BOOM BOOM BOOM!
You want the very best in new bluesy rock, from elder statesmen and bright young things alike? then look no further than this selection of scorching new releases from the mascot label.
1 Beth Hart Bad Woman Blues
We all know that beth hart does melancholia very well. heartache? Pain from the depths of your soul? the la native delivers it all with gut-grabbing authenticity. but that sure as hell doesn’t mean she don’t know how to party, as this toe-tapping, piano-pounding, guitarjabbing slab of sassy rock’n’roll proves. the blues got rhythm, then it ate Etta James, and all was well. From War In My Mind www.bethhart.com
2 Kris Barras Band Counterfeit People
this is probably our favourite track on Kris barras’s new album,
Light It Up, so we’re delighted to be able to share it with you here. Easily one of the sunniest, most arena-y things he’s ever done, it pushes the rock side of his blues rock stew to flattering, infectious effect. listen, swoon, repeat. From Light It Up www.krisbarrasband.com
3 Joe Bonamassa Mountain Climbing (Live)
Joe bonamassa releases a lot of live albums, it must be said. but that’s only because they keep being really good – and because the man keeps doing sets at inspiring places like the sydney opera house (the setting for this latest collection). Everything here is en pointe, from the first shimmering blues lick to the last. From Live At The Sydney Opera House jbonamassa.com
4 The Magpie Salute In Here
holy shit! Rich Robinson and friends are back already with a follow-up to last year’s beautiful High Water I? and it’s just as lush?! hell yes! hinged on the gorgeous marriage between Robinson’s sixstring warmth and singer John hogg’s inimitable blend of gravelly rock and Paul Rodgers-esque soul, In Here feels like a beloved lifelong favourite. Even though you’re only hearing it for the first time. From High Water II themagpiesalute.com
5 Black Stone Cherry Me And The Devil Blues
Kentucky’s finest love the blues like we love… erm, well, the blues (and sugary treats, if the current stash in the Classic Rock office is anything to go by). this Robert Johnson cover, from their second bluesy collection, sounds like a group of lifelong friends jamming their favourite music, for the simple love of it. Which is basically what it is. From Back To Blues 2 www.blackstonecherry.com
6 Flying Colors Love Letter
the formidable progressive rock supergroup channel their inner beatles and Elo fanboys in this harmonised dose of sunshiney pop rock. Rock octopus mike Portnoy, deep Purple man steve morse and former spock’s beard man neal morse are the biggest cheeses involved, but it’s lesser-known singer Casey mcPherson who really makes this new tune fly. nice. From Third Degree flyingcolorsmusic.com
7 Hollis Brown Blood From A Stone
they might have come from a garage in Queens, but hollis brown sound so damn smooth and stylish here we almost feel slightly intimidated. or we would if it wasn’t so inviting. the band have collectively ingested an extravagant diet of rock’n’roll, hiphop, funk, garage rock and more, so it’s impressive that this hipswaying piece of Rn’b sounds as taut as it does (while still showing tastes of those influences). From Ozone Park www.hollisbrown.com
8 Gov’t Mule Drawn That Way (Live)
listening to this looselimbed live cut from Warren haynes and his merry men, you can hear so much of what’s shaped blackberry smoke and other likeminded hairies of the present southern rock generation. dirty and swaggering yet warm, with the sound of fan cheers popping up in the background, it’s the rugged end of the blues, and it’s delicious. like bourbon spilt on worn-out denim. Yeah.
From Bring On The Music: Live At The Capitol Theatre mule.net
9 Robert Randolph & The Family Band Strange Train
if the blues brothers got together with Parliament, they might have come up something approaching this coloruful foot-stomper from Robert Randolph’s Brighter Days. sounds fun and smart, right? that’s because it is. throwing in funky jibes, psychedelic curveballs and much more, it’s all built on the kind of blues groove we’d happily eat for breakfast – and then go back for seconds.
From Brighter Days www.robertrandolph.net
10 Crobot Low Life
Pennsylvannia’s sci-filoving funksters Crobot upped the heavy rock ante on their new album, Motherbrain. they also liberally sprinkled it with blues juice, not least on this scorching highlight, which combines all the things we loved about them before (the humour, the funk, the grooves) with all the newer, darker ingredients that make this their best record yet. From Motherbrain crobotband.com
11 Supersonic Blues Machine Remedy (Live)
it’s Kris barras’s second appearance on our digital album this month, this time in the cool company of billy gibbons and chums. listening to this sweet, balladic highlight from supersonic blues machine, it does exactly what all good live albums should do; it makes you wish you were there, and make a point of looking up their next dates… From Road Chronicles: Live! supersonicblues.com
12 DeWolff Big Talk (Live)
From senior statesmen like gibbons we now present you with the youngest players in this collection. but be in no doubt, this dutch trio more than hold their own in such exhalted company. a winning live version of the opening track from last year’s excellent
Thrust, Big Talk takes all the best bits of blues, roots, classic rock and vintage psychedelia and cooks it all up in one lip-smacking dish. Enjoy. From Live & Outta Sight II www.dewolff.nu