New Music: Van Duren documentary, Kris Kristofferson concert recording, Monica Taylor studio album

A must see music documentary on singer-songwriter great Van Duren as well as a historic recording featuring Kris Kristofferson and new studio album from Oklahoma-based songstress Monica Taylor are available now.

DVD Title: Waiting: The Van Duren Story (MVD Visual)
You might like if you enjoy: Paul McCartney, Big Star, Todd Rundgren, music documentaries 

Tell me more: In a perfect world Van Duren would have released a dozen or more top-selling albums over the past 45 years and would have already earned a spot in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. But that justified path sadly eluded the Memphis singer-songwriter/guitarist-keyboardist early in his career despite playing in bands with Jody Stephens and Chris Bell (both of Big Star fame) and assistance from manager-producer Andrew Loog Oldham (who managed The Rolling Stones from 1963 to 1967). Now a newly-released documentary, Waiting: The Van Duren Story, details the compelling story of how two Australians (Greg Carey and Wade Jackson) discovered Van Duren 40 years after hearing some of his first recordings completed in the late 1970s (for the now-legendary Are You Serious? album) and decided to make a documentary film about an artist deservedly touted as "the next Paul McCartney." The wonderful documentary (which was the winner at the Indie Memphis Film Festival in 2018 and an official selection at a number of other film festivals that year) will appeal not only to those who love melodic rock and power pop, but anyone who recognizes that for someone as talented as Van Duren there is no other choice than to follow a dream. Information: waiting-vanduren.com. 

Artist: Kris Kristofferson
Title: Live at Gilley’s - Pasadena, TX: September 15, 1981 (New West Records)

You might like if you enjoy: Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson, Michael Ubaldini, Johnny Cash 

Tell me more: Recorded at Gilley's in Pasadena, Texas on Sept. 15, 1981, Kris Kristofferson's new release is truly a celebration of the 86-year-old Brownsville, Texas native's enduring and timeless songcraft. From the raucous opener "Me And Bobby McGee," poignant "Casey's Last Ride" and poetic mandolin-adorned "The Pilgrim" to the deeply affecting "For The Good Times" and tender "Loving Her Was Easier (Than Anything I'll Ever Do Again)," the freewheeling concert event is a delightful trip back to a historic outing captured when Kristofferson was at the height of his powers. Other standouts on the 15-track Live at Gilley’s - Pasadena, TX: September 15, 1981 include the sparse "Here Comes That Rainbow Again" and "Nobody Loves Anybody Anymore," the country nugget "If It's All The Same To You" and bona fide classic "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down." Information: NewWestRecords.com.

Artist: Monica Taylor
Title: Trains, Rivers & Trails (Horton Records)

You might like if you enjoy: Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, The Cherokee Maids & Sycamore Swing 

Tell me more: Trains, Rivers & Trails is the third solo album from country music songstress Monica Taylor. A breezy and beautiful set of 11 songs, the title boasts a mix of mostly Taylor-penned originals and several smart covers that fit snugly into the stellar set. Standouts include the lively opener "The Sound of a Train," tenderhearted reading of the 1967 Glen Campbell hit "Gentle On My Mind," uptempo Cajun-tinged take on the Jim McBride & Keith Stegall co-write "Down in Louisiana" (bolstered by some fantastic fiddle work from Luke Bulla), the stylish "Minor Key" duet where Jared Tyler's vocals are also featured on the enthralling track (credited to Woody Guthrie / Billy Bragg & Wilco), gorgeous "Just Came in to Say Goodbye (a song co-written by Taylor and Patrick Williams), and uptempo bluegrass frolic "Train Take Me Away." The stirring "Salty Tears" was written about Taylor's own great great grandmother who — only 13 — was driven along with other family members of the Cherokee People to Indian territory in present day Oklahoma on the infamous Trail of Tears ("Her parents and sisters died along the cold trail. This is her story," Taylor notes in press notes for the album). Information: MonicaTaylorMusic.com.

Robert Kinsler

Larkin Poe announce new album "Venom & Faith," out November 9, 2018

It's exciting news that Larkin Poe is set to release a new album this fall. "Venom & Faith" will be the first new album release from sisters Rebecca Lovell and Megan Lovell since 2017's Peach. Check out my review of Larkin Poe's incredible set at the 2018 Doheny Blues Festival here.


LARKIN POE

FIND THEIR VOICE WITH NEW ALBUM VENOM & FAITH

UNVEIL NEW SONG ‘BLEACH BLONDE BOTTLE BLUES’

Venom & Faith Is Out November 9, 2018

Pre-order available here: https://lnk.to/BleachBlondeBottleBlues

In a genre as storied as American roots and soul, Nashville-based sister duo LARKIN POE are poised to make a mark all their own with the release of their fourth album Venom & Faith, out November 9, 2018. Rather than concede to the history of the canon they hold dear or rest on their laurels, Larkin Poe persist and emerge rattling, stomping, and sliding into a modern-day depiction of what roots rock should sound like... another chapter in an everlasting story. “It’s a celebration of American roots music as translated by two sisters who are playing the blues in a modern age," says Rebecca Lovell about their new album.

The followup to their critically-acclaimed second album Peach which was nominated for a Blues Music Award for Best Emerging Artist Album, Venom & Faith was produced by both the band and their long-time engineer Roger Alan Nichols. Those who pre-order the record will receive "Bleach Blonde Bottle Blues” and “Ain’t Gonna Cry” as instant grat tracks.

Listen to "Bleach Blonde Bottle Blues" here: https://youtu.be/wui_CNVtI0E

Recorded in Nashville earlier this year in between headline shows, festival dates such as Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza, and a featured guest performer spot on Keith Urban’sGraffitiU World Tour, Larkin Poe approached Venom & Faith with fierce independence. From Rebecca’s powerful vocals on “Ain’t Gonna Cry” to Megan’s sultry lap steel on “Good And Gone,” the sisters weave their talents into the fabric of their experience and a picture of the American South. “Blue Ridge Mountains” harkens to the sisters’ hometown, “drinking sweet tea every day” with stomping percussion and churning riffs.

Still, the sisters maintain an outlaw mindset in a traditional genre. Unbound by tawdry embellishments, Larkin Poe infuse pop sensibilities into their sound, blending old-school elements of rock and soul with drum samples, hip-hop production values, and resonant lyrics like “California king-sized dreams in a twin bed.” Venom & Faith redefines what it means to make emotionally resonant music while also maintaining boundary-pushing musicality.

Save for two covers ("Sometimes” by blues legend Bessie Jones and Skip James’ “Hard Time Killing Floor Blues”), the rest of the record’s tracks are Larkin Poe originals. Paired with unique production touches like organic percussion sounds — the thumping of dresser drawers, the slamming of back doors, and stomping on hardwood floors — Venom & Faithbleeds Lovell. The sisters once again tackle a majority of the instrumentation on the album with some help from friends, including seasoned guitar legend Tyler Bryant who adds his slide stylings on “Mississippi.”

Larkin Poe (from left, Rebecca and Megan Lovell) rocking at the 2018 Doheny Blues Festival in Dana Point, CA. Photo: Bob Steshetz Venom & Faith Track listing 1. Sometimes 2. Bleach Blonde Bottle Blues 3. Honey Honey 4. Mississippi (Feat. Tyler Bryant)  5. California King 6. Blue Ridge Mountains 7. Fly Like An Eagle 8. Ain't Gonna Cry 9. Hard Time Killing Floor Blues 10. Good And Gone

The album’s title, Venom & Faith, is taken from a lyric on “Honey Honey” and, according to the sisters, is intended to conjure a southern gothic image. “The title of our last album, Peach, was an homage to our Georgia roots. With this album, we wanted a title that would allude to the duality of our art: gritty guitars offset by gentle vocals; musical moments of both tragedy and joy; the sacred and the profane.” Venom & Faith will be released independently on November 9, 2018. Album pre-orders and pre-saves on Spotify, iTunes and other digital retailers are available here https://lnk.to/BleachBlondeBottleBlues.