| Riffs - a Web-only column
Lemmy Kilmister is not exactly the first name you would associate with thumping, bass-driven rockabilly and exuberant R&B and blues covers, but those are precisely the sounds that influenced him in his earlier years. He returns to those sounds with his new release The Head Cat (Rock-a-Billy), a trio date with Danny B. Harvey operating as primary soloist and Slim Jim Phantom supplying the big beat fills on their versions of Buddy Holly's “Peggy Sue Got Married," “Learning The Game" and “Crying, Waiting, Hoping."
Kilmister's voice is animated and energetic, if at times a bit to the grizzled side, but he clearly understands the spirit of the sounds, even if he doesn't always exactly replicate the tone. Other numbers the threesome effectively tackle include Johnny Cash's “Big River," Carl Perkins' “Matchbox," Jimmy Reed's “You got Me Dizzy" and Lloyd Price's “Lawdy Miss Clawdy." Phantom's drumming proves ideal for the occasion, not so steady it lacks drive or impact, but still squarely in the rhythmic pocket.
CD review: Julie Roberts
HARD COUNTRY: On her second album, South Carolina's Julie Roberts sinks her bluesy twang into a batch of stone-country songs about cheating, drinking, loving, Mama and even some girl-next-door jealousy. Mandolin, fiddle, steel guitar and dobro give the CD a homespun yet hard-edged vibe. You could as easily hear these songs at the local honky-tonk as you could enjoy them while sitting on your front porch. SAD COUNTRY: But be prepared to shed a tear in your beer or iced tea. Ms. Roberts' model good looks and deceptively photogenic image belie her artistic strengths. She's no chirpy pop singer disguised as country à la current genre princesses Faith Hill, Sara Evans and Carrie Underwood. This sculpted blonde has depth and power, particularly during "Paint and Pillows," a piercing tale of adultery; "Men & Mascara," a sad story about heartbreaking mistakes; and "A Bridge That's Burning," a cautionary confession of temptation.
Electronic dance act Dress Code finds focus
Although local electronic dance act Dress Code performs occasionally in clubs and at events like Mid-Point Music Festival in Cincinnati, Derek "DJH" Holley thinks of his project more as a virtual band. As the term suggests, the Dayton-native's one-man electronic band has a much larger presence on the Internet. .
Mix picks: CD
DASHBOARD CONFESSIONAL, "Dusk and Summer" (Vagrant Records) -- The latest album from Chris Carrabba's super-successful emo-rock outfit Dashboard Confessional continues the artist's emotional excursions into the world of young love -- with all its heightened yearnings and frequent sorrows. And if there are hints of U2-style production textures, as in the standout second track "Reason to Believe," well, U2 collaborator Daniel Lanois had a hand in the production, though Linkin Park producer Don Gilmore, who produced Dashboard's 2004 "Spider-Man 2" soundtrack hit "Vindicated," is responsible for most of it. .
Great Big Sea sets rollicking tone at massive opening night
Never underestimate the appetite for Great Big Sea in Ottawa. Although the Newfoundland band played here just a couple of months ago, that minor detail had little, if any, effect on either attendance or enthusiasm at Bluesfest last night. With the crowd at Festival Plaza unofficially estimated at more than 20,000 people -- approximately 10 times the size of the crowd at the band's recent appearance at the National Arts Centre -- it looked like one of the biggest opening nights in Bluesfest history. On a perfect summer night, thousands more checked out Canadian indie rockers Broken Social Scene and Malajube at the new MBNA Stage, a nice grassy area a stone's throw away at Lisgar Collegiate. Still more crammed into the Black Sheep zone for Calexico and Seu Jorge. Between those two stages, the Blues Til Dusk stage featured bluesman Otis Taylor, a jam with Ottawa guitar hero Tony D and Cuban dance band Maraca.
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