IndieSpeaker » blues

Cadillac Records OST

sid — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 09:15:00 +0000

Cadillac Records is a movie that tells the unusual story of Leonard Chess and the famous Chess Records. If you happen not to know about this record label, it is the one that became the home for Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry, Etta James and many other stars of the blues, soul and early rock-n-roll movement.

The masterpiece of the soundtrack is the cover of Howling Wolfs – Smokestack Lightnin’ by mostly unknown actor Eamonn Walker. Walker literally stole the show during the movie, playing one of the most mysterious bluesman of the 50^th and the same thing happened in the soundtrack. Also it is hard not to mention spectacular vocal talents of Beyoncé who sung such Etta James classics as At Last, I’d Rather Go Blind and All I Could Do Was Cry. She really gave them some modern energy, while preserving the original spirit of the good old soul music. Famous rapper Mos Def who played Chuck Berry also gave a good twist to oldies like Maybellene and No Particular Place To Go. And of course one of the main stars – famous Muddy Waters, played by Jeffrey Wright, has half a dozen songs on the soundtrack, with hits like I’m A Man, Hoochie Coochie Man and I Can’t Be Satisfied.

And oh… if you are already running of to the CD shop don’t forget to lay your hands on the Deluxe Version, it’s the one worth buying.

Amplified Heat

sid — Wed, 13 May 2009 08:40:00 +0000

It seems that Black Sabbath have just left the recording room and the amps are still hot. Than Amplified Heat came in and recorded their How Do You Like The Sound Of That record. The sound of this American stoner-retro-blues crew is totally old, no distortion no mastering, only garage attitude and the vibe of good old blues-rock. Amplified Heat were actually playing blues for seven years before they reformed and switched to more stoner garage oriented sound.

How Do You Like The Sound Of That is a spectacular work filled with early rock-n-roll vibe (even boogie) and early metal similar to Rush and Black Sabbath. Not forgetting a good twist of modern garage bands and vocal style similar to Creedence Clearwater Revival and at some points to Jim Morrison.

If you will some day lay your hands on How Do You Like The Sound Of That expect ten songs and one small interlude, 36 minutes of good old whiskey soaked blues rock.

Dax Riggs

sid — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 11:14:47 +0000

This dude sings about a demon tied to a chair in his brain and that seems to be true. Dax Riggs started his carrier in the sludge metal outfit Acid Bath then switched on to Agents Of Oblivion and Deadboy and the Elephantmen. His music evolved from raw Mississippi sludge metal to progressive stoner to blues… of better to say some kind of blues.

His debut solo album We Sing Of Only Blood Or Love, released in 2007, is one of the very underrated plates. It has everything that a good album needs. Dax is a great singer with a very interesting voice and adult interesting lyrics. He creates some mystic atmosphere on his record, it’s not normal for blues but it works for me. As for the music it varies from acoustic blues to blues rock to even some Nine Inch Nails influenced parts not loosing the main thing – the groove. Also the guitar work is great all the riffs are catchy as hell, my own favorite is Radiation Blues.

The only bad thing is that the album has no weak songs and after you listen it for three four times you will be singing all the songs.