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James Murdoch brings out the pop

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Former Lethbridgian James Murdoch’s sophomore CD, “Wondering Where the Rush has Gone,” is a laid back, yet uptempo affair awash in acoustic guitars, gorgeous melodies and garnished with a little accordion. He maintains a strong tenor voice which couldn’t help but to remind me of ’80s hitmaker Larry Gowan,  especially on the outstanding second track  “Simple Lullaby” and in places, country singer  Keith Urban like on track six  “Something We Do.”
Another Highlight, “Don’t Lay Down,” is a hooky country-pop song that wouldn’t be out of place on a newer Bare Naked Ladies CD, and “John Wesley Jones” is a haunting country song with roots in Yukon vaudeville.
June Bug is another highlight — a catchy and touching song about talking to a homeless man whose wife fell asleep in his arms in a snow bank
Throughout there are some tasteful guitar solos, and perfectly placed organ, keyboard and accordion parts.
In short, “wondering Where the Rush Has Gone, is a superb second effort, which demands attention, not to mention a place on the charts.
— Richard Amery

CD: Wondering Where The  Rush Has Gone
Artist: James Murdoch band
Genre:pop-country
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Treeline shows their range

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Local band Treeline show their range on their long awaited Ep “Hazy Hills.”

Taylor Ackerman, Ryan Dyck and drummer Clayton Smith not only show they can play country blues on my favourite track “Rains on Me” they also show their Caribbean side on  “I‘m Always Thinking” which combines country and pop music.

“Left Field” is an elaborately produced piece of ‘70s style pop combining elements of reggae and blues.

But “Then Them” is where Treeline cuts their blues teeth, with a sweet solo.

To get a feel of the band‘s live show, they also included an outstanding live version of “Rains on Me.” The sound is crisp and clear throughout the recording, which really shows off the breadth of the band‘s skills.

—Richard Amery

EP: Hazy Hills

Artist; Treeline

genre: pop/rock/blues/ reggae

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Leeroy's back and keeping it real

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Lethbridge‘s Leeroy Stagger is back  with his fifth CD “Everything is Real,” which has been released on Stagger‘s record label Rebeltone Records. It features 11 supremely crafted cuts including tracks he has been road testing for at least the past year. They range from tender ballads to uptempo rockers like the catchy “Petrified World” which kicks off the CD.

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Smoke Stack Jacks rough and ready

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There is a new blues duo called Smoke Stack Jacks tearing up the Lethbridge scene.
Guitarist/singer David Bullied and drummer Geoff McDonald have just released a new home recorded six song EP of original music featuring sick slide guitar playing and vocals which sound like they’re being sung through a megaphone on the first track, also called Smoke Stack Jacks.
 They’re rough, ready and out to have some fun. The recording is a little rough as vocals are sometimes lost in the mix and seem distorted on  the third track,“Light It Up”, but it captures the essence of the band’s performance.
Turn It Around is the tightest track on the CD but Smoke Stack Jacks has potential. Stack Shack Blues is another song which will improve with time.


CD: Smoke Stack Jacks
Band: Smoke Stack Jacks
Genre: blues/ blues rock
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Mahoney makes cover music their own

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If you’re going to be a cover band, you might as well do something different.
 That’s what Medicine Hat duo Mahoney did on their new CD of cover songs “We Think We’re Awesome.” 
 Due to fan demand (they have regular Lethbridge gigs at the Shark Club every Thursday night and Mojoes on Wednesdays), they stripped down numerous hits to the bare basics — acoustic guitars and  the odd drum and bass.  
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