Highlight Tracks: "When I Was Drinking," "Lazy Eye" and "Stupid Mouth Shut"
For More Info: Visit http://www.bar-none.com
Artist: Memphis Radio Kings
Album: No Band in the Happy Place
The Scoop: Ever since Nevermind, untold thousands of Midwestern garage bands have had severe cases of Seattle envy. Finally along comes a band that reverses the trend. Seattle's Memphis Radio Kings sound like fish out of water-namely, the Mississippi River. They shake up old-fashioned bluesy Delta twang with a liquored-up kiss of The Replacements. Honest-to-goodness rock and roll, ladies and gentlemen! Charlie Beck cuts a charismatic figure as frontman-a blue-collar man's man rolling with life's punches-and lead guitarist Tim Jones gets to uncork some scorchers. Without a bassist, rhythm duties fall heavily on the shoulders of drummer Tony Leamer, who answers the call with an indefatigable thumping. "She said I would not go far / Playing this guitar / So far, she's right," goes one typical line from the album. But instead of making a mopey album, Memphis Radio Kings have instead made one that encourages you to get up, dust yourself off, and get back on whatever horse bucked you off.Highlight Tracks: "Windsong" and "Same Old Me"
For More Info: Head to http://www.memphisradiokings.com
Artist: Muscular Christians
Album: Dan Marino: Important Message
The Scoop: First of all, let's give proper kudos to the album title-rightfully pointed out by The Onion as one of the century's best. As for the music, the twisted folk of Muscular Christians probably won't find a contemporary in your CD collection. The humor doesn't hit the mark every time; some subjects, like a man wearing women's clothes, are comic dead horses. But babysitters beating children? That makes me laugh. A breathy, weirdly intense song about Harvey Fierstein? Count me in. And don't expect the band to discard the unusual subject matter. Their new single, suffice to say, is about cancer. Comedy gold! But the real key to Dan Marino is the presentation: it's absurd, but there's nothing arch or ironic about how the songs are performed. The three Muscular Christians-Tim Hatch, Jesse Fisher and Sam Douglas-take turns on vocals (the backing vocals are often highlights, too), wield fiddles and mandolins, and can easily be imagined playing their bizarre folk songs on some porch in the Appalachians. And, absurdities aside, the Christians craft some contagious nuggets of poppy, singalong folk music.
Highlight Tracks: "I'm Not Gay" and "Harvey Fierstein"
For More Info: Make a pilgrimage to http://www.muscularchristians.com
