Oh Non-Blues Fridays where have you gone?

The Blakes are new fantastic garage rock band hailing from all points of North America - and while they have some of the post-Strokes garage rock world hang-ups they manage to sound fresh and most importantly fun as they plow through their new LP. My favorite track is the lead one which sounds a bit like the Dirtbombs, if the Dirtbomb had covered Sam Cooke. This song is a monster - and guaranteed to get you moving in yr cubicle this Friday morning.

Buy It !

The Blakes - Two Times

I’ve been in and out of town for the last couple of weeks - and the next couple of weeks coming up - but I’m trying to post a bunch during my “home” time to catch up. I got stuck in Dulles for like five hours - into the wee hours of the morning, but luckily Dulles is unlike almost every airport I’ve been trapped in recently and had free wireless - so I spent some quality with eMusic and my MacBook. I found this blues guy, Blind Will Dukes who recorded a few tracks in the late 70s pretty much parroting Robert Johnson. There isn’t much if any information on the internet about Duke which makes me think that his name has been misreported on a few releases. Despite the lack creativity in his sound - his voice sells the song - and got me through the night.

Blind Will Duke - Dead Shrimp Blues

Jeez.

New Stagolee track from the (awesome) soundtrack to Tarantino’s Death Proof, that also features Joe Tex and Eddie Floyd. The track is a pretty close telling of the story by Pacific Gas and Electric. I hadn’t heard of this 70s soul/funk band before Thomas sent me this track - but it is so awesome, I’m ordering their albums today.

Pacific Gas & Electric - Staggolee (1969)

I’m pretty out of touch of what the new blues punk kids are doing, which is a shame because from what do hear it sounds pretty awesome. Atlanta’s Black Lips have been doing this blues punk thing for a few years now, and just released their first live album recorded in a Mexican bar - and it’s fantastic. The bar gives the record a feel that in moments recalls the best of Etta James’ live album from 1953 in front of a rowdy Memphis bar crowd. This track Boone doesn’t capture the feel of the bar as much some of the other ones, but it is such a fantastic in your face blues punk performance it doesn’t really matter.

Black Lips - Boone (2007)

The new movie Black Snake Moan does not come out until March 2nd (Friday!!), but here at Honey H.Q. we’ve gotten our hands on the soundtrack which features Samuel L. Jackson doing a few classic blues numbers. Jackson plays an aging bluesman in the movie - and I’m guessing sings these songs during the course - as there is a lot of ambient nosies and dialog in the background of these tracks, especially before Black Snake Moan where he tells a story about his own personal blues and how his wife the did him wrong. Jackson learned how to play guitar for the role and it comes off well, but the star of course his his voice which is perfectly suited for the blues.

Black Snake Moan is left more or less the same as when Blind Lemon Jefferson first sang it in 1927 but his take on Stagolee is a very loose take on the tale that doesn’t feature a gambling match, Stetson hat or any real reason for the murder. It’s sort of a mix between Snatch and the Poontangs and a R.L. Burnside telling of the song which isn’t my favorite by any stretch of imagination, but Jackson sells it a lot better than Burnside. For those keeping up with our ongoing Stagolee project, this Burnside number is new to the list. I’ve also posted a bunch of other takes on the classic Black Snake Moan, my favorites are either Lemon’s original or Rosa Henderson’s female take on the song.

R.L Burnside - Staggolee (2001)
Samuel L. Jackson - Stackolee (2007)

Samuel L. Jackson - Black Snake Moan (2007)
Blind Lemon Jefferson - That Black Snake Moan (1927)
Blind Lemon Jefferson - Black Snake Moan
Blind Lemon Jefferson - Black Snake Moan No. 2
Brownie McGhee - Black Snake Moan (1951)
Lead Belly - Black Snake Moan (1935)
Rosa Henderson - Black Snake Moan (1927)
Martha Copeland - Black Snake Moan (1927)
Cobb and Underwood - Black Snake Moan (1930)

I’m back. Technology around me is crumblin’ but this website keeps on runnin’. Send some more ideas for out of print blues albums/discographies and I’ll see what I can do about putting them up as the Law hasn’t caught up with me yet.

I’ve been meaning to post about the new Ramblin’ Jack Elliot - I Stand Alone, which was released earlier this year on Anti-. It’s a fantastic collection of songs his daughter suggested for him to finally put on record. Jack’s voice is still strong - and his guitar playing hasn’t really diminished at all either. He is backed by Nels Cline (of Wilco among other projects) Flea, DJ Bonebrake (X) and Lucinda Williams/Corin Tucker (Sleater-Kinney) on harmony. This track - Arthritis Blues is one of the more stripped down songs, and it comes off wonderfully. As a bonus - I also uploaded his take on our namesake, though it bares only slight resemblance to the Ma Rainey song we are named after.

Ramblin Jack has a great website with links to buy the album.

Ramblin’ Jack Elliot - Arthritis Blues

Ramblin’ Jack Elliot - Honey, Where You Been So Long? 

I’m pretty late on this news as normal, but the US Post Office put out a line of Gee’s Bend Stamps last month and they are pretty swell. Houston’s Museum of Fine Arts just wrapped up the second major viewing of Gee’s Bend quilts and now it’s touring a number of modern art museums across the land, more information on the exhibit is here.

Yesterday was Ms. Honey’s birthday, as her internet based gift, I’m sharing two of her favorite songs with ya’ll. Well two of her favorite songs, not called “I’m In Love With A Stripper”

Nina Simone - Love Me Or Leave Me

Talking Heads - Girlfriend Is Better

The weather out here has started to cool down, reminding me of Fall and Fall always reminds of me slow piano ballads. Hem has a new record out just in time for Fall and it continues where Eveningland left off, moving Hem away from the alt - country of Rabbit Songs and into alt - adult contemporary (whatever that is). Hem’s songs are brief, but well written and expertly produced. The music just sounds rich, big strings, quiet piano, records don’t sound like this anymore.

Hem - Great Houses of New York (2006)

buy it! 

The Roulette Sisters are a quartet out of New York that plays country blues like country blues should be played, with a washboard, foot stomps and guitar. Their album “Nerve Medicine” is a collection of eleven wonderful versions of traditional country blues songs. These two songs “Black Dog Blues” and “You’ve Been Fooling” are my favorites, and the show of the ladies great voices and solid and lively instrumentation.

Visit the Sisters at their website, where they also have their album for sell.

The Roulette Sisters - Black Dog Blues (2005)

The Roulette Sisters - You’ve Been Fooling (2005)

I’ve posted about the Geraldine Fibbers before, but I haven’t posted any solo Carla Bozulich tracks yet, her song by song cover of Willie Nelson’s Red Headed Stranger was one of the best albums of 2003 and her new album Evangelista is easily the best album I’ve heard this year. Bozulich mixes folk and outsider sensibilities with post-rock supplied by members of GY!BE and A Silver Mount Zion and it sounds so so good. This track, Steal Away, comes after the sensational (and far too long to be posted on here) title track so it’s more of a lullaby than the songs before and after it.
Carla Bozulich - Steal Away (2006)

buy it at insound!