“But what can a poor boy do, ‘cept play for a rock n’ roll band?” On their second album, ‘White Trash,’ Kansas City band Trampled Under Foot uses a live recording, relying heavily on cover songs, to frame their musical sound. Consisting of three siblings; Danielle, Nick and Kris Schnebelen, and an unnamed keyboard player, Trampled Under Foot are a good example of what a contemporary “blues” band is today. Much like rock’s early bands, Trampled Under Foot utilize the “blues” sounds and textures to play pop or rock music but with a heavier sound. Modern blues audiences are primarily Euro-centric Suburb dwellers relying on a familiar musical sound. Like so many bands TUF use the cover song and occasionally they are able to add enough to the brew to be able to call it their own. This tool of playing known songs makes it easy for bar fans to understand the band quickly and appreciate the effort; however, when listening to a band for the first time, utilizing over-played covers raises the bar since the history that most reviewers have with this catalogue is probably pretty extensive. In other words, playing live and releasing an interesting album are virtually two completely different efforts and art forms.

   With a name like Trampled Under Foot it doesn’t take long for the band to hearken to it’s Led Zeppelin roots by using a familiar ‘Stairway to Heaven’ style opening on their cover of the “Porgy & Bess” classic, ‘Summertime.’ Sister Danielle hits all the notes and soon enough you forget the countless hundreds that have also recorded this song (Iggy Pop coming to mind at the moment). The band also simmers on Aretha Franklin’s ‘Chain of Fools.’

   The sound of this live recording is pretty good – kind of what you heard is what you hear. Overall it’s the mysterious departed keyboard player that adds much of the texture to the album - foisting it from an average bar band sound to something more interesting. Danielle vocals are also quite strong although she is smitten into some faux-gospel warbling as if the Star Spangled Banner were up next on the play list. It apparent that the great blues-rock singers of the ‘60’s left their mark including Janis Joplin. Brother Nick is a solid guitar player that is able to take average skills and make them sound special – although there is a bit too much hair metal in his sound for my taste.

   According to their website TUF is pecking out dates across the country. While I’ve judged them harshly, there seems to be real promise in their groove and an energy that is apparent. Two strikes for a lack of creativity with an album being presented as a national caliber effort; however, keep an eye on this band cause they are talented and should they choose to embellish their creative juices, they clearly have the tenacity, drive and desire to become more than Missouri’s band that could have been. I have yet to see the band but I would guess adding that dimension is much of what the band is all about.

   “Cause to live in London town there’s just no place for a Street Fightin’ Man.”

   Considering the state of the blues, and the general tendency towards more guitars, it is amazing that the Holmes Brothers have found a sustained career for their enriched mix of gospel, country, blues and contemporary music. In the early 1990’s they signed with the Cambridge based Rounder Records and eventually recorded with Peter Gabriel’s (Genesis) WOMAD (World of Music and Dance) recording label. In ’01 the band signed with Chicago based Alligator Records and pop singer Joan Osbourne (What If God Were One of Us?) produced and sang with the band on their, ‘Speaking in Tongues’ album. Osbourne appears on this album’s, ‘Those Memories of You’ with a very Bonnie Raitt sounded vocal line. 

   It takes musical courage to go where the music takes you and to create an audience by clashing preconceptions of musical genres with an honest roots sound. Don’t let the juxtaposition escape you; while so many young white players mimic their best Robert Johnson or Muddy Waters, the Holmes Brothers reinterpret contemporary popular music into a turn-of-the-century sound.

   Now on their 3d album for Alligator, ‘State of Grace,’ the band continues to use their gospel based, three-part-harmony to explore the songs you may hear on Adult friendly FM radio airwaves. The band records Creedence Clearwater Revival’s, ‘Bad Moon Rising’ with a strong Cajun dance step. Their arrangement of Nick Lowe’s ‘What’s So Funny about Peace, Love & Understanding’ (previously recorded by Elvis Costello) is arranged to sound like something Bruce Springsteen could included on his River album. Cheap Trick’s ‘I Want You to Want Me’ is slowed down to a languid pace that recasts the song to a mature unrequited love ballad. The band also covers two songs by Klein, Texas’ Lyle Lovett; ‘If I Had a Boat’ and ‘God Will.’

   I always found it to be somewhat to the chagrin of “blues” fans when they realize that country and blues were closely twined. The Holmes Brothers reinforce this notion by covering three songs by Country and Bluegrass giants; Hank Williams’, ‘I Can’t Help It If I’m Still in Love With You,’ ‘George Jones’, ‘Ain’t It Funny What a Fool Will Do’ and Bill Monroe’s ‘Those Memories of You.’ Also featured on the album is former drummer for The Band, Levon Helm performing, ‘I’ve Just Seen the Rock of Ages.’

   The Holmes Brothers tenth album is highly niched and marketed within the blues category but doesn’t really fit comfortably into that confine. Heavy with gospel / soul vocal inflections and arrangements, “State of Grace” is a powerful album for the adventurous and musically independent listener.