Well, darlins, you know I love this retro trend when it’s done right. And somehow it seems the younger the band the more they seem to get this right, in my [...]]]> I Killed Robert Johnson mp3 The Stone Foxes Bears and Bulls …. buy it now! …. go here to see where they’re playing!

Well, darlins, you know I love this retro trend when it’s done right. And somehow it seems the younger the band the more they seem to get this right, in my book. The Stone Foxes have achieved greatness, in this debut album, which they’ve recorded themselves, “live, with almost no overdubs, in a studio they built themselves” says their press release. It’s the harmonica. The bluesy, lazy-mouthed, wide-open just wild abandon of it all that the harmonica inspires in this album is what particularly stands out for me. More than just four guys playing around with some raw talent, Bears and Bulls covers some pretty wide ground. There’s echoes of Southern Americana from the 70s in this, some old fashioned blues, and Zeppelin-like sensibilities as well as a Chris Robinson spirit to the vocals. The instrumentation is tight. Drums are dished out heavy and hard. Guitar solos are searing and twisted and lead the song through repetitive, grinding goodness (hear “Hyde & Pine.”) I’m imagining this all played loud and live (hear “Young Man,”) and yeah, I’ll be there the second they make it near my great city, xoxo … I know a certain reader of this blog is gonna love this

The Stone Foxes “I Killed Robert Johnson” from Sideways Media on Vimeo.

oh and for those of you going to Pitchfork Fest…. check out this great preview (much better than I could come up with!) by Mike over at QRO Magazine