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...Capitol-City A&E Zine...

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Country Music Reviews

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		Julia Anne Swanson   New review coming soon!

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Brandon Jenkins

Faded

Yellow Dog Productions

In support of his 1994 debut release Tough Times Don't Last, Brandon Jenkins and his band launched into a regional touring campaign that resulted in them opening for the likes of Willie Nelson, David Allen Coe, Tracy Byrd, Hal Ketchum, Ray Wiley Hubbard, The Mavericks and Stephen Stills. With the current sophomore release Faded, Jenkins illustrates why he's the self-proclaimed "King of Western Soul" in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Deftly crossing intelligent country lyrics about hard livin', hard workin', hard lovin' folk, with a ballsy blues-driven guitar and a two-steppin' drummer, Jenkins occasionally rocks out all over the place. The jewel of the album is "Southern California." A wailing and moaning harmonica plays the saddest soul wrenching music, accented by the light sprinkling of piano keys. The quiet intricate finger pickin' of an acoustic guitar accompanies the lonesome lyrics of one Oklahoma boy who's homesick in SoCal. Jenkins writes gritty lyrics about real people and his cross-over style of county/bluesy/rock is one to watch for.

-Sharon Jones-LeFlore

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Kelly Willis

Fading Fast (EP)

A&M Records

Kelly Willis sounds like a coal miner's daughter on this disk-pure Appalachia in her melodious, longing warble. This disk owes nothing to contemporary country and everything to the country divas of the past. Even in the construction of her bite-size songs (the longest weighs in at just over three minutes), Willis stays faithful to her models, such as Patsy Cline. She also displays a little Sixth Street rock 'n' roll punch, revealing her time in Austin. One of the high points is "Fading Fast" (featured in the movie Boys.). Willis offers sterling, if less animated, renditions of Bruce Robison's "He Don't Care About Me," with slowhand banjo by Dave Boquist, and "Aren't I True," the latter performed with 16 Horsepower. Both tunes are arranged in a style reminiscent of the days when country was rural. The packaging displays childhood shots of Willis, with a cover depicting the end of day (and youth). Hinting at her desire to recover the music of her earlier memories, amid feelings of aging (definitely not evident during her recent appearance at the Cactus Cafe for the Townes tribute). Willis poses as literally the fair-haired girl of traditional country, and who would dare to challenge her?

-Lindsey Eck

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Charlie Burton and the Texas Twelve Steppers

(Lazy S.O.B. Recordings)
Rustic Fixer Upper
http://www.io.com/lazysob

I'm ashamed this wonderful disk has been out since the spring of '97 and I'm just now singing its praises. If you're turned on by intelligent songwriters - make sure your honey is close by your side for this one. Charlie Burton comes across with a no bullshit attitude and has a heart-of-the-matter style of presentation. Hard times hurt and the honesty in "Livin' on Borrowed Time (Livin' on Borrowed Money" aches. The mood swings up with humor and I catch myself singing along to "I'm the Guy Who Let Miss Universe Slip Through His Fingers" just because it makes me grin. This is Burton's sixth album, but the first recorded and released here in Austin, where he has resided since 1992. (You may remember Burton from his days as Rolling Stone Magazine's country critic.) Produced by Asleep at the Wheel's mucho-Grammied drummer, David Sanger, it includes a power house of Austin talent. Guitar wizardry is performed by Mark Korpi (Evan Johns, The
Naughty Ones), bass guitar slinger is none other than Vic Gerrard (Derailers, Two Hoots and a Hollar), and of course the master himself, is on drums. Amongst others, the guest Twelve Steppers include Ian McLagan (Small Faces, Rod Steward) on keyboards, steel guitar curtsey of Lucky Oceans (Asleep at the Wheel) and the infamous Eric Hokkanen on fiddle. This is definitely a Rustic Fixer-Upper you'll feel right at home in tearing down the walls.

-Sharon Jones-LeFlore

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Jeff Hughes

Chaparral

(Boar's Nest Records)

http://www.flash.net/~tworoads
tworoads@flash.net

Anyone who lived in Austin in the early '90s knew Chaparral. The band was at its apex in 1992, when they were selected as the "Best Country Band" in the Austin Chronicle's readers poll, before frontman Jeff Hughes two-stepped his way to Nashville to write songs for EMI Music. Don't be fooled by the word "country," Chaparral isn't your garden variety, achy-breaky, line dancing kind of country band. Nor is it the traditional "cryin' in your beer/throw Mama from the train" type either. Sounding more like Roy Orbision than Roy Clark, Chaparral waltzed onto the scene and jitter-bugged it into submission. Infamous for their long running Wednesday night gigs at the Black Cat Lounge and the packed dance floors at the Continental Club, Chaparral was at the forefront of the country-rock insurrection with their unique blend of new wave punk and tradional country music. The saga began by Hughes in 1987 has finally come full circle. Hughes returned to Austin and produced and recorded a long awaited collection of songs that chronicles the legacy of Austin's alternative country pioneers. Over the years, the revolving line-up that comprised Chaparral, read like a bibliography of the county/roots/rock movement that was swinging its way through Austin. Adding to the suave vocals of Hughes are John Ludwick (bass), Mike Hardwick (pedal steel), the lead guitar of Chris Miller and drums by Merel Bregante (Loggins & Messina, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band) . Other guests of note, include Casper Rawls, Bruce Robinson, Michael Ramos, John Inmon and Kelly Willis. A must for any collection.

-Sharon Jones-LeFlore

Phil Pritchett

(Spitune Records) Phil Comes Alive
http://lonestar.texas.net/~skipper/phil/

Phil Pritchett is another country fried Texas homeboy, growing up outside Austin in the small farming community of Georgetown. Phil Comes Alive is Pritchett's boot scootin' follow up to last year's down-homey debut Philworld (also released on his own Spitune Records). If you've ever wondered what a real Texas beer joint sounds like, Phil Comes Alive will swing you right into the middle of the dance floor. As Pritchett says, "If it was any more live you'd have smoke coming out of your speakers and the album would not play past 2 am." Between the enthusiastic audience participation, (wolf calls, whistles, shouted requests, sing-a-longs and clanging beer bottles), you're in honky-tonk heaven.

With a strong, honey-tinged voice (Dale Watson kept coming to mind), Pritchett entertains with fun songs full of irreverent humor and "just a pinch between the cheek and gums" stained lyrics. If you like your country spiced with cha-cha rhythms, rock-a-billy bass lines and laced with old fashioned rock 'n roll guitar licks, this one's for you.

-Sharon Jones-LeFlore

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Travis County Pickin'

(HMG/Hightone Records)
http://www.hightone.com

Country-jazz guitars, Austin, Texas style. Travis County Pickin'' is a unique instrumental collection of country jazz recorded by some of Austin's finest guitar slingers (you can't toss an empty Lone Star bottle without hitting one). Brain child of guitarist Jim Stringer (Git Gone), he also produced it and recorded it in his home studio. An impressive wrecking crew is spotlighted on this CD, with fifteen original compositions being performed by the artists who wrote them. Totally Austin with an Attitude, it contains songs with titles like "Austin-tatious" and "April in Paris, Texas." So, whose doin' all the pickin'? Dave Biller, Joel Hamilton, Brian Hofeldt, Sean Mencher, Casper Rawls, and Jim Stringer, that's who. Featuring guests like Erik Hokkanen on fiddle and Lloyd Maines on steel, this unique, but impressive album is a keeper! Any country-jazz music lovers on your Christmas list?

- Sharon Jones-LeFlore

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A Taste Of Texas:

Songs 'Bout Texas by Texans (Epic/Legacy Records)

Unfortunately, this blatantly commercial compilation of heavy hitters has no taste. The only thing this album has in common with itself, is that all of the song titles have "Texas" in them (except one, which has Dallas). Featuring the likes of George Jones, the Vaughn Brothers, the Highwaymen, Moe Bandy, Willie Nelson, Stevie Ray Vaughn, David Allan Coe, Rodney Crowell, Omar & the Howlers, Asleep At The Wheel, Billy Jo Shaver, Rusty Weir and the best surprise of all, Johnny Winter. I think I'll buy a truck load and sell them outside of Samsung-it'd be another instant Texas sell-out.

-Sharon Jones-LeFlore

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