another gem.......2007-07-06

I got my first CD player at the age of 15 in the glorious summer of 1985 - this is back when the CD player was the size of a small refrigerator and they hadn't even invented the "shuffle" option. CDs sold for over $20 and came in surfboard-sized plastic sheets that required the Jaws of Life to open. I look back on that old heap of slag and smile.

Not so my CD collection. I still have many of the CDs I bought in those years, and it is stunning how many CDs I bought that had one good song surrounded by dreck. I guess that's the problem of going to a high school where Ratt, Cinderalla, Poison and other big-hair bands were worshipped - there's only so much redemption that "Pyromania" and "1984" can provide.

Suffice it to say that as I've grown older, I've grown more temperate in my musical purchases - if the album isn't consistently good from start-to-finish, I won't buy it. Based on that criteria, I can offer little praise higher than to say that I've bought all of SCOTS' albums and have never regretted it - not a single "Invasion of Your Privacy" in the bunch.

That SCOTS would crank out a cover album doesn't surprise me - this is a band that is proud of its influences and has paid tribute to other songwriters and bands in previous albums - "Pass the Hatchet," anyone? This album features the unique SCOTS' take on a bunch of old timey stuff that comes out smelling like . . . well, not roses, but at the very least a big old mess of barbeque.

SCOTs defines the party album for me. There are few better guarantees for a fun get-together than to put a few of these albums in the player and let fly. And these are good for both lazy outdoor get togethers and late-night boot-stompers. These are quick, fun tunes played with style and belted out with sass - especially when Mary Huff gets her big old voice in gear.

If you haven't checked out SCOTS before, I can't tell you that "CF" is the perfect album to start with . . . I'd start with my favorite, "Liquored Up and Lacquered Down," but that's just me. Suffice it to say that this album won't steer you wrong, and may open up vast new possibilities as you reconsider a slighted musical genre.

southern culture music.......2007-06-11

Have bought from this person before, and as always everything was first rate. Fast shipping and excellent product Thanks again

Mary Huff Rules!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.......2007-05-26

What a group of fine musicians and Mary Huff not only is a fantastic bass player, she looks great doing it. These covers are great, they are so versatile. I just saw them in Towson and they are better live. Viva Microfret!

"Something To Hollar About!".......2007-05-07

Sure,I've heard SCOTS do straight on covers,like "Merry Christmas Baby",I've even heard them do odd covers like The Swinging Medallions "Double Shot of My Baby's Love" & Slim Harpo's "Scratch My Back" in Espanol...but I must admit,these latest covers show the SCOTS still have a lot of tricks up their sleeves! Some of the choices have that honky-tonk appeal,that seems obvious for them to cover,like,"Oh Lonesome Me","Wolverton Mountain","Rose Garden" and "Engine Engine #9". But they add a little something to them that make them their own! "Wolverton Mountain" now has yodellers on it! Mary Huff's upbeat,slightly bouncier version of "Rose Garden" is a highlight!

Then there's the other stuff,among them: The Kinks "Muswell Hillbilly" gets the countrified kick it needs! T.Rex's "Life's A Gas" - my fave track on this album - is presented as an Acid-Rockabilly duet! Guitarist/Ring Leader Rick Miller can't do a covers album without some John Fogerty/CCR material,and SCOTS cover "Tombstone Shadow" and "Fight Fire" (Super cool version!).And just when you think it's all souped-up modern rockabilly,they take it down a notch and present The Who's "Happy Jack" as a sort of Country Bears Jamboree.

This is easily one of SCOTS smoothest and most listenable albums! ( Not that I don't love the ORIGINAL material. But a break every now and then is absolutely acceptable!)

Average customer rating:

Robbie Live
Any Fulks is Good Fulks
Robbie carries on
robbie fulks is the man

Revenge!
Robbie Fulks
Manufacturer: Yep Roc Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Peace, Love and Anarchy
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West

ASIN: B000NJWSH6
Release Date: 2007-05-01

Tracks:

We're On The Road
You Shouldn't Have
Fixin' To Fall
Mad At A Girl
The Buck Starts Here
Goodbye, Good-Lookin'
Busy Not Crying
You Don't Mean It (Soundcheck)
Rock Bottom, Pop.1
Cigarette State
Let's Kill Saturday Night

Tracks:

Introductory Remarks By Amy Warren
That's A Good Enough Reason
Believe
In Bristol Town One Bright Day
I Wanna Be Mama'd
Fake Jews Everywhere/The Death Of Enthusiasm
I Like Being Left Alone
Bluebirds Are Singing For Me
On A Real Good Day
President Garfield's Hornpipe/Suza
Kelly Hogan's Looking Hot/Closing Remarks
Away Out On The Old Saint Sabbath

Amazon.com

Fifteen years of recording and alt-country's smartest smartass has never released a live album or a greatest-hits collection (the odds 'n' sods Very Best Of doesn't count). This two-disc set just about settles the score. On disc one, a good slice of Fulks's best songs gets the full roots-rock-weirdo treatment with his longtime road band: the closing triad "Rock Bottom, Pop. 1," "Cigarette State," and "Let's Kills Saturday Night" shows Fulks on top of his skewed country-rock game. On stage, he may distort and twist lines like a psycho-hillbilly jazz singer, but he'll never sing a song the same way twice. On the superior second disc, however, he plays acoustic, showing just how much he learned as a bluegrasser and just home much he's willing to chop and screw those lessons. His deathless folk homage, "In Bristol Town One Bright Day," is transformed into a fractured guitar epic, and his take on Cher's "Believe" (complete with hiccups to mimic the diva's robotic pitch-shifting) is as passionate as it is hilarious. Fulks claims he hates live albums: they're just rip-offs, with weaker versions of old songs, he says. So he adds a good number of unreleased covers and new original songs: "The Bluebirds Are Singing for Me," "On a Real Good Day," and "That's a Good Enough Reason" are especially fine. Yet if you're looking for an accurate document of what a Fulks show is like, you won't find it here. Jokes, banter, and spontaneous crowd interaction are minimized--with the notable exception of an extended intro to "I Like Being Left Alone," a sweet and sour comedy, and the best of his new tunes--and most tracks fade down over applause. As a record maker, Fulks's heart really wasn't into releasing a live set; as a performer, though, his heart, even at its most sarcastic, is never in doubt. One listen to the closing hootenanny stomp (featuring Kelly Hogan on harmonies) of the Carter Family's "Away On the Old Saint Sabbath" is all the evidence you need. --Roy Kasten

Customer Reviews:

Robbie Live.......2007-07-23

This CD does a good job of capturing the feel of a live Robbie show, which never fails to entertain. Robbie's trademark great musicianship and ample humor shine through.

Any Fulks is Good Fulks.......2007-07-02

Robbie Fulks is a favorite of mine. His best work, for me, ranks right up there with Hank Sr, George Jones, and Johnny Cash. He's a brilliant songwriter and he has mastered many styles of country music. His best stuff, judging from this set, comes from the studio. No doubt he is great to see live, and this set has many gems, but none approach the genius found in 2005's "Georgia Hard" studio disc.

There is plenty of fun, energy, good pickin', and a few new gems. Surely worth owning, but not a good starting place. Get this to complete your collection, but first be sure to hear Georgia Hard, South Mouth, 13 Hillbilly Giants, Let's Kill Saturday Night, Couples in Trouble, and The Very Best Of. Fulks has never made a bad record, and this one keeps up his winning streak. Still, I cannot wait for him to get back into the studio.

Robbie carries on.......2007-06-20

Bought on a whim, but really enjoyed this 2 disc set.

robbie fulks is the man.......2007-06-02

if you are already a fan of robbie fulks then you know that you will love this album. his humor comes through on the first track which is an ode to traveling on the road. he recorded new material which is spliced in with the live tracks. the album is two discs with the first one being electric guitars drums and bass with robbie on his trade mark acoustic and the second disc is all acoustic. this album is a must have for any robbie fulks fan and a great introduction if you havent been fortunate enough to hear him. i had the pleasure of seeing him live and meeting him and the album captures his stage whit and energy.

Average customer rating:

Nick's Country Soul album
Another brilliant post-power-pop/punk recording
No "Pure Pop" here, just Pure soul!
low-key charming stuff
Why does this "complete the trilogy"?

The Convincer
Nick Lowe , and Nick Lowe
Manufacturer: Yep Roc Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Basher: The Best of Nick Lowe

ASIN: B00005MCW4
Release Date: 2001-09-11

Tracks:

Homewrecker
Only A Fool Breaks His Own Heart
Lately I've Let Things Slide
She's Got Soul
Cupid Must Be Angry
Indian Queens
Poor Side of Town
I'm A Mess
Between Dark And Dawn
Bygones (Won't Go)
Has She Got A Friend?
Let's Stay In And Make Love

Amazon.com's Best of 2001

Nick Lowe has reached a midlife plateau in his career where he can actually gaze down upon some mighty impressive past accomplishments. Lowe left his mark on pub rock, punk, and new wave as a performer and producer before losing momentum in the late '80s and early '90s. However, with 1994's The Impossible Bird he engineered a stunning artistic comeback. Dig My Mood, which arrived four years later, proved Bird was no fluke. And The Convincer keeps the streak going. Like its predecessor, this 12-song set is anchored around reflective tunes that are presented with a minimum of fuss. The mature Lowe takes his vocal cues from Nat "King" Cole; like the great romantic crooner, there's an elegant catch in his delivery that's both downcast and dignified. The once irrepressible wag with a propensity for punning record titles (The Abominable Showman, 16 All-Time Lowes) is now a soulful balladeer of the first order. Somehow those irreverent hijinks aren't missed in the least. --Steven Stolder

Customer Reviews:

Nick's Country Soul album.......2005-10-14

Man, I love this album. Only Nick could make an album, full of melancholy and regret, that you'd want to play over and over. The choice of covers seamlessly melds with his witty, self-deprecating originals. The sequence of the tracks is great, because just when you think he's gone suicidal, he throws in "Between Dark & Dawn", which is pretty hopeful. "Has She Got A Friend?" would be a huge hit from Nashville if the right pre-packaged pretty boy covers it. And the cover of "Only A Fool Breaks His Own Heart" makes you wonder how this oldie was never a huge hit.

Also, his band is solid and the recording is crystal clear, which isn't always the case with Nick's stuff.

Another brilliant post-power-pop/punk recording.......2004-07-30

I came of age loving Labour of Lust and Nick Lowe's other early records as the essence of pop-punk. But I can't think of another artist who has so seamlessly made the transition to a new genre, in his case, that of lounge singer/country troubador/crooner par excellence. I love this record and I love his album Dig My Mood even more. Great writing, great arrangements, and great singing. If you don't agree the first time you listen, give it a few more spins, and you'll be, uh, convinced.

No "Pure Pop" here, just Pure soul!.......2003-09-17

If you only know Nick Lowe for his eighties "pure pop" you are missing an amazingly well-crafted masterpiece closer to the singer-songwriter styles of Jackson Browne than 80s hitmakers. This album is a delight from start to finish. Some may find "Faithless Lover" a bit to close to Johnny Cash's style, but will love the rest of the disc. If you love well-written, soulful songs that MEAN something and actually make you feel something, GET THIS DISC!

low-key charming stuff.......2003-04-30

This is Nick the well-dressed, elegant charmer -- Nick the knife is long gone. No remakes of "So It Goes" or "Marie Provost" here; he sticks close to the torchy, country- and soul-derived crooning of *Impossible Bird* and *Dig My Mood.* This is an album of mellow pleasures, for better or worse. Its fairly soundalike, and a few of the songs seem slight, but the band and Lowe are in great spirits.

Strangely, this record picks up considerably on the second side -- special highlights for me include Johnny Rivers' "Poor Side of Town," "Bygones Won't Go," "Lately I've Let Things Slide" and of course, the damn-near-perfect love song "Let's Stay in and Make Love."

Why does this "complete the trilogy"?.......2002-11-26

This is, first of all, just a great album. If you had a choice, I might recommend "Dig My Mood" first, because that album reaches incredible heights that aren't quite hit with this one, but I have no complaints--this is wonderful songwriting, and the performances by Lowe and his band are of such sublime subtlety. Getting old sounds great here, if it means you can be relaxed and precise, spontaneous and controlled, all at once.

I keep wondering, though, what the hell everybody means by saying this album "completes the trilogy"? Did Lowe ever announce he was doing a trilogy? Did he map out these three albums (with "Impossible Bird" being first, then "...Mood" then this) in advance? Is he finished now, and is planning to move to a new genre? Is he retiring? From what I can tell of his compositional method, he writes and records his albums a song at a time. If his muse gives him another song in this style, is he going to say, "Oh well, I'm done with all that with the completion of my trilogy, so I guess I'll just send this song along to Solomon Burke or someone else."

Well, I hope not. Bring on the four-peat! This is a great, classic musical model that Lowe can do for the next 25 years as far as I'm concerned.

Let Us Now Praise Sleepy John
Average customer rating:
Let Us Now Praise Sleepy John
Peter Case
Manufacturer: Yep Roc Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Yellow Dog

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Up Front and Down Low

Icky Thump

ASIN: B000RPCEDE
Release Date: 2007-08-07

Tracks:

Every 24 Hours
Million Dollars Bail
Underneath the Stars
Just Hangin' On
Ain't Gonna Worry No More
Palookaville
Get Away Blues
The Open Road Sons
Some Bright Mornin Blues
I'm Gonna Change My Ways
That Soul Twist

Amazon.com

Since his street-corner-playing days in Buffalo and on through nearly 30 years of making music, Peter Case always seemed to find time for a cover of Sleepy John Estes. Case's first album since 2002's Beeline actually goes one better, interpreting the legendary wailing blues master by stripping away adjunct instruments and pining for the carefree busking days where all that mattered were a guitar and a song to sing. And in this setting, not many can write them or sing them like Case. There are flat-picking observations on "two kinds of justice" in "Million Dollar Bail," recollections of Telly Savalas in the small-town predicaments of "Palookaville," and duets with both buddies (Carlos Guitarlos on "Underneath the Stars") and heroes (Richard Thompson on "Every 24 Hours"). There are no Estes covers, but acclimating Robert Wilkins's 80-year-old "Get Away Blues" is expressively close, as every pluck of the 12-string and lyrical tug from deep inside Case's gut does justice to the late Sleepy John. --Scott Holter

Album Description

Peter Case is back with Let Us Now Praise Sleepy John, his most raw, direct work in nearly a decade. This album of politically fueled songs finds America's golden troubadour in his finest form, laying down sparse, busker-style guitar work over his uniquely delivered dusty road-poetry. Now Let Us Praise Sleepy John is yet another volume in the career of one of the most storied singer/songwriters of his generation. Standard Jewel Case.

Average customer rating:

very dissapointed
Rich voice, but laid back style runs its course too quickly
Swan Song for an under appreciated talent
Phenomenal
The Industry Reviewer Says It Best

West of the West
Dave Alvin
Manufacturer: Yep Roc Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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All the Roadrunning
West
We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions
Love and Fear
Modern Times

ASIN: B000F7CL1Y
Release Date: 2006-05-30

Tracks:

California Bloodlines
Redneck Friend
Kern River
Blind Love
Here in California
I Am Bewildered
Sonoras Death Row
Down on the Riverbed
Between the Cracks
Dont Look Now
Tramps and Hawkers
Loser
Surfer Girl

Amazon.com

One of the finest composers of rootsy Americana since his years with the Blasters, Dave Alvin here celebrates the quintessential songs (and songwriters) of his native California. Some of his choices--Merle Haggard, John Fogerty, and Alvin's occasional collaborator Tom Russell--are artists who have obviously influenced his own writing, but he extends the selection to include some surprise choices, such as Jackson Browne, the Grateful Dead's Jerry Garcia, and the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson. As revelatory as the songs he selects is what Alvin does with them, turning Browne's "Redneck Friend" into a shuffle worthy of Big Joe Turner and giving an equally bluesy twist to Fogerty's "Don't Look Now," while removing the blues that had characterized Los Lobos' original version of "Down on the Riverbed" in favor of a banjo-driven folk arrangement. The opening rendition of John Stewart's "California Bloodlines" establishes the album's theme; the closing "Surfer Girl" is a stunner, Alvin's most tender vocal to date, giving the Beach Boys ballad a warmth that borders on reverence. Whatever Alvin may lack in vocal range, there's no doubting his interpretive range. --Don McLeese

Customer Reviews:

very dissapointed.......2007-01-27

I've followed Dave since his days with the Blasters, This CD is such a dissapointment. The Only highlight of the CD was Surfer Girl. If you want to try a Dave Alvin solo DVD, try Blackjack David.

Rich voice, but laid back style runs its course too quickly.......2007-01-12

Dave Alvin has that cool, throaty voice that lends intelligence to his songs. However after a number of them, the simple production values don't leave room for expanded scope of style or theme.

Swan Song for an under appreciated talent.......2006-11-10

Wow, what can I say? I liked the premise of this album and have been a Blasters fan since the early eighties, thus I took a chance and bought the CD. I received it and put on the headphones with a good glass of wine and was just blown away. After I listened to it I kept going back to the song, "Here in California" and I told my wife it was one of the best songs I had ever heard (the wine talking). But...it really hit a note with me. A great concept from a great singer/songwriter. You will love it. Rock on Dave.

Phenomenal.......2006-08-28

Rather than spout and blather, I'll just say that Dave Alvin is an unbelievably terrific artist who truly, truly knows and practices great songwriting. He is a fantastic guitarist, and I love the hell out of this album. "I Am Bewildered" is raucous, sexy, perfect, and "Here In California" is touching an beautiful. "Surfer Girl" is over the top.

The Industry Reviewer Says It Best.......2006-07-27

My introduction to the music of Dave Alvin came several years ago when an old friend in Carlsbad turned me on to him. I already knew of him from the Blasters, but at the time I had no idea he was doing solo work. Since that time, I have heard Alvin grow musically with each successive album.
Albums consisting of covers don't always work out. West of the West does. After listening several times, it seems to me that Alvin has carefully chosen songs that would work for him and played them as though they were his own. Being originally from California, this album speaks to me. Though there were some songs I might have deleted in favor of others, overall Alvin's choices are excellent and his interpretations delightful.
My favorites are a smooth, swinging take on Jackson Browne's Redneck Friend, the bittersweet Here In California, the top-flight music AND storytelling of Sonora's Death Row, a gutsy rendition of Los Lobos' Down On the Riverbed, another swinger with John Fogerty's Don't Look Now, Jerry Garcia's gambler's tale Loser, and the incredible 50s-style take on the Beach Boys classic Surfer Girl.
Reading other reviews, I notice some carping about Dave Alvin's vocal range. Long-time Alvin fans have known about that aspect forever and yet there is a reason his base remains as his legion of fans grows. Its his interpretive ability that keeps us on board and we can hear that his singing has vastly improved since his first solo outings. The industry reviewer says it best and I quote: "Whatever Alvin may lack in vocal range, there's no doubting his interpretive range".
I don't like every song on this CD, but there are none that I hate. If you like Dave Alvin on any level, or are a fan of the singer/songwriter style, do your ears a favor and add West of the West to your CD collection. You'll be glad you did.

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