LP Review: "The Tin Shed Two Piece" by The Two Percent

The Tin Shed Two Piece

It's time for a revelation so startling that all of my readers might go into sudden bouts of amnesia from which they may never recover.

It's fairly irresponsible of me to put this information out there, but the truth will set you free and possibly help you start a new life in Canada.

My life isn't all that glamorous.

This personal existence is so not all that glamorous that there are times when I have legitimate problems. My wife and I have spats. My kid doesn't always listen to our directions.

Sometimes there's not enough money in the check book at the end of the week. Often times, there are instances where my Amazon Prime orders don't arrive in two days like they're supposed to. (Note: There are also real problems in my life, but let's not get too personal ok?)

LP Review: "The Night Has A Thousand Eyes" by Chicken Diamond

The Night Has A Thousand Eyes

My apologies for my absence as of late. Life has a way of throwing you curve balls when you're looking for the heater.

It's easy to think about childhood. It's a care free time that many of us look back to as we inevitably age.

Personally, my life has been an interesting series of twists and turns that has led me to something that was simply unfathomable in my twenties and early thirties.

Keep on, keeping on and we can all improve our stations in life.

But all daily affirmations aside, during my halcyon days, the thing that really turned my crank for music was the quality of musicianship. Things like garage rock, punk rock, and even blues never were really on my radar, which is funny considering the company I keep in 2016...

LP Review: "Blood On The Keys" by James Leg

Blood On The Keys

My favorite guitarist in the world is Ace Frehley.

He serves as an inspiration to me. His ear for melody is far greater than that of mortal man. It greatly surpasses his drive to create music.

Aside from a few little jaunts into expressive and synths, his playing has been the same for the past four decades plus, and yes I have all his records.

But not everybody can get that sort of deal. It has to be an artist that was popular when you were a kid I think.

James Leg...

This is his sixth studio album and aside from Painkillers, it's largely been him, his electric piano, and a drummer. It would seem that musical growth would be at a premium and stagnation would be abundant.

LP Review: "Beck In Black" by Left Lane Cruiser

Beck In Black

Left Lane Cruiser was discovered by this author around the release of their third record, Junkyard Speedball, and there was no going back.

Since then, every single one of their following albums has been reviewed.

Beck In Black marks the sixth time they've been featured on these pages.

What some folks might not know is that between Rock Them Back To Hell! and Dirty Spliff Blues, the original drummer and occasional washboard player, Brenn "Sausage Paw" Beck decided to retire from Left Lane Cruiser and Pete Dio, of White Trash Blues Revival, took over.

Beck In Black was originally a 2016 Record Store Day release by Alive-Natural Sound, but as has happened before, it just got too popular. So here we have this retrospective on CD and digital as well.

Album Review: "Death Blues vs The Dirty Spliff" by Left Lane Cruiser and 20 Watt Tombstone

Death Blues vs. The Dirty Spliff

The connectivity of the internet is probably one of my favorite things about This Modern World in which we live.

The rabbit holes created have done wonderful things.

Case in point, this weekend past, my family and I were watching videos on YouTube through the magic of our Roku Box and before long, Informer by Snow was playing.

My wife then picked up her phone and started reading off the lyrics to this song, and said "Oh, it's an anti-snitching song!"

The best way to find new music is just by being on Twitter. Mention a band name, and you might find yourself being followed by a bunch of bands that are new to you. 20 Watt Tombstone is one of those bands for me. They found me and now I have their upcoming split with one of my favorite Psychobilly Blues bands, Left Lane Cruiser.

Album Review: "Hard Time" by Lady Flint

Hard Time

Any time an artist reaches out to me with their album, I do try very hard to check it out.

Unfortunately, not everything meets my criteria, and sometimes things just get forgotten.

Today, I received an email from a band way over in France called Lady Flint.

Well, the name was interesting as was their email, back and forth we went and here we are talking about that album.

Hard Time is the debut album from the French Blues-Rock duo, though they had an EP out last year as well.

Hard Time is being released on digital formats and on vinyl in September. Due to my recent vinyl switch, I'm definitely going to get in on that action...

Interview: Freddy J IV of Left Lane Cruiser "I play dirty blues and classic rock."

Freddy J IV of Left Lane Cruiser

The blues are a national treasure to me.

Before they came to be, America had little to say when it came to music in the world. It's the truest American art form.

It was also the basis of much to come. Later in America, it spawned rock'n'roll. In England, players took up the cause and created English blues, which later became blues based rock.

In 1970, an English Blues Band became the first heavy metal band in the world.

I think it's common in America to say that you're a fan of the blues, but how many people really are? A friend of mine once told me all of his favorite bluesmen have died.

Well, allow me to formally introduce you to Freddy J IV of the psychobilly blues band, Left Lane Cruiser.

Album Review: "Dirty Spliff Blues" by Left Lane Cruiser

Dirty Spliff Blues

I'm often surprised at how long I've been writing these reviews. These started  nearly 3  years ago in 2012.

It's now gotten to the point where I've reviewed some bands multiple times and for Left Lane Cruiser, this is their third album to be reviewed on these pages.

For the new rhythm section, it's their second time.

So, something happened. In the two years since the last Left Lane Cruiser album, drummer/vocalist Sausage Paw Beck decided to leave the group.

In his stead, half of his side project joined Left Lane Cruiser.

I'm a bit shamed to admit that I hadn't heard about this changing of the guard, but I was certainly interested to see what it would do to the sound of the band I've known so well.

"Rock Them Back To Hell!" by Left Lane Cruiser

Rock Them Back To Hell

It has been awhile since we've heard from the psychobilly Blues duo from Fort Wayne, Indiana (Home of the Komets! The last and only time I was in Fort Wayne for more than a fill up was in April of 2001 to see the Missouri River Otters RIP play the Fort Wayne Komets...good times.)

It's been about a year and a half since any  new music of theirs has crossed my desk and into my iTunes, but it was a killer album with old friend, James Leg. One the greatest things about this band is that they are one of the most hard working outfits in the business today.

When they are not in the studio, they're on the road. These two guys are just a pair of amazing road dogs. In the time that they have been on my radar, they have played in St. Louis at least four times for very reasonable pricing.

"Chillicothe Fireball" by The Hooten Hallers

 This album is a little bit on the old side, but you will not be robbed of it!

This is the sophomore release of Columbia, MO's most favored sons, The Hooten Hallers.  Their first record, Greetings From Welp City, was superb, so I had high hopes for the trio, formerly a pair from Columbia.

It had felt like some time since they had announced work on a new album and now, when it's finally in my hands to peruse, but this is a group that tours more than most of us go to work.  As of this writing, they have about thirty concert days set for the next five weeks.

These folks are quite the hardworking band and they are not living the glamorous life on the road full of groupies, blow, and trashed hotel rooms, but driving themselves from gig to gig, and often times taking turns sleeping with the drums while someone else takes a turn at the wheel.

"Now Honey, Now Baby, Now Listen..." by White Trash Blues Revival

Remember when you were just a little one and you built musical instruments because, hell, you were only eight and it was fun. Personally, I built some "drums" out of two pieces of plywood and used a pair of swizzle sticks  (remember those?) as drum sticks. They worked great because they had little balls on the end of one side...JUST LIKE REAL DRUM STICKS!

Well, imagine if you were a professional musician and at a bar you frequent/play frequently that they were having a best of the worst bands contest. Would you ever conceive of calling your buddies and asking them to create something horrific as a joke. Like the drummer not even playing drums, but an empty beer kg, a bucket, and a cardboard box instead? Or the guitarist not even using a cigar box guitar, but a skateboard with pickups? Well that's what Sausage Paw of Left Lane Cruiser did. It worked so well that after a 20 minute set, they were booked for real and a band was born.

Review: Painkillers by Left Lane Cruiser and James Leg

Painkillers

I have been a fan of both James Leg aka John Wesley Myers of the Black Diamond Heavies (except on their second album where he is credited as James Leg, I am just as confused as you.) and Left Lane Cruiser for little while now.

I discovered James aka John..etc at the Schlafly Tap Room when they were opening up for Excene Cervanka and the Original Sinners. Even though they were a fairly heavy band without a guitar player, I ignored that slight against nature and bought their album.

Left Lane Cruiser I discovered via Amazon's recommendations. When I saw that James had guested on a significant portion of their latest album, I was sure that I needed to purchase it. I was correct! Those tracks gave me an inkling of what could be.

Left Lane Cruiser, like the Black Diamond Heavies, is a duo, but instead of a piano and drums, they're a guitarist and drummer. Those three tunes though, they were magical to me. They were big and full and full of mojo. I thought that if James would quit the 'Heavies and join Left Lane Cruiser full time, I'd be happy...