Lookin' For A Thrill

Hey, folks! Musical extravaganza today, featuring a band we've been dancing around over the last 10 months, and some bonus tunes to rev y'all up for the weekend.

But first, check out this image:



More on that next week.

Next, some cool news for the weekend, for those who are in the Chicago vicinity. The Saturday (November 14th) our lord and master, dirty-R'n'B god Andre Williams. will be premiering his brand new...book, "Sweets" at Phyllis' Musical Inn! According to Norton Records (who are releasing the book), "Andre will read, rally, and respond to questions from the peanut gallery, followed by an all-Andre DJ blast with John “Mr Wiggles” Phillips." Oh my. We'll be there, along with some special guests. And it gets better. Once that's over, we'll be motoring over to Duke's Hideaway for a late night sleaze-blues set by Mississippi Gabe Carter and Uncle Walt Carter (no relation). Damn, it's gonna be a swell night, and it's possible inebriation will occur. Anyone in Chicago should make this a priority engagement!

Phew.

With that out of the way, we'd like to draw you're attention to one of the best damn bands in the land, John Paul Keith and the One Four Fives.

As we've said earlier this is a post that's been simmering for awhile now. We have not been able to stop listening to their record, Spills and Thrills (the original pressing) since the beginning of the year, and it may very well be our best record of the year. Yeah, it's that good.

John Paul Keith hails from mean streets of Memphis, Tennessee, and was, once upon a time, and for a brief period, the guitarist for the V-Roys. You can find his biographical info here.

What matters is how his current incarnation, John Paul Keith and the One Four Fives sound.

Imagine, if you will, the world's greatest Country bar band channeling the ghost of Buddy Holly, throwing it into the garbage can, shaking and stirring with equal measure trash, Bakersfield, and hiccuped Crickets southern soul. Filter it through a strainer of sugarcane fields and street grime, add a dash Hollies-mania to the level, and top with a healthy dose of bourbon.

John Paul Keith, his very self, is a lyricist and guitarist of timeless brilliance, shiny twangster and gutter-snipe troubadour of love, hope, lust and loss. Each song is a blistering, 3-minute how-do-ya-do of rock bliss and dos-i-do hayride, chased by the mystery train straight off the tracks. Your midnight mover and early morning shot glass served sweet and sour, dirty dish-rag included.

Oh, and "Lookin' For A Thrill" is the best song of the year. Yep.

We'll have much more to say about this record at year's end, obviously, but beat the rush and check it out now. You deserve it.

The John Paul Keith tracks are ripped from vinyl, and come from the Spills and Thrills LP and the "Knoxville Town" 7". The bonus tunes are from CD. Sorry about that.

John Paul Keith and the One Four Fives: Lookin' For A Thrill (mp3)

John Paul Keith and the One Four Fives: Memphis Girls (mp3)

John Paul Keith and the One Four Fives: Smoke In A Bottle (mp3)

Bonus tracks

Andre Williams: Bacon Fat (mp3)

Mississippi Gabe Carter: Big Fat Woman (mp3)

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