Category: blues

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americana Andy Hawk and the Train Wreck Endings blues featured artists folk new release news reviews rock roots singer/songwriter Virginia Washington DC

The Train Keeps Rolling

“It’s Americana-ish!” is how Andy Hawk describes his latest studio effort with the Train Wreck Endings and if you’ve heard any of their previous work you’d find it hard to put them into one specific category or genre too.  This, my friends, is a talented group of musicians that effortlessly blends folk, blues and rock into their own special brand of truly American music.

In addition to a new set of original tunes, the soon to be released disc entitled Another Storyline also includes a rocking cover of New Order‘s “Temptation” that features a mandolin as a stand in for the synths….very nice. “Sunshine Street,” my favourite original track, starts with a punchy little bass line paired with the perfect drum cadence…add in some excellent vocal harmonies and, of course, more mandolin and you’ve got a cool little ditty.
Froglix greatly appreciates Andy and company for allowing us a “sneak peek” at Another Storyline and would be remiss if we didn’t do a little pimpin’on their behalf by promoting their upcoming CD release party.

  • When: Friday, November 11 @ 8pm
  • Where: Franklin Park Arts Center in Purcellville, VA.

Be sure to check out www.andyhawk.com for details, tickets, etc.

– Drago

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acoustic alt-country alt-rock americana Augusta blues featured artists Fried Goat Georgia Outhouse Vinyl rock

Everything is Better Fried

artist: Fried Goat | genre: americana, folk, rock | label: Outhouse Vinyl
Check ’em out on [itunes link=”http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/henry/id424883293?uo=4″ title=”Bon Appetit on iTunes”]

listen now:
Maybe Today    Bulgarian Rhapsody

Froglix welcomes Georgia’s Fried Goat to the broadcast with a few select cuts off their latest album. Bon Appetit is a feast of southern inspired flava that mixes healthy portions of americana, folk and southern rock with a dash of  blues and a pinch of country twang thrown in for good measure.  “Maybe Today” starts off a little Neil Young-esque…but only for a second, I promise.  As soon as the hook kicks in with “Maybe today the clouds will fade away” it’s accompanied by a subtle harmony that makes it all Fried Goat.  The jump to double time for the guitar solo was nice juxtaposition and really makes the wailing sound of the guitar stand out quite nicely.   “Misery is Optional” and “Henry” are notable tracks as well and further capture the essence of the band’s core sound.  However, the most interesting track was “Bulgarian Rhapsody.” This particular song is a complete departure from the rest of the album but as the “what were they thinking” moment passed,  I really came to appreciate this particular tune.  I have no idea what they lyrics are but they sound good and fit nicely with the edgy bulgarian folk thang these cats are throwing down.  The performance is solid and their crisp sound resonates with a warm sense of reality that is completely genuine.

If your ears have a hankering from some southern type comfort food this summer…get yourself some Fried Goat!

– Drago

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americana blues electronica featured artists folk HUB indie indie pop Ledaswan OT-musicboy rock roots singer/songwriter The Chain Gang of 1974 unsigned weekly recaps

Jump Back :: The Week In Review

This week we broke out with The Chain Gang of 1974…and I just now got Thurdeen’s reference in the title. How sad is that?  I am sharp! Regardless, “Matter of Time” is a great tune and definitely worth a listen from their MySpace page.  DMitch pimped some of OT-musicboy’s new tuneage…and…uh…I have to agree, that cat plays some good music but that name…arg.  We then followed up with a video from San Antonio indie rockers Ledaswan which is just a prelude to a full review due out next week.  Finally, (3) tracks from HUB brought yours truly to the stunning realization that there are some good singer-songwriters out there!

Next week…more from Ledaswan, King Cotton and much more!  Until then…peace!

-Drago

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Austria blues featured artists Florina Greece indie OT-musicboy reviews rock unsigned

Sing Music Boy, Sing

OT-musicboyartist: OT-musicboy
album: Jump Over (a fence of electric sound)
genre: Indie Rock
label: unsigned
listen now:
Not A Song :: Did You Tell Your Mother
You Knew :: Dance (with the musicboy)
buy now: [itunes link=”http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/ot-musicboy/id403425750?uo=4″ title=”OT – Musicboy”]

Why do I feel like OT-musicboy is a guilty pleasure? Maybe it’s because I didn’t think I was going to like him. I certainly don’t get his name. I also think the album title, Jump Over (a fence of electric sound), sounds just a tad cheesy. He could also probably make use of a better photographer. Fair or not, first impressions set expectations. But damn it, after the first few guitar plucks starting “Not A Song” I knew I couldn’t just dismiss him. And damn it again, the first verse’s lyrics were pure poetry. And his voice is just solid. And not to sound too cliché, but the tone of his voice is just “believable”. By the time it hit the chorus I was all in.
Petros Kozis is OT-musicboy. Austrian born, Greek raised, and clearly, musically speaking, American influenced. On every track he is guitar(s), bass, and vox. And this album is chock full of really good tracks. “You Knew” does a brilliant job of slowly building right up to the chorus where it somehow makes sense that you’re singing the namesake of the song along with him. “Did You Tell Your Mother” drips in the blues. Hearing it makes me think I’m hearing Tom Jones singing a tragedy. Finally, “Dance (with the musicboy)” is just downright unabashed dance-fastic fun.
Moral of the story: don’t judge a book by its cover. Oh, and everyone is allowed a few guilty pleasures.

– DMitch

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Andy Hawk and the Train Wreck Endings blues featured artists folk Hamilton new release reviews rock unsigned Virginia

New Release from Andy Hawk and the Train Wreck Endings

artist: Andy Hawk and the Train Wreck Endings
album: Another Roadside Attraction
genre: rock | blues | folk
listen now…
My, My
Wheel Like the Wind
I’ve listened to all of Andy Hawk’s albums including his latest release entitled Another Roadside Attraction, which, if you’re counting is his 6th studio effort overall and his 2nd with the Train Wreck Endings.  All that music and I still can’t quite pin a genre on him.  Above I mention (3) possibilities but even they don’t quite capture the essence that is Andy Hawk.  Is “honest” a genre?  Because if it is, that’s the word I choose as it best describes not only this latest release but the entire Hawk discography.
All songs tell stories and while some artists can rely solely on their music to tell their tale, others need to marry lyrics with melodies in order to effectively convey their message.  Andy Hawk uses both…but he doesn’t have to…and that, my friends, is what separates good song-writing from great song-writing.
“My, My” blends contemporary rock with an upbeat alt-country feel and does so with a delivery that is fluid not forced while “Lipstick & Dynamite” has more of a Texas-blues/honky-tonk flava that makes for a very interesting contrast.  The piano accompaniment that starts off and carries through “Wheel Like the Wind” would bring a tear to Jerry Lee Lewis’ eye.  In fact I’m pretty sure that Steve Devries was channeling the Killer when he recorded that one!  As I listen to the righteous 60’s guitar riff paired with the steady rhythmic timbre of the drums in “Ghosts of Summer Sun” I can’t help but get the feeling that I should be chilling out on a beach somewhere right around sunset.  This is my point.  When you pop in this disc, each track will elicit a unique feeling/response that can only come from honest music performed by a gifted story-teller.
Andy Hawk and Train Wreck Endings deliver another winner with Another Roadside Attraction.

– Drago

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Andy Hawk and the Train Wreck Endings blues California featured artists folk Hamilton jazz reviews rock San Francisco The Autonomous Region unsigned Virginia

West Coast and the Hawk


The Autonomous Region from San Francisco, CA makes their Froglix debut with tracks from their 2008 release Forbidden City. Rock, blues and jazz all coalesce to create an eclectic sound with an unmistakable West Coast vibe.  We’ve selected a couple of tracks that shine a light on the band’s soulful side for the broadcast.  Make no mistake, they can lay down the dirt and rock out with the best of them but for our money “Took My Breath Away” and “What Can I Do for You” are the jazziest grooves on the album and have quickly become our faves.   We think you’ll dig ‘em too!


From the West Coast we travel back east on the wings of a hawk…Andy Hawk and the Train Wreck Endings to be exact.  I was recently introduced to this talented songwriter and musician just a few short weeks ago via a mutual friend who had been bugging me incessantly to check out his music.  Apparently, Andy had sent Froglix a bevy of mp3’s for us to listen to back in July…unbeknownst to us as we had a slight problem with our email and didn’t receive them until just recently (sorry ‘bout that Andy!).  Our email challenges remedied, we quickly began combing through and listening to all of the great music that Andy had sent us.   Thinning the herd to select a few songs for the broadcast was indeed a chore but we have pulled out some gems that we think will give our listeners a true sense of what the Hawk is all about–great song writing, excellent music and meaningful lyrics.  We are jacked to be featuring songs from of some Andy’s (2) most recent albums Tin Can Town and Here It Is. With a style that is reminiscent of Petty and Dylan, Hawk delivers an original sound that is a true American classic.

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blues California featured artists Florida Glue Factory hardcore Long Beach Long Beach Records Part One Tribe punk reggae reviews rock

New Music from Two of LBR's Finest…Glue Factory & Part One Tribe

Glue FactoryWe recently received a package from Longbeach Records, the contents of which made our eyes and, eventually, our ears pop out! As we opened the box we found, tucked away inside, a number of new discs for our review from some of the best Third Wave and Punk bands on the planet. We’re still going through it all, but here’s a sampling of what we’ve dug into so far…

84 Day Syndrome, the newest release from Long Beach, CA’s Glue Factory, comes fully equipped with (10) tracks of pure adrenalin that hit harder than a Tyson uppercut. Keep your guard up as GF”s blend of hardcore, punk and rock comes at you fast and furious in a cascading barrage of sound full of ferocity and velocity. This disc flat out rocks.

Obvious As EverFlorida’s Part One Tribe, also on the LBR label, beautifully incorporates their reggae, rock & blues stylings in Obvious As Ever, the band’s most recent full-length CD. After 10 albums (6 studio recordings and 4 live albums) and literally over 1000 performances across the United States, they give true meaning to the words “hardest working band in the business”. You’d think that after a while the bump and grind of the road would take it’s toll…not so for these cats. The tracks on this disc are fresh, original, and full of a soulful vibe that can only be delivered by the Tribe.