Bob and Coal Porter

The "Coal Porters"

     No, that's not a typo. "The Coal Porters" is an indie-alternative-bluegrass band out of Britain that will knock your socks off. I have just come from a driveway moment this morning with an NPR interview and review of their latest album "Find the One" (to be released September 18) with so many good tracks, like their version of David Bowies' "Hero's" which takes this tune under my arm-pit and where I will proceed to give it a noogey (which I do to all good things).
     The use of dobro and auto-harp in strange places is terrific and with "1952 Vincent Black Lightning" guitarist Richard Thompson leading the way in "Hush You Babe" and another version ala the deep folds of the Appalaichan Mountain high lonesome sound of The Rolling Stones "Paint it Black", it will make you rethink acoustic music.
     It doesn't hurt that the producer is John Wood, the same guy who worked with "Fairpoint Convention", Cat Stevens, Nico, Squeeze and "Pink Floyd" and who's deft touch controls much of the steam this band can produce.
     With guest such as Thompson and sitarist Robert Elliot this is worth more then a listen or a casual flip through on iTunes.

Bob Dylan's latest change.

     Neil Herd, Sid Elliot, Carly Frey, John Breese and Tali Trow make "The Coal Porters" a truly uplifting experience to those jaded ex-folkster's from the UK and refugees from Harvard Square in 1962. Acoustic music has pushed the boundaries ahead and the detritus left behind is your own if you fail to keep up.
     Bob, remember him? He's the first name mentioned in this post.  Dylan has become over the years the master chameleon and guide to the roads less taken.  has done it again with "Tempest" his latest offering. I looked it up. He has 34 studio albums (read "cd's" for albums - yes I am, after all, a contemporary of Dylan) 58 singles, 14 live albums and 17 compilation albums. And not one of them sounds the same - even when he tried.
     As Garrison said last night on "PHC" it took years for him to get that old guy voice.Check out the latest Rolling Stone and his interview. The cover is worth the price of admission. The first words that come to mind on viewing is "Grand Old Man" of popular music.
     I have only hear bits and pieces of the disc, so more on that later.