JD McPherson - Signs & Signifiers - Printable Version +- Music Discussion (https://www.music-discussion.com) +-- Forum: Music Discussion (https://www.music-discussion.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=4) +--- Forum: Rock/Classic Rock/Prog Rock/Blues (https://www.music-discussion.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=10) +--- Thread: JD McPherson - Signs & Signifiers (/showthread.php?tid=6902)

JD McPherson - Signs & Signifiers - Music Head - 22-04-2012 online listen must be a re-release several sites have it listed as new allmusic says 2010 throwback to 50's rock 'n' roll/rockabilly original tunes but not original if you've been there weak lyrically 1.3 from me and a converted 2.4 from the pros at allmusic from the album - North Side Gal http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyMsYMSXO6o released Apr 17th, 2012 Bio - from allmusic Singer/songwriter JD McPherson makes vintage-sounding rock with nods to '40s R&B, blues, and '50s rockabilly. A native of Oklahoma, McPherson grew up listening to a wide array of musical styles from traditional country and rockabilly to punk and hip-hop. Although music was always an interest, McPherson first worked on his family's cattle ranch and later earned a master's degree in open media from Tulsa University, eventually teaching and receiving attention for his video art installations. McPherson is a member of the Tulsa-based rockabilly ensemble the Starkweather Boys, whose classic style caught the ear of Chicago retro-rock impresario Jimmy Sutton. A job backing Sutton on a few shows followed for McPherson, as did the idea of his own solo project. In 2010, McPherson released his solo debut, the Sutton-produced Signs & Signifiers (featuring the single "North Side Gal"), on Hi- Style Records. Album Review - from allmusic Singer/songwriter JD McPherson's 2010 debut album, Signs & Signifiers, is a rockin', bluesy, forward-thinking album that subtly breaks the conventions of most vintage rock projects. Produced and recorded with the retro expertise of bassist/guitarist Jimmy Sutton, the album is a gold mine of '50s-inspired rock and R&B, with some rockabilly twang thrown in for maximum effect. That said, McPherson actually draws from a wide and eclectic array of influences including Son House, Charlie Feathers, the Wu-Tang Clan, and sundry blues and soul artists from Guitar Slim to Sam Cooke. The through-line that ties all of these influences together is McPherson's powerful and robust voice, which balances the shouter style of mid-century legends like Lloyd Price with a smoother, more controlled approach that falls somewhere between Gene Vincent and Clyde McPhatter. McPherson is a singer/songwriter in the truest sense, and his original tunes are a cut above the average retro-rockabilly artist both melodically and lyrically. Such songs as the driving, Twist-ready leadoff single, "North Side Gal," and the explosive album closer, "Scandalous," bring to mind jukebox-fueled impromptu dance parties. Which isn't to say McPherson is merely interested in old-school sounds. On the contrary, tunes like the bluesy, spiritual-inspired title track (which borrows the Smiths' oscillating guitar intro from "How Soon Is Now") and the soul-blues dirge "A Gentle Awakening" with its symphonic strings and piano background bring to mind classic '60s cuts by Ray Charles, as well as contemporary numbers by Alicia Keys. The album does benefit greatly from the vintage, live-recording aesthetic that Sutton and engineer Alex Hall have perfected over the years with other similarly inclined bands like the Four Charms and the Del Moroccos. It also doesn't hurt that McPherson is backed here by a bevy of roots musicians including drummer Hall, saxophonist Jonathan Doyle, guitarist Joel Paterson, and others. Ultimately, as the album's conceptual title implies, Signs & Signifiers paints a picture of McPherson as a kind of post-structuralist retro-rocker, living in the moment with one boot in the past and the other boot in the future. Track Listing 1. North Side Gal 2. Country Boy 3. Fire Bug 4. Signs & Signifiers 5. Wolf Teeth 6. Scratching Circles 7. A Gentle Awakening 8. Dimes for Nickles 9. B.G.M.O.S.R.N.R. 10. I Can't Complain 11. Your Love (All That I'm Missing) 12. Scandalous