Bentley’s Bandstand: April 2025
American Cosmic Revival Volume I, BACK AT HOME: A Tribute to the International Submarine Band. Tribute bands can be tricky business. They are born from true devotion to the original artist and their music, so right from the start true love is on the line. And usually the end results are worth all the effort. Usually. And then there are those precious events when the new recordings go right through the roof and actually equal the music being tributed. Which is exactly what American Cosmic Revival offers the International Submarine Band’s music and its main creator Gram Parson’s SAFE AT HOME 1968 release. The way producer/band members Christian Parker and Patrick Cleary create these ten songs with such effervescent strength almost defies gravity. With their musical cohorts in the studio JayDee Maness, Earl Poole Ball, Ron Keck and Michael Rinne are the perfect participants. There is such a rush of excitement that soars through every track that it feels like it’s 60 years ago and country rock is just being born on the Los Angeles freeways and in the canyons. All the dedication to taking some of the deepest country songs of that era and giving them a juicing up so first the 1960s and now the 2020s come surging through in all their original splendor is a joyous rebirth. Great music really is a wonder, and never needs to be hidden away. The greatest songs and musicians live forever, then and now, and should always be there for the listening, no matter when they’re recorded. Yesterday and tomorrow.
Annie & the Caldwells, CAN’T LOSE MY (SOUL). There are miracles in music. Sometimes a new group appears out of nowhere, and it feels like magic has happened. Flat-out magic. Annie & the Caldwells are a spirit-infused threesome from West Point, Mississippi that captures the holy goodness of life on this earth–through the happiness and the hardship–in a way that seemed like it had left the planet. Their ability to take on holiness songs and spread the feelings of miracles all around the land just didn’t seem to be part of the possible anymore. But Annie Brown Caldwell, Deborah Caldwell Moore and Anjessica Caldwell merged together with other family and friends to start a down-right jubilation affair and began kicking up a storm. The way they’re able to bring the feeling of gospel sounds to the very forefront of modern life veers into the miracle lane. Absolutely. Annie Caldwell sits in the lead slot of the group, and there is no way to miss the greatness in her heart. This is the music that began in the south hundreds of years ago when America was in its beginnings, and getting ready to spread across the land both gospel and blues, then everything that came later. Now it’s 2025 and we’re still rolling forward into all kinds of sonic endeavors, while keeping hold of the holiness. Every single soul on CAN’T LOSE MY SOUL is all-in, and by the last song it feels like not only has life become more supercharged, it also seems like everything is going to be alright. Truly. There is no need to push the big button quite yet and call it a day. All the Caldwells and everyone else is pushing forward with all they’ve got, and it’s a sure bet there is no need to turn back now. Say hallelujah someday.
Galactic and Irma Thomas, AUDIENCE WITH THE QUEEN. Every few times a year something appears that completely turns on the lights and offers true fascination, and shows things are still kicking up sand. Neither soul singer Irma Thomas or rock & roll renegades Galactic really need any introductions. Thomas has been a true wonder on bandstands and in record stores for over 60 years, starting in New Orleans and traveling worldwide and never faltering to offer true fantabulation. And the rock-funk Crescent City aggregation Galactic never slips below blow-mind in inventing their sounds. Put the singer and the band together like happens on these nine songs, and there is nothing to do but thank those in charge of creation and listen to the superfineness grow from note one. Really. Ms. Thomas sounds like she’s been given a new inspiration, both in the notes flowing from her and the excitement she shares. This is something that needs to be heard to be believed. The knocked-out coolness that flies through these nine songs feels like a gift from the song gods that just cannot be missed. It’s all a not-so-subtle reminder what the world owes New Orleans when it comes to music, and the inner glow from the City That Care Forgot which actually does make being alive such a never forgotten kick. Wasn’t it that musical philosopher Ernie K-Doe, who once said, “I’m not sure but I’m almost positive that all music began in New Orleans?” Chalk it up to AUDIENCE WITH THE QUEEN to prove Mr. Mother-in-Law on the mark again. Yeah you right.
The Gospel Plowboys, SOMETHING TO BE SAID. This flat-out gospel group lays it out on just about every song. It’s time to get hip to dying, and put life in order so true believers will be ready for the next step. Wherever it may be. That is no trouble for the Gospel Plowboys. They have a somewhat sensitive sound from their string instruments and don’t walk over their vocals. The way the two main elements here blend is a beautiful sound, and actually helps the glory of such strong beliefs offer a total salvation for the gospel road. Songs like “Sinners Dream,” “I’m Gonna Die on the Battlefield,” “Gloryland is Just in Sight” and other testaments are exactly what is called for with the voices of these men and how they approach their instruments. It’s a wondrous ability to call forth what the music of the land beyond this world is here to offer. One song in particular stands out as the key to beyond: “Let me Walk Lord, by Your Side.” The longest track on SOMETHING TO BE SAID takes listeners to the secrets of the next life, and hopefully offers a world of belief where leaving this world is an offering of belief in the next. Written by Carter Stanley, it has been an unshakable standard for many decades, and doesn’t shake apart now. Gospel music has always been built on rock-solid belief, and isn’t likely to be bested in the more than righteous voices and souls of The Gospel Plowboys. They’re dug in.
Peter Holsapple. THE FACE OF 68. A full-on audio scrapbook from one of rock & roll’s most valuable players. He’s been in the real thick of it for multiple decades, in unforgettable lineups like the dB’s, Continental Drifters, a duo with Chris Stamey and pivotal spots with R.E.M., Hootie & the Blowfish, and so many more. And that’s just for starters. Chances are if there is a band that brought enjoyment to modern life, Peter Holsapple played with them. Now it’s time for him to go out and sculpt a new release of his very own that will expand modern minds with ease. Performing with Robb Ladd, Robert Sledge, Mark Simonsen, Marti Jones Dixon and album producer Don Dixon, THE FACE OF 68 sounds like a living tour de force. All the different styles that always feel so right are here somewhere, and then some. And while the album title references ’68, in reality this is something so deep-thought and well-executed that the full impact feels endless and really can’t be pinned in any one era. In fact, it just is. Which means the main inspiration behind it is off the charts with inspiration and aspiration. There are no limits to THE FACE OF 68. Better to enter these waters with mind open and heart hungry. Because it’s all there in these eleven songs. Satisfaction is guaranteed.
Doing Things Right with Jim Kweskin, THE BERLIN HALL SATURDAY NIGHT REVUE. There aren’t many names in American music more vaunted than Jim Kweskin. At 84-years-old, Kweskin was there at the folk music surge in the 1950s, and is there now. He helped bring for enough music styles in his own band and all those he influenced that they should name a section of record stores in his honor. The main thing the man did was to stress over all other efforts, that true emotionalism be the back bone that planners and players address first. Whether it’s folk, blues, country and, yes, rock & roll the players and singers are aiming far, let it be with righteous legitimacy. Kweskin was someone that didn’t snub any styles, but instead made sure all his efforts were laced with a spirit of realness that couldn’t be missed. The Berlin Saturday Night Revue strives over all to be in the real feel of whatever music is being played, the same as the Jim Kweskin Jug Band’s earliest efforts were guided by when starting their beginnings. So much American music has been attempted in all these years, it feels like an unending joyride of just how eclectic everything has been. Whether it’s Matt Leavenworth, Samoa Wilson, Racky Thomas, Annie Linders and others alongside Kweskin’s durable direction, DOING THINGS RIGHT feels like an undeniable careening through sounds that have colored the greatness of just how broad all these sounds can chase. In the middle of these 14 tracks, there are times when it feels like the truth being shared is something that can never be bested. Music is permanent, and played with such purity of passion there can be nothing to take away its sturdiness. These are sounds that were introduced to listeners in the 1930s by Matthew Berlin, who operated a dancehall then in the family dry goods store in Newport, Virginia. From there everything grew and now in 2025 the truth of this music is still there, holding strong, and letting modern listeners in on all these secrets alive in these songs. Thanks Jim Kweskin.
Gurf Morlix, A TASTE OF ASHES. This is a stone cold individual who has carved his own trail through the world of music, sometimes leading the army and others helping in the troops. But one thing is certain: there is absolutely no one quite like Gurf Morlix. It starts with his individualist view of the world. You can feel it in his bones when you hear the sounds he sings and makes. There is a kind of exalted state of deepness in his soul which doesn’t come across as sad, but rather hits those magic spots where it is instantly felt just how original Morlix is. Even when the road takes a dark turn, there is always a load of shivers being passed out by the musician. Naturally, he does everything on A TASTE OF ASHES, without ever showing off. Maybe that’s why it’s without doubt that Morlix believes in the ability of music to impart a way of living through the world no matter how hard the going gets. Songs like “More of These Blues,” “Magic Gone,” “Ashes” and, well, everything else in these nine songs has a way of creeping into the deepest parts of the human heart, bringing shivers and salvation simultaneously right into the middle of what it means to be alive in 2025. Not always an easy equation, but then again, always with a side order of hope as Morlix says himself. Once again it’s true: when the going gets straight-up tough, there is nothing else to do but push harder. Or as the musician himself says, “Onward we go. Somehow with hope.” Those are words to keep in mind for the trials coming our way, and have them at the ready. It won’t hurt either to learn a handful of these tracks to sing along to, and remember what playwright August Wilson once wrote: “This be an empty world without the blues.” Then and now.
Vicki Peterson and John Cowsill, LONG AFTER THE FIRE. Duos are among the most lively configurations in rock & roll history. There is something so focused and yet free-form with just two lead musicians working together that they’re almost irresistible. Which is surely true with the new release by Vicki Peterson and John Cowsill. Each comes from high-flying backgrounds–The Bangles and the Cowsills respectively–and both have spirits of adventure. It’s written all over them. Peterson became a solid musical sister in New Orleans for many years, and Cowsill a working drummer with the Beach Boys. And that was just the beginning. LONG AFTER THE FIRE feels like a formidable stretching-out in different directions of music, from country-rock that warms the heart to rock workouts which get the legs rolling. This is one of the strongest duos in the modern ranks now, no matter where they spent the first half of their careers. The group’s vocal duos bring to mind some of the best formidable pairs in modern country music history, the kind of deliveries which make the breath catch and the body curl. It really is one of the surprise albums this year, and in all the good ways. It’s like someone made a list of musical abilities for the perfect match, and Vicki Peterson and John Cowsill are it for 2025. And it’s obvious that the two live onstage are ready to throw the songs fast and free. Do not miss.
Rees Shad PORCELAIN ANGEL. It’s always a great sign when an artist is able to craft an album that sounds so broad-based there’s no way to nail down and identify where their sound absolutely comes from. Rees Shad has been making recordings for 30 years, and still is able to draw in an unlimited range of listeners with each new release. Best of all, PORCELAIN ANGEL has topped them all. No matter how long an artist keeps recording, the really great ones keep expanding their scope with each new set. There is something unstoppable in how they see their musical palette and what they expect of themselves. It’s why so many of them battle their own inner greatness. Staying the same is not an option. Rees Shad seems like someone so full of growth that it is just part of life. It’s like the man is writing a novel made up of songs instead of chapters, and the characters that enter these songs bring with them such an unstoppable ability to find a future that isn’t something that fails to fascinate. Shad was born and raised in New York City. Talk about having a broad palette to start and grow from, it was all there right in front of the young man when he began songwriting. The locomotive world that was whirling all around him in Manhattan could not have given better exposure to what the world was made from. But it takes a keen eye and unstoppable ear to turn all this action into songs that can move throughout the world and find listeners to tune in. And that’s exactly what Rees Shad’s 17 albums have been doing: growing his greatness. The man is at the point now where the three Master’s degrees he’s earned are coming together in an unstoppable force. Now is the time when PORCELAIN ANGEL is ready to let Rees Shad take flight and let this incredibly talented artist fly higher. All that he’s created on a number of pursuits where creativity remains at the forefront just makes the future promise of breakthrough. The ears boggle.
Carolyn Wonderland, TRUTH IS. There are plenty of blues cruisers chasing around the world, but when it comes to the handful who really rise to the top that’s a whole other story. And then finding those who are ready to burn down the cornfield, totally hit the monkey nerve and take it to the bridge, things get even a little less crowded. Add on producer Dave Alvin and everything is set to explode on this new release. Of course, Houston’s Carolyn Wonderland would be on anyone’s list of someone at the top of the veterans. She is someone who completely understands what the music is all about, since she’s been playing it nearly her entire life. And not only that, she approaches the guitar with her total being. This is not someone who is tiptoeing through the tulips. Rather the woman is a veteran who has devoted her soul to the blues, and no matter who she’s playing with or what she’s playing, it’s a given that the woman doesn’t look back or down. Instead, she walks into her songs like they’re a house on fire, and she’s there to make sure the intensity never wanes. Instead, listen to the beauty of how she delivers every song on the album. The emotional quotient is all the way to 10, like the two cover songs here. The Band’s Richard Manuel wrote “Orange Juice Blues” back in the days of the Basement Tapes the group created with Bob Dylan, and gets a 2025 treatment that reminds all who listen that some songs are meant to last forever. Add on “Wishful Thinking” by Houston vets Greg Wood and Eddie Hawkins and all is ready for lift-off. For the disc’s finale, “Blues for Gene” is a gift of sweet proportions. Written by Wonderland and Alvin for longtime band buddy and cosmic gift Gene Taylor who played piano with all the greats before he died in the Texas Freeze a few years ago, this is an instant classic to help those who live for the blues get through the tough parts of life. Say amen somebody.
Reissue of the Month
Jimmie Dale Gilmore and the Flatlanders, ALL AMERICAN MUSIC. Here’s an intriguing question. Is a 1973 album released only on an 8-track tape then a reissue when it is now available for the first time on a compact disc? Only Jimmie Dale Gilmore and the Flatlanders posed that question, which makes cosmic sense for an aggregation that never did play the rules and aren’t likely to start now. The only answer can be that ALL AMERICAN MUSIC is such a cosmically correct collection of knocked-out songs that the important answer is that the original songs are able to be heard now. Gilmore, along with fellow band members Joe Ely, Butch Hancock, Sylvester Rice, Tommy Hancock, Tony Pearson and Steve Wesson, who appears on autoharp and saw (yes, saw), were Lubbock, Texas-based musicians who pulled magic right out of the big Texas sky when the Flatlanders were born. The business twists and turns of their Nashville record label Plantation Records never made much sense, and in the end couldn’t be untwisted. But the fact their ’73 album (even on just 8-track) exists now, along with a companion 1980 release on an English label only ups the odd antics. And of course there’s the 1972 debut track of their song “Dallas” that was on a multi-artist British collection. The glorious news is that it’s all in one place now and is such a wondrous set that it should be a state holiday in Texas. With this set of musicians and songs it’s like something magical has landed. Several of the Flatlanders have gone on to permanent places in Texas music history, and continue to show why they rose to their righteous reputations. Colin Escott’s glowing liner notes help straighten out the mystery of not only this album but also the musical travails of all the Flatlanders. This is music that captures every spinning molecule of the Lone Star State, and should be available now for the rest of eternity. The roll call of songs, whether they’re band member originals or covers from Harry Choates, A.P. Carter, Willie Nelson, Al Strehli, sister Angela Strehli, Roy Robinson and the all-time classic “Tonight I Think I’m Gonna Go Downtown,” written by Gilmore with Texas guitar wizard John Reed, this is country music from the mountaintop. In one place.
Single of the Month
Savoir Faire. “Hero of the Hollywood Streets.” There are times when musical mysteries are exactly what are needed to keep the engine running. Somewhere flying between the mountains and flatlands on the freeways of Los Angeles is an artist that goes by Savoir Faire, and he’s recorded the song “Hero of the Hollywood Streets.” It is so enticing that it calls for the LAPD to bring the creator to light so the city and beyond can discover who this totally intriguing person is. They could become a new rallying cry for music in the Big Orange. There’s an album on the horizon, so turn on the searchlights and stay alert. This is music that is able to mix up a sonic gumbo and stay in the shadows until it’s time to burst free. The future’s arriving.
Bentley’s Bandstand: April 2025
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