Steel Notes Magazine
Winter 2017 / 18
8 . Mark Baxter - Love Is 3:47 – An interesting , classical inspired opening starts off the song , but less than 30 seconds in we hear that Mark is , basically , a bluesman , as the keys slide into a solidly funky run . When Mark shouts out “ Now listen !” the listener cannot do anything other than listen up . What follows is a masterful , emotion laden jam with Mark ’ s killer vocals playing off the band and the keys answering back with just the right amount of soulful swagger that the listener is left with no other option than to applaud .
9 . Blind Dawg Ben Miller - Ain ' t Nobody Loved Me 6:11 – The Dawg is back ! I dig Ben Miller ’ s music . Good God I love that guitar that hits the listener square in the face right out of the box . As if fighting to not be outdone , the bass answers the guitar with a groovy ( yes that is the right word ) bottom jam that doesn ’ t even let up when the guitar takes the spotlight . Then as if sensing the bass player ’ s full on attitude , we hear Ben say “ Play some bass Tommy !”. Tommy then proceeds to lay down a hammering bassline that is just too cool to describe . Ben comes in with some soothing vocals and it seems the guitar and bass have come to a truce as they both lock in and swing . All the while the drummer is back there just pounding out a hypnotic rhythm that eventually leads into a classic blues ending . Excellent work guys !
10 . Susan SurfTone - Out of My Dreams 3:10 – Susan is another one of my favorite artists . She blew my mind when I first heard her , and I have liked everything I have heard from her since . Susan does such a fantastic job with the surf guitar , no one can touch her on that stuff . This track has a bit of a Surf-Punk feel . It appears the drummer is putting down a slowed down classic Punk beat . I have a feeling that if the Ramones had done Surf , it would sound something like this track . Just to be clear , the Ramones are one of my all-time favorite groups and that is a complement .
11 . Udo Hoelscher - Before We Fall 3:12 – This is a good song . The music is not complicated , nor does it need to be . The music is basically a backdrop for Udo ’ s haunting vocals . In the middle of the track the guitar does put down a nice solo , but to my ears anyway , the main force of this song is Udo ’ s voice . I am impressed and would very much like to see Udo live .
12 . Gar Francis - More Then I Asked For 2:51 – I dig Gar ’ s music . I have really liked everything I have heard from this guy including this song . Gar ’ s Dylanesque voice sounds so raunchy , yet at the same time clean . ( Unlike Dylan , or Springsteen for that matter , I can understand all of the words in this song .) The orchestral strings in the background contrast so sharply with Gar ’ s voice
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