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Doug Swindell presents an outstanding collection of rich and soulful blues with a jagged-edge taste of rock on his recent release "Big Blue Sky." Swindell is a one-man band whose talents shine through, as he not only wrote these memorable pieces but also performed each track. His melodic vocals are strong and solid and the lyrics are heartfelt with tales of life and love. Not only will you hear blues on this album, but there are some country-embellished songs, like "Dead Man Walkin." On the title track "Big Blue Sky," Swindell makes all the right moves with his soulful bluesy guitar and slow and steady drums. "Train of Thought" with its rock-solid beat, has some great power chords on guitar with an ambiance that will leave listeners grooving all night long. Doug Swindell's "Big Blue Sky" is well worth hearing, especially if you like some down home blues with a tang of rock and country. - Diane, Radioindy.com
Now the Foo remembers that the first thing he learned to play on the geetar (that was not his own) was the 12-bar blues. But the Foo's Blues is nowhere near that of Mr. Doug Swindell. It's obvious that Doug's love is the guitar. The tracks on his new album are filled with riffs that are professional and tasteful all around. And for the blues, this collection of tracks on his new album "Big Blue Sky" offer up many flavors and even hint at different styles - a little taste of country and some back beat funk make this album sparkle. As always, Foo is most impressed with multi-talented musicians and Doug does not fail to please. His versatility from one song to the next shows that his musicianship is well rooted in rhythm and feeling.
And like all good Blues albums, this one definitely has feeling. "Hello to Sad" brought the Foo kinda down right when he read the title of his featured single. And the other song titles are all in tune; "Baby Don't Love me", "Dead Man Walking", trains, rivers....it's all right on point for a Blues record (Foo's fav is actually the slow track "Slow Train" - very creative). Foo loves the drum tracks on this album as well. They are all tight with some great EQ - and every track fits the tune just right. Perhaps, Doug is as good a drummer as he is a guitar player. But, the solos kick in and well - ok - Doug is a fantastic lead player with riffs that are filled with melody, feeling and true grit.
So, now Foo comes of course to one of his favorite parts, the audio. For the most part, much care has been taken to record these tracks. The drums are full and guitars are blazing! Foo's main complaint is the vocals. Now Doug is a good singer and that's not the point here. It's just that sometimes the words are hard to hear on some of the tracks. Now, if you've been keeping up with Foo's Reviews, you'll know that Foo himself is a reverb junkie. However, especially on the vox, reverb is something that should be added during the mixing process. Now, if you're anything like Foo, you need to actually hear the reverb when you're laying down the track; but, the track itself should be dry. This is called a foldback mix. It requires a board with direct outs going to the tape (or whatever newfangled digital device being used). Then you take the monitor out and roll it though all the effects gear. Well you get the point and for all The Foo knows Doug did it exactly this way. So one more suggestion is required; double the vocals track, preferably, just bounce it over to another track and blend in the dry w/ the effects. This will give some great presence as well as filling out the mix, try panning them slightly different and just a bit off center. Foo's other top secret weapon of choice is the BBE Sonic Maximizer. Do not tell anyone this secret or this review will self destruct.
FooStats(out of 10):
Audio Quality: 7
Originality: 5
Spicey factor: 6
Chops: 8 - liveaudiomag.com
With enriching and colorful tracks like "Baby Don't Love Me" and "Somethin I Need", it's no wonder that Blues Singer/Songwriter Doug Swindell is creating such a buzz in the music industry. Swindell's music is full of life's lessons and pains. In this recent interview with our online magazine, Doug Swindell speaks candidly about his music, his influences, and his future in the music industry. - Isaac Davis Jr. JuniorsCave Online Magazine
Discography
LP - Big Blue Sky - April 2009
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Bio
Like most, I've loved music since I was a kid, listening to everything I could get my hands on. It influences and shapes the way we think, feel and react, and at what ever level, is one of the things that bind us all together. Guitars and drums just do it for me...any kind, any style, fast, slow, loud, quiet, hard, soft, they take me where I need to go. And although I listen to and respect all forms of music, I,m not a huge fan of techno, electronica, dance, hip hop, etc...(it's like the drone of a casino, not my style). Growing up, I was exposed to a wide variety of music, classical, pop, jazz, folk, R&B, soul, heavy doses of rock, but it was the blues and its raw emotion and groove that have anchored my style as my playing developed over the years. When I was a kid, my dad had a hi-fi component stereo, and I wore out his record collection (stuff like New Christy Minstrels, Herb Alpert, Leonard Bernstein, Chet Atkins, Ricky Nelson, Boots Randolph, Elvis, Nat King Cole, Miles Davis, Crosby and Sinatra, Johnny Rivers, Henry Mancini, Johnny Cash, Hank Williams), and begged for guitars and drums early on, and Mom, bless her heart, came through. After the folks split up, she found a way to get drums and a guitar in my hands. I passed lots of time learning to play along with my favorites and friends, and have played in many bands and duos over the years logging time on drums, guitar, bass and vocals, all the while, harboring this nagging need to do my own thing...and when it speaks, you listen. This is my first original CD, and things are in the works for another. A wise old man once told me, whatever your passion, keep listening, and feed the soul. I'm a Bartlesville OK native, now residing in Wellston, just outside OKC. Actually, I'm just another workaholic control freak, hanging out in the studio in eskimo joes plaid flannel pants and an old HD t-shirt, writing, playing and recording songs, stealing from lifes experiences. I've always played in some kind of band and nothing is more fun than playing good music with good people, but eventually I just burned out on the scene, retiring to the studio to take on new personas, where I'm a different member of the band everytime I power up my little hideaway, so my sessions consist of swapping instruments and letting it fly. In my mind it's a beautiful thing....
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