by rick grant rickgrant01@comcast.net
The big surprise when I arrived at the Seafood Festival was not the legions of St. Patrick’s Day celebrants decked out in traditional green for the unseasonably cool weather–no, it was the band Tishamingo. This nouveau southern rock quartet from Athens/Atlanta Georgia was cranking out some tightly played original music that sounded like a modern hybrid southern rock crossover sound. The group has cleverly distilled its influences into an interesting mix of take-no-prisoners rock, which retains southern rock traditions, but is forging new territory.
Frankly, I’d never heard of Tishamingo, however it has toured extensively for the last five years, making waves in the music biz. The band is touring to support its third record, The Point, which is getting heavy rotation airplay on AOR stations including Rock-105. The album was produced by John Kurzweg whose credits include Creed and Puddle of Mud.
“I think we had to go through our first two records and spend five years on the road together in order to make this record. The maturity level of everybody, as musicians and people, has progressed at the right pace,” said guitarist/lead vocalist, Cameron Williams on the group’s MySpace website.
In 2006, Cameron Williams (guitar and vocals), Richard Proctor (drums), Jess Franklin (guitars, keys, organ, and vocals), and Chuck Thomas (bass) hunkered down in a remote Alligator Point, Florida beach house for a serious writing session which produced the band’s most clear artistic vision to date, The Point. Then the band headed to Santa Fe, New Mexico to record with Kurzweg. The result is a benchmark record that will propel the band into another plateau of fan support and radio airplay.
The Tish cats played cuts off their new album like the heavy hitting ‘Bad News’, which is a gumbo of rock riffs and Duane Allman styled slide guitar. Other notable cuts included a kiss off anthem titled ‘Walking Shoes’ to a back beat rhythm that fuels a hooky break and more clever slide playing. A honky-tonk styled piano adds the boozy tone to this rocker. I especially liked the Charlie Daniels-esque song ‘Devils’ Love Song’, with a bouncy story song feel and a Ventures-style guitar break. Yeah, the Tish lads had my attention with their precise vocal harmonies and intelligent songwriting, which showcases their exemplary musicianship. Yes, for Tishamingo, the road ahead is wide open.
The sun was just dropping below the Freebird building when Tinsley Ellis took the stage and played songs off his live album. In my telephone chat with Tinsley, he told me he let his fans pick the songs and, not surprisingly, they are my favorites also. I never get tired of Tinsley’s material, which is full of killer hooks and unexpected changes, showcasing Tinsley’s powerful voice and guitar wizardry. The song ‘Me Without You’ features a funky beat and a catchy melody with the refrain, “I’m still hung up on you.”
Tinsley opened with his warhorse anthem, ‘Hell or Highwater’ and then he launched his big hit ‘A Quitter Never Wins’. Man, I love that song. He called songs from his other albums and mixed it up with crowd pleasing verve. As the sun disappeared behind the Freebird, Tinsley was cranking at full throttle. Oh momma the man can play!
Indeed, what makes Tinsley such a great artist is his skillful songwriting and flamboyant performing style that sends crowds into a frenzy. Of all the blues artists I play on my car, Tinsley is the most frequent flyer. His music is the perfect fusion of blues and southern rock leanings.
Remarkably, Tinsley’s songs always sound fresh and his guitar improvising is different and innovative. Tinsley’s live album has carried him for hundreds of gigs internationally. Presently, Tinsley is hard at work on a new album to be released by the 4th of July, 2007–tentatively. I’m sure it will be worth the wait because Tinsley is a bona fide hitmaker and takes his time so he can ride the crest of his songs for many months on the road.
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