Selah Sue (2011)

When I started this music blog last year the first thing I posted  about was the EP Selah Sue released.
Her first full CD has been out for about a month now and I must say it fulfills all the expectations.
I also must remark that her (French) record label has given her the royal treatment in the PR stakes. TV exposure, in-store performances, press, etc.
While the first objective was to conquer Europe (read France) and tackle the UK and the US later on it's not every artists' prerogative to be flown out to Austin, Texas for just one promo gig at the SXSW festival and having your earlier EP rush released in the States for just that.
While her first album only recaps 'Raggamuffin' and 'Crazy Vibes' from said EP, it's still a mix of old and new.
'Mommy', for instance, is produced by Michelle Ndegocello but it retains the same sparse acoustic treatment it had from the beginning. 'Black Part Love' and 'Fyah Fyah' also come from the very start of her career.
As for her style, let's call it part dubstep. Superbly produced though.
The only real clunker is the most famous one. Cee-Lo Green's 'Please', also on his own latest CD is reprised here. What a dog.
She's from Belgium, folks. And I'm real proud here to reside in the same country as Selah Sue.
That's all.

Robert Belfour (Holly Springs, Mississippi)

Robert Belfour was born in 1940 in the middle of Mississippi Hill Country. It took him 59 years to get his first record released. Hill Country, as opposed to the Delta, is rough terrain where the poor survive by share cropping.
The music played there is by nature a rough and rural blues. Junior Kimbrough, R.L. Burnside and Otah Turner's Fife and Drum Band all hail from the same area and they all got discovered in their later lives.
Otah saw his first record hitting the market when he was 90. The fife is is a  flute made out of cane.

Now Robert Belfour's father taught him to play the resonator guitar when not working out in the fields. He finally moved to Memphis where he worked construction for 35 years. But he didn't leave his music behind.
He has a unique style of playing combined with a deep booming voice. On all tracks you'll just hear his voice and guitar sometime a lone drummer.

Belfour may not be the biggest name out of the lot but  right now I think he's better than either Burnside or Kimbrough.


From 1996 onwards young white kids who lived among their black heroes took the tradition of Hill Stomp further and electrified it. The North Mississippi Allstars and brother band Hill Country Revue have been preaching their music the world over.

Oklahoma Blues - A tribute to J.J.Cale (2010)

To tell the truth friends I never was an acolyte of tribute albums. I am of the opinion that the artist in question knows best what to do with his/her own songs.
There are exceptions but not many. The only one that springs to mind is 'Por Vida - a tribute to Alejandro Escovedo'. It served a good cause as well. When Alejandro was down with hepatitis and couldn't pay his medical bills some of his friends got together and recorded this double cd. All the proceeds went to the artist who, I'm happy to say, is now back on track again.

You'll get to hear Lucinda Williams, Calxico, Howe Gelb, Jayhawks, Son Volt, M.Ward.

'Oklahoma Blues' is not your regular tribute. That is to say it's not the usual one song/one artist record.
A bunch of recording artists from the small Zoho blues label took it upon themselves to fill a disc with Cale songs. Some appear as much as five times, other do two or three songs.
'Money talks' for example appears here in two very different versions.

We all know the music of J.J.Cale is extremely laidback but I'm happy to say that is not noticeable on this record.
Here the versions range from swamp blues to southern rock to a-capella.
What drew me in the end were the artists, especially JJ Grey and Swamp Cabbage.
Now Swamp Cabbage hails from Florida just like Grey and with 'Honk' and 'Squeal' they already have two fantastic albums under their belt.
Here they perform five songs, one with JJ Grey singing and two with Wet Willie's Jimmy Hall. (Money talks, Don't cry sister, Sensitive kind, Cajun moon, Old blues).
Great versions, all of them.
Rufus Huff do Cocaine and Crazy Mama southern rock style and the veteran gospel band the Persuasions do I'll make love to you anytime and Travelin' light.
All of Oklahoma Blues is a great listening experience really showing what can be done with J.J. Cale songs in any other style.

2010 : the ones that (almost) fell thru the cracks

There were more than 10 albums in the past year that I really, really liked. Goes without saying.
Here's some that deserve an honorary mention.

Croatian Surf instrumentals. I kid you not. Incredible musicianship from this foreign quartet produced by Chris Eckman. I'm not averse to surf music, even get out some compilations a couple of times a year.
This album is far more than just surf. Eckman adds some strings, brass and Morricone touches but he uses them sparsely and wisely. There's often twin lead guitars involved.
Each tune has its own mood and I wouldn't be surprised if their music turns up in a Tarantino soundtrack sooner or later. Fantastic and at 39 minutes total just the right length.

I'm sorry to say that my 5-star favorite Amy Millan didn't release an album this year. However, Holly Miranda's debut more than makes up for this.
Eerie, opaque dream sequences around her quiet soulful voice. Lots of synths and treated guitar are the work of TV on the Radio's David Sitek.
Perhaps you're familiar with Forest Green Oh Forest Green, the opener on The Magician's Private Library?
If not, that's a good place to start.

Barely 20 years old and already her second album. This one is British and already a bit of a star.
Comparing the new one to her debut "Alas I cannot swim"  it's darker in mood and totally steeped in 70's English Folk. Marling doesn't pretend to be the new Sandy Denny -her voice is totally different- but walks the same path as did Sandy in her early solo years.
A truly enjoyable cd.

A 'Best of'', yes. But easily the best compilation I've heard in years. Why? Because its songs are well chosen and ordered to flow in perfection.
Never been a big fan of the Triffids and never understood the fuss for 'Born Sandy Devotional' either.
A 10 cd box was released on the same day as 'Wide Open Road' but the casual fan will just need this one disc.
And it contains my all time favorite song of theirs: 'Bury me deep in love'.

Move over Allison Krauss & Union Station, heeeere's the Steeldrivers! Second album from my new modern day Bluegrass heroes!
A band without a drummer where fiddle and banjo are the lead instruments. And still they rock like a urethane bowling ball on dry lane conditions. There's no duff track on this one just like on their eponymous debut from 2008.  What a great rockin' band in such a traditional genre.

A rehabilitation and return to form on Bingham's third. Ray Lamontagne just edged him out of my top 10 I guess.
This one goes back to 2007's 'Mescalito' and is worth a sigh of relief after the riff riddled 'Roadhouse Sun' where producer Marc Ford drenched everything in Black Crowes like heavy soloing. Now I like both the Crowes and Ford's solo stuff but it really was out of place on a countrified americana album where Bingham's strength lies.