THE OLD JOE CLARKS
"METAL SHED BLUES"
CHECKERED PAST RECORDS

The Old Joe Clarks is a six-piece band based in the bay area but firmly rooted in the midwest. They sing rural country blues with sparse arrangements and certainly no frills. The band is led by Mike Coykendall who not only is the lead vocalist but also plays rhythm guitar and harmonica. His wife Jill plays bass and clarinet. Rounding out the band is Bob Burger on keyboards and accordion, Kurt Stevenson on vocals, guitar and lap steel, Pat Campbell on drums, and Mark Orton also on guitar, vocals, lap steel and string arrangements. There’s also a handful of guest musicians. This is The Old Joe Clarks’ second release and its first on the Checkered Past label. Lately it seems as if everything this label puts out has been excellent and this release is no exception.

There are twelve songs on the disc and all of them are Mike Coykendall originals. The opening cut called "No Going Back" sets the tone for the rest of the disc with its unforced, relaxed manner. Also, there’s more than a little hint of early Dylan in the music of The Old Joe Clarks.

I was intrigued by the names of several of the songs. I’ve never seen a record with so many short song titles. One- word titles included "Slow," "Thirsty," "Spent," "falling," and "Turn." Some of the other song titles are "Passers By," "Ocean Blues," "Rising Fences," and "Eyes Closed." There’s an elegant simplicity to the music and these song titles seem to reflect that.

This CD should appeal to fans of country music, country blues, and roots music. This is a very non-commercial band, so for lack of a better phrase, maybe this music can be called alternative country. Anyway, I found it to be a very enjoyable and very pleasing set of music.

- Bill Harriman

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