The Gobblers Knob

Add this post to the “I’m probably not telling many of you anything new” bin, but this blog isn’t so much about breaking artists as it is simply to tell you about exciting artists that I just wanna talk about (or “type” about, as it were).  I have been rockin’ a whole bunch of new music and it can be hard to keep up with blogging about each one sometimes.  These 3 discs have really stuck out in the recent past to me:

• Ike Reilly – Poison the Hit Parade:  After the first couple of listens, I couldn’t tell you what genre this CD would fit into, which I love.  a little funk, soul, country, pop and sharp writing make this an eclectic album that demands multiple listens.  Key Tracks:  “New Assasination Blues”, “Hip-Hop Thighs”, & “Duty Free”.

• Band of Heathens – Band of Heathens:  Group of Austin musicians that turned a side gig into a full-time, soulful act.  Chip from Amber Waves has a great peice on this disc.  With it’s mix of Country, Blues, and Rock, this album helps define the better aspects of what people refer to when they say “Texas Country“. Key Tracks: “Jackson Station”, “Heart on My Sleeve”

• Langhorne Slim - Langhorne Slim: This artist has been called “Neo-folk“, “Prog-folk“, and a ton of other odd, non-sensical attempts at calling him some sort of ”folk”.  The opening track, “Spinning Compass” reminds me of a song that would play during the opening credits of a Wes Anderson movie.  Much of the disc has a throw-back vibe to it, as Slim seems to channel the vocals and reckless abandon of Van Morrison, with a tad bit of Harold & Maude era Cat Stevens thrown in. While many of the songs deal with love, none of them handle the well-worn subject in a typical way.  “The Honeymoon” makes no bones about it when Slim sings of needing to be made “into a man“.  Key Tracks:  “Rebel Side of Heaven”, “Colette”, “Diamonds & Gold”