The Lucky Losers - Arrival

Album: Arrival
Size: 108,6 MB
Time: 46:58
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2025
Styles: Blues/Soul mix
Art: Front, inside

1. S-C-A-M (4:43)
2. Sunday Stroller (4:33)
3. Pull On The Rope (4:00)
4. Play It From The Heart (4:53)
5. I Believe Her (4:20)
6. Sorry Brother (3:58)
7. My Father's Song (3:55)
8. Pig Iron Tough (4:50)
9. Don't Let It Slip Away (4:00)
10. Misfit Kids (4:04)
11. Ain't The Marrying Kind (3:37)

Winners of six Independent Blues Awards, including Artist of the Year (Cathy Lemons) and Song of the Year (“Godless Land”), The Lucky Losers are San Francisco’s premier six-piece blues-soul band. Fronted by fiery Dallas-raised vocalist Cathy Lemons and New Jersey harmonica master/vocalist Phil Berkowitz, the group delivers a throwback mix of blues, soul, rock, gospel, and Americana with impassioned vocals and electrifying interplay.

Praised as “the finest light-skinned female blues vocalist in the U.S.” (Real Blues) and “one of the West Coast’s most distinctive harp players” (Living Blues), Lemons and Berkowitz bring striking contrast and chemistry to the stage, backed by a powerhouse ensemble that amplifies their soulful originals and dynamic performances. Cathy Lemons and Phil Berkowitz revive the vanishing art of the duet while pushing the American blues tradition forward.

Since 2015, The Lucky Losers have toured nationally across 46 states, released five critically acclaimed albums, and earned 6 national awards, 25 nominations, and two International Songwriting Competition finalist honors. Their discography includes A Winning Hand (2015), In Any Town (2016), Blind Spot (2018), Godless Land (2020), and Standin’ Pat (2022). Each has charted internationally and received praise from major outlets including Downbeat, Living Blues, Elmore, and Blues Music Magazine.

With a full band sound, raw authenticity, and undeniable chemistry, The Lucky Losers continue to captivate audiences and critics alike - cementing their reputation as one of the most compelling blues acts of their generation. /Blues Music Store

(For personnel details, see artwork included.)

Arrival mc
Arrival gofile

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The Lucky Losers - Standin' Pat

Size: 114.6 MB
Time: 49:10
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2022
Styles: Electric Blues, Blues Rock
Art: Front

01. Pack Up The Bags (4:31)
02. Somewhere In The Middle (4:14)
03. Rich Strike (3:50)
04. Try New Orleans (5:06)
05. Down In Memphis Town (4:31)
06. You Can't Lose With A Winning Hand (3:30)
07. Rust Belt Blues (4:19)
08. High Two Pair (3:53)
09. Finish What You Started (4:39)
10. They Wrecked My Town (6:11)
11. Standin' Pat (4:23)

San Francisco-based band The Lucky Losers, led by veteran artists Cathy Lemons & Phil Berkowitz, return after winning five Independent Blues Awards in 2021. STANDIN’ PAT, with 11 original tracks, sits like a needle on the groove of something uniquely American. Their signature formula is a mixture of blues, retro soul, and Americana. Lemons’ voice is both gritty and angelic. Berkowitz’s big harp sound is ever-present on this album as he leads the charge and punctuates every line. Their vocal blend is made in harmony heaven and long-time producer Kid Andersen uses it to great effect. From the quick two step Rich Strike about a nobody horse who won the Kentucky Derby, to a battle cry for American unity in the funky Somewhere in the Middle, to songs that describe Americans on the move, this album addresses the challenges, disappointments, and even the eventual flight of a struggling American psyche.

Standin' Pat MP3
Standin' Pat FLAC

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The Lucky Losers - Godless Land

Size: 138,7 MB
Time: 59:34
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2020
Styles: Electric Blues, Blues Rock
Art: Front

01. Half A Nothing (4:09)
02. Godless Land (6:57)
03. Mad Love Is Good Love (4:03)
04. No Good Lover (3:44)
05. Be You (4:48)
06. Catch Desire By The Tail (4:49)
07. Leave You On The Side Of The Road (6:34)
08. Can't Keep Pretending (5:10)
09. My One Good Eye (6:07)
10. What Makes You Act Like That (3:29)
11. The Good Fight (4:52)
12. The Ragged Heart (4:47)

Kathy Lemons and Phil Berkowitz are San Francisco’s dynamic duo The Lucky Losers. They and their band have released what I think is their best effort yet with Godless Land. Their third release Blind Spot was a good one, but to me this one takes the cake; their fourth effort mixes blues and funk and jazz and honky tonk and R&B for a fun ride through 12 original and very fine cuts. They wrote 9 of the tracks between them and 3 were written for their use here.

Lemons and Berkowitz share the vocals and Phil does the harp work. Ian Lamson is the fine guitar player, Chris Burns shines on all the keys, and the backline of endre Tarczy on bass and Derrick “D’Mar” Martin on drums are really good, too. The band is together and the performances are all balanced and in synch.

“Half Of Nothing” kicks off the album. The band gets a cool, funky groove going and Lemons sings with real emotion and Berkowicz adds some tasteful harp. Guitar and organ intertwine in a dervish of good music. It’s a vibrant and great opener, contrasting the down topic of the lyrics with the upbeat tempo and delivery– a sad song can sound happy if you play it that way! Second is “Godless Land,” is the title track and a piece about how we don’t care about each other makes us so much the worse off. Lemons again sings with feeling with Berkowitz again backing her. His harp solo is poignant and fits nicely into the mix. Almost 7 minutes in length, the band makes their point about our current moral compass. “Mad Love Is Good Enough” has Phil fronting the band and Kathy harmonizing in a slower tempoed cut that ambles along sweetly. Berkowitz offers another short and sweet harp solo. The song builds into a big finish, capping off another fine effort. “No Good Lover” is a vocal duet featuring a rockabilly style and rousing beat. The duo spar vocally and there is a pretty little guitar solo to enjoy, too. The barrelhouse piano in support also adds well to the mix. Up next is “Be You” where the pair offer up a nice bluesy ballad and we get another harp solo to appreciate. Things get greasier with “Catch Desire By The Tail,” a midtempo cut that flows well and features both artists vocally. The piano and organ are up front and the piano solo is good as is the later harp solo.

Acoustic and electric slide guitars are featured in “Leave You On The Side Of The Road.” Lemons sings emotively and Berkowitz blows some mean harp in this slick cut. “Can’t Keep Pretending” has a churchy feel with the organ intro and then moves into a funky groove with offering up some suave vocals and nice harp work. Next is “One Good Eye,” a cool and slow blues with darker overtones. The lyrics tells us of keeping watch through the keyhole to watch for when they come for you because when they come for you they are coming for us all. Dark, eerie and well done– this is an interesting song. The harp solos and instruments blend to help set the mood as Lemons wails. “What Makes You Act Like That” follows, a rollicking cut with some honky tonk piano and Berkowicz and Lemons sharing the vocals again. Acoustic guitar, harp and brushes make the sound interesting and fun; well done again! “The Good Fight” gets the horns and organ going for a soulful mood. Phil sings with a very soulful tone and the band supports him aptly. He testifies to his ex about how he’s made it without her– it’s another winner. Things finish up with “The Ragged Heart” which has a country/cowgirl feel to it. Lemons gives us another great performance as she laments about her torn up heart. The guitar and organ help set the tone, a cool conclusion to a really fine set of tunes.

Whether they are commenting on the tragedy of what we call today or the tragedy of a love lost, these two really deliver the goods. The songs are tight, the music and lyrics are great, the performances are crisp and they sing with great emotion. I’ve listened to all their recordings and this really tops all their prior stuff and they’ve done some really good stuff before this. I was very impressed and highly recommend this one! ~Steve Jones

Godless Land MP3
Godless Land FLAC

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The Lucky Losers - Blind Spot (With Cathy Lemons & Phil Berkowitz)

Size: 126,6 MB
Time: 52:17
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2018
Styles: Electric Blues, Blues Rock
Art: Full

01. It's Never Too Early (4:31)
02. Take The Long Road (5:27)
03. Alligator Baptism (4:42)
04. The River (4:15)
05. Supernatural Blues (4:59)
06. Make A Right Turn (4:00)
07. Bulldogs & Angels (4:36)
08. Last Ride (5:12)
09. Don't Take Too Much (5:10)
10. Love Is Blind (4:23)
11. You Left It Behind (4:56)

San Francisco’s finest male/female duet-fronted band, The Lucky Losers serve up a road warrior's tale within a soulful '60s retro sound on their third album, Blind Spot to be released on Dirty Cat Records. Blind Spot is a primal call to awareness in the eye of an irresistible storm. Traveling through a winding soundscape of modern blues, vintage R&B, and Americana, Blind Spot presents unvarnished testimony to the fragile and fleeting state of our world. Caught between hope and catastrophe, veteran blues vocalists, Cathy Lemons and Phil Berkowitz take a fearless ride into the unknown, witnessing the good, bad, and ugly of contemporary America through a fractured rear-view mirror.

Recorded at award-winning Greaseland Studios in San Jose, California, Blind Spot continues The Lucky Losers' long-standing relationship with acclaimed producer/engineer, Kid Andersen. Bringing back the vanishing art of vocal duets, the album is solely comprised of original material created by Cathy Lemons and Phil Berkowitz alongside their illustrious and multi-talented songwriting partner, Danny Caron (Charles Brown). Blind Spot features scintillating musical contributions from six-time Blues Music Award nominated guitarist, Kid Andersen, IBMA Momentum Award winning violinist Annie Staninec (Rod Stewart), 2018 BMA nominated saxophonist, Nancy Wright, and Laura Chavez, listed as one of the “Top 50 Sensational Female Guitarists” by Guitar Player Magazine.

Blind Spot

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The Lucky Losers - In Any Town

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:12
Size: 119.5 MB
Styles: West Coast blues
Year: 2016
Art: Front

[4:13] 1. So High
[5:18] 2. It Ain't Enough
[3:36] 3. Jackson
[5:24] 4. Don't Let Him See You
[4:38] 5. Blind Man In The Dark
[4:44] 6. I Can't Change Ya
[4:41] 7. Still Enough Time To Cry
[4:34] 8. Give Me A Sign
[5:13] 9. In Any Town
[5:54] 10. Devil's Dream
[3:51] 11. Small Town Talk

San Francisco’s finest male/female duet fronted band, The Lucky Losers transcend the dark side of the American dream with their 60’s inspired sophomore album, “In Any Town”. Just one year after the release of their critically acclaimed debut, “A Winning Hand”, veteran blues singer, Cathy Lemons and soulful vocalist/harmonica ace, Phil Berkowitz return with a dangerous and sophisticated work of art.

In Any Town

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The Lucky Losers - A Winning Hand

Size: 134,6 MB
Time: 57:31
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Blues Soul, Modern Electric Blues, Rockin' Blues
Art: Front

01. Change In The Weather (4:19)
02. I Take What I Want (4:20)
03. What Have I Done (Feat. Cathy Lemons & Phil Berkowitz) (3:51)
04. A Winning Hand (Feat. Cathy Lemons, Kid Andersen, Phil Berkowitz & Steve Freund) (6:57)
05. Suicide By Love (4:27)
06. What Was It You Wanted (5:01)
07. What Is Success (4:50)
08. Long Hard Road (4:55)
09. Baby You Got What It Takes (3:19)
10. Cry No More (Feat. Cathy Lemons & Phil Berkowitz) (4:08)
11. Detroit City Man (5:30)
12. Don’t You Lose It (Feat. Cathy Lemons, Kid Andersen & Phil Berkowitz) (5:49)

Male/Female blues and roots duets!. A vocally rich, harp infused, eclectic album with highly personalized covers of rare classics plus originals.

Cathy Lemons and Phil Berkowitz, as the Lucky Losers, take a modern approach to classic blues and R&B songs and combine compelling originals with rarely recorded covers. The outstanding “A Winning Hand,” produced by Kid Andersen, includes guest artists such as Steve Freund, 2015 International Blues Challenge Best Guitarist winner Ben Rice, and Andersen himself. Far from a simple case of two solo acts teaming up for a combined effort, “A Winning Hand” is a 'duets' album in the truest sense, with a give and take that allows each artist to draw out the best in the other. As Cathy pushes toward earthiness and grit, Phil pulls toward sophistication and tradition, creating a mild tension that keeps the listener focused on the ongoing dialogue between the two. The gentle back-and-forth brings the storyline of each song to the forefront.

The album's wide range of influences include Chicago and Texas blues, Stax/Volt-styled soul, blues rock, jazz, and New Orleans funk. Of its twelve tracks, half are originals: three by Cathy, and three by Phil and collaborator Danny Caron. The remaining six are a mix of older blues and roots songs ranging from Allen Toussaint's incisive "What Is Success" to Jimmy Rogers' meat-and-potatoes "What Have I Done" and even a funk-laced jaunt through the late period Dylan masterpiece "What Was It You Wanted."

CATHY LEMONS is a blues-singing legend who has performed regularly in the Bay Area for 25 years. She has been described as “the finest light-skinned female blues vocalist in the U.S.” (Real Blues, 2010) with "a velvety and hypnotic voice resonant of a female Howlin’ Wolf” (Fulltimeblues, 2010). Hailing from Dallas, Cathy honed her chops with Anson Funderburgh, performed with Stevie Ray Vaughan, and has worked with some of the greatest names in blues, including John Lee Hooker, Tommy Castro, and Ron Thompson." " Her 2014 release “Black Crow” on Vizztone was a Downbeat magazine “Winners' Pick.”

PHIL BERKOWITZ is a charismatic San Francisco-based harmonica player and vocalist who has brought his unique, energetic music to audiences for more than 17 years. He has mastered many different types of blues, a fact that's exemplified by his diverse repertoire. Phil’s last two CDs, “Louis’ Blues” and “All Night Party,” were met with critical praise. He has toured, performed, and recorded with a variety of top blues and jazz musicians such as Danny Caron (Charles Brown's musical director), Duke Robillard, Sean Carney, and Billy Branch.

A Winning Hand

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