Big George Brock might have spent most of his life in St. Louis, but he’s still got the Delta in his soul.

Listen to his 2006 album “Round Two” and you’ll hear a blues singer with a voice as big, and almost as compelling, as those of legendary bluesmen such as Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters and Jimmy Reed with whom he’s shared stages over the years. He plays his harp as hard as he sings. The fact that Hubert Sumlin joined him for a couple of song is a testament to the esteem his colleagues hold for Big George.

He romps through songs such as “Shake for Me,” “No No Baby” and “Poor Boy.” And his rendition of “Burden Down” is a wonderful blend of gospel and blues.

“Round Two” is an old-school blues album for the new millennium. If you have any doubts, just listen to “Mr. Wal-Mart” and think how much both his old running mates and their grandchildren would dig it.

(Blues Blog Special is a regular feature that examines older blues albums worth checking out.)

I’ve been jonesing for a new album by Angela Strehli, one of the most gifted blues singers to ever come out of Texas, for a while now. Has it really been four years since “Blue Highway” came out?

Luckily, Youtube has some videos of her. They’ll have to do for now:

The BBC is reporting that the death of former Rolling Stones guitarist Brian Jones is to be reviewed following new evidence, it has been revealed.

Police in Sussex were handed new information connected to the musician’s untimely death 40 years ago.

Mr Jones, was found dead at the bottom of a swimming pool at a house in Cotchford farm, Hartfield, East Sussex.

An inquest recorded a verdict of death by misadventure but speculation continued that he was murdered.

A spokesman for Sussex police said the force had been handed documents connected with Jones’s death, prompting the review.

But he added it was too early to launch a fresh investigation.

He added: “These papers will be examined by Sussex Police, but it is too early to comment at this time as to what the outcome will be.”

Jones, who was 27 when he died, was a founding member of the Rolling Stones.

The Mescal Sheiks, a Los Angeles-based band, blend blues, soul and gospel about as well as anyone I’ve heard since Pops Staples died.

In fact, “How Long,” the first track on their 2006 release, “This World Is Not My Home,” and “Healin’ Love” remind me of Staple Singers songs. Others such as “Better Get Ta’ Steppin’ and “Got to Have Me Two” tread closer to the New Orleans blues and funk that Dr. John has mined for so many years.

“Walking to the River” is a flat-out gorgeous gospel tune with some slide guitar licks and vocal harmonies that seem to float down from the clouds. The fat sounds of an organ get “Baby Whatcha Do” off to an easy-rolling start that heats up when the sounds of a bluesy guitar join the party.

Some of you might remember The Hangan Brothers, which spawned The Mescal Sheiks. More probably know Clabe Hangan from the Ben Harper albums on which he provided exquisite backing vocals, and keyboard player Rick Solem from his work with folks such as Dave Alvin and Duane Jarvis. “This World Is Not My Home” illustrates that you should know The Mescal Sheiks, too.

CRECD197 was released during hugely successful times for Creation Records, an era during the mid 90`s where Oasis, Ride and Primal Scream were selling record numbers of units for fun. Artists like Teenage Fanclub, My Bloody Valentine and The Boo Radleys were forming iconic Indie fan bases before the sad demise of Britpop towards the end of the `90`s. A very good time indeed for Creation Records, in fact a tidy era for most British music on the whole. Love or loathe him, Alan McGee still continues to have a relevant say on popular music culture and the natural ability to, lets say, cause a stir.

Primal Scream – Rocks
Teenage Fanclub – Mellow Doubt
Ruby – Paraffin
Ed Ball – It`s Kinda Lonely Where I Am
Heavy Stereo – Sleep Freak
The Boo Radleys – Reaching Out From Here
Oasis – Acquiesce
Ride – Natural Grace
Teenage Filmstars – Kiss Me
Velvet Crush – Why Not Your Baby
The Times – Ballad Of George Best
18 Wheeler – Steel Guitars
Scuba – Drowning Astronaut

Buy Compilation

I’ve picked up a few of Dan Melchior’s records over the years and the man can lay a roughed up blues riff but none of his newer diversions under the “un Das Menace” banner have really grabbed me until now. Tearing at the strings like a psych-blues shaman, Melchior seems to have finally found the perfect balance between his In The Red garage floor beginnings and the unhinged side of the sun. Fuzz blown and string strangled, Obscured by Fuzz lives up to the promises that title brings with it, and Melchoir leads the the ransacked parade in grand shambolic fashion. The album’s at its best when the fuzz bites into you like a confused dog, thrashing out without knowing what its going to do once it hooks its teeth in. But while Melchior’s guitar pulls back it’s gums, he remains cool and collected vocally watching the carnage go down with a crooked smirk. When he does dip into a few Syd Barrett woozy pop numbers, its still all well and good, just more twisted firewood to stoke the blaze but he does well to keep one foot in his tattered amp past and the other stretched way into the void.

Download:
[MP3] Dan Melchior und Das Menace – Obscured by Fuzz
[MP3] Dan Melchior und Das Menace – Caffeine and Alcohol

Support the artist. Buy it: HERE

The first time I ever heard of Wrathchild was maybe late 1984 in a short article in Hit Parader. Then I never heard their music and didn’t hear about until the lawsuit that involved this UK glam band and the one from my area who later changed their name to Wrathchild America. Over the last twenty some years I would occasionally come across some mention of these spiked haired, make-up wearing dudes and wonder what they sounded like. I came across a copy of “Stakk Attakk” on CD eight or nine years ago, but the $17 price tag was too steep for me to take a chance on them so their sound remained a mystery to me until now. Another re-issue this month and a lower price tag made me finally take the plunge. These guys formed way back in 1980 and had some demos and an EP over the next few years before finally putting out the full length “Stakk Attakk” in 1984. So what’s like? Well, despite the numerous re-issue of this title it’s obvious that no one has bothered to remaster it because most of the songs sound like 80’s demo quality. I also think that Poison, Tigertailz and Pretty Boy Floyd all heard this album and pulled from it in their early recordings. There are a few songs here that sound a little like KISS and a few that sound somewhat like Twisted Sister, but mainly they are fairly original. I wasn’t completely entertained by all that they did on this album, but largely it’s decent. It’s simple yet fun, but the first half of the album has a lot more power to it than does the second half. However, after the debut the band had some rough times as RCA noticed them and tried to get them away from their contract with Heavy Metal Records. All this tied them up and kept them releasing new material for several years. Finally in 1988 they re-emerged with “The Biz Suxx”. Then they were involved in the above mentioned band name lawsuit and the American Wrathchild had to add on to their name while this band released “Delerium” in 1989. They broke up soon after. Three former members are currently in Psychowrath. Vocalist Rocky Shades has dug up the Wrathchild name this year and put together a new line-up that also includes former Tigertailz drummer Ace Finchum. So maybe we have not heard the last of this band. Now I have mostly heard that their debut is supposed to be their best, but the other two albums are now available so maybe eventually I will track them down as well. Until then I will keep wondering if influencing Poison counts as credit or blame.

The BBC is reporting that the death of former Rolling Stones guitarist Brian Jones is to be reviewed following new evidence, it has been revealed.

Police in Sussex were handed new information connected to the musician’s untimely death 40 years ago.

Mr Jones, was found dead at the bottom of a swimming pool at a house in Cotchford farm, Hartfield, East Sussex.

An inquest recorded a verdict of death by misadventure but speculation continued that he was murdered.

A spokesman for Sussex police said the force had been handed documents connected with Jones’s death, prompting the review.

But he added it was too early to launch a fresh investigation.

He added: “These papers will be examined by Sussex Police, but it is too early to comment at this time as to what the outcome will be.”

Jones, who was 27 when he died, was a founding member of the Rolling Stones.

This past Thursday, (August 27th) blues rock guitar virtuoso Chris Duarte performed at The Launchpad, in downtown Albuquerque, New Mexico. Opening up were fast rising up and comers The Ryan McGarvey Band, fresh from playing the 1st Annual Mile High Blues Fest in Denver, Colorado.

For your viewing and listening pleasure, here’s an excerpt of Duarte’s headlining set in the form of a pyrotechnic cover of the Jimi Hendrix classic “Drivin’ South”:

I don’t know why it took so long for Orestes Vilató, one of the great timbaleros in the world, to have an opportunity to record his own album. I’m just glad he finally did.

If you love music, you’ve probably heard his work with folks such as Ray Barretto, the Fania All Stars, Aretha Franklin, Santana, Clifford Jordan, Bobby Hutcherson, Linda Ronstadt and Omar Sosa. He draws from his experiences with those musicians for “It’s About Time.” Mostly, though, he channels the music of Cuba and New York he’s heard since he was a kid.

It’s a remarkable album with an all-star cast of musicians. I hope it doesn’t take long for him to record another.