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Tag: Brother Paul

Brother Paul: A New Lease on Life in the Blues

Sometimes life gets in the way. Inspired by family, life, and death, Cadillac Pickup Truck (Slept On Records) was ten years in the making from Brother Paul, out of Stockton, California. Paul Hermann, a fixture in the local delta blues scene of the central valley, hammered out the authentic vibe that oozes out of this nine-song album while gigging in bars and nightclubs all over the Bay area. Though the city and scene have fallen on hard times, Brother Paul has found a new outlet for his music in Cadillac Pickup Truck, featuring Matthew Shaw (Her Space Holiday, City Light, Conrad the Band).

As a teenager, Shaw’s father passed away, and Hermann became his surrogate father. Shaw had always wanted to record songs with his uncle, and after sharing his early recordings with bandmate Nick Andre (Her Space Holiday, City Light, Dirty Ghosts) Brother Paul got real. Foundational musical influences–like Elvis Costello, Billy Bragg, and Wilco–and a thriving scene in the area gave this project’s music life. “Cadillac Pickup” sets the tone of the album, opening with an easy laugh and delta groove. The song gives a tease to the journey that life is compromise and change. The Wilco influence on this stroll of a story song is evident. “Telling Everybody” is the classic blues song of the record, dirty and down with that barroom feel.

It is difficult to tell where the story took a turn, but Hermann became ill at some point during early recording and was unable to continue. “Dream On” has that 1960’s quality of innocence, slow and simple. This song reflects some of the miracle of this album: After it was put on hold due to Hermann’s illness, he was granted a last-minute liver transplant that eventually saved his life.

After a full recovery and new lease on life the project found fresh traction, with “Lil To Late” a musical comment on the costly lifestyle that he loved. Nick Andre’s shuffling drums are the perfect accent here. “Burn That Sucker Down” continues the theme, documenting a day in the life of someone born and raised in the infamous Stockton who got seriously into playing music in the 1960’s. With an easy Grateful Dead feel, it is California dreaming with nice guitar punctuation.

“Student Blues” goes back to timeless dirty blues. Plucking out the qualities of a great party girl, it glides across the ears like a beauty swaggering across the room at the local tavern. Slowing it down with “She Left Alone,” the throwback to a different time is fitting with the lyrics of the song. Finding its voice in the past, the refreshing song has a Freddie King style. “Let the Ribbon Flow” keeps moving through rock and roll history, firmly into the traveling Eric Clapton slide. Slick and cool, the song is a fitting celebration of a life that almost came to an end too soon.

Putting a final note on Cadillac Pickup Truck, “Heroin Heart” tells the story of the blues, real and imagined. A seasoned musician sees different things from a different perspective, as a lifetime of experience can be heard in the vocal delivery. Leaving the live comments from the studio session here brings it back to life. The power of music is the restorative glue for Brother Paul. — Lisa Whealy

Late November Singles 1: Acoustic!

1. “Home Away” – Valley Shine. This song excellently combines two things I love: enthusiastic folk-pop and Graceland-style African music influences. It’s the sort of jubilant yet suave work that transcends genre barriers and should be appreciated by people across the pop music spectrum. Just a fantastic song.

2. “Brother” – Jack the Fox. Doesn’t need more than an acoustic guitar, some warm pad synths and an arresting voice to totally take over a room. It’s quality on par with Josh Ritter and Fleet Foxes, but doesn’t sound like either artist.

3. “One Day I’ll Be Your Ears” – Mateo Katsu. Ramshackle, enthusiastic, chunky, herky-jerky acoustic indie-pop from the school of Daniel Johnston and Page France. It’s the sort of charmingly off-kilter work that lo-fi was meant to celebrate.

4. “Lil to Late” – Brother Paul. Here’s a fun, easygoing acoustic blues shuffle with hints of rockabilly, vintage country and self-deprecating humor sprinkled throughout. It’s topped off with just the right amount of Motown soul-style horns.

5. “The Time It Takes” – The Show Ponies. This Americana outfit sounds like a Joe Walsh moonlighting as the leader of a Nashville country outfit: saloon-style piano, radio-rock ramblin’ vibe, and male/female duet vocals straight off your local country radio. It’s not usually what I’m into, but it hooked me and kept me.

6. “Return to the Scene” – Aaron Atkins. Weary yet sturdy, this alt-country/folk tune ambles along on the strength of great rumbling bass lines and a convincingly-achy vocal performance.

7. “Phoenix Fire” – Simon Alexander. From the Josh Garrels/Hozier school of intense singers comes this thoughtful, mature pop song with a great chorus.

8. “Melody, I” – Pluto and Charon. A warm, intimate acoustic performance that retains the fret squeaks and string buzz. It’s more rough in its fidelity than Damien Jurado ever was, but it has a similar sort of vibe in the dignified vocals.

9. “Waterski to Texas” – Budo and Kris Orlowski. Now this one really does sound like Damien Jurado, but the latter-day Jurado. Budo and Orlowski walk a fine line between big, sweeping arrangements of singer/songwriter work and a very personal, even raw, emotive quality. The vocals here are particularly fine.

10. “Gold Ring” – Redvers Bailey. This one’s a lovely, romantic, gently layered song that floats somewhere between Josh Radin’s delicate work and the wide-eyed wonder of “Casimir Pulaski Day”-style Sufjan Stevens.

11. “High Rolling” – Jake Aaron. This acoustic instrumental manages to be complex and inviting at the same time, subverting expectations by not just jumping to the highest treble notes for the lead melody. By keeping the melody low and close to the fingerpicked foundation of the piece, the tune feels both comfortable and complicated. It’s very worth your time, even for those who aren’t generally into acoustic instrumentals.