Best of What’s New

Happy Saturday and welcome to another installment of Best of What’s New. Sometimes it’s challenging to find new music that sufficiently speaks to me. This week, I had the opposite situation – a nice problem to have! Without further ado, let’s get to it.

Sunny War/Baby Bitch

Sunny War is a Nashville-based singer-songwriter who, according to her Apple Music profile, enlivens traditional folk and blues by freshening her musical attack and writing lyrics that reflect 21st century concerns. Her first album, Worthless, arrived in 2014, and she continued to gain attention over the next few years as she built up a cult following that crested with the release of 2018’s With the Sun. Her fourth and latest album Anarchist Gospel, which appeared yesterday (February 3), documents the conflict between her two sides, the “very self-destructive, and the other is trying to work with that other half to keep things balanced,” as she notes on her website. Evidently, she had a tough past, including heavy drinking and addiction to heroin and meth. Baby Bitch, a great tune co-written by Aaron Freeman and Michael Melchiondo, reminds me a tiny bit of Tracy Chapman.

Tas Cru/Stand Up!

Tas Cru is a blues guitarist and singer-songwriter based in Central New York. From his website: Tas Cru is truly a blues eclectic who refuses to let his music be bound to just one blues style. With a repertoire of over 100 original songs from multiple albums and dozens of crowd-pleasing classics, this seasoned singer-guitarist-songwriter is truly one of the most unique of bluesmen plying his trade today. Cru was honored with his first Blues Foundation Blues Music Award nomination in 2018 for his album, Simmered & Stewed. That album and the two that followed (Memphis Song & Drive On) were all recipients of the Syracuse Area Music Awards (the SAMMY’s) for best blues recordings. His 2021 album, Broke Down Busted Up was nominated by Blues Blast Magazine (Best Acoustic Blues Album) and the Independent Blues Awards Modern Roots Album, Modern Roots Artist and Content Creator Award.) This brings me to his new album Riffin’ the Blue. Released on February 3, it features guitarist Mike Zito and keyboarder Bruce Katz as guests. Here’s Stand Up! – love that tune!

Arctic Rain/Fire In My Eyes

Arctic Rain are a Swedish rock band whose sound drew me in pretty quickly. I couldn’t find much background on them. Here’s their Spotify profile: Arctic Rain is yet another shining example that Sweden is truly the golden land of melodic rock. The band writes songs with strong melodic rock vibes based around tasteful instrumental harmonies. With new keyboardist Kaspar Dahlqvist, drummer Richard Tonyson and bassplayer Anders Janfalk, “Unity” [their new album – CMM] sees Arctic Rain building upon and surpassing their musical goals they aimed for on their debut album, “The One”. Bigger, bolder songs with a more rockin’ edge, but still very much melodic rock. From the above-mentioned Unity, their sophomore release that came out on January 27, here’s Fire In My Eyes. The clip also reveals Tobias Jonsson (vocals) and Magnus Berglund (guitar) as additional members. Does anyone else hear a touch of Journey in here?

Meg Baird/Will You Follow Me Home?

Meg Baird is a San Francisco-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. In addition to being a solo artist, she also is the lead vocalist and drummer of Heron Oblivion, a psychedelic rock group she co-founded in 2014. Prior to that, Baird, who originally is from New Jersey, was a member of psychedelic folk band Espers and played drums in punk outfit Watery Love, both groups from Philadelphia. While still playing with Espers, she released her solo debut album Dear Companion in 2007. Baird also frequently collaborates with L.A.-based classically trained harpist Mary Lattimore, and has put out two albums with her to date. This brings me to Furling, Baird’s latest solo effort, which appeared on January 27. Here’s Will You Follow Me? This tune grabbed me right away!

Eddie 9V/Missouri

Eddie 9V (born Mason Brooks Kelly) is a soulful blues artist from Atlanta who has been active since ca. 2011. From his website: All his life, Eddie 9V (9-volt) has acted on instinct. Aged just 15, this old-soul artist turned away from the path of college and jobs to burst all guns blazing onto the roots and blues club circuit of his native Atlanta, Georgia. Flash forward to 2019, and for his debut album, Left My Soul In Memphis, the prodigious multi-instrumentalist simply powered up the amps in his mobile trailer and with his brother/co-writer/producer, Lane Kelly, laid down one of the year’s breakout releases, acclaimed as “fresh and life-affirming” by Rock & Blues Muse. “ Following sophomore release Little Black Flies, he is now out with his third studio album Capricorn (January 27). Let’s check out Missouri, a nice tune he co-wrote with his brother.

Ian Hunter/Bed of Roses (feat. Ringo Starr & Mike Campbell)

Wrapping up this week’s new music revue is a real goodie by Ian Hunter, who is best known as the lead vocalist and guitarist of Mott the Hoople. Following his departure from the English rock band, Hunter launched a solo career with his eponymous debut album in 1975. It was the first of many solo efforts on which he collaborated with Mick Ronson, ex-guitarist of The Spiders from Mars, David Bowie’s backing band from 1972 to 1973. Hunter who is now 83 years has continued to release solo albums at a fairly steady pace. Bed of Roses is the lead single off Hunter’s upcoming album Defiance Part 1, which is packed with prominent guests. On this song, released January 20, Hunter got a little help from his friends Ringo Starr and Mike Campbell. Man, this sounds sweet! Defiance Part 1 is scheduled for April 21. And, yes, as the title implies, there’s more. According to Hunter’s website, it will be followed by the arrival of DEFIANCE PART 2. The second chapter will feature an equally stunning range of special guests while projecting an entirely different thematic approach and songwriting aesthetic.

Last but not least, here’s a Spotify playlist of the above goodies, topped up with a few more tunes by the featured artists.

Sources: Wikipedia; Apple Music; Sunny War website; Tas Cru website; Eddie 9V website; Ian Hunter website; YouTube; Spotify

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Where the Blues Crosses Over

When blogging about music, it’s about the artists and their work first and foremost- seems obvious! Sometimes, I also like to get a bit nerdy and write about gear. What I rarely do is paying attention to music labels with a few exceptions like Stax or Motown. In fact, oftentimes, I don’t even bother to mention on which label an album was released.

One name that has kept popping up for contemporary blues is Ruf Records (pronounced “roof”). I noticed it again just yesterday while compiling my latest Best of What’s New installment that included blues rock artist Jeremiah Johnson whose latest album Unemployed Highly Annoyed appeared on Ruf Records.

Like the majority of Ruf’s roster of current artists, Johnson is an American musician. Yet Ruf isn’t located say in Chicago or anywhere else in the U.S. for that matter. London? Nope. Ruf is based in Lindewerra, a picturesque German village with a whopping 256 inhabitants (as of 2019) in the region of Thuringia, which used to be part of the former German Democratic Republic. I had to look that geographic location.

Lindewerra, location of Ruf Records

Germany and the blues? Not to mention a tiny village? That’s not the most obvious association, in my opinion. Or how about the fact the founding of this independent label in 1994 was connected to Luther Allison? Finally, Ruf got my attention.

This is how the label’s website describes how Ruf came about, from the perspective of founder Thomas Ruf. While they may have embellished it a bit, it’s just a wonderful story that would be perfect for a movie: It all started in the Black Forest, late at night, when it seems all great things begin. There in a small village bar, with the doors locked, window shades rolled down, an after- hours party was happening inside. Blues great, Luther Allison was jamming with a bunch of eighty-year old Black Forest folklore musicians.

I was young, lucky and overwhelmed by the communicating power of music. I left the farm to pay my dues as a concert promoter, agent and manager. Soon I collaborated with Allison, eventually becoming his representative on the European side of the world.

I was a student learning from a man who traveled the rocky blues road for more than thirty years. It became apparent that relationships between artists and record companies can be frustrating for the artists, with companies lacking enthusiasm and understanding of the music. So management had a baby and it was named Ruf Records. Born of the need and love to promote what we believe in… the communicating power of music.

Ruf Records founder Thomas Ruf with Cyril Neville

Based on this March 2012 post from the Blues.Gr, the above events happened in the late 1980s when Thomas Ruf started working in the music business as a European tour promoter. Ruf and Allison became friends and, eventually, Ruf started to represent the blues artist in Europe. In 1994, Allison who lived in Paris, France at the time, found himself without a label and a publisher. Apparently, that’s what triggered the formation of Ruf Records.

Fast-forward some 26 years and you’re looking at an independent label with an impressive roster of artists. Apart from Luther Allison and Jeremiah Johnson, the current and former line-up includes Canned Heat, Spooky Tooth, Walter Trout, Ana Popovic, Samantha Fish, Joanne Shaw Taylor and Jane Lee Hooker. Following, I’d like to highlight some music by some of the label’s current artists. Occasionally, the label ventures beyond the blues.

Ally Venable/White Flag

Ally Marie Venable is a 21-year-old blues rock guitarist and singer-songwriter from Kilgore, Texas. She released her debut EP Wise Man in 2013 at the age of 14. White Flag is from her third and most recent full-length album Texas Honey, which according to this Rock & Blues Muse review appeared in March 2019 and features Mike Zito and Eric Gales, among other guests.

Bette Smith/Fistful of Dollars

According to her website, Bette Smith is a rock and soul singer who grew up in Brooklyn, New York. Her 2017 debut Jetlagger received rave reviews from the likes of NPR, American Songwriter, MOJO and The New York Times. Fistful of Dollars is the tasteful, funky opener of Smith’s new album The Good, The Bad and the Bette released on September 25.

Ghalia/Release Me

Ghalia Volt, who hails from Brussels, Belgium, is a natural-born rock star with the leather jacket and wicked grin, leaning from her album sleeve to offer you a hit on her hip flask, her website confidently states. Six years ago, Ghalia was a best-kept secret, her days spent busking on the streets of the Belgium capital, her nights shaking the city’s blues clubs. But as a die-hard R&B and blues fan, the singer-songwriter found the siren call of America too strong to resist. Visiting Chicago, Memphis and Nashville, Ghalia’s livewire talent saw her embraced by the musical motherland and elevated to headliner status. Release Me is a track written by Ghalia, which appears on her sophomore album Mississippi Blend from September 2019. And, yes, that lady is a rock star!

Whitney Shay/Stand Up!

According to Apple Music’s artist profile, Whitney Shay is a blues, soul and jump R&B singer-songwriter from San Diego, Calif. Her debut album Soul Tonic came out in 2012. She has since released two additional albums and received four San Diego Music Awards including Artist of the Year for her sophomore release A Woman Rules the World from 2018. Stand Up!, co-written by Shay and Adam J. Eros, is the soulful funky title track of Shay’s third studio album released in February this year.

Bernard Allison/Crusin for a Bluesin

Bernard Allison, who is based in Paris, France, is a blues guitarist and the son of Luther Allison. Though you’d perhaps think otherwise, Bernard taught himself how to play guitar as a child while his father was touring all over the world. While his old man wisely demanded that Bernard remain in school, he supported his music ambitions. Eventually, Bernard became part of Luther’s band and a musical collaborator. His European solo debut The Next Generation appeared in 1990. His first U.S. album Keepin’ the Blues Alive was released in 1997. Cruisin for a Bluesin is the groovy opener of Allison’s most recent studio album Let It Go from February 2018.

Jeremiah Johnson/Burn Down the Garden

Since it was Johnson and his new album that triggered this post, it felt appropriate to include the St. Louis-based guitarist and singer-songwriter, who according to his website merged Texas style with STL blues to create the unique sound you hear today.  Here’s another great tune from his new album Unemployed Highly Annoyed: Opener Burn Down the Garden, written by Johnson, which sounds more like southern flavored country rock than blues.

Michael Lee/Praying for Rain

Michael Lee is a blues guitarist from Fort Worth, Texas. Here’s more from his his website: Raised around blues music his entire life, Michael spent the majority of his young life in blues clubs receiving an ivy league education from watching and playing with blues legends such as Andrew “Jr Boy” Jones (Freddie King), Buddy Whittington (John Mayall), Lucky Peterson (Willie Dixon). On nights he was not in the blues clubs he was down in the stockyards soaking in the Country sounds which emanated from those honky tonks. Like Delbert McClinton and many Fort Worth musicians before him, Michael’s style of music has the perfect blend of Blues and Country. Praying for Rain, written by Lee, is from his eponymous sophomore album released in June 2019.

Ryan Perry/Ain’t Afraid to Eat Alone

Let’s do one more. Ryan Perry, who hails from Mississippi, has established himself as leader of the award-winning Homemade Jamz Blues Band since 2007. According to his profile on Ruf, Although still in his twenties, Perry has the soul, scars and war stories to rival the most hard-bitten road dog. In March this year, Perry released his solo debut album High Risk, Low Reward. Here’s the tasty opener Ain’t Afraid to Eat Alone, which like most other tracks on the album was penned by Perry.

Ruf Records’ story looks impressive. Apart from its artist roster, some 300 albums have appeared on this independent label to date. In 2007, Ruf Records received the Keeping the Blues Alive Award from the Blues Foundation of Memphis, Tenn. According to Wikipedia, they also got nominations for two Grammy Awards and 10 Blues Music Awards, and that’s as of 2008.

In an undated interview on Ruf’s website, Thomas Ruf explained the label’s philosophy as follows: “It’s right there in our motto: ‘Where The Blues Crosses Over’. We want to produce the blues of tomorrow, not just re-record the blues of yesterday, and that’s why we work with some of the bravest and most visionary artists around. People often ask me why Ruf has such a devoted following, but really it’s our artists – the Ruf Records family – who create that. Our role is to help them. To succeed in this business, it’s about working hard and being honest all the time. Speak the truth. Strive for quality in everything you do.”

Sources: Wikipedia; Ruf Records website; Blues.Gr; Rock & Blues Muse; Bette Smith website; Apple Music; Michael Lee website; YouTube