Burning Barns and Back Woods

Tony Peyser
Mirror contributing writer
  
   The Barn Burners are a shotgun marriage between The Blasters and The Smithereens. Shot Down, these Baltimore boys’ new CD, is (what else?) a barn burner. “Yesterday’s Clothes” has a Stones’ vibe while “Cheatin’ To Lose” has an old school Bakersfield feel to it. The pumped up title track and “Everything Was Crooked” shows their flair for no-frills rock and roll. It’s like getting in a car with a new friend whom you suddenly realize pays scant attention to stop signs, red lights or posted speed limits. Buckle up.
   There’s also a frenzied spirit in The Meat Purveyors’ Pain By Numbers. This sassy alt-bluegrass outfit from Austin often delivers songs with a jittery unease to them. But the quiet tracks are even more effective, especially on band member Peter Stiles’ “Leaving” and a pair of winning covers: Johnny Paycheck’s “It Won’t Be Long (And I’ll Be Hating You)” and Bill Monroe’s “The One I Love Is Gone.”
   Yet another rousing talent is on abundant display in Whiskey Stars. This rootsy album by Joe Fournier doesn’t smooth over any uneven edges. On “Resinator Hit Parader Blues,” Fournier sounds like a pair of bluesy, down-and-dirty guitar greats: Bo Ramsey and Gurf Morlix. And “Big Mistake” reminded me of a track left off of Elvis Costello’s ahead of its time country album, Almost Blue. Fournier’s a Canadian who proves that some of Americana’s best talents aren’t even American.
   “Are You The Sick Passenger?” is a phrase musician Frank Padellero often saw on signs posted in Boston subway cars. It’s a public health warning to riders who perhaps aren’t taking care of themselves. Padellero’s dreamy new album used it as its title and it’s a welcoming collection of pop confections in the Brian Wilson mode. “Famous Umbrellas” is like being in a hot-air balloon when they cut the ropes: there’s nowhere to go but up. The album credits include shout-outs to likeminded talents like The Pernice Brothers and Fountains Of Wayne.
   Mofro’s sophomore effort, Lochloosa, is backwoods country blues where all the TV sets are black and white jobs with coat hanger antennas. While there are other players on the album, Mofro is basically just JJ Gray and Daryl Hance. Gray does the vocals, sings lead and plays various instruments and Hance plays slide guitar. Gray growls about his hometown of Lake Lochloosa in Florida and laments the rise of gated communities, golf clubs and all things Disney. On “Dirtfloorcracker,” Mofro seems to morph into Prince and Stevie Wonder for a jagged slab of swampy Motown funk.
   Miles Of Music has Shot Down for $10.49, Pain By Numbers for $13.49, Whiskey Stars for $11.99, Are You The Sick Passenger? for $11.49 and Lochloosa for $12.49.
   On Sep t. 3, Ozomatli’s at the Universal Amphitheater. On Sept. 7, The Barndance’s monthly country show moves to El Cid in Silverlake with honky tonker Mike Stinson headlining.
   Bob Kannenberg, The Barn Burners’ lead singer, provided this week’s Goofy Band Name Of The Week: Amish Jihad.