Nicholas Mudd grew up in Lexington, Kentucky, surrounded by horse country and lush farmland, and Mudd found himself immersed in country, southern rock, and traditional folk music. It was evident from a young age that he had inherited his grandfather’s musical interests. Leonard Mudd, now 95, always had a collection of guitars, mandolins, fiddles, dulcimers, and banjos sprinkled around his home, and still manages to make music from time to time.
A young man from West Virginia with a penchant for sounds that point at his Appalachian roots, Charles Wesley Godwin has got stories to tell, and does so with eloquence, timelessness and plenty of warm, thoughtful songwriting.
“(Windmill) Keep On Turning” starts the listen with a rugged, country template and Godwin’s gritty yet tuneful vocals, and “Coal Country” follows with a cozy spirit and breezy melodies- the latter being a common occurrence across the entire listen.
One of the threads that bind us here in Twangville is love for a soaring vocal, screaming guitar, driving rhythm, rock and roll song. Not the over-produced kind you get in some arena show, but one that has roots in a dimly lit bar in Memphis or Austin or Muscle Shoals. My latest find along those lines is LA-based duo Roses And Cigarettes and their new record Echoes And Silence. Compromised of singer Jenny Pagliaro and guitarist Angela Petrilli, the band excels in straight ahead rock.
“Fast As I Can” exemplifies that with its inspiration in Jenny’s fight with breast cancer. The title track and “Back To You” both follow that style. “Bones On the Ground” injects a little more soul in the vocals and stomp in the drums to give it a little southern rock feel. “Bye Bye Blackbird” slows things down, and Petrilli’s guitar sears through a lo-fi intro.
A light touch on the guitar strings and an echoed foot tap are the gateway for “Coal Country”, Charles Wesley Godwin continuing as a guide around his homeland as he drifts back to ‘the spring of ‘49’ with the story of Ruth in “Seneca Creek”, introduces “Strawberry Queen”, trails a wanted man through the hills with “The Last Bite”, and digs deeper into the ‘dirt beneath my feet’ for “Here in Eden”. The honesty in the words of Charles Wesley Godwin come from a place of purity, his words mirrors of personal beliefs, his stories polished to a shine with a clear awareness of life and its living.
Sometimes the side-man deserves to be a front-man. Kyle Daniel, who’s been a touring guitarist with artists like Casey James and Clare Dunn, steps to the mic and displays an exceptional voice on “Somewhere in Between”, a song from his forthcoming second EP. This easy-rolling song fits easily on a playlist with the likes of Brent Cobb and Chris Stapleton, sonically and vocally. “Somewhere in Between” straddles Americana and the more traditional leaning parts of modern country – in other words, the kind of stuff I wish was dominating mainstream radio. Give it a good listen; I think you’ll dig it.
Written in the wake of a life-threatening brain operation, singer-songwriter Andrew Leahey’s sophomore album, Airwaves, channels raw emotion into deep and honest storytelling.
A follow-up to his debut album, Skyline in Central Time, Airwaves gives fans more genre-blending, depth, and, of course, rock ’n’ roll.