Various Artists
Por Vida: A Tribute to the Songs of Alejandro Escovedo By Kevin J. Hosey

No doubt it is an uphill battle to record a tribute CD “to the songs of” an artist who is still alive, especially one as talented and artistically vital as Alejandro Escovedo, who is fighting hepatitis C. But success is achieved more often than failure on “Por Vida: A Tribute to the Songs of Alejandro Escovedo,” which features some big names in independent rock and roots rock flavored country and folk. Alejandro himself appears with a new song, with he and his band ripping it up on “Break This Time,” where he wants and needs a woman and doesn’t want to hear “no.” Otherwise, The Good: “Helpless” by John Dee Graham sounds like he really is just barely keeping his head high enough; Peter Case offers a hard rocking, R&B version of “The End,” which leaps out at the listener; the Cowboy Junkies deliver a surplus of melancholy on “I Don’t Need You,” a slow burn that is neither as defiant nor hopeless as Escovedo’s original; the Minus 5 appropriately perform “I Was Drunk” as a rowdy stomp; Javier Escovedo, Alejandro’s younger brother, has an earnest, interesting voice and good roots rock on “It’s Over;” Son Volt is unsurprising but entertaining with strong, basic alt.country/roots rock on “Sometimes;” Rosie Flores keeps things a bit subtle but fun and rhythmic on “Inside This Dance;” even though I can’t understand her as much as I would like, I enjoy Lucinda Williams’ version of “Pyramid of Tears,” because she wrings as much emotion as possible out of it, and Doug Pettibone’s guitar is nice and reverby; Calexico does a fine job on the immigrant lament “Wave;” Los Lonely Boys have fun on the lusty “Castanets.” The Bad: on “She Doesn’t Live Here Any More,” John Cale’s big, icy vocals sound like a parody more than anything without adding to the song’s inherent dread; the Jayhawks’ “Last to Know” is dreary and boring; Charlie Musselwhite seems to be stuck in his Tom Waits tribute mode on “Everybody Loves Me.” Or Music can be contacted at 37 W. 17TH Street, Suite 5W, New York, NY 10011.
Slant 6 Cowboys
Slant 6 Cowboys
95North Corporation

by Kevin J. Hosey

The New Englanders in Slant 6 Cowboys don’t exactly sound like they’re from up north/Yankee way, but swagger and stroll quite well, with their blend of country, rock, blues and acoustic sounds producing some fine roots music. The CD opens with what is probably my favorite song here, “Badlands,” with chugging, rolling Telecaster-led moody, sinister country rock backing multi-instrumentalist/singer Don Whitcher telling his tale of being on the run after killing a man and realizing he’s running from the truth and life. Peter James Coonradt delivers a good electric solo. “Last Shot” is more fast, shuffling/traveling country rock with Whitcher trying to drink a woman off his mind. Whitcher presents a frequent world-weary persona, including on “Driftin’,” with bluesy guitar from Coonradt as Whitcher leaves his woman and their “one-horse town.” “Out of Time” covers some of the same territory, with Whitcher tired of life’s bad turns, and maybe tired of the drinking, running and life itself. The country sounds from the start take a harder, meaner turn through Coonradt’s guitar. Elsewhere, “Tennessee Love” is a pretty song with acoustic guitar and mandolin but weak lyrics on love and love lost. “Old Muddy” is fast country with some rock mixed in; there’s been a problem or a shooting and it is time for Whitcher to leave by way of the title, which may be either a horse or river. “Whiskey Breathin’” may be where Whitcher accounts or pays for his sins: in this slower, battered, electric country song, he knows he is a worse, angry man when he’s drinking, and he claims his woman is causing him to drink, so he’s going back to Texas. Slant Six Cowboys and 95North Recording Corporation can be contacted at PO Box 10070, Swanzey, NH 03446 or at www.95northrecords.com.