NIGEL EGG

Nigel Egg is another one of those kind souls that seem to keep popping into my awareness. I met Nigel at one of my first DEMO shows as an intern in the summer of 2007. The Twin Cities-based Englishman's self-depreciating sense of humor, skillful slide-guitar work, and passionate harmonica playing (along with a being a relentless DEMO performer) have made a lasting positive impression on me.

So it is with great pleasure that I blog about his first proper album, the appropriately titled, Big Bang Baby Boom. The aforementioned sense of humor comes across very well on tracks like the delta-blues number You Can't Sing The Blues With an English Accent, the folky pot comedy The Birds and The Bees and The Bud, and the rootsy home-owners' tune Going to Home Depot.

RYAN FLANNERY

Ryan Flannery and Night Owls impressed me and the unfortunately slim audience left during their late night performance at the last DM Acadia Showcase on June 18th. Thankfully, the band will be rocking the Acadia again at my September 17th showcase with Brahman Shaman, John Black, and the Sleeper Pins.

The Wausau, WI-based trio's jazzy sound is led by vocalist/pianist Ryan Flannery's soulful falsetto; fused within jangly surf-blues guitar, creative aquatic-like arrangements, and energetic piano-rock freak-outs, their music evokes the lounge version of Incubus, the earnestness of Ben Folds' more serious material, and the chaotic instrumental interludes of The Bad Plus.

Check out their song Black Palms via the link below. See you September 17th!

JOHNSON TWINS

The Johnson Twins are lead by identical twins Patrick and Sam Johnson. The brothers both attended Perpich Center for Arts Education and share vocal duties. Pat plays violin, while Sam handles bass and accordion. They are frequently joined on stage by Sara Horishnyk on drums and Joe Reeves on banjo and keys.

After seeing Pat perform in Josh Von Mink's back-up band at a DEMO show in early '09, I booked the nascent act, without having heard them, to play an Acadia gig I was putting together a few months later. I was delightfully blown away by the duo's interweaving vocal harmonies, somewhat unconventional instrumentation, and gripping, contemplative lyrics.

So it was an absolute pleasure to hear / see the The  Johnson Twins again (with a full backing band) at the last Driftless Showcase at Acadia on May 21st. The group has made a minor splash in the local music community, winning a battle of the bands at the Hat Trick Lounge and regularly performing at hot spots like the Kitty Cat Klub and the 501 / 331 clubs. And now just recently, they've just released their debut recording: Mississippi Monster.

At eight tracks and 30 minutes in length, the recording successfully translates the heavy emotional power of the band's live show. The opening track Incendiary Times provides a balanced introduction to their style. I like to describe their sound as the bastard child of Iron & Wine and Simon & Garfunkel, but the earnestness in their lyrics and the somber, yet driving mix of fiddle and bass give the act a style that is uniquely theirs.

Predictably, the stand out tracks in their live show are the ones that grab your attention on Mississippi Monster. If Insane has Pat crooning a quirky, scat-inspired melody in between the line "If insane I'd like to make this disclaimer about the state of my mind." My favorite track, Babe, features a bad-ass angular bass line repeating underneath scores of stomach-swirling fiddle screaching. And the melancholy Hard Luck Town builds to a captivating ending where the music cuts out and the twins continue to sing the chorus in perfect, spot-on harmony.

Singing is sometimes described as "baring one's soul" and the (biologic) compatibility of the Johnson Twins voices (and vision?) makes this particular axiom especially ring true. Be a witness and check out the video below of If Insane, performed at the Kitty Cat in Sept '09.