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Here, you can find the latest cd's for your favorite local band or music artist. Use the dropdown menu at the top right to find more music titles.
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Freeworld: From the Bluff |
| | "It's no wonder that these guys, FreeWorld, have shared the stage with everyone from Levon Helm to Dr. John. I don't think I've heard another group of musicians who I could honestly say sound like they'd be equally at home in either The Band, Parliament, or Weather Report. Sometimes people deride those who are multitalented with sneering comments like jack-of-all trades but master of none. Well, I don't think anyone would even dare to say something like that about FreeWorld. No matter what they set their minds to playing on From The Bluff, it sounds like they were born playing that genre." - Richard Marcus |
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JD Reager: The Repechage |
| | J.D. Reager’s long-awaited and oft-discussed solo album, The Repechage, released in November of 2008 by Makeshift Music and the Knoxville-based Migrant Records. The record features guest appearances by members of Snowglobe, Lucero, the Subteens, Giant Bear, and a host of other well known Memphis musicians. |
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Those Darlins: Wild One EP |
| | The Murfreesboro trio Those Darlins are three women - Nikki, Jessi, and Kelley "Darlin" - who all play stringed instruments and all sing, the result sounding more like an indie-rock Carter Family tribute act than the Dixie Chicks. On this debut (?) EP, the band apes old-timey country and rockabilly with gusto, charm, and an utter lack of the self-righteousness that plagues so many (mostly male) alt-country types. Strummy acoustic guitars pour out over rough-and-tumble, slapdash percussion (credited instrument: "belly slaps"), while twangy lead vocals lead into girlishly modern group choruses. There are only three songs here, and every one connects: "Wild One" is their statement of purpose. "Whole Damn Thing" is a proudly literal burst of finger-lickin' indulgence. And "Snaggletooth Mama" is a sarcastic, exaggerated rendering of their down-home locale. - CHRIS HERRINGTON
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Kim Richardson: True North |
| | Folk-pop acoustic based music with intelligent, clever lyrics sung with Kim's honest, sassy, intimate voice. |
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The Grip: Grab This Thing |
| | Bringing boogaloo back to Memphis, they lay down funky rhythms and soulful grooves that last late into the night. |
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Black Snake Moan: Black Snake Moan |
| | This soundtrack to the film written and directed by Craig Brewer is as steeped in the Southern blues as his Hustle and Flow was in hip-hop. The biggest surprise here is how well actor Samuel L. Jackson (who seems to have a thing for "Snake" films) holds his own as a blues singer against selections from Son House and R.L. Burnside. He sounds like a throwback to the classic Delta bluesmen on "Just Like a Bird Without a Feather," does a convincing take on the Blind Lemon Jefferson title track, and rocks the juke joint on "Alice Mae" and a down-and-dirty recasting of "Stack-O-Lee." Produced by the Bo-Keys' Scott Bomar (who also scored Brewer's previous movie), the 17-cut soundtrack features a kaleidoscopic array of blues, from the primal throb of the Black Keys' "When the Lights Go Out" and the funk of Bobby Rush's classic "Chicken Heads" to the spiritual lilt of Precious Bryant's "Morning Train" and the North Mississippi Allstars' expansive finale, "Mean Ol' Wind Died Down." --Don McLeese
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Stax: Wattstax: The Living Word |
| | Calling this August 1972 concert comprised exclusively of Stax artists "Wattstock" or even the "black Woodstock" pushes the boundaries of the day-long event past its breaking point. But there is no doubt that Wattstax, held in a jittery post-riot Watts atmosphere, was an iconic cultural milestone deserving of a better recorded legacy than the two double albums that initially emerged from it, both of which were surreptitiously padded with studio tracks to enhance the roster. This three-disc, nearly four-hour-long deluxe 35th anniversary edition gets it right--or more right--by excluding the bogus material, adding a over an hour of previously unreleased music, and presenting it in an expanded package that includes a detailed essay by Stax historian Rob Bowman. The show's gospel aspect is further highlighted with plenty of Staple Singers, the amazing Rance Allen Group, and obscure blues harp player Little Sonny ripping into an instrumental version of "Wade in the Water." Comedy snippets from a young Richard Pryor and Jesse Jackson's opening speech, which appeared in the associated film, could have been excised, but nearly entire sets from Carla and Rufus Thomas, the Bar-Kays, and David Porter are worthy additions. Only the ubiquitous "Theme from Shaft" remains from Isaac Hayes's hour-long closing, but his full performance is available separately. The Emotions, Johnny Taylor, Little Milton, and a few others who didn't play the actual festival were recorded at other L.A. venues in the days around the concert, bringing a bit of a spurious element to this otherwise classy souvenir from a historically important and vibrant occasion. --Hal Horowitz |
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Various Artists: Memphis '70: The City's Funk and Soul In the Decade After Otis 1968-1977 |
| | 2008 collection of rare Soul gems released in the wake of the death of Otis Redding in late 1967. Memphis 70 shows what happened next as local musicians emerged from Otis' shadow and created new and exhilarating sounds. The earliest cut is the in-demand Funk/ R&B groove of Stacy Lane's 'No Ending' produced by the legendary Packy Axton, the founder of the Mar-Keys. We have plenty of funky grooves for those that want to keep the dancefloor moving, such as Alvin Cash's duet with Doris Porter, 'Tip Toeing', the incredibly rare 'Hard Times' by Billy Cee, the collectible break-beat 'Mississippi Mud' by the Smithstonian, and an amazing unreleased version of 'Shake' by the Ovations. There are also great slices of Funk by the Optimistics, Lillian Hale, Blackrock and Bow-Legs Miller. The whole lot is rounded up with some fantastic pictures, in-depth notes and an amazing cover image to make this a fine set. BGP. |
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Dani: Dani Advance Listening E.P. |
| | Beautiful and moving Dani creates a soulful texture with her unique brand of county/blues/pop on her new E.P "Dani Advance Listening" |
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Jeffrey Evans: Iv'e Lived a Rich Life |
| | Every bluesman needs a catch phrase. Mississippi Fred McDowell's was, "I do not play no rock & roll." Well, Monsieur Jeffrey Evans isn't strictly a blues guy, but it is one of the ingredients in his long-simmering musical stew (along with folk, country, bluegrass, and rock & roll). His catch phrase -- at least for the purposes of this recording -- is "I've lived a rich life." That he has, and it's what the album is all about. Yet even by Evans' idiosyncratic standards, it's an unusual one. (The "Monsieur," incidentally, attached itself to his name sometime after the demise of the Gibson Bros.). You might be expecting a collection of acoustic ballads, but that isn't what's going on here. I've Lived a Rich Life is, instead, more like an oral biography or music history lesson (Evans refers to it as a "workshop"). Recorded in the parking lot of Shangri-La Records in Memphis, TN, he talks about his life (both personally and professionally) and illustrates the story with snippets from his catalog and those of his favorite artists. The end result is more talk than music, but Evans is a natural raconteur. The casual fan may be left a bit flummoxed by the proceedings, but the dedicated Evans aficionado is sure to find I've Lived a Rich Life to be quite an interesting and amusing -- let alone insightful -- affair. ---by Kathleen C. Fennessy |
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Jay Reatard: Matador Singles '08 |
| | "In this short span of time, Reatard has cranked out more memorable songs than some acts do in their whole careers" --Pitchfork
For the six months leading up to this release, Matador has put out a limited edition 7-inch by Memphis boy wonder Reatard. Each generated more attention, but was released in a progressively more limited run, starting with 3,500 copies for the first and ending with 400 copies for the sixth. This package collects all six (excluding the Deerhunter track on #4), plus one extra song. Each tune is a perfect snarling pop-punk gem. |
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