TIHUYA CATS - I DIDN'T ALWAYS SEE THINGS THIS WAY (ep)

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Cara A = 1. Big Boy   2. I'm Mad At You

Cara B = 3. I Didn't Always (See Things This Way)   4. Falsa pasión

CAB Records / CAB7005

From La Palma (Canary Islands), via Valladolid comes this EP by Tihuya Cats, released by CAB Records. A tiny label, yes indeed, but that shows great taste in the selection of the records they issue and that always offers great product quality, both in the music field (we'll see that in a little while) as in the design one (please pay attention to the beautiful sleeve design by artist Nano Barbero).

Tihuya Cats are Raquel "Kelly Cat" (lead vocal) and "Lee" Villalba (upright bass), plus Pablo Villalba (drums) and "Johnny" Acosta (acoustic guitar)... with the addition for this record of the great "Uncle Charlie" (electric guitar) as special guest.

But let's go with the songs included in this EP, because that's what really matters here. Side A, with "Big Boy" and "I'm Mad At You" (covers of Ki Ki Page and Wynona Carr songs respectively), is kind of Rhythm'n'Blues friendly, which has come as a surprise to me as I thought Tihuya Cats were a strictly Rockabilly band. It sounds good, really good, even though at some points I feel the band is not really confortable with the Rhythm'n'Blues style.

Side B, on the other hand, brings two good Rockabilly cuts, being the first one, "I Didn't Always (See Things This Way)", penned by great Texas Rocker Huelyn Duvall; and the second one, "Falsa pasión", signed by Carlos A. del Bosque (AKA "Uncle Charlie") and the only one sung in Spanish in this record. Here I feel the Tihuya Cats are absolutely in their territory and it is an evidence in the final result. For me, side B is the strong one in this record, with "I Didn't Always" being probably the best song, with "Falsa pasión" close behind.

According to the info on the sleeve, all four songs were recorded live, but it has to be highlighted that sound quality is more than good enough to enjoy the record.

Brief, a good EP by Tihuya Cats in which side B outpaces side A. Recommended? Sure yes!

DEAD BRONCO - BEDRIDDEN & HELLBOUND

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1. Florida Grown   2. Drinking Alone   3. Make My Eyes Bleed   4. Thy Mother's Ways   5. Bedridden & Hellbound   6. My True Love   7. Keg Stand   8. Devil Woman   9. Mudd The Demon   10. Mama Tried   11. Stop Killing All My Friends   12. Rambling On My Mind

Autoeditado / Sin nº de referencia

Damn it! One of the best Country bands we can get to listen to nowadays is from the Basque Country, Spain, and not from the USA! Funny as it may seem, it's absolutely true and Dead Bronco is the name of the band. They are the real thing, not that sweetened wannabe Country that some big multinational labels want to sell us (Pop at its worst). What these guys play is good, old Country with a good deal of Rock'n'Roll and tons of attitude. Broncobilly is the name that they use to explain their style... and it seems quite clear and a good one to me.

But lets go ahead writting something about this "Bedridden & Hellbound" that brings, as said before, lots of Country and some Rock'n'Roll... and when I write Rock'n'Roll, this time I mean from Rockabilly to Southern Rock and beyond. For the Country end, we can use the terrific "Drinking Alone" as an example, while from the opposite side, that kind of even Hard Rock edge but without loosing the Country feeling, we can take "Stop Killing All My Friends". Yes, sure Country purists may say it goes too Rockabilly at a moment and too Hard Rock at another, but that's the Broncobilly style above-mentioned and maybe that's the charm of Dead Bronco. And all that mix of styles, all those rhythms, come from five more than accomplished musicians. It's no strange at all that this band is being called from almost everywhere around Europe and even the USA for live shows.

Regarding band members, the Hillbilly touch comes from Matt Horan's voice (he also plays rhythm guitar), and Dani Merino's lap steel, while the Rock'n'Roll, even Rockabilly, feeling is provided by Manu Heredia on lead guitar and Oscar Calleja on slapbass, with Danel Marin giving a steady beat from behind the drumset. Very good musicians all of them by their own and great together as a band.

Eleven of the songs included are penned by the band, with Merle Haggard's "Mama Tried" as the only cover. I like that preference for their own compositions and I understand it's not easy in a world, the one of Country music, where it's so easy to find a good song to cover.

A good record, yes sir, in which I have some favourite songs to be highlighted, of course from my preferences and point of view, being so "Drinking Alone" in first place, with "My True Love" close behind and also "Rambling On My Mind", all three in the most Country part of the record.

By the way, the title ("Bedridden & Hellbound"), added up to the yellowish eyed beasts on the cover plus skulls, might scare the faint-hearted...

Then, I'll say it once again: a good record from a very good band. Probably the best record in the history of Dead Bronco for the time being. Recommended.

JOHNNY CASH - BALLAD OF A TEENAGE QUEEN / BIG RIVER (single)

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Side A = Ballad Of A Teenage Queen

Side B = Big River

Sleazy Records / SR114

Another great 7" right from Sleazy Records and this one brings us the two Johnny Cash songs that were issued by Sun Records back in December 1957 with cat. # 283, so "Ballad Of A Teenage Queen" b/w "Big River"... but this time the first one comes undubbed, that means without the "too much sugar for me" girl chorus of the original, while the flip offers an alternative take of that marvel that is "Big River", slightly different to the original.

For more info, nothing better than to read the very good sleeve notes, signed by DeeJay Francho, a classic of the label, as there we'll get all we need to know about the two songs included.

To finish this review, suffice to say that it seems to me highly interesting to listen to these raw alternative takes, specially if you are a Johnny Cash fan... and as the label from Malaga, Spain, uses to do, the sound quality is just astonishing.

WAYNE HANCOCK - SLINGIN' RHYTHM

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1. Slingin' Rhythm   2. Dirty House Blues   3. Killed Them Both   4. Wear Out Your Welcome   5. Two String Boogie   6. Over Easy   7. Small Bouquet Of Roses   8. Divorce Me C.O.D.   9. Dog Day Blues   10. Love You Always   11. Thy Burdens Are Greater Than Mine   12. Slingin' Rhythm Intro

Bloodshot Records / BS249

Wayne "The Train" Hancock released a new album in 2016 and here we have it for a short review.

First of all, "Slingin' Rhythm" seems to me a good record. Maybe not Hancock's best record, but a good one for sure. Even a very good one.

Twelve cuts are included in the CD, but it means eleven songs as the last one is just an intro of "Slingin' Rhythm", the song that opens and gives its title to the album. Two of them are versions ("Divorce Me C.O.D." and "Thy Burdens Are Greater Than Mine"), one (the instro "Over Easy") is penned by Rose Sinclair, who plays steel guitar in this record, and the rest are the work of Wayne Hancock himself.

All of them fit perfectly in the style of "The Train": that blend of Hillbilly, plus Rockabilly and some Blues. Call it Juke Joint, Roots Music, Americana or whatever you want, but it has a feeling and a rhythm that makes me start foot-tappin' in just a few seconds. And all that with a classic Hillbilly line-up of voice, acoustic, electric and steel guitars, upright bass and the addition of a dobro somewhere.

I'll say it again: it seems to me a good record and in my very own opinion the highlights are "Killed Them Both", "Two String Boogie" and "Small Bouquet Of Roses" (that reminds me a lot of Hank Williams).

By the way, I love the artwork of the sleeve.

Ladies and gentlemen, "The Train" keeps-a-rollin' and delivering good, very good, Hillbilly music. If you already know the work of this Texas born artist, you won't be disappointed with "Slingin' Rhythm"... If you don't know Wayne Hancock yet, come on, give him a chance... and give yourself a treat. I think Wayne "The Train" Hancock is the closest we have today to the great Hank Williams. I'm not joking.

THE JIVE ACES - SPREAD A LITTLE HAPPINESS

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1. Spread A Little Happiness   2. Bare Necessities   3. La Dolce Vita   4. L.O.V.E.   5. Lovin' Life   6. Smile   7. Boogie Woogie Country Girl   8. Get Me To The Church On Time   9. I Like To Eat   10. The Simple Things   11. In The Mood   12. Answer Your Call

Golden Age Recordings / GARCD003

I use to write here reviews of records released during the last few months. There have been some (very few) exceptions and here I am with a new one, as this "Spread A Little Happiness" by The Jive Aces was released back in 2015.

I'm making an exception because even though this English band began Jiving at the second half of the 1980's, more or less at the same time I discovered the wonderful world of Rock'n'Roll, it has been just around a month ago that I've become aware of their existence. Maybe I've heard them before, who knows, but I really hadn't paid attention to them. Huge mistake, I concede. Note that they even have had some "smash hits" in the past, such as "Bring Me Sunshine", from their "King Of The Swingers" CD. Since I've "discovered" them, The Jive Aces are one of my favourite bands, so I feel it is fair , a kind of an act of justice, to write a review about this record, their last one released til now if I'm right.

A dozen songs have been included, all of them wonderful. It makes 34 minutes and 8 seconds of pure joy and fun. I can remember just a handful of records with a title so close to what they contain, because what these gentlemen do in it is spread happiness... and they do so with Jive, Swing and Rock'n'Roll rhythm, making you dance even if you (as myself) are as clumsy as it gets. For those of you who don't know The Jive Aces, their style comes right from Jive and Swing in the way Louis Prima did, adding a touch of Rock'n'Roll that fits nicely.

By the way, The Jive Aces are Ian (voice, ukulele and trumpet), John (sax), Alex (trombone), Vince (piano), Ken (double-bass) and Peter (drums)... and all of them (I mean ALL) seem to me absolutely great doing their job. More than that, if you watch on the internet the videos of their live shows you'll see they are outstanding showmen.

I'll say it again: the 12 songs included are absolutely great and it's difficult to highlight any of them above the rest, but of course I have my favourites, being so "Spread A Little Happiness", "Bare Necessities", "L.O.V.E.", "Smile" and, above all, "La Dolce Vita". As a matter of fact, since I heard "La Dolce Vita" for the first time I can't help but to hum it anywhere at anytime. I insist once more: all of them are top quality. All killers, no fillers.

To all that musical goodness, it has to be added a beautiful artwork for the sleeve and the booklet, with fun cartoons fitting the mood of the songs.

Since I heard (or paid attention to) The Jive Aces for the first time, around a month ago as I said before, I've already bought two of their CD's... and I'm pretty sure that I'm going "to need" to buy a few more soon. The Jive Aces, where have you been all those years?

Highly and strongly recommended. Am I clear enough?

MAS BIRRAS - MALDITA SEA MI SUERTE (DISCOGRAFÍA COMPLETA 1985 - 1993)

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CD 1 = 1. Maldita sea mi suerte   2. Tren de medianoche   3. Esa chica llamada Soledad   4. Apuesta por el Rock'n'Roll   5. Moliendo café   6. El siguiente eres tú   7. Quiero beber   8. Cervezas y cigarros   9. Voces de Tango   10. ¡Oh Ana!   11. Cass (la chica más guapa de la ciudad)   12. Asesinato en Torrero   13. Beber no cura   14. Vuelta atrás   15. No voy a ningún sitio   16. Isabel   17. Una historia como ésta   18. Eso de pedir perdón

CD 2 = 1. La telaraña   2. Perla criolla   3. Hay una cruz en El Saso   4. Besos tan dulces como la miel   5. Pronto nos veremos   6. La última traición   7. Nada queda   8. Arriba en la montaña   9. Tú no has cambiado   10. Sin sentido   11. Quién ha venido   12. El hombre del tambor   13. Promesas rotas   14. Más madera   15. Voces de tango   16. Loreto   17. Ya me voy   18. Carne de tren   19. Blues del hijo de Dios   20. Para llegar a ti

Universal Music Group / 0602557267983

Más Birras is a kind of cult band in Spanish Rockabilly and Rock'n'Roll history.

As we read on the subtitle of this 2 x CD set, here we have the complete discography of this band, so the songs released in their 4 LP's ("Al este del Moncayo", "Otra Ronda", "La última traición" and "Tierra quemada"), plus B sides from singles, with a very good sound quality.

All much more than very good if you, as myself, discovered Rockabilly back then, during the second half of the 1980's, and enjoyed their mix of nostalgia and satire (if not pure partying) in their lyrics, always in Spanish, along with their own way of playing Rock'n'Roll, Rockabilly, Country, Pop and even something else. "Maldita sea mi suerte", "Apuesta por el Rock'n'Roll", "Cass (la chica más guapa de la ciudad)", "Hay una cruz en El Saso", "El hombre del tambor" and so on are classics in Spanish Rock'n'Roll history in their own right.

A booklet with more than 20 pages is included, with biography, info about the four LP's that the band got released, pictures and so on.

For sure Más Birras is an essential band in Spanish Rock'n'Roll history.

NICO DUPORTAL & HIS RHYTHM DUDES - DEALING WITH MY BLUES

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1. Don't You See   2. I Know The Rules   3. Now Hush   4. The One To Blame   5. I Will Unfriend You   6. Mess And Chaos   7. Benzola Ascensor   8. Sometimes   9. Brand New Day   10. Junior's Mambo   11. Soul Patch   12. Long Way To Go   13. Mess And Chaos (acoustic)

Rhythm Bomb Records / RBR 5844

Fact: Nico Duportal is one of the top Rhythm'n'Blues singers and guitar players nowadays, if not just the best.

Fact: His Rhythm Dudes are around the same level than their band leader. Then, also top level worldwide.

With these ingredients, this "Dealing With My Blues" CD released by Rhythm Bomb Records has to be a good record... and a good record it is. But (this time here we have a but) I wonder what would it have been like with much less organ and much more piano, as it was in Nico Duportal & His Rhythm Dudes' previous records, such as in 2015 "Guitar Player", reviewed by yours truly in this very same blog back in May 2015.

It's just a matter of oppinion but for me, in this "Dealing With My Blues", the songs where the organ is less evident or it is substituted straightaway by the piano are the best ones. Take "I Know The Rules", "Long Way To Go" or the acoustic version of "Mess And Chaos", that comes as a bonus track on the CD, as examples.

So, a good record, even a very good record, that would be close to excellence with more piano. By the way, it has been released in CD and LP format.