JIMBO MATHUS
''BAND OF STORMS (EP)''
MAY 6 2016
23:15
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01 - Gringo Man 02:53
02 - Can't Get Much Higher 02:16
03 - Play with Fire 02:16
04 - Stop Your Crying 03:20
05 - Massive Confusion 01:57
06 - Wayward Wind 02:46
07 - Slow Down Sun 02:34
08 - Keep It Together 03:01
09 - Catahoula 02:09
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REVIEW/AMG
Mark Deming
The prolific Jimbo Mathus seems cheerfully determined to put out albums as often as the folks at Fat Possum and Big Legal Mess will let him. Arriving in 2016, Band of Storms is the third studio set Mathus has put out in just over two years, and if he's running out of ideas, you wouldn't guess it to hear the work. Running through nine songs in less than 25 minutes, Band of Storms is compact, but the collection of songs is eclectic, with Mathus pushing each tune forward with lots of energy and raw enthusiasm. Practically everything on Band of Storms is rooted in Deep Southern blues, though the influence takes on many forms. Mathus roams from the rollicking swamp rock of "Gringo Man" to the late-night acoustic lament of "Stop Your Crying," the unhinged rock & roll stomp of "Massive Confusion," and the whooping string band rave-up of "Catahoula." And on "Play with Fire," he offers a great Johnny Cash song that the Man in Black somehow didn't think of himself. While Band of Storms jumps from style to style, everything here has the feel of the Mississippi Delta. Mathus and his band play just tight enough to give these tunes their full impact, but loose enough that the performances feel natural and playful. And one of the advantages of the short running time is a lack of filler. There's no padding on Band of Storms, and Mathus connects with swagger and honesty on each track. Band of Storms plays like a spontaneous effort Mathus and his friends slapped together fast before someone stopped them, and in this case, that works to their advantage. Mathus seems to be the kind of musician who can give you a good album if you give him a few days in the studio and leave him to his devices. It's a fair guess that's just how Band of Storms came into being, and if it's rough around the edges, that texture works just fine in this context.
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BIOGRAPHY/AMG
Heather Phares
Thrills
Jim "Jimbo" Mathus first gained fame as the co-founder of the retro-swing outfit the Squirrel Nut Zippers. But after the group's messy breakup, he went on to a prolific career as a guitarist, songwriter, and producer, defining his own brand of revved-up blues and roots music. Using a variety of stage names, including James Mathus, Jas Mathus, Jimbo "Hambone" Mathus, and Jimbo Mathus, he first began stepping out on his own as a sideman with one-time Zippers' violinist Andrew Bird. Mathus appeared on Thrills, the debut album from Andrew Bird's Bowl of Fire. In 1997, Mathus, Zippers bassist Stu Cole, producer Mike Napolitano, and pianist Greg Bell formed the Knockdown Society and released Play Songs for Rosetta, a collection of bluesman Charley Patton's songs that benefited his daughter Rosetta and her family. His music took another turn in late 2001 with the release of National Antiseptic, this time offering tribute to the electric juke joint swamp rock of the Deep South. That same year, Mathus appeared on blues legend Buddy Guy's album Sweet Tea. Mathus followed up with the similarly bluesy and eclectic Stop and Let the Devil Ride in 2003, and two years later Knockdown South was issued.
Old Scool Hot Wings
Mathus decided to return to the acoustic roots of Mississippi blues and country with Old Scool Hot Wings, which came out in 2006. Also appearing in 2006, this time under the name Jimbo Mathus, was the album Jimmy the Kid, released by Artemis Records. (It was re-released in 2014 on Hill Country after Artemis folded.) Mathus stuck with the Jimbo moniker for his 2011 full-length Confederate Buddha. Blue Light, a six-song solo vinyl EP, arrived in 2012, followed by the full-length White Buffalo in 2013. In February of 2014, Mathus and his Tri-State Coalition band issued the electric Dark Night of the Soul. He contributed to songwriter Ian Siegal's Picnic Sessions the same year. Mathus desired a completely analog sound for his next record. To that end, he recorded at Water Valley, Mississippi's Dial Back Sound, the home studio of Fat Possum label boss Bruce Watson. He emerged with the loosely knit concept offering Blue Healer in the spring of 2015. In 2016, Mathus stepped out with another loose but emphatic effort for Fat Possum, Band of Storms.
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WEBSITE
**********
TO THE TOP
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''BAND OF STORMS (EP)''
MAY 6 2016
23:15
**********
01 - Gringo Man 02:53
02 - Can't Get Much Higher 02:16
03 - Play with Fire 02:16
04 - Stop Your Crying 03:20
05 - Massive Confusion 01:57
06 - Wayward Wind 02:46
07 - Slow Down Sun 02:34
08 - Keep It Together 03:01
09 - Catahoula 02:09
**********
REVIEW/AMG
Mark Deming
The prolific Jimbo Mathus seems cheerfully determined to put out albums as often as the folks at Fat Possum and Big Legal Mess will let him. Arriving in 2016, Band of Storms is the third studio set Mathus has put out in just over two years, and if he's running out of ideas, you wouldn't guess it to hear the work. Running through nine songs in less than 25 minutes, Band of Storms is compact, but the collection of songs is eclectic, with Mathus pushing each tune forward with lots of energy and raw enthusiasm. Practically everything on Band of Storms is rooted in Deep Southern blues, though the influence takes on many forms. Mathus roams from the rollicking swamp rock of "Gringo Man" to the late-night acoustic lament of "Stop Your Crying," the unhinged rock & roll stomp of "Massive Confusion," and the whooping string band rave-up of "Catahoula." And on "Play with Fire," he offers a great Johnny Cash song that the Man in Black somehow didn't think of himself. While Band of Storms jumps from style to style, everything here has the feel of the Mississippi Delta. Mathus and his band play just tight enough to give these tunes their full impact, but loose enough that the performances feel natural and playful. And one of the advantages of the short running time is a lack of filler. There's no padding on Band of Storms, and Mathus connects with swagger and honesty on each track. Band of Storms plays like a spontaneous effort Mathus and his friends slapped together fast before someone stopped them, and in this case, that works to their advantage. Mathus seems to be the kind of musician who can give you a good album if you give him a few days in the studio and leave him to his devices. It's a fair guess that's just how Band of Storms came into being, and if it's rough around the edges, that texture works just fine in this context.
**********
BIOGRAPHY/AMG
Heather Phares
Thrills
Jim "Jimbo" Mathus first gained fame as the co-founder of the retro-swing outfit the Squirrel Nut Zippers. But after the group's messy breakup, he went on to a prolific career as a guitarist, songwriter, and producer, defining his own brand of revved-up blues and roots music. Using a variety of stage names, including James Mathus, Jas Mathus, Jimbo "Hambone" Mathus, and Jimbo Mathus, he first began stepping out on his own as a sideman with one-time Zippers' violinist Andrew Bird. Mathus appeared on Thrills, the debut album from Andrew Bird's Bowl of Fire. In 1997, Mathus, Zippers bassist Stu Cole, producer Mike Napolitano, and pianist Greg Bell formed the Knockdown Society and released Play Songs for Rosetta, a collection of bluesman Charley Patton's songs that benefited his daughter Rosetta and her family. His music took another turn in late 2001 with the release of National Antiseptic, this time offering tribute to the electric juke joint swamp rock of the Deep South. That same year, Mathus appeared on blues legend Buddy Guy's album Sweet Tea. Mathus followed up with the similarly bluesy and eclectic Stop and Let the Devil Ride in 2003, and two years later Knockdown South was issued.
Old Scool Hot Wings
Mathus decided to return to the acoustic roots of Mississippi blues and country with Old Scool Hot Wings, which came out in 2006. Also appearing in 2006, this time under the name Jimbo Mathus, was the album Jimmy the Kid, released by Artemis Records. (It was re-released in 2014 on Hill Country after Artemis folded.) Mathus stuck with the Jimbo moniker for his 2011 full-length Confederate Buddha. Blue Light, a six-song solo vinyl EP, arrived in 2012, followed by the full-length White Buffalo in 2013. In February of 2014, Mathus and his Tri-State Coalition band issued the electric Dark Night of the Soul. He contributed to songwriter Ian Siegal's Picnic Sessions the same year. Mathus desired a completely analog sound for his next record. To that end, he recorded at Water Valley, Mississippi's Dial Back Sound, the home studio of Fat Possum label boss Bruce Watson. He emerged with the loosely knit concept offering Blue Healer in the spring of 2015. In 2016, Mathus stepped out with another loose but emphatic effort for Fat Possum, Band of Storms.
**********
WEBSITE
**********
TO THE TOP
**********
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