Tag: #NewCDRelease

Thursday TREAT! Luckenbach – CD Review @RandyCMoore1 #NewMusic #TexasMusic

Published on by Jan Sikes31 Comments

Hello, lovely blog followers. I am super excited to bring you a music treat today from my good friend, Randy C. Moore!

Randy is no newcomer. He started his music career at the age of 15. And he’s been at it ever since. Not only is he an enigmatic performer, but he’s also a talented songwriter. Now he has a new CD release that is SO good I have to share. Whatever style of music you gravitate to, you’ll find bits and pieces of it on this new album, Luckenbach!

PURCHASE LINK

The first song, which is the title track, embodies what Luckenbach, Texas is all about. It’s a step away from the rush of everyday life. “We spent too many ticktocks working the time clock, dead on our feet. And too many nights going to bed and just going to sleep….” Then he raises the question, “Do you wanna go to Luckenbach Waylon and Willie and feelin’ no pain…” It’s a toe-tapper and makes you want to get up and dance around the room!

“James Dean Dream” has a great message about allowing the rebel inside you to break free. Living your life based on a truth you believe. It’s not breaking laws and being a bad guy, but being true to your authentic self.

The third track, “A Mother’s Prayer,” goes straight to the heart. Such a heartfelt tribute to the beautiful spirit of mothers and the lifelong bond with their children.

I love the true story, “Before Elvis.” Randy’s Uncle Gene went to Hughes High School in Memphis in 1953 with Elvis Presley. This song is the heart and soul of rockabilly!

In the same rockabilly vein infused with a dose of soul, “Big Bertha” co-written with the late and great Carl Lee Perkins will get you on your feet and moving! “Big Bertha” is actually about a golf club. 🙂

The next song on this album is probably my favorite just because it’s such a heartfelt and moving story. “I’ll Save A Place” is about two brothers and their unbreakable bond. The instrumental arrangement on this one is as rich as decadent chocolate with full strings and piano added. Have a tissue handy when you listen.

“Mosey Off” is a fun song about dying. Oh, wait! Dying is supposed to be sad and morbid. Not the case with this tune. I love the mention of Texas red dirt clay and San Jacinto river mud. Just that line alone is pure visual artistry.

With a bit of sarcasm, “Undertaker” is a rocking tune about the man who claims the body after the soul is gone.

The album closes with a spiritual tune, “Jericho.” What are you going to do when the walls of Jericho tumble? “Are you gonna roll? Are you gonna run…?”

I cannot say enough about this album. Each song is fantastic. The songwriting is superb, the instrumental arrangements are varied and the vocals are smooth and spot-on. It’s a journey from beginning to end, straight from the heart and soul of Randy C. Moore.

I highly recommend that you click over and purchase your copy. Once it’s on your playlist, you’ll find yourself bringing it back up over and over again the way I do!

For a physical copy of the CD, visit Randy C. Moore’s online store

For streaming, go to Amazon ** iTunes

Thank you for helping support this dedicated and hard-working Indie Artist!!

Jan Sikes and Randy C. Moore White Elephant Saloon, Fort Worth, Texas

#SundaySpotlight – Riverside – @GuthrieKennard #NewRelease RIVERSIDE

Published on by Jan Sikes26 Comments
Photo courtesy Tara Bone Photography

It has been such a long time since I’ve had a Sunday Spotlight post, and I am super excited to share this new CD release from Guthrie Kennard with you!

From the first time I met Guthrie at a songwriter swap, I fell in love with the raw honesty of his music. We have become great friends.

Photo courtesy Robert Keith

And now Guthrie has a new album out! And it’s fantastic from start to finish!

Riverside Album Cover

Guthrie started his music career at the age of 14. He has played with music greats like Smokin’ Joe Kubek & Doyle Bramhall, Sr. on Bird Records, and opened for numerous national touring acts, including Robin Trower, John Mayall, Taj Mahal, Leon Russell, and Donovan. He toured Europe with Grammy winner Marc Benno and co-wrote “Laverne” on Benno’s album Snake Charmer. 

He is deeply immersed in Delta Blues and funk music, and this new album is a fine showcase of just how deep!

The CD opens with “Tremelo Rain,” written by Kennard and 8 Ball Aitken. While the song is a little too long for radio airplay at 4 minutes 18 seconds, it tells such a big story. “Mr. Tom is a shady cat down on Bourbon Street. He’ll pick your pockets, steal your watch and go gambling on a Riverboat Queen…” Of course, that’s just the beginning of the story. It unfolds throughout the song.

You’ll find a lot of Louisiana flavor in Guthrie’s songs. When asked about that, he replied, “I played music down in Louisana for many years and their music, as well as their culture, always resonated with me. I guess that’s why I bring it into a lot of my songs.”

Well, I have to agree with Guthrie, I too love Louisiana bayou music!

The intro to “Steel & Wood” sets the mood with a slide guitar riff.

It is impossible to listen to “Miss Honey” and not tap your foot or shake your booty! See for yourself!

The title track, “Riverside” is sinister and perfect for the spooky Halloween season. “Ain’t nobody here ever survives. Nobody crosses Riverside…Wham bam another man down. Wham bam blood on the ground…”

Another favorite of mine on this album is “Mama’s Cookin’.” A slice of life told with a raw funkiness that makes you hungry.

“Two Dollars Down” is another story song set in the old Storyville prostitute district in New Orleans in the 1800s. “Two dollars down, boy, will keep you satisfied…”

If I was forced to pick only one song from this CD as my number one choice, it would hands-down be “Across The River.” It is poignant and laced with so many paradoxes. The melody, lyrics, harmonica, and Guthrie’s signature guitar roll create an atmospheric song that moves me. “So, pick me up in the morning, take me for a ride, on the road outside of Richmond across the river to the other side. And I sing hallelujah, hallelujah…”

The album ends with “Rustle in the Corn.”

From start to finish, this is a CD I will listen to over and again. Guthrie does not shy away from his truth. With a raspy voice and unique funkiness, there is no one like him. The album is produced, engineered, and mastered by Ryan Tharp, who is a phenomenal guitarist.

I hope this piques your interest enough to head over and download some of his music. I know he will appreciate it from the bottom of his heart!

Thank you, Guthrie, for giving us another album filled with awesome music!

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