The Word gets the Newt off his ass and down to the Commodore to hear “Joyful Sounds” and Hendrix

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JAN. 24, 2002 By Steve Newton A few hours before the Word took the stage at the Commodore last Saturday (January 19), I was reclining in my cozy New West living room, barely awake. The idea of driving downtown in the pissing rain to see a band that wasn’t … Continue reading The Word gets the Newt off his ass and down to the Commodore to hear “Joyful Sounds” and Hendrix

North Mississippi Allstars ramp up the rock on 51 Phantom

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, OCT. 18, 2001 By Steve Newton For last year’s debut CD, Shake Hands With Shorty, the North Mississippi Allstars thoroughly plumbed the catalogues of Mississippi hill-country blues icons Fred McDowell, R.L. Burnside, and Jr. Kimbrough. On their new disc, 51 Phantom, the band took a different tack, including only … Continue reading North Mississippi Allstars ramp up the rock on 51 Phantom

The North Mississippi Allstars shake ’em on down at the Rio Theatre in Vancouver

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JAN. 25, 2014 photos by the Newt By Steve Newton Saw my first concert at the Rio Theatre last night, and I gotta say, I love that venue for live music. The sound was great. And not only that, you can buy PBR in a can and walk around with it. Mind … Continue reading The North Mississippi Allstars shake ’em on down at the Rio Theatre in Vancouver

The North Mississippi Allstars bring it on home with help from Robert Plant

There's something be said for sticking to your roots, and on their latest album, World Boogie Is Coming, the North Mississippi Allstars really do bring it on home. They went to the heart of the Mississippi hill country on tunes by such area legends as R.L. Burnside, Junior Kimbrough, and Otha Turner, and cranked the authenticity … Continue reading The North Mississippi Allstars bring it on home with help from Robert Plant

The North Mississippi Allstars’ Luther Dickinson says corn liquor is the secret ingredient of hill-country blues

ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, SEPT. 22, 2005 By Steve Newton With its new CD, Electric Blue Watermelon, the North Mississippi Allstars head straight back to the hypnotic roots of the hill-country sound. On the track "Moonshine", singer-guitarist Luther Dickinson relives the group's youthful experiences jamming with late blues legend Otha Turner and playing all-night boogie at … Continue reading The North Mississippi Allstars’ Luther Dickinson says corn liquor is the secret ingredient of hill-country blues