A romantic theme (and the fallout for some) sets up the collection of songs ‘With This Ring’. With songs focusing on the fascinating topics of love and relationships, where better to start than a positive beginning than Sam Butera and popcorn induced ‘Love Charm’. From there on, the tracks provide doses of rock ‘n’ roll with great examples coming from The Super-Phonics light rockin’ ‘Teenage Partner’, to thoroughly engaging Darrell Glenn and ‘Congratulations To Me’, and later on one half of the Burnette brothers, in this instance Dorsey, with ‘Let’s Fall In Love’. The song title alone of Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps entry is enough to claim this compilation but that would be a disservice to the rest of the contents where great country turns from Hank Snow (‘Honeymoon On A Rocketship’) and Dave Rich (‘Tuggin’ On My Heart Strings’) show up. There’s even the inclusion of female performers such as Bunny Paul and the snappy rock ‘n’ roll/early pop of ‘Baby Sitters Blues’. With the final word of this compilation reserved for Patsy Cline’s ‘A Church, A Courtroom, Then Goodbye’, there’s much to ponder which, for most of its contents, it’s all positive as far as the music is concerned.

Even baddies get the blues. Latest compilation from the stable that is Atomicat is ‘Satan’s Holiday: The Devil’s Jukebox’. With the meanest dude of them all spinning a playlist of rockin’ delights, you can expect to hear a few of the usual suspects and lesser known artists committing their wares to wax. There are many welcome choices made with Gene Vincent’s ‘Race With The Devil’ or Al Jones ‘Mad, Mad World’. The less obvious choices prove inspired decisions as well, with The Zanies ‘Mad Scientist’ revealing influences of rhythm and blues and horror movies straight from the 50s. Other instances reveal more serious turns such as the frantic rock ‘n’ roll of Myron Lee, in addition to The Caddies ‘Homicide’. Raising it a few notches higher on the wild scale is rhythm and blues rocker ‘Wail Baby Wail’ by Tommy Louis with Marshall and the Versatiles. The definition of scintillating rock ‘n’ roll continues via The Rhythm Rockets and ‘My Shadow’, and then throws up a well-known artist, Chuck Berry, but with less obvious track ‘Downbound Train’, which makes for an interesting diversion. There’s room to breathe via Ella Mae Morse and the big band accompaniment that is ‘Rip Van Winkle’, whereas “Scat Man” Crothers excellent take on ‘Ghost Riders In The Sky’ adds variation. This is one jukebox that will keep minds and hearts warm during the winter months with its diverse range of artists and piping hot tracks.

Arriving fresh in the mail only recently comes the new single from Netherlands’ rockabilly outfit Miss Mary Ann & the Ragtime Wranglers. With this brand new single being a strictly limited edition (500 copies) pressed on 45” vinyl with a pastel green finish and launched in conjunction with the band’s appearance at this year’s Rockabilly Rave, the double header featuring ‘Lover Please’ and ‘Beau From Tupelo’ are timely reminders of the capabilities of this rockin’ four piece. With ‘Beau From Tupelo’ selected as the first choice for consideration here, and purely out of curiosity for its given title, the decision pays off immediately. From its bright, snappy opening that remains intact throughout where the upright bass makes its presence known with a solid beat and the lead guitar weaves a spell through the eye of a needle such is its precision, it’s a song of wonder from start to finish that can best be described as a “stroller” with a beating heart such is its admiration for the ‘beau’ in question. The flipside (or main offering) ‘Lover Please’ is an altogether different beast and shows the inventiveness of this band where standing still is not an option. Such is the experience of Miss Mary Ann & the Ragtime Wranglers that merely churning out another similar sounding number is all too easy that’s why ‘Lover Please’ inspires the mind with it’s clever infusion of Cajun spices crossed with rock ‘n’ roll yet never straying from a midtempo rhythm that cleverly enhances the expressed sigh of its lyrical content of unrequited love. Truly a top-class double effort that is deserved of its ‘special’ release status and limited run.

What begins in charming fashion where blues was raw and rickety with plenty of  evidence supplied by the ilk of Robert Johnson (‘Preaching Blues’), Charley Booker (‘Charley’s Boogie Woogie’) and a truly acidic turn from Boyd Gilmore (‘All In My Dreams’), the change in style(s) soon gathers pace where the songs begin to add a few more layers and a touch of polish. With ‘Southern Bred Vol. 2 – Mississippi R& B Rockers’ this is exactly what the listener can expect once the aforementioned Robert Johnson opens this particular account and followed by a few musicians offering their take on an early blues sound, before the musical adventure begins to develop more of a rhythm and blues theme that takes in a variety of artists who compel the senses in their own unique ways. For example, one moment BB King is in thrilling mood with his exhilarating ‘BB’s Boogie’ and the next the lesser known (to these ears anyway) Cleo Brown provides a female interpretation via the neat and tidy shuffle, not to mention sophisticated, ‘(Lookie Lookie Lookie) Here Comes Cookie’. That said, there are plenty of well-known names littered throughout this excellent compilation with the likes of Bo Didley appearing with ‘Sixteen Tons’ and a clear candidate for influencing The Rolling Stones, and Eddie Clearwater providing a fuller and rockin’ performance with ‘Hey Bernardine’. The primitive blues sound never strays completely as Big Joe Williams and His 9 String Guitar demonstrate with the basic nuts and bolts of ‘Juanita’. A thoroughly engaging compilation that briefly traces examples of early blues before opening up to a more developed sound consisting of rhythm and blues, ‘Southern Bred Vol. 2 – Mississippi R& B Rockers’ is a good introduction to a vast scene of artists who left their marks through time and will lead to further investigation once these particular songs get under your skin.

Welcome to the wonderful world of snap, crackle and pop! Such is the introduction to the first volume in the ‘Southern Bred’ series where blues and rhythm and blues from a distant past is given a fresh airing in the present via Koko Mojo. With this initial volume offering an insight into the workings of a small handful of artists such as Sonny Boy Williamson, Elmore James, Arthur ‘Big Boy’ Crudup et al, it is Willie Love and His Three Aces who receive the honour of opening this particular account and, in the process, provide a piano lesson that sounds somewhat ghostly given the age of this series via ‘My Own Boogie’. In fact, the passion for Willie Love continues as he makes an appearance during Sonny Boy Williamson’s ‘Stop Now Baby’ and then showing up again at various points with, for example, His Three Aces and the cryptic title of ‘Feed My Body To The Fishes’ that sounds like redemption to these ears. Big Joe Williams ‘She Left Me A Mule’ is a compelling listen with its simplicity of sound and down on its luck tale. Such thoughts also apply to Elmore James with Sonny Boy Williamson where the combined use of slide guitar and harmonica have no problems coming up with the required ‘Dust My Broom’. By focusing on a select group of artists provides a different angle to previous compilations released by this record label where volume one in this series focuses strongly on an early blues sound that will have you hooked from start to finish.

Arriving only recently at FLW is the already available ‘Movin’ by Shaun Young and The 3 Ringers and The Texas Blue Dots. Issued on both CD and 12” vinyl, ‘Movin’ is a collection of songs split between the two guises of The 3 Ringers and The Texas Blue Dots, but with most songs going to The 3 Ringers. With the album being recorded and produced by Shaun Young at Jet-Tone Studios, Austin, Texas – “The Speed of Sound”, the quality really shines throughout this release. From rockabilly influenced numbers ‘Things Will Never Be The Same’, to an amalgamation of said genre with a strong hint of blues powering ‘When You Do That’, and then rounding off with the rock ‘n’ roll ‘Knockout’, Shaun Young with his cohorts is never one to sit still for a moment. Such a notion can be gleaned from the modern touches applied to this album, despite the album retaining a definite authentic feel overall, because ‘Movin’ never gives the impression of holding a desire to go back to the 50s as it’s a record that sounds perfectly at home in the present. With song titles and lyrics suggesting much heartache and longing for better times (‘Things Will Never Be The Same’, ‘Drink Till I Can’t Feel The Pain’, ‘My Heartaches Been Confirmed’, etc) Shaun Young (and bands) has/have a real way of convincing its audience via such tearjerkers as ‘I Plead The 5th’, to the more hopeful ‘More Than Any Tongue Can Tell’ with its mashup intro of Tom Petty meets Buddy Holly’s ‘Peggy Sue’. The contents of ‘Movin’ are a delight to behold and provide enough evidence that rockabilly is alive and well in Austin, Texas.