So today when my downloads on emusic refreshed I downloaded the sophomore album Diamonds and Gasoline from The Turnpike Troubadours. The Turnpike Troubadors take their name from the bumpy toll roads in their native state of Oklahoma. I had listened to clips from the album the other night and the band sounded pretty good and after listening to the full songs I’d say they sound damn good! From their website:
the band’s musical style, which walks the line between Woody Guthrie and Waylon Jennings. “Bossier City,” the band’s debut album, is testament to the small towns in which they were raised. It combines Folk, Country, Cajun, and Bluegrass with stories of longing, humor, tragedy, and general life in rural America.
“Diamonds & Gasoline” was produced by veteran producer and songwriter Mike McClure. McClure has worked with his own band as well as his old band The Great Divide and Cross Canadian Ragweed (albums by all three reside in my collection. The legendary Joe Hardy (ZZ-Top, Steve Earle) mixed and mastered the album.
The band is composed of:
Evan Felker – Lead Vocals, Acoustic
R.C. Edwards – Bass, Backing Vocals
Kyle Nix – Fiddle, Backing Vocals
Ryan Engleman – Lead Guitar
Giovanni Carnuccio – Drums, Backing Vocals
The first single from the album “Every Girl” is currently nmuber 19 on the Texas Music Chart and is one of the standout tracks. “Diamonds and Gasoline” is also another good track. But once again all of the tracks are good in their own way! I can tell that this album will be around for a while and will probably by the soundtrack for a run this week.
Also tonight I listened to an album that has been sitting on the shelf in front of me while I write and I really think I only listened to it one or two times. The album is the 2004 release of Ron Spears and Within Tradition Carolina Rain and I think I may have to listen to this album a little more often there’s some good mandolin picking by Spears along with some nice vocals by Spears and guitarist Charlie Edsall. Mike Tatar provides some fiddle and Rob Ickes guest stars on dobro. From a review at Bluegrass Works:
The third album from Ron Spears & Within Tradition on the Copper Creek label shows that the bluegrass band has achieved a new place in the national forefront of bluegrass music. Their previous recordings have always featured excellent songwriting, splendid picking, and spirited vocal work, and this one is no different. While Spears’ band has experienced personnel changes since it initially formed in 1999, one constant is his multi-year collaboration with guitarist/vocalist Charlie Edsall. Originally from Indiana, Charlie’s been seriously playing bluegrass since 1974 with bands like High Strung, Buzzard’s Roost, Slide Mountain Boys and Feather River.
“Carolina Rain” and “Back to Honky tonkin’ again are standout tracks along with two instrumentals “Billsville” and “Lost in Nashville” which is a Mike Tatar tune. Anyway it was a good listen and ended Twang Tuesday on an up note!
Here are the Troubadowith “Every Girl” from a show in Tulsa, Oklahoma on July 30, 2010