Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Andrew James & The Steady Tiger- Red in Tooth and Claw

Andrew James & The Steady Tiger is this really talented bluegrass band from Cape Town, South Africa. The band is actually just a guitarist (Andrew James) and a drummer (James van Minnen), which is pretty cool. The music is extremely calming, fun to listen to, and really talented. I actually fell asleep listening to this record last night. Released on the 5th of August of this year.
They have an amazing roots sound with this great mix of instruments. It's calming, it's inspiring, and it's fun. Andrew James has a very talented and controlled voice that I adore, and his array of instruments is very impressive. It all gets tied together by van Minnen's fun and interesting percussion choices. I absolutely love the duo. This is the kind of music I want to paint to.
Songs worth bringing up are "Swansong," "Harder than My Bones," "Rushing," and "Under the Umbrella."
"Swansong" is a slow and brooding song with a great guitar intro. It's very Joe Bonamassa and I love it. The melody is intricate and weaves around itself in the best of ways. It leaves an amazing first impression and I'm immediately hooked.
"Harder than My Bones" shows off Andrew James' banjo skills and it's really a great song. The percussion really gives it a serious tone and a powerful beat. The back-up vocals rock. Great song.
"Rushing" is a sweet, slow song with a great vocal melody that I adore.
Lastly, "Under the Umbrella" has the best guitar melody ever.

Such a great album! love it.
You can download it for free, too!
Learn more about Andrew James & the Steady Tiger!

-Bear

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