Nick Curran & The Nitelifes - Nitelife Boogie

Size: 102,4 MB
Time: 42:55
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2001
Styles: Jump Blues, Rockin' Blues
Art: Full

01. I'm Glad, Glad (2:23)
02. Nite Life Boogie (3:47)
03. Let The Daddy Hold You (2:26)
04. I Want To Love Somebody (3:43)
05. Low Down Dirty Shame (2:30)
06. Close To Midnight (3:25)
07. This Time I'm Out The Door (2:14)
08. Space Guitar (2:54)
09. She's Fifteen (3:39)
10. Juke Box Mama (3:56)
11. You Know My Love (3:07)
12. Wrong Doin' Woman (2:43)
13. Come Back To Me Baby (3:14)
14. Don't Jive Me Baby (2:47)

If Fixin' Your Head's grainy, vintage sound turned a lot of heads, Nitelife Boogie will certainly put more than a few blues fiends into neck braces. Utilizing vintage recording equipment and a live performance aesthetic, guitarist/singer Nick Curran reinterprets jump blues classics along with rarities and originals in the exact style of the original recordings. This guy uses Murray's Superior Hair Dressing on his pompadour, wears some snappy vintage threads, and is backed by a tight rhythm section and two tenor saxophones. Scenesters will certainly appreciate his adherence to vintage style, but Curran's chops are no cute trend. Like a mad-blues hungry-scientist's clone hybrid of Little Richard and T-Bone Walker, it's uncanny how much Curran sounds like his post-war blues idols. But rather than coming off as a staid, neo-traditionalist, Curran imbues each track with a fresh urgency lacking in many modern blues releases. In fact, even on his originals like the raunchy and wrong "She's Fifteen," Curran often improves his idols' approach, by distilling and magnifying the catchy and gritty elements that make jump blues so compelling. He takes on Johnny "Guitar" Watson's bizarre instro "Space Guitar," bettering the original with interesting reverb on/reverb off production tweaks. Similarly, there's a rebellious, punk-like exuberance in the way Curran's microphone distorts during the frenzied gospel-shouts of Lloyd Price's raucous "I'm Glad, Glad." If it wasn't a classic before, it is now. ~by Matt Collar

Nitelife Boogie

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VA - If This Is Love... I'd Rather Have The Blues

Size: 116,5 MB
Time: 49:51
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2004
Styles: Electric Blues, Blues Rock
Art: Front

01 Jimmy Thackery & The Drivers - Cool Guitars (3:40)
02 Debbie Davies - Wrong Man For Me (4:58)
03 John Mooney - Brand New Woman (4:07)
04 Studebaker John & The Hawks - Two Time Boogie (3:56)
05 E.C. Scott - Before Quick Can Get Ready (4:48)
06 Chris Cain - Middle Name Is Trouble (3:03)
07 Big Bill Morganfield - Left Alone (2:52)
08 Renee Austin - Bury The Hatchet (4:16)
09 Lloyd Jones - Treat Me Like The Dog I Am (3:32)
10 Nick Curran & The Nightlifes - Shot Down (3:06)
11 Chris Cain - You're The Kind Of Woman That Ain't That Hard To Find (4:15)
12 Arthur Adams - Who Does She Think She Is (3:31)
13 Jimmy Thackery & The Drivers - You Came Back To Me (3:41)

You can't ignore the sexy packaging that graces the cover of this budget compilation of Blind Pig blues artists. Evidently it must be difficult to grab the attention of blues fans without this type of eye-catching gimmick. Well, as far as the music goes, If This Is Love...I'd Rather Have the Blues contains 13 decent previously released tracks from Blind Pig Records with a heartbreak, romance, and don't-get-caught theme including LLoyd Jones, Jimmy Thackery & the Drivers, Debbie Davis, Studebaker John & the Hawks, Renee Austin, John Mooney, Big Bill Morganfield, and Chris Cain. Let's hope labels like Blind Pig will stick to signing passionate blues players and releasing budget-priced comps to attract listeners without the need to use sexy promotional campaigns. ~ by Al Campbell

If This Is Love... I'd Rather Have The Blues

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Nick Curran & The Nitelifes - Player!

Year: 2004
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:30
Size: 102,4 MB
Styles: Electric blues, R&B
Scans: Full

1. Player (2:38)
2. Honey Bee (2:26)
3. What About Love (2:17)
4. Evenin' (3:07)
5. She's Evil (3:34)
6. The Groovy Jam (2:54)
7. No Fun (4:11)
8. The Stalker (3:19)
9. Down Boy Down (2:44)
10. Leavin' (4:25)
11. Good Luck (3:33)
12. Come Back (2:40)
13. Crazy Mixed Up World (4:04)
14. Heeby Jeebies (2:32)

Nick Curran's Player! album features more of the retro-R&B that helped nab him the 2004 W.C. Handy Award for Best New Artist Debut. Once again, guitarist/vocalist Curran, drummer Damien Llanes, and bassist Preston Hubbard deliver an impressive old-school blues album that should catch newcomers off guard as well as please longtime fans. Showcasing a slightly harder edge à la Bee Houston, Player! flows nicely between uptempo shouters, slow and dirty ballads, and swing numbers. To these ends, Curran rips into the Little Richard speedball "Heeby Jeebies", does what he did for the Sonics' "Shot Down" to the Stooges' "No Fun", and outshouts Wynonie Harris on "Down Boy Down".

It's Curran's originals, though, that usually make the biggest impression, and on that score Player! features some of his best. Notably, the title track is a rambunctious ass-mover that sticks in your ear and "Come Back" features Curran crooning against string backgrounds. Similarly, "Leavin'" is a slow shuffle with a nice twangy melody and "The Groovy Jam" finds Curran delving into Tiny Grimes-style rockin' swing with devastating charm. One of Curran's most diverse albums to date, Player! also features stellar performances by harmonica player Kim Wilson, guitarist David Leroy Biller, saxophonists John Doyle and Paul Klemperer, and Roomful of Blues' Providence Horns. /Matt Collar, AllMusic

Player! mc
Player! zippy

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Nick Curran - Fixin' Your Head

Size: 95,7 MB
Time: 40:45
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2000
Styles: Texas Blues, Retro Swing
Art: Front & Back

01. Women And Cadillacs (2:57)
02. Boogie With My Baby (3:10)
03. Just Love Me Baby (3:40)
04. I Want To Love You (3:07)
05. Good Rockin' Man (4:01)
06. Lonely Nights (3:56)
07. Loose Lip Mama (2:56)
08. It's My Life, Baby (2:36)
09. She's Mine (2:39)
10. Straighten Up (3:28)
11. Do You Wanna Be My Baby? (2:57)
12. I'm Waiting For Your Call (3:01)
13. Get Rich Quick (2:14)

Recorded on vintage equipment in single takes, Nick Curran keeps things simple and swinging on his solo debut. Having played rockabilly with Kim Lenz set Curran's retro-twang cred in stone and the long-time blues aficionado strikes out on his own with the revelatory Fixin' Your Head. With a deep, ringing voice not unlike Amos Milburn or Lloyd Price, and a wide-open T-Bone Walker guitar style, Curran utterly embodies that period of time during the late '40s and early '50s just before the blues became rock & roll. Curran's impressive mix of lesser known cover tunes and originals -- the up-tempo "She's Mine" especially -- oozes with a genuine pomade and chicken wings mentality. More studied than punk, yet grittier than most contemporary blues releases, Curran has achieved an almost unimaginable "take no prisoners" aesthetic of retro-style absoluteness and modern blues urgency. ~Review by Matt Collar

Thanks to DrPeak.
Fixin' Your Head

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RJ Mischo - 2 albums: Make It Good / Knowledge You Can't Get In College

Album: Make It Good
Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 44:08
Size: 101.1 MB
Styles: Modern electric blues
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[2:55] 1. Trouble Belt
[4:19] 2. The Frozen Pickle
[3:46] 3. Make It Good
[2:06] 4. Papa's St. Special
[4:48] 5. Minnesota Woman
[1:32] 6. Arumbula, Pt. 1
[4:31] 7. Not Your Good Man
[2:52] 8. I Got You Covered
[3:31] 9. Up To The Brim
[2:31] 10. The Biscuit Is Back
[2:50] 11. Elevator Juice
[5:35] 12. All Over Again
[2:46] 13. Arumbula, Pt. 2

Renowned blues vocalist/harmonica player RJ Mischo gathers together a collection of top-tier talent from Austin, Texas for his Delta Groove debut featuring Nick Curran, Johnny Moeller, Nick Connolly, Ronnie James Weber and Wes Starr.

Recording information: Barking Jack Studio, North St. Paul, MN (03/01/2011/03/02/2011); Top Hat Recording Studio, Austin, TX (03/01/2011/03/02/2011).

R.J. Mischo (vocals, harmonica); Johnny Moeller, Nick Curran (guitar); Nick Connolly (piano, organ); Ronnie James Weber (upright bass, electric bass); Wes Starr (drums);

Make It Good

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Album: Knowledge You Can't Get In College
Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 51:54
Size: 118.8 MB
Styles: Modern electric blues, Harmonica blues
Year: 2009
Art: Front

[5:11] 1. Two Hours From Tulsa
[3:01] 2. Too Cool For School
[6:04] 3. Knowledge You Can't Get In College
[4:11] 4. Little Joe
[4:33] 5. Ain't Nothin' New
[3:46] 6. Ruthie Lee
[3:29] 7. Please Don't Leave
[2:56] 8. Teacher's Pet
[2:46] 9. Big Plans
[3:28] 10. Don't Look Twice
[4:01] 11. Rich Cat
[3:37] 12. Devil's Love Sin
[2:47] 13. Down To The Bottom
[1:58] 14. Mama Don't Tear My Clothes

14 Modern Blues Hits by Singer & Harminica Master RJ Mischo produced by Kid Andersen (Charlie Musselwhite, Rick Estrin) also guitar by Kid the incredible Risty Zinn, Organ & Piano by Sid Morris and a killer Rythm section featuring June Core on drums & Kedar Roy on upright & electric bass. this is RJ's 9 th release and his best CD to date and features a mix of blues styles with one cohesive sound, and great hi fidelity sound, this is Blues for REAL blues fans.

Knowledge You Can't Get In College

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Nick Curran - Doctor Velvet / Reform School Girl

Album: Doctor Velvet
Size: 98,2 MB
Time: 42:08
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2003
Styles: Modern Electric Blues, Texas Blues, Retro Rock
Art: Full

01. Doctor Velvet (2:27)
02. Lonesome Whistle Blues (3:53)
03. Shot Down (3:09)
04. Drivin' Me Crazy (3:12)
05. Don't Be Angry (2:29)
06. Please Don't Leave Me (4:32)
07. Midnite Hour (3:54)
08. One More Time (3:20)
09. Can't Stop Lovin' You (3:10)
10. She's Gone (3:40)
11. Beautiful Girl (2:33)
12. Cold, Cold Heart (3:07)
13. Stompin' At The Fort (2:35)

Fevered anticipation surrounded the recording of roots music phenomenon Nick Curran's third album and debut for Blind Pig Records. Attaching himself to such a pinnacle of mainstream blues as Blind Pig seemed at first a mixed blessing. While it affords the ex-rockabilly twanger greater visibility on a reputable blues label, it nonetheless raised the fear that he may have been attempting some type of ill-advised commercial crossover. One listen to Doctor Velvet, though, and such fears melt away into pure joy. Perhaps "purist" joy would be more apt, as Curran continues on his time-traveling blues odyssey. Having already proven himself as the most worthy heir to the Texas blues throne -- or at least Guitar Slim reincarnate -- Doctor Velvet finds the guitarist/vocalist channeling the spirits of Albert King, Freddy King and Otis Rush in one long, funky burst of late-'50s and early-'60s go-go blues ectoplasm. From the inspired reworking of garage rock icons the Sonics' "Shot Down" to the Louis Prima-meets-Fats Domino vocals on "Don't Be Angry," Curran has deftly expanded his vision. Throw in a cameo appearance by Jimmie Vaughan on two tracks and Doctor Velvet packs some serious blues mojo. The "State of Texas" sunglasses Curran sports on the CD cover are merely an exclamation point. ~Review by Matt Collar

Thanks to Kempen.
Doctor Velvet

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Album: Reform School Girl
Size: 91,7 MB
Time: 39:19
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2010
Styles: Modern Electric Blues, Texas Blues, Retro Rock
Art: Full

01. Tough Lover (2:14)
02. Reel Rock Party (3:09)
03. Reform School Girl (3:53)
04. Kill My Baby (3:07)
05. Psycho (1:56)
06. Sheena's Back (2:58)
07. Baby You Crazy (2:12)
08. Ain't No Good (2:18)
09. The Lowlife (2:52)
10. Dream Girl (4:32)
11. Flyin' Blind (3:14)
12. Lusty L'il Lucy (2:31)
13. Filthy (2:48)
14. Rocker (1:28)

Since 2004's Player!, blues-centric guitarist/vocalist Nick Curran left his record label, joined up with Kim Wilson's latest incarnation of the Fabulous T-Birds, performed with his own punk-blues combo Deguello, and basically rumbled and tumbled through a number of sundry side projects, all the while eschewing the solo career that led to him taking home the 2004 W.C. Handy Award for Best New Artist Debut. Clearly, this allowed the ever-musically voracious Curran a chance to stretch his chops and imbibe more of the vast array of influences that spark his interests, from '40s jump blues and '50s rock & roll, to '70s punk and '80s hard rock. All of which Curran brings to bear on his fiendishly inspired, 2010 solo comeback Reform School Girl. A fiery, campy, and insanely rockin' album, Reform School Girl sounds like something along the lines of Little Richard backed by the Misfits with Phil Spector recording the proceedings in his garage. Which isn't to say that the album sounds sonically "gross" -- raw, for sure, but ain't that the point?! -- in fact, Curran has hooked up yet-again with his longtime partner in crime Billy Horton who helped deliver the old-school vintage sound that Curran has made his trademark. Further, while Curran can lay blues-pipe as good as any of the other contemporary T-Bone Walker and Jimmie Vaughan freaks, the blues is only one of many connective musical tissues he rips through here. To these ends, the title track finds Curran nodding his Wild One motorcycle cap to the Ronettes as he humorously turns the standard girl-gone-bad story on its head. Elsewhere, burners like "Kill My Baby," "Psycho," and "Baby You Crazy" are fingersnapping rockers with deliciously nasty sentiments that call into question the exact nature of Curran's romantic devotion. Also inspired is the Ritchie Valens-esque rave-up "Filthy" (a Deguello carry-over), and Curran's revelatory head-thumping take on AC/DC's "Rocker." ~Review by Matt Collar

Thanks to Kempen.
Reform School Girl

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