CARRYING MONSTERS Christopher Titus (I Tunes purchase) *****+
‘Funny’ and ‘brutally honest’ are not concepts that often go together, unless you’re Christopher Titus. Carrying Monsters is the title of his 10th 90 minute comedy special. Titus has long been one of my favorite standups, and though this came out last November, I just bought the audio version on I Tunes last week. This is as honest and truthful as he’s ever been… and darker too.
As he gets into the show Christopher warns the crowd that things are going to get very dark, and then boy does it ever. He covers a great deal of his life here, from growing up with demented parents, including having a brilliant, hot mom that would take his 4 year old self into the bar while she drank and banged strangers; he also talks about her suicide. His father was no bargain either, but if you’ve ever seen his TV show Titus (I suggest you look it up) with Stacy Keach playing his dad that gives you a feel for what Christopher is about and what has shaped him.
Carrying Monsters, this title referring to the demons that we all carry, is raw and often vulgar but equally funny too with spots that have you thinking “I shouldn’t be laughing at this, but I am”. What sets Titus apart as a stand-up comedian is he’s not just a joke guy, not a Dangerfield or Seineld, but more of a storyteller. He digs into the truth of his own life finding the natural comedy there, often in the shadow of tragedy. He’s clearly working through a mountain of issues as he lays it all out on stage for his audience to digest and consider.
What makes Carrying Monsters riveting is that even with all he’s obviously been through, he’s not bitter… angry and frustrated at times yes, but not bitter. That’s unlike George Carlin who, in the years leading up to his death in June of 2008, got angry and dark and forgot being funny. To sum up Carrying Monsters it’s brutally honest yet funny; sometimes uncomfortably so. You’ll laugh, you’ll wonder he came through some of his life situations, and maybe learn some things about yourself too… not a bad way to spend 90 minutes.
https://vimeo.com/ondemand/carryingmonsters
HOT TRACKS: a tough call with a comedy album, but I’ll go with 4 Year Old In A Bar, Losing My Kids parts 1 & 2, and Cheesecake Redemption but really, the entire album is worth a listen.
ONE HOUR MAMA: THE BLUES OF VICTORIA SPIVEY Maria Muldaur (Nola Blue Records) ****
It’s been awhile since we’ve heard from Maria, dubbed ‘the first lady of roots music’, but she’s back with a joyous disc that honors the music of her mentor. One Hour Mama has all the charm of the series of jug band blues records Ms. Muldaur recorded on the Stony Plain label. If you dug those- and I did, very much so- then you’re really going to enjoy this.
Spivey worked with many of the blues greats in her long career, from the 20’s to her death in 1976, was the first to record Bob Dylan, and offered Muldaur her first opportunity to record. “When I was a young aspiring singer in the early 1960’s (she) took me under her wing and mentored me” Maria says in the liner notes. “Although I appreciated it at the time, over the years I’ve come to realize just how important her encouragement was to me and so many other musicians! This album is a loving tribute to Victoria Spivey and all she brought to the blues and for the great influence she was on my musical journey.”
Spivey’s music was ambitious, sassy and unabashedly expressed her sexuality, and Muldaur does a masterful job of interpreting those songs here. Produced by Maria Muldaur One Hour Mama has a relaxed, swingin’ vintage vibe that feels like ‘salon blues’. There are a dozen songs in all, including duets with Elvin Bishop (What Makes You Act Like That) and Taj Mahal (Gotta Have What It Takes). Too many musicians involved to list here, but the way they serve the music in performance and attitude is spot on. Nola Blue president Sallie Bengston says this album is a ‘bucket list’ project for Muldaur of which I have no doubt; this material suits Maria so very well. She’s a wonderfully expressive blues singer, and this is one of THE blues releases of 2025.
HOT TRACKS: One Hour Mama, What Makes You Act Like That? (with Elvin Bishop), Any-Kind-A-Man
BORN TO WALK ALONE The Rev Douglas (independent) *****+
Sweet Jesus this is one hell of an album! Born To Walk Alone is characterized as “9 blues sermons” and that ain’t no lie. Over a rhythm section with a classic Stones looseness, The Rev Douglas’s gravelly voice and elemental guitar work are hypnotic and riveting.
As a singer Douglas is a cross between Tom Wilson (Junkhouse, Blackie & The Rodeo Kings) and Robbie Robertson. That voice along with the sexy, slow blues grooves that mostly drive Born to Walk Alone are irresistible. Despite the name this rev from Louisville Kentucky isn’t licensed to marry you, bless your babies or pets or hear confession but there are lots of great stories here that may or may not have happened. “I’m a firm believer that when you play you let your emotions come out” he says. “You find a vibe and you go with it.” This disc is a dramatic lesson in doing exactly that.
That Born To Walk Alone even exists is an accident. “I was just going to record one song as a single, and then things just happened” Douglas says. “This album wasn’t planned out… a few songs were written and recorded on the spot, no rehearsal no nothing- one take and they were done.” The Rev’s gravelly delivery as he speaks and sings thru these numbers along with the simple yet effective mostly slow-ish mid-tempo rhythm section make these blues hot, sweaty and dramatic. “A song’s gotta take you someplace, I want a song to tell a story” he says, and whether the situations unfolding in songs like the title track or Sweet Thang happened or not is beside the point… you believe the truth of what the band is laying down.
Born To Walk Alone may not be the most technically accomplished recording or the most polished, but all you have to do is spin it once and you will never forget it.
HOT TRACKS: Born To Walk Alone, Flat Flat World, Driven
KNOCKOUT The Heavyweights Brass Band (independent) ****
This is the 5th full length album by this Toronto-based quintet, who make a noise to rival that of much bigger ensembles. Knockout fuses jazz, funk and soul into a joyful celebration. The band themselves boldly state that they’re “a flag planted in the middle of the dance floor. We hit hard with groove, energy and originality. We’ve always believed in putting our personalities in the music, from gritty funk to bold soul to pure brass band joy. This record shows where we’ve been- and where we’re going.”
As the Heavyweights push the boundaries of brass band playing, you’ll feel a strong New Orleans influence in these numbers, and it may or may not surprise you that the Sousaphone (played by Nolan Murphy) is one of the lead instruments, playing some rather lively basslines. The album was recorded over two days at Taurus Studios. “We like to record all together” the band says, “to get the energy of a live performance”. To say that works is an understatement.
In some ways the charts on these songs remind me of when the band Chicago was young and delighted in pushing boundaries and taking chances, and then there’s that New Orleans vibe that THBB capture so spectacularly well. And, as this is an instrumental record, I can hear or imagine some of this music playing on several different TV shows. These songs just carry you along as they impart different vibes and feelings, and it’s the quality of the musicianship that really makes Knockout such a pleasure to listen to.
If brass band music with a sense of adventure is your thing, you’d be hard-pressed to find anything more satisfying than The Heavyweights Brass Band’s Knockout. I realize this sort of stuff doesn’t tickle everybody and that’s fair… but if you’re an old stage band alumni like I am, this record will speak to you loud and clear.
HOT TRACKS: Carnicero, Splacka, Cheap Thrills
SHELTER FROM THE STORMS Lennie Gallant (Gallant Effort Productions) *****+
There are storytelling artists and then there’s Lennie Gallant. Shelter From The Storms is his 16th album and his first English language record in 7. A combination of compelling melodies, a cross between Tom Petty and Blue Rodeo, this PEI singer/ songwriter is spinning pure gold.
The late Jimmy Buffett praised Gallant as “one of his favorite Canadian songwriters”, and it’s not hard to see why. Shelter reflects the turbulent state of the world while celebrating our humanity and our ability to deal with life through community, love and laughter. The overall tone of the album feels light and hopeful as the songs tackle some serious emotional issues. Counting On Angels, both the opening track and first single combines acoustic guitar and mandolin to deliver a message many of us feel. “I think it’s about living in these times from the point of view of a desperate couple who are on a mission to find answers to their questions” observes Lennie, “in a world that doesn’t want to hear their voices.” Yeah- I really felt that. God’s Reply is a ballad that posits something small can be the answer to one’s prayers. “I got the idea for the song after hearing a young woman despairing because she felt her prayers were never answered or acknowledged” he says. “Perhaps sometimes, the answers aren’t where you would expect to find them.”
Lest you think Shelter lacks humour consider It Takes A lot Of Liquor To Bury A Horse, an observation of how the passage of time can play tricks on you. I’m no intellectual but I do enjoy considering and examining weighty emotional issues, and that’s something Lennie Gallant does quite well on his latest album. A celebrated humanitarian and storyteller, Gallant was appointed to the Order Of Canada, where he was honoured for songs described as “true slices of life, delivered with a poet’s flair, and a rugged emotional sensibility”, and I can’t think of a better way to describe Shelter From The Storms. This is one of my favorite albums in a hard year.
HOT TRACKS: Counting On Angels, Sable Island Horses, God’s Reply
LOSING GROUND Eric Wilson Adams (independent) ***
The latest disc from Texas’s Eric Wilson Adams is a cagy mix of country and rock. Losing Ground is kind of all over the map stylistically, which can be either its strength or weakness, depending on how you look at it.
Adams began singing in a rock band while still in middle school. They continued through high school and college, roaming the Midwest in an old converted monster green school bus. Eric was inducted with his band Cocoon in the South Dakota Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in 2018 so yeah, the dude has some decent mileage. After that he began writing his own stuff; a mix of rock country and blues, which you’ll find should you decide to give this one a spin.
Losing Ground is a likeable enough set with more than a few flashes of country (check out Make A New Memory) no doubt thanks to him now calling Texas home and Adams has a warm friendly voice- no Robert Plant that’s for sure- but it feels like the album could use a little more focus. I suppose my biggest beef is a non-musical one; the album cover. You only have one chance to make a first impression they say; that album cover is cheesy and, to be honest, not very well done. If you’re going to invest your time, money and life in writing and recording a batch of songs, shouldn’t you put your very best foot forward? Maybe a photo relating to the album title would’ve been the way to go but hey, that’s just one guy’s opinion.
Some fine musicianship on this disc to be sure, but today that’s just not enough… sorry Eric.
https://www.facebook.com/people/Eric-Wilson-Adams/100090082591066/#
HOT TRACKS: Losing Ground, All Alone Tonight, Stronger Man
