Author: Twangri-La

Reviewed by Mae Hunt

Country musician Ted Russell Kamp’s recently released album, Down in the Den, is dense with soulful and diverse tracks. Kamp is well-known as a bassist for popular bands (including Shooter Jennings, Jessi Colter, and Whitney Morgan) but takes center stage on these 14 tracks. This album, his 12th independent record, highlights Kamp’s powerful vocals, lyrical abilities, even his trumpet-playing skills. Most of the album was recorded in Kamp’s home studio, The Den, which inspired the album title. 

What impressed me most about the album was Kamp’s range, both lyrically and instrumentally. Though primarily rooted in Americana music, Kamp offers his listeners diversified tracks, which include a range of instrumentals: bass, acoustic guitar, trumpet, banjo, dobro, and keyboard. In addition, Kamp pulls in various artists to create a diverse mix of songs. All of these elements combine to cultivate an album that ranges from whimsical to sensitive to soulful. 

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Reviewed by Mae Hunt
Jaime Wyatt’s Neon Cross, recently released at the end of May, is simply spectacular. The bluesy album begins with Sweet Mess, an intense piano ballad that highlights Wyatt’s powerful voice. This track shares Wyatt’s raw emotions in the wake of a crumbling relationship. The undeniable abandonment and sorrow in her voice set the tone for the rest of the album. Throughout the 11 tracks, Wyatt details the raw emotions tied to overcoming personal battles and the empowering independence that follows. Though an arduous journey, her ultimate destination is self-discovery and self-acceptance.

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Reviewed by Mae Hunt
Sarah Jarosz’s fifth album, World on the Ground, is bursting with contemporary folk and progressive country tracks. Created in collaboration with musician and producer John Leventha, the lyrics share reflections on Jarosz’s hometown of Wimberley, Texas. Wimberley, a small town with a population of only 2,626, inspires a string of reflective songs that show off Jarosz’s lyrical and vocal skills. Her voice, never overpowered by the instrumentals, carries each song while banjos, mandolins, and guitars dance in the background creating an intimate listening experience. 

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Reviewed by Mae Hunt

Lilly Hiatt’s Walking Proof is a classic country album with hints of electronic pop and waves of indie rock that distinguish it as one-of-a-kind. This Nashville-based singer-songwriter’s music strikes me as classic yet quirky, traditional yet unique. How is it possible to balance such extremities? Listen to the album here and see for yourself.

Abundant with vivid imagery, the album for some may serve simply as a dream-like escape from reality. However, while this Rolling Stones article states that Walking Proof is neither autobiographical nor social commentary, I believe there are both meaningful and intentional themes strung throughout Hiatt’s 11 tracks. The songs include themes of love, transition, and adulthood that I believe serve simultaneously as light, leisurely tunes and inspirational, sincere reflections. 

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Reviewed by Mae Hunt
I have a deep appreciation for talented artists who do not shy away from controversy. In Good Souls, Better Angels, Lucinda Williams does just that, addressing head-on many contentious topics, such as mental illness, domestic abuse, and the devil. The unapologetically loud lyrics paired with a unique bluesy-punk pulse coincide to create perhaps the best album I have listened to in a long while. 
Undefinable by just one category, the genre-hopping 12 tracks are versatile. At times, Williams emulates spoken word poetry (Wakin’ Up) and at others she echoes punk rock (Down Past the Bottom). Her raspy voice, which ranges from hissing to bellowing, is paired with pounding drums, electric guitars, and a velvety bass that generate a unique sound for each track.

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Reviewed by Mae Hunt
Listening to Lessons & Lovers in full is a journey – Wonky Tonk captures the realities of life and love in eleven short songs. The ups, the downs, the good, the bad, and everything in between. Listeners of all ages can relate to these visceral moments of desire, anger, confidence, and longing all captured in a folk album that I can imagine jamming out to in my car, windows down, on a hot summer day. 
Before getting into specific songs, I have to say: man, can this woman sing! Her voice ranges from melancholy croons, like in Cryin’ Shame, to bellowing howls, like in Everyone’s Got a Brian. Her voice, paired with moments of overwhelming instrumentals, truly makes the album feel like a journey.

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Track Listing
1.   The Germs – Lexicon Devil
2.   The Germs – ‘Round and ‘Round
3.   The Byrds – You Ain’t Going Nowhere
4.   Johnny Thunders and the Heartbreakers – All By Myself
5.   John Lennon – Isolation
6.   Sun Ra Arkestra – Nuclear War
7.   Grateful Dead – Morning Dew
8.   Bad Religion – Fuck Armageddon…This Is Hell
9.   Bad Religion – We’re Only Gonna Die
10. Total Chaos – Babylon
11. Death Or Colorado – Waiting For Godot
12. DreadFul – Biological Warfare
13. The Cramps – Fever
14. Mudhoney – Here Comes Sickness
15. Townes Van Zandt – Lungs
16. Townes Van Zandt – Waiting Around To Die
17. Badfinger – It’s Over
 

Reviewed by Harry Kaplan
First and foremost, the book feels great in my hands. There is one material item that gives me immense pleasure, a hardback book. Those e-readers are fine for the airplane or train, but that doesn’t even come close to how a real book feels. This is no ordinary book. It’s called a coffee table book, but it is so much more. This book is an historical marker of events that transpired over 20 years ago. Luckily, this history is now preserved forever. 
The cover image is striking, a solo photo of Marty walking forward with his eyes gazing at the ground. He is wearing a black overcoat with a black hat. The hat is adorned by a metallic skeleton. The photo is grainy and the absolute perfect symbol for this book. The back cover contains the sepia toned photo of a train rolling along the tracks. Such powerful imagery that really sets the tone of what is in between the covers.

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Reviewed by Harry Kaplan
Before I get into the music, I want to address Tami’s look. It is a look that is quite familiar to me. This is Baltimore in the late 50s/early 60s. If Tami were around about 35 years ago, she would have been in serious consideration for a role in Hairspray. The original Hairspray directed by the one and only John Waters. The rockabilly tinged tunes on CHICKABOOM! also fit in with the look. This is not garden variety rockabilly. Tami’s voice makes sure of that. Her strong and powerful vocals are equally matched by her range. There is no stress in her singing, she grabs high notes like an acrobat reaching for the trapeze. 
I am definitely in the mood for some straight up, old timey sounding rockabilly, which is why I am choosing Tell Me That You Love Me (Track 7) to be the first track I discuss. This infectious little ditty makes it impossible to sit still when listening. Tami’s strong vocals take first place in this contest. Let’s make it a four-way tie because the lead guitar, bass, and drums are also very important elements. That guitar solo is stellar and equally matched is the rhythm section that holds perfect time. 

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Reviewed by Harry Kaplan
I started my rendezvous with Paul Kelly in 2017 when I reviewed Life Is Fine. I made a comparison between Paul and Bruce Springsteen. Paul has been described by me and other as the “Bruce Springsteen” of Australia. As I listen to this collection, I would like to change that. Paul seems to be a kindred spirit of Billy Bragg. I hear more similarities in style between Paul and Billy. While all of the accolades and comparisons to Springsteen do have some merit, I am going to go with Billy Bragg. 

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