ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JULY 25, 2002 By Steve Newton This is my favourite soundtrack album of the year, so far; I must have played it 20 times already. It’s essentially a showcase for the rough-hewn backwoods boogie of North Mississippi hill-country blues artists Robert Belfour, T-Model Ford, Junior Kimbrough, and R. … Continue reading Album review: Various Artists, Big Bad Love Soundtrack (2002)
Tag: R.L. Burnside
Buddy Guy embraces North Mississippi hill-country blues on Sweet Tea
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JUNE 28, 2001 By Steve Newton Buddy Guy has always gotten by just fine with the time-tested, Chicago-style blues he’s famous for. In the ’60s and ’70s, his work was a huge influence on the likes of Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan; later on it paid off with … Continue reading Buddy Guy embraces North Mississippi hill-country blues on Sweet Tea
“It’s rough all over the world,” says R.L. Burnside, “even down in Mississippi some.”
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JAN. 18, 2001 BY STEVE NEWTON R.L. Burnside is one of the most popular blues artists around today, but up until five years ago he was barely known outside of his native northern Mississippi hill country. After being featured in the 1991 documentary film Deep Blues, and releasing the … Continue reading “It’s rough all over the world,” says R.L. Burnside, “even down in Mississippi some.”
The North Mississippi Allstars debut with that crazy hill-country sound
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, AUG. 3, 2000 By Steve Newton When North Mississippi Allstars guitarist-vocalist Luther Dickinson calls the Straight from the band’s tour bus in Chicago, he’s all apologetic about missing a scheduled phone interview the day before. Seems that Luther, his drummer brother Cody, and bassist Chris Chew had performed on … Continue reading The North Mississippi Allstars debut with that crazy hill-country sound
R.L. Burnside keeps his fridge chained shut and his blues cool as hell
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JUNE 24, 1999 By Steve Newton On the back cover of his latest CD, Come On In, Mississippi bluesman R.L. Burnside is pictured standing in his modest kitchen, strumming a Stratocaster and gazing toward his fridge—which is chained shut. Since Burnside has been known to distill his own moonshine, you might think … Continue reading R.L. Burnside keeps his fridge chained shut and his blues cool as hell
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
T-Model Ford Lives Large
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, MAY 20, 2004 By Steve Newton Multiplatinum gangsta-rapper 50 Cent is famous for the several bullet wounds he sports. Big freakin' deal: T-Model Ford's been shot, stabbed, and poisoned. He even spent time on a Mississippi chain gang as a youth after killing a man. Looks like there's a new bad-ass mofo in town, … Continue reading T-Model Ford Lives Large
Mutual appreciation leads to Blues Explosion’s retro-flavoured Heavy Trash
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, OCT. 27, 2005 By Steve Newton The first time you hear Heavy Trash-the new rockabilly project from the Blues Explosion's Jon Spencer and Matt Verta-Ray from Madder Rose and Speedball Baby-it's easy to imagine how the Cramps might have sounded if they'd laid down tracks at Sun Records in the '50s. … Continue reading Mutual appreciation leads to Blues Explosion’s retro-flavoured Heavy Trash
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