Welcome to another week of Get it or Forget it. We have five unique artists for you to check out today. Let’s get going.
Artist Name: Thornton Lee and the Dirty Blues Company
Album Name: Matheus Mendes
Label: Self-released
Genre: Blues
Track Listing: 1. Juke House; 2. My Girl is Trouble; 3. Cutting Heads; 4. Crash, Regret and Cry; 5. Bad Eye; 6. Dirty; 7. Born in San Antonio; 8. Dark Fall and Night Creeps; 9. Golden Hair Blues; 10. “Free” Train; 11. Other People’s Problems; 12. The River
Publicist: ABIK Radio Promotions
Review: There are a lot of blues artists in the world but we have never heard the blues played like Thornton Lee and the Dirty Blues Company. Th e closest comparison we can find is the sound of The Blues Brothers – lots of horns, honky-tonking keys, gravelly voice and a damn good time. This is party-time blues aka the dirty blues, and we think it is simply amazing. This album starts off strong and gets even better. This is the kind of blues that you put on repeat and just enjoy from start to finish. They even throw in a little rock and roll on “Cutting Heads.” As the lyrics say, “Every man and every woman should hear the blues we play.” You can’t go wrong with this one.
Recommendation: If you love great music, then you must add this one to your library. Get it.
Artist Name: Ian Crawford
Album Name: Grand Wheel
Label: Self-released
Genre: Americana/Country
Track Listing: 1. Wool Mind; 2. I Want You; 3. Grand Wheel; 4. See you in the Fall if the Creek Don’t Rise; 5. The Storm; 6. Stingray (Energy of the Unknown); 7. Barstow Ghost; 8. We all Fall Down; 9. Over my Head (bonus track); 10. Busted (bonus track)
Publicist: Self-promoted
Review: Ian Crawford has been a legend in the city of Seattle, Washington for many years, but has not released an album until now. The album is currently only available digitally, but we think that it is too good to remain that way. Combining elements of Americana, country, folk and rock, Crawford brings his A game and sets the bar high for anything he does subsequent to the debut. This is one of the best debuts we have heard all year, making Crawford an artist that deserves to be at the top of his class. Just when you think you can stick him in a genre box, he comes along with an instrumental song like “Stingray (Energy of the Unknown)” and you think you’re listening to Jimi Hendrix. This is an artist that deserves to be on your radar.
Recommendation: If you only check out one unknown artist this year, it had better be Ian Crawford. You can’t go wrong here, so Get this one or stream it on Spotify. You will thank us later.
Artist Name: Luke Daggers
Album Name: Into the Night
Label: Self-released
Genre:
Track Listing: 1. Into the Night; 2. Burning Waters; 3. Mirror; 4. I Want to Disappear (instrumental)
Publicist: Self-promoted
Review: We have listened to a lot of different levels of production in the thousands of reviews we have previously done. The debut releases from Ian Crawford and Luke Daggers are on opposite ends of that spectrum. While there is some good instrumentation here, the vocals leave something to desire. They are pitchy and not of the same quality as the instrumentation. We do see potential from this artist, but he is not there yet.
Recommendation: Just forget this one, but he check out future releases. We believe he just may surprise us.
Artist Name: Marshall
Album Name: Carnivals and Other Tragedies
Label: Hey Man! Records
Genre: Folk/Roots
Track Listing: 1, Carnival Ride; 2, Merry-go-Round; 3. Make it Right; 4. The Devil’s in the Details; 5. El Nino; 6. Lost and Found; 7. The River
Publicist: KG Music Press
Review: The title Troubadour is one of the highest you can give to a singer-songwriter, and Marshall has definitely earned that title. His songs are immaculate, replete with stunning lyrics, amazing guitar and the feeling that you can learn something from the wisdom of this man. He has been lighting up the Chicago acoustic music scene for years, and we think it is definitely time for him to spread his sound nationwide. His music is a mix of the wisdom of Woody Guthrie and the joy of Jim Croce, and we think he definitely deserves a larger audience. This is one of the best of the best we have reviewed this year.
Recommendation: Don’t waste any time – Get this one.
Artist Name: Walt Weiskopf
Album Name: European Quartet
Label: Orenda Records
Genre: Jazz
Track Listing: 1. KMA; 2. Gates of Madrid; 3. Wizard; 4. See the Pyramid; 5. Darth; 6. Soul Eyes; 7. Bolivia
Publicist: Orenda Records
Review: We couldn’t have planned a better conclusion to today’s Get it or Forget it article than this stirring jazz performance by tenor saxophonist Walt Weiskopf and his European Quartet. This is some of the best jazz we have heard this year. Playing with three of Europe’s finest musicians – pianist Carl Winther, bassist Daniel Franck and drummer Anders Mogensen – this recording captures all the beauty and joy of the music of Weiskopf. You may also know him as the saxophonist for Steely Dan. This is the perfect soundtrack for your daily wind-down and is best served with a glass of your favorite wine. Let the music envelope you and soothe your senses as this mellow jazz stimulates your cerebral cortex. This is by far the best jazz we have heard this year.
Recommendation: If you love jazz, this is a must-have. Get it today!