CD Review: Grand Old Grizzly's Self-Titled Release

Grand Old Grizzly
Grand Old Grizzly
Self-Release

A Texas alt-country act, Grand Old Grizzly presents us with an upbeat, bluegrass, and folk-tinged tunes with clever lyrics and memorable melodies on drums, guitars, keyboards, pedal steel, and bass. Grand Old Grizzly is led by vocalist and guitarist, Will Thomas. But he is joined by Mark Riddell on bass, vocals, keyboards, and percussion; Dustin Welch on banjo; Paul Beebe on drums, vocals, and guitars; and Craig Feazel and Katie Stuckey on pedal steel. The Americana folk sounds are rousing to say the least. There is even a bit of grungy/country-rock on "Tallahassee." The vocals on most of the songs resemble a younger version of Counting Crows-frontman, Adam Duritz. There are pop-centric elements which are bright and energetic, but the vocals are never loud or indiscriminate. The simplistic "I Was Thinkin'" is a dreamy ode on guitar with light instrumental embellishments. "Pretty Little Head" contains a slew of poetic vocals and giddy guitar stylings with pure pop pleasure wrapped around a country-esque backbone. There are eleven songs in all and none of them suffer from any insufficiencies. Grand Old Grizzly is grand music with a heart and soul. ~ Matthew Forss  

CD Review: Kati Mac's 'Save Me From Myself'

Kati Mac
Save Me From Myself
Self-Release

Kati Mac is a New York-based singer/songwriter with a stunning resemblance to Shawn Colvin's emotive folk voice and guitar tunings with a little Trish Murphy angst. The alt-country-Western style of "Bullet Hole Road" cements Kati's mark on the world of upbeat, folk-country music with swooning dobro, earthy guitars, steady percussion, and raw vocals. "He's Memory To Me Now" is a candid and quaint little tune with Kati's vocals backed by her acoustic guitar with additional instrumentation. "Lord Have Mercy On Me" is a bluesy track with Southern guitar sounds and reverberating keys. Kati's emotive voice traverses a varied vocal range with an uppity instrumental arrangement featuring gritty guitars, B3 sounds, and percussion. "The Wheel Goes Round" is a folksy, Western ditty with backup vocals and classic country instrumentation of strings, piano, tambourine, and a Southern Revival ambiance without twangy vocals. "Cold Day In Hell" features a few horns and Broadway-esque instrumental arrangements with B3 sounds and crackling percussion. Overall, Kati's thirteen-track release is an excellent examination of the folk-rock-country genre that is not too heavy on rock, country, or blues. It is just good music. Fans of Trish Murphy, Shawn Colvin, and related artists will love it. ~ Matthew Forss