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Continental Drifters. A lot has been said and written lately about Americana, a true-blue roots rock that's not afraid to be a little bit country, a little bit folk. A band of veteran pop performers, the Continental Drifters, define the term.
The sextet plays the kind of joyous, open-hearted rock 'n' roll that Gram Parsons and Patsy Cline would have been proud of. If those two were still alive, they'd probably be invited to join this band, which consists of ex-dB Peter Holsapple, ex-Bangle Vicki Peterson, ex-Cowsill Susan Cowsill, ex-Dream Syndicate Mark Walton, ex-Bluerunner Russ Broussard and ex-Tuber Robert Mache.
"Vermilion" (Razor & Tie****) is a 14-track collection that is a glorious melting pot of all the above's talents. Holsapple's pop rock attitude blends with Peterson's penchant for melody, while Cowsill's vocal prowess slides seductively between Mache's electric guitar lines. You get the picture.
They say experience is a great teacher. This band's musical and worldly experiences exceed that of any act on the planet. In a perfect world, the Backstreet Boys would be flipping burgers, and the Continental Drifters would be at the top of the charts.
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