After two very interesting albums already issued to the public at large, Volume 3 of ‘Rhythm & Western’ arrives with another series of songs from African American artists who turned their attentions to country & western music whether in direct style or represented here with loose associations of themes or song titles. Such associations of country music formulate instantly via first song ‘Chew Tobacco Rag’ with its expressive sound effects bringing humour and style via its rhythm and blues presented by Lucky Millender. Jimmy Ricks follows with ‘Do You Promise’ that is more in line with the “Rhythm and Western” of this album series both musically and from its lyrics. From such a strong start, Volume 3 continues to impress with more great choices from Dinah Washington who provides her own interpretation of classic Hank Williams’ ‘Cold Cold Heart’, to Andre Williams upping the tempo slightly with well-known ‘You Are My Sunshine’. The inclusion of the likes of The G-Clefs’ ‘The Big Rain’ reflects gospel influences of the time, whereas the sophisticated and reflective ‘Funny How Time Slips Away’ really captures the essence of similar plaintive country songs also of the same era. There is much diversity on offer as with the previous two albums and with Fats Domino bringing ‘Don’t Come Knockin’, Little Junior offering ‘My Dolly Bee’, and charismatic turn from Cab Calloway and ‘Gamblers Guitar’ all represent such examples and also highlight the quality on offer. However, most notably, the imagination expressed by this album series is its biggest asset so far.

Drumming up a new idea on the Koko Mojo label is The Mojo Man with a planned-five-series set of CDs featuring African American musicians performing country and western music. The songs selected are either classic C&W songs or songs that were issued as rhythm and blues at this time in history since they were not performed by a white artist. The album series ‘Rhythm & Western Volume 1 – When Two Worlds Collide’ will hopefully restore some form of balance by offering a platform for those African American artists who produced C&W music during the 50s and early 60s by showcasing their songs that were otherwise given less exposure and deemed unsuitable for said genre of music. With twenty-eight tracks to get the musical message across and offer an insight to the sounds of African Americans performing C&W, then the collision of rhythm and blues with country music is an apt title to begin this series. First up is The Hurricanes with ‘Pistol Packin’ Mama’ and is not only a fine introduction but also representative of typical Koko Mojo fare by being a straight up rhythm and blues track, which may leave some wondering about the song’s inclusion, but there’s more to this compilation with songs touching upon C&W influences and themes and sometimes that’s in the style of rhythm and blues. Providing the first “Yee-haw!” moment is next in the queue Long John Hunter with ‘Ole Rattler’. It’s the first stab at C&W here and is wonderfully endearing in its “rattling” instrumentation assembled and just about holding together via some sticky tape and charismatic vocals from Long John Hunter. Interestingly as well, you can hear the rhythm and blues faintly in the background, yet this is certainly more C&W. Brook Benton saunters across the prairie in fine fashion with the spoken word novelty ‘The Boll Weevil Song’, and such a performance extends to another notable performance by Scatman Crothers ‘Ghost Riders In The Sky’ offering his version of this much covered C&W track. Once the album reaches its conclusion, the overall impression is that the lines between rhythm and blues and C&W are certainly blurred yet rhythm and blues often edges things where it’s more about the “mood” of a song that is fitting of a country style rather than the actual genre it’s performed in; hence the inclusion of classic country material fodder ‘Maybelline’ (Chuck Berry); ‘Your Cheatin’ Heart’ (Fats Domino), and ‘Sleep On The Porch’ (The Stewart Brothers).

Second album in the new series from Atomicat is – ‘R&B Goes R&R 2: Rock & Roll Music’. As with its predecessor, album number two turns rhythm and blues songs into rock ‘n’ roll songs and featuring several musicians from the States and Australia. The combined efforts once more make for a fascinating listen and just as Volume 1 impressed, Volume 2 proves equally compelling. Supporting this claim is the twenty-eight-track list featuring artists from Buddy Holly and Wanda Jackson to Hayden Thompson, Rusty York, Charlie Gore, Ella Mae Morse, and Marty Robbins. Again, as with the first album, there are plenty of names that feature with their versions of rhythm and blues tracks that are scarce to find on similar types of compilations. Despite being a name, Bunny Paul’s rendition of ‘Such A Night’ is one such example that doesn’t pop up when scouring the back catalogues of collected works of similar albums. Ditto Johnny Chester and more associated with Elvis ‘Milk Cow Blues’, not to mention names as The Toppers and song ‘Mr. Lee’, and The Goofers ‘Hearts Of Stone’. Beginning with such examples is a great way to approach this album when listening because there are more familiar artists as Buddy Holly, Wanda Jackson, and Warren Smith who will be known to many, but despite the familiarity, the tracks chosen are excellent additions given the rawness of Holly’s ‘Ting-A-Ling’, engaging vocals of Jackson’s during ‘Slippin’ And Slidin’, and Hayden Thompson’s rockabilly ‘Love My Baby’. Add to that group Ronnie Hawkins compelling reading of Bo Diddley’s ‘Who Do You Love’ complete with captivating guitar, and Volume Two of ‘R&B Goes R&R’ lives up to its additional heading “Rock & Roll Music” by providing plenty of fine examples of this.

An album to celebrate that great invention known as the automobile but an LP with one American classic in mind and that being the Cadillac. To honour this historic motor, Atomicat Records has created a full album dedicated to the Cadillac car. Given the title ‘120 Years Of The Cadillac Car’, DeeJay Mark Armstrong handpicks thirty songs to represent the classic Cadillac with a mixture of rhythm and blues, rockers and hillbillies, and songs named directly after the car or lyrics referencing it. Beginning with a series of rhythm and blues tracks and featuring Jimmy Liggins with ‘Cadillac Boogie’, Roy Brown and ‘Cadillac Baby’ to, in demand right now, Bo Diddley with ‘Cadillac’, and Willie Brown ‘Cadillac Boogie’. The album continues its interesting and lively analysis of the Cadillac with superb rockabilly from Hal Willis and ‘My Pink Cadillac’ (They really don’t make them like they used to!), Sonny Wallace and alternative colour ‘Black Cadillac’ that really is a terrific raw and rickety rockabilly track, before adding equally compelling Joyce Green with same song title yet different song’ Black Cadillac’. The “hillbillies” featuring equally good turns by Don Churchill ‘Cadillac Blues’ and western swing Bob Wills chipping in with ‘Cadillac In Model A’, and the listener already has an album’s worth of top-quality tunes. But that’s not all folks because the musical goodness continues with the previously mentioned recognition of the classic Cadillac in song title or lyrics with pick from a very fine crop including Wanda Jackson and snappy rhythm ‘Baby Loves Him’, Young Jessie ‘Mary Lou’, The Cadillacs ‘Speedo’, and El Dorados with ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Is For Me’. An excellent collection of songs, not to mention ideas knitted together to form a complete whole that makes more than perfect sense in celebration of the American Cadillac and can be heard via ‘120 Years Of The Cadillac Car’.

There is a profound sense of FUN, and much to be had, when listening to the latest addition from Atomicat. With a similar album series also featuring songs associated with the dance style of “The Twist”, this time around the newest album is less specific yet broader in terms of its approach by offering a sense of the “carefree” and dance to your own rhythm. What this means is an album packed full of songs featuring a particular “dance” in mind or the mood of the song is full of celebration leaving you to decide whether you want to dance alone or with a partner. Leading the charge here is Dion with The Isley Brothers’ ‘Shout’, containing a charismatic punch from its opening discussion before launching headfirst into this number. Great start, and more to come via the tight rhythmic ‘The Wobble’ supplied by Jimmy McCracklin, to immediate appeal of rhythm and blues/rock ‘n’ roll of ‘Diddle Dee Dee’ from Bobby Dunn. Noticeably different about this companion piece to Volume 1 in the “Twist” series is that there are far more obscurer titles and artists that will be known to serious collectors, but to a lesser extent casual listeners. But it is also the eccentricity of some of the tracks with excellent and engaging piece from The Champs and ‘The Shoddy Shoddy’ with lyrics that deserve your attention, to unique titles as ‘The Whiz Wash’ (Baby Wayne), ‘The Kangaroo’ (Clifford Scott), ‘Pony Time’ (Don Covay), and The Mandels with ‘The Scotch’. Overall, a more unique take on the dance craze and expertly lived up to by the tracks chosen for this compilation because not only is it a suitable companion for the dancefloor, but it also makes for an entertaining listen in the comfort of your own home.

Supporting a strong work ethic which has seen the components of debut album ‘Nights Come Alive’ assembled in a time that the Guinness Book of Records should consider for an award, given that the band known as Damokles have only been in each other’s pockets since late 2019. Such an incredible feat once you consider all the restrictions a pandemic has wrought upon this world, and associated problems this has created for many. It’s no wonder that once ‘Nights Come Alive’ gets underway, it immediately gives the impression of a band having strained at the leash for too long, given the wave of emotions that pour out and with only the ventilation holes of its ten-track playlist offering an outlet to do so. No matter, as the short, sharp bursts of post-punk, mixed with indie-rock and emotional 90s post-hardcore provide ample coverage to what lies at the heart of this Oslo-based five piece, which may not always be easily decipherable, but makes it even more fascinating and worthy of repeat visits. Cryptic tales abound therefore, but there are signs pointing to feelings associated with alienation, boredom, and despair. For those in recent memory, debut single ‘Closing Time’ was an angular blow to the ribs and one powered by 80s grunge merchants The Afghan Whigs to those in positions of power and tempted by corruption. Further similarities arrive with even more recent, ‘Bodies Get Bored’, and again the dishevelled overcoat of The Afghan Whigs proving a source, in addition to mining energy from At The Drive-In, with lyrics purporting to similar concerns of dishonesty and its repeated cycles as indicated by its impressive words, “The parasite is as good as its host, The fruit is ripe, Let’s dictate its cost”. Music for the current times without doubt, and with lyricist Gøran Karlsvik possessing an uncanny habit of “right place, right time” mentality when it comes to his creativity and the rest of his projects. With Damokles providing the outlet on this occasion, there appears to be something of the “personal” amidst the growth of ‘Miniature Gardens’, which is also the band’s most marketable commodity given its accessibility via its alternative-rock leanings. ‘Breathtaker’ offers another side to the Damokles’ sound with its considered approach, before collapsing under a familiar weight of post-punk noise. It is from these shoots of creative differences which helps spawn the gothic, theatrical moments of the album’s title track, to quite different yet remaining an irritable ball of noise that is the excellent ‘Ms. Misanthropy’. Damokles has clearly enough ideas in their tank to maintain their current level of output, but one that has by no means reached anywhere near its zenith. Amen to that because album #2 is already in production, suggesting Damokles is already straining at the leash once more. Turbulent times it most certainly is, but with Damokles providing the soundtrack there is much that will resonate here and comfort to be found in this terrific debut.