|
|
Blues Underground Network |
|
|
|
Blues Underground Network |
|
The Streamliners "Signs"
|
The Streamliners start off their newest Album, called "Signs", with one of the nicest songs I have heard in a while and true to form they just continue pumping out great tracks, one after the other, on this very exceptional release, from this very exceptional Australian band. Track 1 "Thin Line" sets you up for all you need to know as to whether or not you are going to love "Signs". It shows you all their goods right off the bat, such as, great vocals, writing skills, musicianship, and its all done in their own special style. The Streamliners wanted a fresh feel to their music, so unlike nearly all recording out there, they decided to hit the studio with no rehearsals, which could spell disaster for a lot of bands, but not this one, as all Tracks were recorded in 1 or 2 takes, a testament to the expertise and talent of this fine group of musicians. The Streamliners formed in 1989 and have gone thru a few changes over the years as far as their lineup is concerned, as the only original members are the 2 brothers Nick Kipridis (Guitar/Main Vocals) and Dennis Kipridis (Electric/Double Bass/Back Up Vocals). Having gone thru those changes the band also changed in the style of music they made as well, from an early Delta/Chicago/Swamp sound, continuing with various other Blues styles and finally a Rock/Country sound since 2008. Throughout their various states of metamorphosis, they earned the "Best New Blues band" award at the '94 Lithgow Blues Festival and have been the Backing Act or Supporting Act for the likes of Junior Wells, Charlie Musselwhite, Carey Bell, and The Fabulous Thunderbirds, to name a few. In addition to Nick and Dennis, their present lineup includes, Billy "Bob" Rankine (Guitar/Back Up Vocals), Deryck Charles (Keyboards/Piano), and Steve Peterka (Drums/Percussion) "Signs" consists of 12 Tracks, all Originals and all written by Nick Kipridis except for 3, "Thin Line", "Hummingbird Revisited", and "Eagle In The Sky", which were co-written by Nick and Dennis. Most of the Tracks are a magical mix of Rock/Country done in a style that is not only uniquely fresh, but also uniquely their own. Tracks 9 and 11, "Hummingbird Revisited" and "Eagle In The Sky" lend themselves more towards an early Allman Brothers Sound. The songwriting on "Signs" is very good and their delivery is clear, concise, and to the point, which is a nice break from some of the music out there, where you have to google the songs lyrics to understand half of what their saying. All in all, "Signs" was a great find for me, thanks to them being played on a recent podcast of South Australia Roots and Blues. It is a great Album to listen to when times are quiet and you want to concentrate on some music which really has texture and meaning. I guess I can best describe it as sounding somewhat like the Allman Brothers Early Era, but with a few more special intricacies thrown in for good measure. "Signs" is a mighty fine Album, by a mighty fine band and one I can feel pretty good about recommending. Looking forward to more new releases from The Streamliners. Review By John Vermilyea (Blues Underground Network) Other Info Tracklist
1. Thin Line Listen To Music Here... About The Streamliners • The Streamliners first came together in 1989. • Initial lineup of guitar(Nick Kipridis)/bass(Dennis Kipridis)/drums(Peter Sarvinidis)/harmonica(Roger Cufone) was soon implemented by Sav Palaktsoglou on 2nd guitar. • This lineup continued until 1992 when the group's Delta/Chicago/Swamp sound was stretched to include "Big-Town" blues styles(à la BB King/T-Bone Walker), with the harp replaced by a two-piece horn section and a new Jazz drummer(Neil Mildren). • Around this time, Nick, Dennis &
Sav put together pet project:"The Flying Geronimos", a trio playing raw,
• 1994 saw Harry Milochis take the drum
seat in the Streamliners and it was this lineup that recorded four
• This CD earned them "Best New Blues band" award at the '94 Lithgow blues festival, NSW. Their opening track, "Hummingbird", came runner-up as "Best blues song" and Nick as nominee for "Best new male artist". • In 1995, Steven Peterka was enlisted on drums and the horns stripped away for a leaner sound.It is this lineup which continues to the present. • A high watermark in the group's career was the recording of its debut, full-length CD in 1996. "Waiting on you" independently went on to win new fans, both nationally and overseas as word spread about this bunch of unknowns with that sound. • A third independent release in 1999,
further sealed the group's reputation as a fresh, vibrant new musical
force • By the time their latest work "Under
the Moondogs" was recorded in 2005, years of gigging, personal circum-
• Over the years, the band has been fortunate enough to play with some key performers in the blues field, namely: • Support act for Junior Wells in 1992 & 1995 • Support act for Charlie Musselwhite in 1994 • Support act for The Holmes Brothers in 1996 • Backing band for Carey Bell in 1999 • Backing band for Big Jay McNeely in 1999 • Backing band for Eugene "Hideaway" Bridges in 2001 • Support act for Dave Hole in 2004 • Support act for The Fabulous Thunderbirds in 2004. • 2008 and Sav leaves the group as long-standing guitarist, to be replaced with Billy "Bob" Rankine on guitar and Deryck Charles on keybords. As a quintet, the band's sound changes once again to include more rock/country stylings. Work on a new album commences. • Latest recording "Signs" released
August 2009. It's the first album to feature the new five-piece line up.
http://www.myspace.com/thestreamliners
|
