Poor Boy’s Soul: Burn Down [Album]

When I heard that the newly introduced blues phenomenon to be was recently arrested (again) for hopping freight trains in North Dakota, I knew right away he must be honorable inducted into the Trainwreck’d Society.  What a beautiful character and crafty bluesman.

Poor Boy’s Soul, a.k.a. Trevor Jones, makes whiskey laced old time blues with a strange punk like element that could only be induced by a mirage of life experiences that don’t seem to fit into this era of digitalized indecency and loss of respect for the roots of America.  No matter how tattered and malevolent said roots may be.  Poor Boy’s Soul embodies that no holds barred spirit we just can’t find in rock n roll these days.

On his debut album, Burn Down, we receive a large dose of the broken glass reality shoved down our throats in such a beautiful way.  Not since the likes of Anton Newcombe has there really been someone who can simply naturalize a sound that you can only think of as extremely pure, and deriving solely from the heart.  Tracks like “Annalisa” find our hero in a sullen like state very different form the rough around the center, pretty around the edges style from previous tracks like “Movin’ To The City” or “Throwing Stones” (which is a wonderful replica classic train songs).  And this is where we really feel the organic reality of pain and suffering to the highest degree.  No matter the mood of a song, you can guarantee that you are hearing true and heartfelt reality of  a man born way after his time, yet not afraid to express himself as he was always meant to do.

It’s unsure where Poor Boy’s Soul really fits into today’s culture and society.  Is the world really ready for a young man with an old heart to break through to the other side of stardom right now?  Thankfully, none of this unfathomable bullshit is really applicable to this cool cat.  He’s still out there hopping freight, picking till his fingers bleed, and blending Woody Guthrie with the likes of Blind Lemon Jefferson in everything he does.  Even beyond the music.  Beyond the lighted stages of a depressed society.  Beyond, and behind it all, we have an amazing talent in our views.  Try and look away, if you think it’s possible.  But you will know what you are missing out on.

Key Tracks:  “Annalisa”, “Throwing Stones”, “Ain’t Comin’ Back No More”

Download “Burn Down That House” for FREE, right over HERE.

Burn Down will be released in early November.  Be on the look out!  Check out additional tracks on his Myspace Page.

Sassy: Diggin’ Deep [Album]

Every once in a great while, you might just hear some women in pop punk music that might just scare the shit out of you. You might think of sweet old Juliette Lewis screeching about chaos with The Licks, or maybe the wild and freaked out antics of the likes of Tacocat and Forever. But then there are some that might just make you fall in love. And with that, I present to a group that truly exemplifies the latter, a fantastic tweaked out harmony based duo known as Sassy. Lay your preconceptions to rest, and check out their beautiful release Diggin’ Deep.

The track list of Diggin’ Deep holds a wide array of tracks that dance between love, love loss, and loving the loss of love. The pinnacle of Sassy’s “feeling oh so good” popped out mentality comes pretty early with “So Bad It’s Good”, but it only slows down slightly by the time “Blink Once” polishes off the 13 songs. Elements of Lynda Mandolyn’s previous work with Fabulous Disaster are present, but not definitely not dominant. What we have here is entirely fresh, and without a doubt, a remarkably cool genre bending work of art.

For every ounce of sweetness Sassy pours into their songs, there is a fair about of tartness as well. Then again, if you call a tall glass of everclear being slow dripped into your veins “tart”, then I might be spot on. One thing that is absolutely for certain, this angels of chaos certainly bring the love and pain on their debut album, Diggin’ Deep. And there is no denying that these ladies have what it takes to make you beg for their love, as they bury you with beautifully tuned and precise instrumentations of fun

Key Tracks:  “Blink Once” and “It Really Hurts”.

Find more information on this illustrious duo on Facebook.

The Coffin Collectors: Leopardskin Tales [Album]

It’s Independence Day here in the U.S.  So what better time than now to showcase a fabulous new British pop group that grasped my attention recently.  Right?  I thought so.

The Coffin Collectors are a freshly formed duo featuring prominent forces of expression from the the always enticing label Pastime Records (Andy B, Jacqui & Anthony).  And while their name seems to be fitting for a Swedish death metal collaboration, it becomes quite clear that this is not the case.  During the first seconds of their debut album, Leopardskin Tales, you realize that you are entering a Rocky Horror Show type world, and you might not get out unnerved and unharmed.  And why would you?

The albums opening track, “Night Train” is fabulous, but a bit misleading.  The feel of this lead off track is reminiscent to the Frank Schneider led group The Superions, but with a bit of a dark omnipresent feel.  It’s a very well conceived and enjoyable track, but the madness really begins to ensue from “Red Hair” on, with an ultimate in the hilarious and body grooving ditty “Coffin Collector”.  What makes Leopardskin Tales especially delightful is definitely the individuality of each track.  While the feel is all the same (save for “Night Train” of course), each song is a personalized descriptor of some bizarre scenario, relationship, or thought patterns.  It’s a real treat.

The Coffin Collectors is a unique project for this day and age.  They aren’t very similar to their fellow Pastime Records/Pop Noise colleagues running around the streets of Exeter, London, where have you, but they are certainly just as substantial.  And Leopardskin Tales is about as perfect of a debut these guys could have ever thought to release.  All of their cards are on the table.  Grave Yards will be tormented at any given moment.  And it will have never sounded so damn sweet and charming!

Key Tracks:  “Coffin Collector”, “Night Train”, and “Lookin Fine”

Listen to Leopardskin Tales in it’s entirety, and pick up a copy of the album at the group’s Bandcamp Page.

Courtesy of Oscuro Records, 2011.