artist: King Cotton | genre: rock, americana | label: unsigned
listen now:
Up All Night :: Them That Believe :: Where the Hell I’ve Gone
There once was a time when southern style rock was all the rage. A time when bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd (the original version), Blackfoot, The Allman Brothers and the like roamed free across these here United States and if were I to say that I was not a fan of their music (and others of that particular ilk) back in the day I’d be flat out lying. A good friend told me once that, deep down, I had little redneck in me and, after years of denial, I have finally accepted this as truth. Perhaps that’s why I feel so at home in West “Where men are men…and the sheep are nervous” Virginia? By the way, DMitch has a little redneck in him too but I’m not sure he’s ready to come out of the closet quite yet. That’s ok. We’ll give him some time. But I digress. The point that I am attempting to convey here is that, while I have heard “Sweet Home Alabama” way too many times in my life, I have not lost my fond affinity for the “southern fried” genre.
Enter King Cotton. The Boise band that originally formed in the early part of 2009 and, after a brief hiatus and few line up changes, now features Grant Camp (lead vocals, guitar), Jeff Logan (drums, backing vocals), Ray Logan (saxophone, keys, backing vocals), Curt Wardhaugh (guitar, backing vocals) and Adam Young (bass). Their particular brand of “sonic gumbo,” as they refer to it, is quite rich and showcases a variety copacetic sounds. “Up All Night” brings a blend of both gritty and clean guitars, throws in some groovy organ in the background and a hook that is a mix between Tom Petty and Dylan (the younger, Wall Flowers version that is.) The bluesy verses of “Them That Believe” give way to a groovy pre-chorus that makes for an interesting combination for sure while the acoustic start to “Where the Hell I’ve Gone” reminded me of something that Clapton might have played on his now infamous unplugged album. What I like most about this tune, however, happens at about the 1:54 mark when the mood does a complete 180 and thus begins the interplay of guitars and violins as the song rides out and fades way. Brilliantly done.
I’m glad to see that a genre of music that I enjoyed so much during my “formative” years is still going strong. Carry on King Cotton, carry on.
- Drago
One of my favs from Australia’s 
