Brother Magnum: News/Reviews

Brother Magnum - Meet Me In My Daydream

Year: May, 2008 Genre: Blues/Soul/Roots/Rock SonicJive: http://www.sonicjive.com

Reviewed: 16-June-2009

Review:

On Meet Me In My Daydream, Brother Magnum serves up a heavy dose of his easily identifiable funk-induced blues and slashing guitar throughout eleven songs - all of which he wrote, produced and arranged.  His penetrating, signature solos are pleasingly demonstrative and pump through his veins, literally exploding from his fingertips in flammable fashion.  His able-bodied vocals command your attention and can be compared favorably to Albert King.  Fans of Buddy Guy, Jimi Hendrix, Lenny Kravitz, and Robert Cray will find delight in this effort as well.

Many blues artists live recordings far surpass their studio efforts -  there is something about performing in front of crowds that brings out the best in blues performers that somehow traditionally fails to translate well to the studio. Brother Magnum manages to bridge that gap - for a studio release many of the songs have a distinctive "live" feel.  This is a tribute to the arrangements and fine production on this effort as well as a testimony to his superb backing musicians.

Brother Magnum's classic "Have A Good Time" will erupt from your speakers like a hurtling fireball and is one of my all time blues favorites. His scorching guitar solo on "What I Need" is almost too short; it is so good you will wish he extended it a little longer, though a very Jimi Hendrix-like riff and vocal echo throughout the song is equally enjoyable.  I was half-expecting the good brother to segue into "Red House".  One could identify this song as psychedelic blues and be spot on.  It's a great song.

"Cocaine Sheila" has traditional blues roots and bemoans the addictive nature of an unattainable woman in a descriptive, horizontal bump-n-grind manner.  Brother Magnum's vocals are at the forefront of this number and the guitar is slightly understated, and it works well.  A unyielding saxophone solo at 1:50 into the song accentuates the message and gives it a white-hot attitude. "I Should Have Known" and "Mexico" have a shuffle feel to them, blending traditional blues and soul that is incongruous to any specific genre.  Both have a birth-of-rock-n-roll feel that is probably the best way to describe them. "Nee-Mo Money" and "Love Wrong Blues" provide wonderful examples of Brother Magnum's celebrated guitar-playing ability. To use a term that is often wrongly associated with heavy metal music, the man simply shreds.

Meet Me In My Daydream is a great addition to any blues lovers collection,  a great mix of up tempo funkified numbers, retro soul blues, roots rock, traditional blues and even a shuffle or two.  You can't re-invent the wheel but you can still make top of the line tires.  Brother Magnum has not invented a new genre of music but he's doing it as good as anyone ever has.

-- Michael Canter (SonicJive.com)

--
Michael Canter

SONICJIVE.COM
FRIENDS. MUSIC. LIFE.

Check out the article below!

Launch787 feature on Brother Magnum

 Brother Magnum performed a blistering 45 minute set at this years Red Gorilla Music fest in the heart of Austin entertainment on 6th street in Austin, TX.  This year over 350 bands from around the world performed in over 30 venues in the saturated heart of SXSW.  Magnum was one of the few performers to be found that day performing soul and blues.  "There were so many young artist walking up and triping out on me like I was some sort of vintaged guitar that they had to see up close.  It felt like being a teacher or something." School was definitely in session as he played new music from the upcoming CD and a few classics from past releases, causing a large crowd to gather inside and outside the club. Impact was made without a doubt.

-Don Blaze- Emerging Music Webzine

Brother Magnum and the Razor Bumps will be playing the The 2009 RedGorilla Music Festival in Austin, TX. on March 18 at 4PM. the (40) minute set will include new music off the CD "Still paying dues..Still playing blues", along with music from the CD "Meet me in my daydream".

The 2009 RedGorilla Music Festival is invading Austin in full force this March, releasing an incredible line-up of 350 artists representing the best in independent and emerging music.


Company day parties include showcases for UR Label, Right Bank Music, BroadJam.com, Indie Extreme, Old Flame Records, Mad Dragon Records, PLAY:stl Music Festival, Manatt, KMA Management, True North Records, Happy Salmon Productions, and more.

The 2009 RedGorilla Music Festival will take place March 18-21 in the heart of downtown Austin on 6th street. Shows in participating RedGorilla venues are free and open to the public, bringing music lovers together to see, hear and experience the best in new and emerging musical talent.

The RedGorilla Music Festival is dedicated to promoting up-and-coming music in all genres by helping independent artists gain exposure to and awareness of industry, performance, product, and strategic marketing opportunities. Over the last six years, RedGorilla has grown immensely, working to provide more festival and showcasing opportunities for independent artists.

By late 2009 RedGorilla plans to expand to 15 international and national markets with programs such as Road To RedGorilla and partnerships with OurStage, ReverbNation and Flyfi.com.

The 2009 RedGorilla Music Festival is also excited to have Vitamin Water, Skope Magazine, InTune Guitar Picks, Royal Flush Magazine, Po Boy Drums, Nimbit, Moog, WeAreListening.com, Tinderbox Radio, Shure Microphones, Jakprints, Onlinegigs.com, Dickies Yak Pak, and TexasBeerMaps.com for their sponsorship support.

Performing music off the upcoming CD titled "Still paying dues-Still playing the blues", Brother Magnum and the Razor Bumps brought some southern soul to Fox Channel 7 News today. His early morning performance was only enhanced by the bands strong desire for coffee and an unsuccessful search for a stale donut!

AllI can say is wow! Blues Harp Master John Popper jammed with Brother Magnum tonight at The Speakeasy. John was spotted in the audience and was asked to come up and jam. Popper played on "Bad Apple", which is a song from the new Brother Magnum CD "Still paying dues, still playing blues". All present were astonished at Popper's amazing tone and control. Magnum finished the jam with his own interpretation. "Damn, someone kill me now. I've seen the promised land!"

Yes! Brother Magnum and the Razor Bumps have started recording the follow up to "Meet me in my daydream". The next release will be a five track EP titled "Still paying dues-Still got the blues". The CD is currently being recorded at Treehouse studio produced by yours truly. Stay tuned for snippets as we finish each song.

-Magz

Check out a live performance below in Nov. '08