Link: Alabama Shakes - Hold On
Southern rock has been getting a bit of a battering lately thanks in part to Kings of Leon getting a little too fond of the charts, and releasing some shocking amount of dung. Flying the flag for this genre at the moment are really great bands and musicians like the Drive-By Truckers, Justin Townes Earle and The Felice Brothers. Add to that list the “Alabama Shakes”, all the way from, you guessed it, Alabama! They release their debut LP “Boys & Girls” this month, and it’s one of my favourites of the year so far. It is a simple yet extremely catchy album and in front women Brittany Howard, they have lead singer with one phenomenal voice that will immediately grab your attention. Comparisons to Billie Holiday and Janis Joplin can be expected. “Hold On” is the first single from the album. It’s got some garage thrown in there, it’s got some blues and it’s got Howard’s raspy, husky snarl of a voice ripping it up. All in all it’s a kind of debut that gets you checking tour dates. Good news, they hit Ireland in May.
