Donna The Buffalo "Tonight, Tomorrow and Yesterday"

 

Hard to forget a name like this.  The first time for me was 1998 when they were picked up by Sugar Hill Records.  We didn't have a Folk or Americana section and I swear we filed them in Country based on Sugar Hill being known for bluegrass music.  If I heard any, it didn't impress me.  We may have had one or two more of their records pass through the store before I left the business in 2003.  So I was very surprised at seeing this new album arrive in a BKP care package, wow...nearly four months ago.  As I've mentioned, it's been such a good year for interesting releases (still sitting on eleven I haven't even committed to disc yet) that I pushed this one to the back of the pack since I didn't have any history with them.  I was curious, though, at how/why there was a new album from a band that I don't believe we ever sold a single copy of years ago and haven't heard of since. 

The proverbial "duh" moment struck when conducting a bit of research.  Festivals.  More and more each year, it seems.  D the B's alternative folk/Americana/zydeco/jam band persona allows them to play just about any of them.  Alas, I don't think any amount of  'shine or skunk weed would make me sit through a set...or any more of this record. 

I don't mean for a second that it's a complete dud, it's just that most of it falls outside of my musical comfort zone.  It's hard to put into words what makes me uneasy listening to this because normally I would be accepting of all the various pieces of this puzzle, except one...the male vocals.  My God, are they bad, and they are front and center in the mix, loud and proud.  Eesshh.  The woman, however, is less grating and occasionally they run her voice through some studio effects to positive results.  There ain't enough knobs on the board to help the guys...

Oddly enough, one of the three songs I'm keeping features a male lead vocal.  Here is a live version that finds him actually improving on the studio take...



The strength of the song itself makes it worthy.  The organ was key, and damn, was that thing beat up or what?!  The other two keepers feature Tara Nevins' vocals, one her composition and the other a zydeco cover. 

I looked for some chart success and found none...for any of their releases.  The road is where artists make money these days and they must do OK. 

Won't find me at one of their shows.....even if I'm comped.