Gospel, Slobber, Issues & Whiskey

Tony Peyser
Mirror contributing writer

   In this age of corporate and church corruption, a group of folks in Texas are a welcome tonic. For some years now, The Imperial Golden Crown Harmonizers —- a loose-knit group of Austin musicians, including personal fave Gurf Morlix —- play gospel blues every Sunday morning and donate the money that day to local charities. Four minutes into a somber and heartfelt cover of “People Get Ready,” the Harmonizers shift gears, hit a new groove and turn this joyful Curtis Mayfield classic into an R&B rave-up like The Beatles’“Get Back.” Also worth noting on their self-titled debut CD are “If I Ever Get Right” which has a swagger that could win converts to any denomination and “True Religion” that sounds like the Old Testament by way of New Orleans. You go, God.
   Slippage, the latest effort from Slobberbone, is as much alternative rock as alternative country. “Butchers” (which I hope is released as a single) wouldn’t leave my head for days, a fabulous track that’s equal parts Elvis Costello and Bruce Springsteen. In Stephen King’s recent novel Black House, a character called Slobberbone’s “Gimme Back My Dog” a great rock and roll song. Well, it now has some serious competition from the band’s “Butchers.” “Back” (as in finding one’s way back) is a barfly’s apology-ridden benediction. Let’s hope some lost soul hears this on a battered jukebox one night and starts his long journey home. This could be a thoughtful hit for this Lone Star band in the same way that “Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)” was for Green Day.
   Brian Jay Cline, an ex-New Yorker now living in Las Vegas, is as reliable as the dealer hitting on 15 in a game of 21. His earlier albums reminded me of Graham Parker, the aforementioned Elvis Costello and Johnny Rivers, who had huge hits like “Secret Agent Man.” With “One More Broken Heart” and “All Roads Lead To You” on his latest release, The Big Issue, Cline describes the anguish of a love that fails and the hope that hopefully will survive. His guitar playing always has a sweetness to it, even when the lyrics and singing have the wary weariness of someone who hasn’t always hit the three cherries on romance’s slot machine. My new feeling about Cline is there’s a lot of Nick Lowe’s charm and pop gift also evident in his music. By the way, Lowe’s last album, The Convincer, had a cover I loved of “Poor Side Of Town,” a song that was a big hit for … Johnny Rivers.
   Jimmy Thackery was raised in D.C. and is an old hand at that bar band blues sound. Tab Benoit is from Louisiana and you can always count on some funky, swampy gumbo on his musical menu. These guitar men join forces on Whiskey Store. It’s a delight to hear them power their way through the put-upon “I Ain’t Broke” and a slithering cover of Dylan’s “Leopard-Skin Pill Box Hat” that Paul Butterfield wound have been proud of. Benoit and Thackery have another winner with Jagger & Richards’ “The Last Time” which sounds like The Rolling Stones throwing rocks at The Byrds.
   Miles Of Music (www.milesofmusic.com) has Imperial Golden Crown Harmonizers for $13 and Slippage for $14. Amazon has Whiskey Store for $14.99 and Not Lame Records (www.notlamerecordings.com) has The Big Issue for $11.
   *The Negro Problem is at The Knitting Factory on September 28.
   * The Goofy Band Name Of The Week is … Mess America.