CD Reviews for 08/19/08 – Andre Williams, Jim Stringer

Compact Capsules for 8/18/08
by Dan Ferguson

Andre Williams & the New Orleans Hellhounds
Can You Deal With It?
Bloodshot Records

The elder statesman of salacious R&B and the voice behind raunchy cult classics like “Bacon Fat”, “Greasy Chicken” and “Jail Bait” returns with a nine-song treatise of righteous punk n’ soul purity. The New Orleans Hellhounds prove the perfect foil for Williams’ patented bump and grind barroom goodness. Party starter? Hell yeah! Can You Deal With It? Double hell yeah! Play this one way f*ckin loud. (Visit www.bloodshotrecords.com/artists/andrewilliams.)

Jim Stringer & The AM Band
Triskaidekaphilia
Music Room Records

At 61, Jim Stringer is an elder statesman of the Austin roots music scene. Listen to the kickin’ and swingin’ Triskaidekaphilia and you just may be raising a toast to the fountain of youth that is the gee-tar pickin’ Stringer and the highly listenable brand of country rock & roll he dishes out on this recommended platter. Even better, check out his label’s web site and the bounty of Austin country scene types who’ve made music for him. No big names, but some pretty durn good records. (Visit www.musicroom.org.)

(Dan Ferguson is a free-lance music writer and host of The Boudin Barndance, broadcast Thursday nights from 6 – 9 pm on WRIU-FM 90.3. He lives in Peace Dale and can be reached at [email protected].)