Kevin Bryan record reviews

Dr.John,”Ske-Dat-De-Dat...Spirit of Satch” (Proper Records)- Mac Rebennack’s latest CD offering finds the New Orleans singer and keyboardist paying tribute to another former product of the Crescent City as he immerses himself in a batch of songs made famous by the late great Louis Armstrong. Luminaries such as Bonnie Raitt and gospel group The Blind Boys of Alabama are on hand to lend their invaluable vocal support as the good Doctor breathes new life into much loved old favourites such as “I’ve Got The World On A String,” “Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams” and Satchmo’s 1968 hit, “What A Wonderful World.”

Meat Puppets,”Huevos” (Wienerworld MVD5255A)- Arizona alternative rockers The Meat Puppets spent just four days recording “Huevos” in the summer of 1987,striving to achieve a feeling of raw spontaneity as they captured many of the tracks in a single take. The finished product wasn’t universally well received when it first saw the light of day but the contents have withstood the passage of time surprisingly well and this CD re-issue boasts several interesting bonus tracks,including early instrumental demos of three of the album’s musical highlights,”Automatic Mojo,” “Sexy Music” and “Paradise.”

Andrea Schroeder,”Where The Wild Oceans End” (Glitterhouse GRCD 776)-Andrea Schroeder has found her work variously compared to everyone from Marlene Dietrich and Nico to Nick Cave since releasing her critically acclaimed debut album,”Blackbird,” on Glitterhouse Records in 2012,and the follow up set is,if anything,an even more impressive piece of work. The prevailing mood of the package is one of dreamy melancholia as the German songstress serves up haunting creations such as “Ghosts Of Berlin” and “Summer Came To Say Goodbye” alongside an impeccable revamp of Bowie’s “Heroes.”

“The DeSoto Caucus” (Glitterhouse GRCD 797)-This enigmatic outfit’s low key brand of music-making slots firmly into the Americana category,although the DeSoto Caucus actually hail from Denmark.The five piece band have collaborated with the likes of Lambchop,Giant Sand and Mark Lanegan over the years however,and their collective influence makes its presence felt from time to time during a totally captivating collection blessed with a feast of laid back and coolly compelling ditties led by “Nail In The Wall,” “Come Undone” and the untypically commercial “Just The Other Day.”