Old Crow Medicine Show
Big Iron World
4.0
There aren't many real street musicians
left in the world, especially ones that can
stay true to old time string music. Old Crow
Medicine Show proves that there is at least
five left with their latest album "Big Iron
World." OCMS redefines the genre with
their addition to their catalog of work
songs, drug songs, protest songs, killing
songs, and love songs. They do it all, with
that punk rock swagger that we have all
come accustomed to coming from OCMS.
"Big Iron World," produced by David
Rawlings, is Old Crow Medicine Show's
sophomore effort, a stripped down to forty
minutes of old time string music, a
collection of songs that would do OCMS'
mentor Doc Watson (no relation to OCMS
singer Willie Watson) proud.
Big Iron World opens with a mellow
version of "Down Home Girl," and moves
on steadily with drug songs like blunted
title "Cocaine Habit," with a infectious beat
with vocalist Ketch Scor blowing on his
harmonica, belting out lines like: "Well I
love my whiskey/and I love my Gin/but the
way I love my coke that's a god darn
sin/hey, hey honey take a wiff on me/ take a
wiff on me/ take a wiff me/ all you rounders
take a wiff on me/now if you don't believe
cocaine is good/ you can ask Carl Robe and
Elijah Wood/ hey, hey take a wiff on me."
OCMS stays true to what they know, folk
string music, with tradionals like
Big Iron World
4.0
There aren't many real street musicians
left in the world, especially ones that can
stay true to old time string music. Old Crow
Medicine Show proves that there is at least
five left with their latest album "Big Iron
World." OCMS redefines the genre with
their addition to their catalog of work
songs, drug songs, protest songs, killing
songs, and love songs. They do it all, with
that punk rock swagger that we have all
come accustomed to coming from OCMS.
"Big Iron World," produced by David
Rawlings, is Old Crow Medicine Show's
sophomore effort, a stripped down to forty
minutes of old time string music, a
collection of songs that would do OCMS'
mentor Doc Watson (no relation to OCMS
singer Willie Watson) proud.
Big Iron World opens with a mellow
version of "Down Home Girl," and moves
on steadily with drug songs like blunted
title "Cocaine Habit," with a infectious beat
with vocalist Ketch Scor blowing on his
harmonica, belting out lines like: "Well I
love my whiskey/and I love my Gin/but the
way I love my coke that's a god darn
sin/hey, hey honey take a wiff on me/ take a
wiff on me/ take a wiff me/ all you rounders
take a wiff on me/now if you don't believe
cocaine is good/ you can ask Carl Robe and
Elijah Wood/ hey, hey take a wiff on me."
OCMS stays true to what they know, folk
string music, with tradionals like
"Mingelwood Blues," by Noah Lewis, and
"Let it alone," not to mention a cover of
Woody Guthrie's "Union Maid."
Willie Watson (guitar) and Ketch Secor
(Harmonica and Fiddle) trade on and off on
the microphone. We're use to Secor on the mic
with tracks like "Wagon Wheel," off OCMS
debut, but Watson's voice soars on this
album like an ace in the hole like the tracks
"God's Got It," and "Down Home Girl." OCMS
shows they have a few more tricks left up their
sleeve, doing Doc Watson proud or any other
Watson for that matter.
-Justin Lee Amidon
"Let it alone," not to mention a cover of
Woody Guthrie's "Union Maid."
Willie Watson (guitar) and Ketch Secor
(Harmonica and Fiddle) trade on and off on
the microphone. We're use to Secor on the mic
with tracks like "Wagon Wheel," off OCMS
debut, but Watson's voice soars on this
album like an ace in the hole like the tracks
"God's Got It," and "Down Home Girl." OCMS
shows they have a few more tricks left up their
sleeve, doing Doc Watson proud or any other
Watson for that matter.
-Justin Lee Amidon
| CRANK STARING: Jason Statham, Amy Smart, Dwight Yokam & Jose Pablo Cantillo WRITTEN & DIRECTED: Mark Neveldine & Brian Taylor 3.5 |
Have you ever woke up and just knew that it
was going to be one of those days? Hit man
for hire, Chev Chelios (Jason Statham), woke
up this morning jacked full of the "Beijing
Cocktail," some anti-adrenaline concoction
that will kill him if he stops moving. The exact
science of the "Beijing Cocktail," isn't exactly
clear, all we know is that it's that crazy
"Chinese shit" and that's all Chev Chelios
needs to know. He knows what he has to do,
he has to say goodbye to his girl (Amy
Smart), even up some scores, and take care of
was going to be one of those days? Hit man
for hire, Chev Chelios (Jason Statham), woke
up this morning jacked full of the "Beijing
Cocktail," some anti-adrenaline concoction
that will kill him if he stops moving. The exact
science of the "Beijing Cocktail," isn't exactly
clear, all we know is that it's that crazy
"Chinese shit" and that's all Chev Chelios
needs to know. He knows what he has to do,
he has to say goodbye to his girl (Amy
Smart), even up some scores, and take care of
his nemesis Ricky Verona (Jose Pablo
Cantillo), who's thug ignorance is no match
for Chelios' street smarts, not to mention
take out Verona's whole crew. However, in
between all that, he finds time to highjack a
motorcycle from a cop, while he's on it, rob
a hospital of Epinephrine (artificial
adrenaline), and kicks some "black ass".
Crank is a straight adrenaline shot packed
with more of a jolt than a line of coke laced
with meth. It was depraved, carnal, and
vulgar, and I fucking loved every second
of it. From the previews of Jason Statham
standing on a moving motorcycle in
hospital scrubs we expect Crank to be built
up to an 11 with action, but we don't expect
the comedy of it all. Crank is smartly
written just when you think the film has
climaxed there's still a few twist and turns,
and those turns are taken at a 100 miles an
hour.
Chey considers the doctor's medical
opinion of not slowing down, but he
doesn't follow said opinion. He goes balls
to the wall until the end, and so do lead
footed CoWriters/Directors Mark
Neveldine & Brian Taylor, the directing
team behind Biker Boyz, but let's not hold
that against them, showing us everything
from split screens, unimaginable angles,
slow motion and still photography that
keeps the pedal of the film to the floor.
-Justin Lee Amidon
Cantillo), who's thug ignorance is no match
for Chelios' street smarts, not to mention
take out Verona's whole crew. However, in
between all that, he finds time to highjack a
motorcycle from a cop, while he's on it, rob
a hospital of Epinephrine (artificial
adrenaline), and kicks some "black ass".
Crank is a straight adrenaline shot packed
with more of a jolt than a line of coke laced
with meth. It was depraved, carnal, and
vulgar, and I fucking loved every second
of it. From the previews of Jason Statham
standing on a moving motorcycle in
hospital scrubs we expect Crank to be built
up to an 11 with action, but we don't expect
the comedy of it all. Crank is smartly
written just when you think the film has
climaxed there's still a few twist and turns,
and those turns are taken at a 100 miles an
hour.
Chey considers the doctor's medical
opinion of not slowing down, but he
doesn't follow said opinion. He goes balls
to the wall until the end, and so do lead
footed CoWriters/Directors Mark
Neveldine & Brian Taylor, the directing
team behind Biker Boyz, but let's not hold
that against them, showing us everything
from split screens, unimaginable angles,
slow motion and still photography that
keeps the pedal of the film to the floor.
-Justin Lee Amidon
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