Too Slim and the Taildraggers – Brace Yourself
Brace Yourself: Mississippi Moon, Fortune Teller, Cowboy Boot, Devil In A Doublewide, Givers And Takers, Free Your Mind, When Whiskey Was My Friend, Letter, My Body, Blood Moon, Twisted Rails, Good Guys Win
Personnel: Tim "Too Slim" Langford: Guitar, Vocals; Zach Kasik: Bass, Vocals; Jeff "Shakey" Fowlkes: Drums, Vocals
Too Slim and The Taildraggers – Brace Yourself was produced by Too Slim and the Taildraggers, Executive Producers Tim and Nancy Langford, Mixed and Mastered by Zach Kasik, and released by Vizztone Label Group.
With over 30-years of entertaining a vast Blues & Rock audience, the trio of Tim Langford, Zach Kasik, and Jeff Fowlkes have not slowed down. In fact, the energy is as high on Brace Yourself as I have experienced on a live release. The influence of Americana music (i.e. 60s bands, Jimi Hendrix, Lynyrd Skynyrd, ZZ Top, The Allman Brothers, The Doors, Paul Revere and the Raiders, and Cream, to list just a few) can be heard throughout their extensive discography with 15 studio albums, 6 live releases, and a couple of compilations.
The release opens with the announcer stating, "Ladies and Gentlemen brace yourselves it is Too Slim and the Taildraggers", and the trio ignites the spark to a powerful concert with the track Mississippi Moon that packs that wake-up punch. Blazing guitar licks, punchy drum kicks tied to a tight bass accompanies catchy lyrics, " …I woke up in a cold, cold sweat and I could see my life passing by me like a scene from a movie set,…..I hear the hellhounds howlin’ at the Mississippi Moon."
Keeping up the intensity they roll in a few more Blues & Rock tracks with Fortune Teller, Cowboy Boots, and Devil In a Doublewide that lets the masterful guitar work of Tim Langford fan the flames and keep the audience wanting more. As the lyrics of Cowboy Boots says, "I was born to wander, I like bein’ alone…..I do what I want, never wore a suit. And I keep my money in a cowboy boot;" the band practices what they play, pure raw free-flowing musical energy.
The release takes it down, just a bit, with the tracks Givers and Takers and Free Your Mind, with Free Your Mind showing the band’s tribute to the music style made famous by Lynyrd Skynyrd, and their spin on this format is stellar.
Tracking their Americana influences, the trio cranks out the song When Whiskey Was My Friend, which shows a ZZ Top influence, another remarkable trio. A tip of their music hat to 60s sound with the track Letter that carries the pace of the vocals, the lyrics, and especially the chords transitions reminiscent of the 60s. With the track My Body you can feel the influence of the band The Doors, while the guitar work on the track Blood Moon talks to you before the vocals kick in, which is reflective of guitar legend Jimi Hendrix.
The release and the evening of powerful live music closes with the tracks Twisted Rails and Good Guys Win. As the lyrics of Good Guys Win tell us, "I been traveling all my life and I got the lines to show, I bust my ass, earn my cash, now you want to mess with my dough,…It’s alright….Cause’ sometimes the good guys win…," and in this case we all win. I only wish I could have been there to experience this evening of outstanding music, but at least I can push replay as often as I want.
Too Slim and the Taildraggers:
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/TooSlimandtheTaildraggers/
Instagram: @tooslim.mac
Websites where you can procure Too Slim and the Taildraggers – Brace Yourself: Spotify, Amazon, Blues Music Store, Rough Trade, Apple, QOBUZ
Follow Luxury Experience on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/LuxuryExperience to see photos and videos.
Follow Luxury Experience on Twitter at www.twitter.com/luxurypair @luxurypair
Follow Luxury Experience on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/luxurypair @luxurypair
© January 2023. Luxury Experience. www.LuxuryExperience.com. All rights reserved.
