Rockwired Radio Profiles #626 - Jason Whitton

One would think that we were on some sort of alt-country kick at the moment with our recent editions of ROCKWIRED RADIO PROFILES and who could blame us with the music that has been coming our way from the likes of acts such as JACK THE RADIO, SMALL TOWN SOUND and THE MORNING SEA.  However this current edition features an artist from ROCKWIRED's past. Alt-country artist JASON WHITTON was first featured on ROCKWIRED ten years ago with the release of his haunting album THRIFTSTORE COWBOY which boasted some of the moodiest and subdued country rock this side of THE COWBOY JUNKIES. The young singer-songwriter left a strong impression on us that year so his disappearance from the scene was a loss that we felt deeply but it turns out the WHITTON had started a family and within the past decade has released a couple of CDs here and there but this year he is back in a big way with his new album HONEY BUTTER. In a decade where country music seems to have taken claim to the dominance that rock music once enjoyed WHITTON could have a shot at some mainstream recognition with that easygoing charm that made us take notice ten years earlier. Despite the gentility of the material there is enough of an edge here that's not likely to get the guy confused for that dufus who's currently dating GWEN STEFANI. If there's any doubt about WHITTON's musical edge how many country artists do you know that could paraphrase ROB BASE's IT TAKES TWO as he does on the track HEART BROKE? 

CHECK OUT THE PODCAST AT:
http://www.rockwired.com/temporarysite/rockwiredprofiles626.mp3

Rockwired Radio Profiles #625 - Jack The Radio

Being a Southwest-based publication we found it curious that a recording filled with numerous rustic, wild west motifs was recorded by a band based in North Carolina. JACK THE RADIO takes Americana music to a whole other level on their newest album BADLANDS - the band's first CD in three years. In speaking with vocalist and guitarist GEORGE HAGE and bassist CHRIS SAYLES it was clear to us that sci-fi Spaghetti Westerns inspired the songwriting here and one can hear such influence on tracks such as THE RUNAWAY, BAD MAN and THE HILLS. BAD MAN maybe the only track there released as a single but HILLS and THE RUNAWAY leave strong and haunting impressions. The band's GRAM PARSONS -meets- BLUE OYSTER CULT formula has earned them some rather glowing recognition from such publications as the INDEPENDENT WEEKLY, THE  VINYL DISTRICT and AIDING & ABETTING which refers to them as an "...acid-rock version of THE EAGLES." The packaging and release of the album has us particularly excited in that BADLANDS is available both electronically and through vinyl. BADLANDS is just the sort of album that you want to hear on a turntable while reading the lyric sheet and taking in the artwork vibrantly illustrated by DAVID PAUL SEYMOUR. Alt-country has never been more alternative.

CHECK OUT THE PODCAST AT:
http://www.rockwired.com/temporarysite/rockwiredprofiles625.mp3