{"id":443,"date":"2011-03-14T12:11:22","date_gmt":"2011-03-14T17:11:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nowthissound.com\/ntsib\/?p=443"},"modified":"2011-08-05T22:59:20","modified_gmt":"2011-08-06T02:59:20","slug":"james-leg-big-hearts-and-bad-attitudes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.nowthissound.com\/ntsib\/2011\/03\/14\/james-leg-big-hearts-and-bad-attitudes\/","title":{"rendered":"James Leg: Big Hearts and Bad Attitudes"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

While some hetero ladies like to pretend they only want an upright, decent, clean-living man who is home every night by dinner time, I tell you what, it’s hard to pass up a long, tall Texan with Waitsian vocal cords and key-pounding fingers… especially when he serves up some of the filthiest, most driving soul\/jazz\/blues-powered rock ‘n’ roll since T-Model Ford’s debut.<\/p>\n

James Leg, a.k.a. John Wesley Myers – who was a part of the last line-up of the Immortal Lee County Killers and comprises one half of the Black Diamond Heavies – is releasing his solo debut, Solitary Pleasure<\/em>, on April 5th, and it is a delight. Leg expands his usual repertoire into piano bar ditties and gospel while still serving up slipping, sliding, sweaty blues-tinged rock and heavy soul with take-me-as-you-find-me lyrics. He even dips into comedy with “No License (Song for the Caged Bird)”, a song that begins with a sad trombone, ends with a Three Stooges motif, and plays like Fats Waller at the end of a week-long bender in between, in an ode to one hell of a dame.<\/p>\n

Among the 10 tracks on Solitary Pleasure<\/em> are two covers: a thumping, fiery take on Link Wray’s “Fire and Brimstone” that I’m sure Wray would have approved of and a cover of the Kill Devil Hills’ “Drinking Too Much” that takes the Australian band’s aching ballad of self-realization and turns it into a ramshackle tumble that makes the final verse feel even more confessional than in the original.<\/p>\n

A little over half-way through the album comes a track, “Whatever It Takes”, that threw me for a loop the first couple of times I listened through the album. The song features vocals that are so sweet and pleading that they are actually jarring after 6 tracks of Leg’s broken-glass gargle. I made a note to myself to check the liner notes and find out who was singing on this almost out-of-place track and was shocked to find it was still Leg, making a heartfelt plea to a lover who wants to throw in the towel. In contrast to his usual singing style, the softer vocals make the nature of this song that much more affecting.<\/p>\n

If I had to pick one track that would best encapsulate Solitary Pleasure<\/em>, it would be “Drowning in Fire”, as it combines elements of rock, blues, jazz, soul and gospel into one hell of a revival complete with a church-worthy backup chorus.<\/p>\n

<\/embed><\/object> James Leg – Drowning In Fire<\/a> by Now This Sound Is Brave<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

The whole collection wraps up with a straight-up, hand-clapping gospel tune called “No Time to Tarry” that Leg throws himself into so whole-heartedly that you can hear him panting and cussing at the end. It’s an oddly uplifting and fitting end to an album that is ultimately the story of a man who has come to realize his faults and seems ready to take the first step to redemption.<\/p>\n

James Leg is currently touring in support of Solitary Pleasure<\/em> and will be making a stop at the Happy Dog in Cleveland this Thursday, 3.17.11, at 9 PM, and I highly recommend you get there.<\/p>\n

(And if you live elsewhere, check out these dates [more to be announced]:<\/p>\n

March 17- Cleveland, OH- The Happy Dog
\nMarch 18- Ft Wayne, IN- The Brass Rail- Left Lane Cruiser record release show
\nMarch 24- Chattanooga, TN- JJ’s
\nMarch 25- Chattanooga, TN- JJ’s<\/p>\n

EUROPE DATES
\n31March -Lorient, FR at Le Galion
\n2nd April- Mont Contour [St Brieuc], FR at La Vieille Tour
\n3rd April- Binic, FR at Le Chaland Qui Passe
\n5th April- Grenoble, FR at 51 to 48
\n6th April- Valence, FR Mistral Palace
\n7th April- Dijon, FR at Deep Inside
\n8th April- Nantes, FR at Le Remorqueur
\n9th April- Marmande, FR at Garorock
\n10th April- Brive, FR at 5th Avenue
\n11th April- Bordeaux, FR at St Ex
\n12th April- Limoges, FR at Zic Zinc
\n13th April- Lille, FR at La Boite \u00c3\u00a0 Musique
\n15th April- Middleburg, NL at Caf\u00c3\u00a9 t’Hof
\n16th April- Haarlem, NL at Patronnaat
\n17th April- Utrecht, NL at db’s<\/p>\n

April 23- Cincinnati, OH- Northside Tavern [Record Release Show])<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

While some hetero ladies like to pretend they only want an upright, decent, clean-living man who is home every night by dinner time, I tell you what, it’s hard to pass up a long, tall Texan with Waitsian vocal cords and key-pounding fingers… especially when he serves up some of … Continue reading<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":446,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[429],"tags":[461,455,21],"class_list":["post-443","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-feature","tag-andy-jody","tag-james-leg","tag-mp3"],"yoast_head":"\nJames Leg: Big Hearts and Bad Attitudes -<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"http:\/\/www.nowthissound.com\/ntsib\/2011\/03\/14\/james-leg-big-hearts-and-bad-attitudes\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"James Leg: Big Hearts and Bad Attitudes -\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"While some hetero ladies like to pretend they only want an upright, decent, clean-living man who is home every night by dinner time, I tell you what, it’s hard to pass up a long, tall Texan with Waitsian vocal cords and key-pounding fingers… especially when he serves up some of ... 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