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Grant Britt

The Branchettes Rock the Spirit of Jubilee Gospel on 'Stayed Prayed Up'

The Branchettes Rock the Spirit of Jubilee Gospel on 'Stayed Prayed Up'

EDITOR'S NOTE: As album releases slow down in December, we like to catch our breath and write about albums that came out earlier in the year that we didn't get a chance to review but we think are worthy of your attention. Stayed Prayed Up was

Stinging Blades Bring Bar Band Blues Bona Fides to Original Songs

Stinging Blades Bring Bar Band Blues Bona Fides to Original Songs

Since 1989, Joe Bell and his Stinging Blades have been pleasing and scaring the beejesus out of the great local unwashed masses with a blend of hellhound blues, old-school R&B, and deep dish soul. Bell is a whirling, twisted shaman who can yodel like Tarzan, howl like the

The Georgia Thunderbolts Bring a Blast from Rock’s Past

The Georgia Thunderbolts Bring a Blast from Rock’s Past

When Kentucky Headhunters singer-guitarist Richard Young first heard The Georgia Thunderbolts onstage, it jolted him right out of his tour bus. He ran to the stage to see what his band was going to have to do to outshine his opening act. “I kinda felt like I had uncovered a

On 'Dear America,' Eric Bibb Sends a Love Letter Laced with Hard Truths

On 'Dear America,' Eric Bibb Sends a Love Letter Laced with Hard Truths

If Eric Bibb were any cooler, he’d have to hang out in a refrigerator. Chilled out, blissed-out, and laid back, Bibb radiates mellow like the coils of a Frigidaire, spreading clouds of cool every time he opens his mouth. But the troubadour doesn’t aspire to the worship or

Family Forms the Foundation on Paul Thorn’s ‘Never Too Late to Call’

Family Forms the Foundation on Paul Thorn’s ‘Never Too Late to Call’

A lot of people are fighting for domination under Paul Thorn’s skin. Randy Newman and John Hiatt are the main combatants, battling for walk-around vocal control. Delbert McClinton’s in the ring as well slinging his twang around to help Thorn deliver his knockout punches. The boxing thing is

‘I Be Trying’ Finds Cedric Burnside in Bloom from His Hill Country Roots

‘I Be Trying’ Finds Cedric Burnside in Bloom from His Hill Country Roots

A trip through Mississippi Hill Country can be a bit stark, accompanied by the drone of angry mosquitoes pursuing you over the terrain. But if your guide has skills filtered down through family that can navigate the territory, it can be a melodic, uplifting experience. Cedric Burnside’s grandfather, R.

Judith Hill Brings Influences from Multiple Places to Her ‘Hollywood’

Judith Hill Brings Influences from Multiple Places to Her ‘Hollywood’

Imagine Aretha Franklin as formidable a guitar player as a vocalist, Sister Rosetta Tharpe if she had jumped all the way across the aisle and stomped the bejeezus out of the gospel, compressing it into pure soul. Despite the heading on her latest project, Baby, I’m Hollywood, former Prince