Aural Fixations

THE BEAT FARMERS
Tales of the New West
(Rhino Handmade)
When people talk about the best bands of the first Great Roots Rock Scare (the one in the 80s), they'll bandy about names like the Blasters, the Long Ryders, Rank & File and Jason & the Scorchers. All of which were great bands, mind you, but the pundits almost always overlook one outfit: the Beat Farmers. (more)

DIAMOND DOGS
Black River Road
(Smilodon)
On its last album Too Much is Always Better Than Never Enough, the Swedish band Diamond Dogs did a note-perfect imitation of Rod Stewart's early 70s years, before he went Hollywood and ceased caring about making soulful rock & roll. Some might fault the band for stealing another artist's identity rather than finding one of its own, but hell, Rod the Mod hadn't made music like that in almost 30 years, and if no one else was gonna do it, why not Diamond Dogs? (more)

MARY LOU LORD
Baby Blue
(Rubric)
At the risk of pissing some folks off: Baby Blue is the record Mary Lou Lord should have made when signed to a major label. Hell, this is probably the album she wanted to make but wasn't allowed to by the suits with the checkbooks. (more)

OTIS TAYLOR
Double V
(Telarc)
Blues songwriter Otis Taylor's sixth album Double V shows growth while still retaining his trademark sound. Producing himself for the first time (his loyal sidekicks bassist/producer Kenny Passarelli and guitarist Eddie Turner are nowhere to be found), Taylor strips his sound down further, joined only by his daughter Cassie on bass and a sparse cello section. (more)