Underworld/VizzTone Label Group artist: Too Slim and the Taildraggers - High Desert Heat - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, High Desert Heat, from Too Slim and the Tail Draggers, and it's quite good. Opening with Chambers Brothers' classic, Time Has Come Today, with it's driving beat and memorable guitar riff, led by Tim "Too Slim" Langford on guitar and vocal. . Cool opener. Breaking into Trouble, Langford sets up a cool boogie, joined by Sheldon "Bent Reed" Ziro on harmonica, Jeff "Shakey" Fowlkes on drums and Zach Kasik on bass. Stories To Tell has a classic "Jimi" rock styling with a strong guitar solo with great bends and squealing pinched harmonics. Very cool. With it's low slung Texas swagger distorted "fuzz" guitar and tandem vocals, One Step At A Time, sounds like early ZZ Top. Very nice. Wrapping the release is instrumental title track, High Desert Heat, with it's western undertones, low range guitar riffs and shimmery guitar lead. Langford's solid slide phrasing makes for an excellent closer for a really solid release.  

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Underworld Records artist: Sammy Eubanks - Sugar Me - New Release Review

I just received the newest release, Sugar Me, from Sammy Eubanks, and it's got a definite southern link. Opening with It's All Blues To Me, Sammy Eubanks, singer/guitarist, leads the charge with a track that is of Charlie Daniels and Tinsley Ellis. Country styling and rock overtones, this is a cool opener. Stop That Grinnin has a super blues drive, Elmore James style, with particularly cool work from Eubanks, Matt Hauer and Bob Britt and strong piano riffs from Reese Wynans. Darren Theriault handles the bass and Chris Kimmerer the drums. Very cool. Blues All Mornin' has a real cool bass line and really sweet lead guitar work by Eubanks. Wynans' organ work is nicely saturated giving the track nice girth. Willie Dixon's I Just Wanna Make Love To You has a great boogie beat, sounding more like contemporary Foghat than original Dixon but I really like it... I mean...who doesn't love a boogie. Eubanks' vocals and slide work both shine on this track, making it one of my favorites on the release. Latin influenced, My Baby's Gone, has just the right mix of blues and rock, giving it a cool beach sound. Scott Saunders contributes keys on this track and Eubanks' guitar work is crisp and cool. Title track, Sugar Me, has a raspy guitar vamp giving the track a great edge. Clean guitar soloing over the top gives the track sting. Cool track! Excellent blues track, No Excuse For The Blues has a cool boogie woogie undertone and a strong strait forward drive by Wynans on piano sets the bar for Eubanks' lead solos. It's My Life Baby has a real nice upbeat stab by Kimmerer played against Theriault's bass line sets a terrific platform for solos by Wynans and Eubanks. Very cool! Opening with a Keith Richards like riff, I'm Gonna Leave You, is a rockin' closer. With strong bass lines from Theriault and a grinding guitar riff, Eubanks' vocals and guitar soloing work nicely to sum up this solid release.



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Underworld records artist: Too Slim and the Taildraggers - Blood Moon - New release review

I just received the newest release, Blood Moon, from Too Slim & the Taildraggers and it's gritty, bluesy and a modern guitar stiff arm in the chest. Opening with Evil Mind, a funky rocker, lead vocalist and guitar man, Tim "Too Slim" Langford, sets the track on fire with ripping pace backed by Jeff "Shakey" Fowlkes on drums and Robert Kearns on bass. Title track, Blood Moon, has a really nice drone bass line and a early Robin Trower feel with spacial guitar qualities and timing. A real cool track with serious guitar phrasing, this is one of my favorites on the release. Twisted Rails has a Jimi Hendrix kind of vibe but with modern delivery and adaptation and cool vocal harmonies. Guitar variations on the central theme give the track a varied texture and crisp drumming by Fowlkes drives the track home. Get Your Goin' Out On has traces of southern rock and Keith Richards. I know that this sounds like an odd pair, but in reality it's a really cool track. Gypsy has a real interesting jazz undertone with a blues rock top. I really like this juxtaposition of styles and Langford's tone is cool too! My Body has some of the nicest features of Dire Straits and Pink Floyd. The light airy instrumentation is a super base for Langford's clean guitar soloing. This is a very seductive track and one that will stick with you. Dream has an easy rock pace with traces of Aerosmith and Marshall Tucker. Nice vocal blending and loose, distorted, rhythm guitar work gives the track a real cool feel. Letter is a hot rocker with heels kicking and slick double stopped guitar riffs smoking off of Langford's guitar and a solid bass run from Kearns holding tight with Fowlkes on drums. Good Guys Win really kicks the pace up a bit ... almost to punk speed... with solid footing and relentless drive. This is a super track with hot riffs and plenty of steam. Wrapping the release is Twisted Rails (Slight Return) which is a cool instrumental rumble breaking from rick to a low slung blues. Very nice!



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Underworld Records artist: Too Slim and the Taildraggers - Anthology - New Release Review

I just received the newest release, Anthology, from Too Slim and the Taildraggers and it's really a great selection of tracks including 3 new songs. Opening with Wishing Well, a pure contemporary blues rocker, Langford not only shows his capability as a songwriter but also as a really tasty guitar player. Last Train has a twinge of country and cool feel with nice splashes of guitar... a feel of Dire Straits. Tim Langford handles vocals and guitar; Tom Hambridge, drums and backing vocal; Bob Britt, guitar; Tommy MacDonald, bass and Jon Coleman, keys. Stoned Again, a cool rocker along the lines of "Are You Ready For The Country" is awash with fat slide work. Cool track. Wash My Hands, a fast boogie rocker, has really cool double plucked guitar lead. Possibly my favorite track on the release. All out piano boogie driven by Langford on rippin guitar is a solid rocker and tough to beat. Excellent! Walk On Water is a country funk track with some cool changes and again tasty guitar riffs. When You Love Somebody is probably the most radio ready track from this band with almost an AC/DC feel but a cooler country rock edge. Very nice! Wish I Was Fishin is a low slung blues number with a twist. I really appreciate the subtle guitar work by Langford on this track as well as most of the rest of the release. It's something that I hadn't caught in the past. Wrapping the first CD is She See's Ghosts, a blues rocker with a some cool sidetracks. The lyrics are playful and the guitar work stinging. Very nice! Curtis Salgado adds supple lead vocals on Everybody's Got Something, a simple ballad with a cool rhythm and backing vocals. Blue Heart has a "Help Me" style with a definite updated feel. I really like it. Un noted harp work on this track is not unnoticed. The artistically rendered LaLlorona is an excellent acoustic resonator track with a Spanish flair. Likely my favorite track on this CD. Excellent! Good To See You Smile Again features Jimmy Hall, one of my contemporary male vocalists. Langford cuts loose with full out electric blues guitar riffs on this track making it easily a favorite among blues lovers. Peace With The Maker has a country swagger but retains a blues rock feel. A mix of Tom Petty and the Outlaws eaten by an alligator. I really like Throw Me A Rope which has a contemporary country rock favor (alt country). Not pop country but serious country/rock. It's a ballad through and through with twin guitar leads but a lot of flavor. Slow blues The Light features Lauren Evans on vocals. The female vocals against Billy Gibbons like guitar riffs makes this another serious contender for top track on the release. Excellent! Sliding into a smooth jazz beat, Too Cool finds Langford and the boys playing chords and brushes. A very Ronnie Earl flavored track and a very "cool" track. Bucerius is a slick guitar instrumental ballad with lead guitar melody. The release is wrapped by Princeville Serenade, another instrumental track contrasting rhythm mandolin against acoustic slide lead. An excellent completion of an exceptional anthology.  

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Underworld Records artist: Jim Suhler - Panther Burn - New Release Review

I just received the newest release (February 18, 2014), Panther Burn, from Jim Suhler and it's a keeper. Opening with title track, Panther Burn, Suhler blends that rare swamp sound with rock and blues to create his own unique sound. With Tim Alexander on organ and Beau Chadwell on drums, Shuler creates a really cool story line and super guitar riffs. I Declare is more of an uptempo shuffle with Kim Wilson backing Suhlers vocals on harp. Alexander plays nice piano riffs over a basic shuffle rhythm, Wilson get a nice opportunity to stretch out and does so nicely. Across The Brazos is one of my favorite tracks on the release with a modified blues vamp. Understated guitar riffs going on throughout the track as well as nicely developed piano riffs make this one a definite listen. Leave My Blues Behind is a quick paced jazz/blues style track. A lot of swing is included in the DNA of this track and Suhler really rips some tasty guitar work on this track. Shawn Phares joins on organ for this track and is definitely noticible. He is also backed by Ron Jones on sax and Galen Jeter on trumpet. Sounding like a nod to a classic rocker from Steppenwolf with a San Francisco twist, I See You keeps it simple and loose. Remember Mama is a very cool instrumental giving Suhler the opportunity to play some clean euphoric slide work. Texassippi has a country back bone and an easy going pace. Soothing vocals and melodic guitar work are the key to this track. Sky's Full Of Crows continues along the country styling with train pacing compliments of Jimmy Morgan on drums and James Mohmed on percussion. A vocal story telling pace similar to older Bob Dylan give the track a certainty and immediate likability that you rarely hear. Another really cool track. Between Midnight and Day has a cool mixture of musical architextures (I hear King Crimson, Jimi Hendrix and Molly Hatchet to mane a few). Jason Elmore joins on this track and adds to the guitar pyrotechnics. Dinosaur Wine steps back toward the two step feeling of country/rock music of course without the hollywood flash and over the top steel guitar but with the honesty of it's simplicity. I've been listening to Suhler for quite some time since being introduced to him by acquaintance David Wilson who writes the Tonequest Report. I initially listened to hear his guitar but have found that he really has a fine voice. Amen Corner has a real simplicity to it making it another of my favorites on the release. With a mixture of gospel, country and blues featuring Suhler and Alexander it is a real cool little track reminiscent of some of the Delaney and Bonnie with D Allman. Jump Up, Sister is another "happy" track in the D&B genre with Suhler adding some tasty slide work and steady driving drum work from Chadwell. Worldwide Hoodoo is a driving rocker with flaming guitar riffs. This is a cool track to wrap the release with well blended bass leads, organ leads and guitar riffs.

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Underworld Records artist:Too Slim and the Taildraggers - Blue Heart - New Release Review

I just received the newest release (June 18, 2013), Blue Heart, from Too Slim and the Taildraggers and it's a strong blues rocker. Opening with Wash My Hands is a rockin' Texas Style blues rocker that could easily be by "That Little Ole Band From Texas". I really like the drive and droning note guitar work on this track! Minutes Seem Like Hours, a slow bluesy ballad is up next. I really like Langford's vocals in particular on this track and the bass by Tommy MacDonald and complimentary B3 by Reese Wynans are a great pedestal for guitar work by Langford and McNelley. Celebrity Jimmy Hall adds sweet harp on the title track, Blue Heart, a uptempo boogie and Tom Hambridge always leads the way with ultra-tight drumming. Hot blues number, Good To See You Smile Again, features stellar vocals from Jimmy Hall and crisp guitar work from Langford and McNelley. This is a track that has everything ... great feel, vocals, instrumentation and searing guitar work. If You Broke My Heart is much more driving rock along the lines of Stone Free. Strong guitar work and a cool riff compliment this drum driven track. Shape Of Blues to Come is a cool rock track with a slick hook, greasy guitar and super drumming (not to mention solid bass lines). Preacher opens with distorted slide guitar and continues with effects distorted vocals providing a swampy overall sound. This track has a really raw feel to it giving it some weight toward original delta style blues even though it's obviously contemporary. Completing the package is Angels Are Back, an acoustic slide guitar and vocal track with minimal percussion and a slightly eastern twinged delta feel. This is a cool track but much more "experimental" in nature. Overall I find this release very tasty and rich in guitar work and blue hues. Check it out!
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