Review: Jaye Jayle & Emma Ruth Rundle 'The Time Between Us' EP

This week Sagent House released a split 12'' record between two of its most promising musicians, Emma Ruth Rundle and Evan Patterson (as Jaye Jayle). 

Founded in 2006 by Cathy Pellow of Atlantic Records, Sargent House just passed its decade mark and is making a push for mainstream recognition (Sargent House releases now being available at Target stores) as no longer a shadow project but a post Americana powerhouse for New Country Blues. And there may be no better flagship than the Rundle/Jaye Jayle split The Time Between Us.  

The album Begins with Rundle's 3 song offering which sounds as if The Dirty Three backed up Hope Sandoval in a post Fade Into You break up album. More subdued than Jaye Jayle's tracks, it still manages to instill the dark magic of everyday loneliness that Patterson delivers so effortlessly on the Jaye Jayle full length 'House Cricks And Other Excuses To Get Out' from last year. 

It's hard to imagine how Patterson could top the heavy hitting dark blues country from House Cricks, and yet he has raised the bar yet again and in only 3 short tracks. The first track "About Time You Came To Me" is a hurricane of Robert Johnson shadow lore and country blues guitar licks with a proto-Industrial backline of spring reverb and synth bleeps and bloops. The feeling is continued with "Unnecessarily" before culminating into the masterful track "Hope Faith County" with Patterson's no-nonsense vocal execution of the matter-of-fact truth about the world which is possibly that the sun may raise every morning, but half the day is always shrouded in darkness. Patterson's take on life's trials is something like  even the most lonely of hearts still beat. 

"Hope Faith County" melts Patterson's Country Blues style with a Ziggy Stardust infusion, blending fiddle and country western guitar with reverb drenched synth and a desert town storyline colliding with an invasion from space. The line ''Space Girl Have you Finally Found Me?" could very well be the response song to the first track "About Time You Came To Me". 

The Time Between Us is a must for anyone interested in an introduction to these fine musicians or the Sargent House label. It is a quick 6 songs, and without a single miss step, although one can't help but to wonder why a duet between the two was not included.

Jayle Jayle performs Feb. 25th at the Clifton Center with special guest Cher Von. 7PM Doors. 8PM Music. $10

2/28 Fat Tuesday with King Kong at Monkey Wrench

Ethan Buckler's King Kong will be playing on Fat Tuesday at the Monkey Wrench. The price is $10 and includes Jambalaya and garlic bread.

Tonight! 2/22 No Bunny, Sick Velvet, Dick Titty Blood Punch at Kaiju

The gods of over-the-top Gutter Rock & Nu Glam collide tonight at Kaiju as No Bunny, Sick Velvet, and Dick Titty Blood Punch deck their finest glitter and sludge outfits and smash Kaiju straight to the ground.
$8 21+
 

Photo Review: Louisville Is For Lovers Showcase at Guestroom Records (2/10/17)

 Photos by Marife I. Bautista

Travis Searle, John King, & Lisa Foster

Cody Johnson of Soft Self Portraits and Jake Philley running sound

Jamie A. Barnes

Jamie Barnes

Cody Johnson playing a skateboard (like a pro)

Mark Kramer of Tender Mercy

Ocifer: Christopher deRome, Jesse Beckloft,  Greg Drury, & Christian Ballentine.

Christopher deRome of Ocifer

Axel Cooper of New Mother

shutaro noguchi of New Mother

New Mother

Review: Scott H. Biram 'Bad Testament'

Scott H. Biram

Every few years Texas blues guitarist Scott H. Biram releases an album, and every time we, here at 37FLOOD, review it and exclaim Biram a national treasure, and this time will be no different.

To say that Scott H. Biram, who seamlessly weaves blues, country, punk, and metal, is a master guitarist would an understatement. While it's true that his skill at the country blues style is seemingly unmatched in the modern world, He is dually skilled at songwriting.
But that's not to say Biram's guitar skills are not worth discussing.  Biram's guitar playing is very important in preserving the Texas blues tradition; those who enjoy blues and/or country music will know that two genres grew out of the same roots, and in Texas blues the roots continue to intertwine.

But if Biram has a fault, it is that he was born 40 years too late to truly be appreciated by a wider audience. His songs like 'Still Drunk, Still Crazy, Still Blue' or 'Slow & Easy' could have easily been chart topping hits back in the Outlaw days when Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, and Merle Haggard ruled the radio waves. If only he could have gone back in time when people cared for blood and bone country music his lyrics would have become so popular and emulated that they would have easily become old worn out country music clichés by now. Biram's lyrics, as in 'Red Wine' from the forthcoming 'Bad Testament' like ''You been down at the barroom, pressing your sweet body against another man's pride'' or ''set 'em up, I'll knock 'em down, wake me up when it's all over, it took less than that to make my heart lose it's mind.'' would be as familiar as 'tears in my beer.'



When Biram released 'Nothing But Blood' in early 2014 we hopefully mused that perhaps that would be the one album to bring him to the fore in popular culture with his solemn and sullen tracks like "Never Coming Home" with quiet and endearing lines such as "woke up thinking my soul had flown, I thought I'd died somewhere in the night. Yes I'm still just drifting on, got nowhere to do it right." And the honestly played gospel tracks "When I Die" and "John The Revelator" that embody the sincerity of Texas preacher and gospel legend Washington Phillips.

On 'Bad Testament' the other hand of good and evil takes the wheel. While less of his Metal and punk roots show, his sweet & heartbroken blues take a backseat to the hard playing angry other side of Biram's nature as heard on 'Righteous Ways' or 'Crippled and Crazy' with lines ''I'm crippled and crazy and out of control.. Calling all angels, all heartaches and demons, calling all lovers that left for no reason, down through the chamber that echoed the screamin'; twisted and turnin' I just quit believin' in love.'' It sounds like a man that's been walking the road for so long without arriving that he's about ready to just sit down and quit.

We can't let that happen, therefore we will again be hopeful in thinking this new offering by Country Blues one-man-band/barroom preacher Scott H. Biram will finally deliver him into the warm arms of the outside world.

Scott H. Biram's 'Bad Testament' will be released Feb. 24th on Bloodshot records. A limited edition of 500 Orange & Black swirl LPs have been available for pre-order since December haven't sold out yet, which doesn't fair well on our hopeful prediction this time Biram will finally ascend into the hearts and minds of the people; But there's still hope, It's not too late, and it starts with you... Preorder Here.

Give Away: Louisville Is For Lovers 'Ultimate Lovers Weekend'

www.facebook.com/louisvilleisforlovers

Ok, Louisville, you have just about one week before Valentine's Day, do you know what you are getting your sweetie? Louisville Is For Lovers has some ideas.. 

Shadow Design Pillowbox

Special Edition 2 CD set
Keepsake with thong

Just released feb. 3rd is the Louisville Is For Lovers 2017 Valentine's Compilation with over 25 original songs by Louisville artists, released digitally on their site, as a beautiful shadow design pillowbox CD (edition of 300), and as a Special Edition two CD boxset in a Keepsake box with silkscreened collector's thong.

On Friday Feb. 10th at 7:30pm, there is a Louisville Is For Lovers Showcase at Guestroom Records (1806 Frankfort ave) with Tender Mercy, Jamie Barnes, Ocifer, New Mother, and Soft Self Portraits. The show is free and open to all.

And on Sunday Feb. 12th at 1pm is the Second Annual Valentine's Brunch at New Wave Burritos with and endless brunch buffet and music by The Winger Brothers and Alanna Fugate. Special couples tickets just $30 (singles just $16) and comes with a download of the new album.

Or you could do all of the above by entering to win the Louisville Is For Lovers Ultimate Lovers Weekend Give Away, with 2 tickets to the Valentine's Brunch, a $25 Giftcard to Guestroom Records (redeemable at the Showcase on friday), and a copy of the Louisville Is For Lovers 2017 Special Edition Box Set with the Keepsake thong! To enter just visit the Louisville Is For Lovers Facebook page. 

Louisville Is For Lovers Keepsake Thong