Retro Music Review | Oldies, Reissues and New Releases with a Retro Sound

Andy Poxon Band - Red Roots (EllerSoul Records)
reviewed by Michael Macomber

OK, we could go into all the hyperbole about how amazing it is that a kid of 16 could write, play, record and produce such an incredible album. But let’s put that aside for the moment. Forget that blues guitarist/singer/songwriter Andy Poxon is so freakin’ young. Just spin this disc, kick back, and marvel at one of the finest genre blending artists to hit the scene in a very long time.

Poxon pulls influences from rock, blues, rockabilly, pop, country, soul, jazz, ad infinitum, and folds them seamlessly into one another. His voice has texture and truth, his lyrics come from genuine emotion, his arrangements are heartbreaking and heart-racing, toe-tapping and tearful, and most importantly, 100% effective. He knows how to bend your emotions with those strings.

“Hottest Thing in Town” echoes the swing-a-billy mix of the Stray Cats, while never becoming an imitation. The badass funky groove of “No Love” is utterly irresistible, recalling the best of Allen Toussaint. “I Want You So Bad” is a sweet, gentle blues ballad, wide-eyed and romantic, utterly gorgeous. “I’ll Sing the Blues” is as heavy duty as anything out of the big-muscle rock n roll blues of the late 60s, with a drop of a Cream for good measure. And when Poxon declares “I can’t get my feelings wrong”, he hits on a universal truth of the form that is pretty darned perceptive for an artist of any age.

Poxon and his Band have recorded a great blues album, with many more to come, no doubt. Keep an eye on this guy. He may actually bring the genre back to national prominence.

For more info on Andy Poxon and his album “Red Roots”, visit http://ellersoulrecords.com and http://www.andypoxon.com.

Kaye Bohler - Like A Flower (The Kaye Bohler Band; KB 2009)
reviewed by Michael Macomber

I’m telling ya, this lady has more than a little Aretha in her big, beautiful blues belt. She isn’t a sound-alike by any means, but she has that kind of power, that kind of nuance and that kind of emotional resonance. Her stylistic range is impressive too. “Wasted On You” opens like a smooth R&B number, but gradually resolves itself into a self-empowering declaration in the “R-E-S-P-E-C-T” class. “Constant State of the Blues” is a mix of thumping blues and 60s soul, pulsing with pain and rhythmic power. As her story gets more and more dire, the edge in her beautiful voice gets sharper and sharper. It becomes clear that nothing, and I mean nothing, can get in her away.

Of course, Ms. Bohler is much more than a magnificent set of pipes. It also turns out she’s a killer songwriter, author of every tune on this disc. Once again, her range is incredible. “I Got to Know” is a jump blues n’ swing number that could have come right out of the ’40s. “Another Man’s Arms” is badass Curtis Mayfield soul, the hit single from a film soundtrack that never was. “My Heart Beats for Him” could have come directly from the pen of Mr. Cole Porter. Her vocal approach on this one is so Billie Holiday it’ll give you shivers. Again, no imitation, but rather emulation. She is so gentle, so subtle, so glorious.

If you miss the gold old days–whether those days were in the 40s, 50s, 60s, or 70s–or you just want to curl up with the true sound of rhythm n’ blues, Kaye Bohler’s “Like a Flower” will fill the bill. Utterly breathtaking.

Slammers Maximum Jive Band [Live] - Hey There You (Self-Released; CD002)

Some bands are great in the studio. Some shine onstage. The Slammers Maximum Jive Band rocks both. After releasing a truly brilliant studio album earlier this year (the appropriately titled Jive Time), The Slammers return with Hey There You, an absolutely killer live recording… READ MORE

Thom Rotella 4-Tet - Out Of The Blues (Four Bar Music)

Out Of The Blues comes brilliant jazz. Guitarist Thom Rotella takes a back to basics approach on this fabulous album, his first in 5 years. Planting both feet firmly in the blues, he creates jazz that is truly awe inspiring… READ MORE

DJ At’s Crazy Record Hop Presents: Foot Tappin’ & Dance At The Screamin’ Festival Vol. 1 (El Toro; ETCD 1017)

Organizers of rhythm and swing nights take note: here is the disc you need. This collection of rip roarin’ vintage dance tunes, issued by El Toro to honor the 10th Anniversary of Screamin’ Festival in Spain, is guaranteed to put a shimmy in your shake. There are rock tunes that swing, swing tunes that boogie, and boogie tunes that rock. In fact, there’s something for everyone who likes to move their tail… READ MORE