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Saturday, April 23, 2016

SULFUR CITY “Talking Loud” on Alive Naturalsound


SULFUR CITY is a Canadian blues influenced band hailing from Sudbury, Ontario and consisting of Lori Paradis - Vocals/Electric Washboard; Jesse Lagace - Guitar/ Vocals; Steve Smith - Bass/ Vocals; Sam King - Drums/ Vocals; Keith Breit - Keys.



Everybody knows Patrick Boissel's fondness for everything HEAVY BLUES related, so it's not a big surprise the band's debut album is released on Alive Naturalsound. This is exactly where this band belongs. And the record label aptly points out that SULFUR CITY  is the first female-fronted band on Alive!

But what a band: a very tight rhythm section that keeps on pulsating all through the 11 original tracks, a keyboard player whose groovy organ loops sometimes bring to mind the late 60's Brian Auger, a guitar player and co-leader of the band who's an expert in heavy riffing.



And then there is singer/electric washboard player Lori Paradis, often seen as Grace Slick, Patti Smith and Janis Joplin all rolled in one. Lori has been a truck driver on a construction crew, a bartender and a house painter among other odd jobs. And this reflects in her lyrics. Where Patti Smith's rants were all about poetry, Lori's ones are more about social comments ("Pockets" : " There is nothing in this world that is  free except a whole lotta love and some misery. You got the government, you got the corporations, you got the welfare line all trying to keep you down, all trying to keep you silent!") or alienation by television ("War going on").

Sulfur City refers to band's home town.  A mining community where sulfur has been pumping into the air since 1928. It made the landscape black, dirty and the air thick and heavy. It's something Lori and the guys can relate to and has influenced the music they write. You can feel that this band is for real and that they mean every word they write.



“Talking Loud” was recorded at the infamous Gas Station Recording studio by Dale Morningstar (Cowboy Junkies, Neko Case) : the result is a fantastic heavy blues album with a strong political view. Highly recommended if you don't wanna die a moron. 

This item will be released on May 27 2016. Pre-order it here : 
http://www.alive-records.com/

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