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(The above audio piece was broadcast on KUSP Wednesday, August 30, 2012. It’s my brief overview of JD McPherson and Nick Waterhouse with album samples crammed into 3.45 minutes)
Let’s face it. Vintage is the “IT” child of the 21st Century. JD McPherson and Nick Waterhouse do a damned good job of recreating yet tweaking the upbeat atmosphere of America’s music heritage circa 1930’s up to the early 60’s and making it as fresh as anything you could get at your local farmer’s market.
Now in his early 30′s, the rockabilly influenced Oklahoman, McPherson recorded SIGNS & SIGNIFIERS in Chicago produced by his bassist and cohort, Jimmy Sutton of the Del Morrocos.
Californian Nick Waterhouse, considerably younger than JD, intentionally released his first two songs on a vinyl 45 a couple of years ago. Now it’s a collector’s item. He started out hanging out in used record stores in his teens developing a real taste for r&b, cuban music and 30-40′s jazz pop. TIMES ALL GONE is Waterhouse’s debut. It features several guest musicians and additional vocalists in addition to his own.
Both of these albums employed the use of old school recording equipment, amps, mikes and things using knobs. The vinyl SIGNS & SIGNIFIERS was mastered on a lathe once used by the Beach Boys and Phil Spector five decades ago.
JD McPherson and Nick Waterhouse have created two top-notch albums that will be in my best of ’12 list, no doubt about it.
Here’s JD McPherson doing the full version of NORTH SIDE GIRL
And Nick Waterhouse performing at Slim’s in San Francisco:
