Allison Thrash
Austin, Texas, United States | INDIE
Music
Press
Hop “On The Blues Express” with blues mama Allison Thrash. She ain’t talking trash mind you, its all about Talking Thrash. This is the deep-down-from-the-soul blues baby make no mistake about it. With her Phoebe Snow meets Aretha Franklin vocal style Thrash makes her way through 10 solid blues-rock numbers that will move you in way that will find your heart. It sure enough worked that way for me.
All the innuendos that are found in blues songs are there…love, liquor and broken hearts, including some clever twists on words, like “Mister Wrong,” which is typical of the blues not to sugar coat anything and tell it straight up with no chaser to help swallow the reality of the situation.
If I was to criticize one thing it would be the production of this release, the instruments need to come out to the front more, I do realize the focus is Thrash’s voice, and that is accomplished very well. For the most part the instruments sound more like a soft background rather than being a major part of each individual song. Other than that, this is a good spin, good enough to listen more than once that’s for sure, after all “Sugar is Sugar.” Regardless, this disc cooks right along; it will be getting some spins during my barbeques this year!
© Keith "MuzikMan" Hannaleck - http://www.muzikreviews.com
March 3, 2004
Rating- 3 ½ / 5
- Muzikman Muzik Reviews
Texas is known for its blues and it's still thriving here. While the blues is not my favorite genre I really dig this cd. I've listened to my share of the genre going way back. I can remember sitting around in Arcola, Mississippi listening to old black men play the blues downtown right on my Grandmother's front porch. Even as a kid I knew it was special and knew the men I heard were the real thing. So growing up I continued to listen to the blues. At one time the bands like Paul Butterfield, The Yardbirds, Cream, Hendix and Canned Heat could do no wrong and soloists like B.B. King, Robert Cray, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Johnny and Edgar Winter, and the king John Lee Hooker moved my soul. But after the departure of the late great Stevie Ray Vaughn I haven't listened to much in the blues genre. The blues I hear now is what's in my collection from years back.
The blues is a awesome genre but the progressions have been played and played to where a lot of it sounds generic...cookie cutter blues without the emotion but that's possibly because there's only so much you can do with it. The only way it works is to have a band that absolutely loves the music and puts every ounce of soul from their human bodies. Then it's real and Allison Thrash has managed to achieve this with here cd "Talking Thrash. She wrote all of the songs on the cd but instead of playing all of the instruments she has put together a tight band that makes you feel the blues! The horns are freaking cool simply because they work along with the piano, organ, bass, lead and drums. The band is David Breaux on Piano, Organ, Bass and Drums, Matt Hubbarb on the Trombone, David Love brilliantly on Lead Guitar, Rhythm, Baritone Bass and Horn Arrangements, Ephraim Owens on trumpet, Phillippe Vieux on Sax. These cats can jam and Allison gives her all to singing the blues.
First listen proved itself to be deceiving. This is a cd that at first sounded generic to my ears and I could have dismissed it. I'm glad there was something that made me go back for another listen. That listen made me go back to another and so on until now I want to share this cd with fans of this site who get into the blues. This is music that climbs inside your ribs and jump starts the soul. The band approach the songs by Allison Thrash like they wrote the songs instead of like hired hands. You can tell that a live performance would be ultra cool.
The trippiest thing about this cd is that there are times that Allison Thrash sounds like a female lounge lizard/crooner like the late great Sammy Davis Jr. I never bought anything by the dude but when I saw him in old movies as a kid I thought we was pretty hipped out. But this ain't about Sammy now is it? Hell no, this is about Allison so forgive me for the Sammy plug. Anyway....this lady definitely has the blues and has had bad times in relationships and can have you feeling sorry for her as she croons away the blues. This is hip stuff at times. The horns make the cd unique because they are not used as much these days. When you hear the real deal it makes you feel. Am I for real?
- Preying Lizard Music
Allison Thrash has put a unique country spin with a rock edge on her excellent blues CD, “Talking Thrash”. The ten songs on “Talking Thrash” feature the beautifully written lyrics and wonderfully expressive vocals of a hard life typically filled with work, love and drinking.
The vocals of “Talking Thrash” seemingly draw from her Pop performances with Kat & The Prowl, her Country past with Low Water Crossing, the R&B of Filet of Soul as well as her own refreshing take on the Blues. The combination of styles in “Talking Thrash,” with the well written lyrics is sure to make this CD appeal to an audience beyond those interested in the Blues.
The second half of “Talking Thrash” takes on a more meaningful and expressive sound than the first half, which is slightly more of a country and pop combination. The seventh and eighth tracks, “You Ain’t Enough” and “On The Blues Express” are perfect examples of what a classic blues song should be. These two songs follow true to the style of the great John Lee Hooker. The simple piano, guitar and drums rhythm flatter Allison Thrash’s voice in the way that the whole album should.
“Talking Thrash” is a worthwhile buy; the entire CD is an excellent listen from start to finish and is worth multiple plays. If “Talking Thrash” is any indication of what Allison Thrash will bring in the future, then I believe that there is a clear place for her in the National Music Scene. - BandFanz
Allison Thrash has a background that includes singing pop, jazz, and country, but her first CD released under her own name is a blues album called Talking Thrash. She recorded a country blues album while in Nashville using the name Liz Lindsey that had a popular single, "I Wanna Take Care of You." Talking Thrash contains 10 original tunes.
The album features David Breaux, Matt Hubbard, David Love, Ephiraim Owens, and Philippe Vieux in the band.
Since moving to Austin, she performed with Kat & the Prowl, Low Water Crossing, Filet of Soul and as a solo act at La Zona Rosa, the Broken Spoke and the Saxon Pub.
- Music Austin
Discography
Talking Thrash, 2004, Head On Records
Brace Yourself, 2006, Head On Records
Solitude, 2009, Head On Records
All tracks are receiving internet radio airplay.
Go to www.allisonthrash.com for stations.
Photos
Bio
Allison Thrash was born in Dallas, Texas, as the youngest of the three children of Patricia Francis and John Thrash. Her mother had been the lead singer for several Los Angeles bands and her father had sung throughout college and was offered second chair for the Houston Symphony Orchestra playing the French horn. Both parents loved music and sang throughout Allison's childhood, passing along the joy of singing, playing and performing to all three children.
From first to the twelfth grade, Allison was either singing with the school choirs or providing piano accompaniment. Although her parents' roots were in central Tennessee and eastern Kentucky, her family moved from Dallas to Oklahoma City to Pasadena, and then finally Houston, Texas. Allison studied voice and music history while in college, although her B.A. was finally in Philosophy. While attending Saint Louis University, Allison studied operatic technique under tenor Joseph Beck. While in Houston, she spent a year under the instruction of vocalist Ray Sullenger where she studied such greats as Nat King Cole, Anita O'Day, Billie Holiday and Cole Porter.
While living in Houston, Allison sang Big Band with the Ray Sullenger Combo, Jazz with the Bayou City Preservation Jazz Band, Pop with Split Image, and Country Blues with Two of Hearts.
After Houston, Allison achieved her goal of making the journey to her Mecca: Austin, Texas. She and her family of four black Labrador retrievers settled on several acres at Lake Travis. While Allison worked as a lobbyist and professional development director for a statewide educational association, she made several trips to Nashville and recorded an unreleased country blues album under the name of Liz Lindsey. The single, I Wanna Take Care of You, was released on a Nashville-based independent label and enjoyed regional success throughout the eastern United States.
Since living in Austin, Allison has performed Pop with Kat & The Prowl, Country with Low Water Crossing, R&B with Filet of Soul, and her own sultry Blues at such venues as La Zona Rosa, the Broken Spoke, the Saxon Pub, Scholz Garden and the 311 Club. She and her pack live at Lake Travis where she works on her music and other projects at Labrador Hill.
She achieved her goal by completing her full-length CD of Blues songs called, "Talking Thrash". The CD is comprised of ten originals written by Allison about women who love men...a lot. She will be forever grateful to the generous contributors to the CD which include David Breaux, David Love, Ephraim Owens, Philippe Vieux, Matt Hubbard, Jan Paul Yenawine and her amazing, selfless family.
She released a four-song EP, "Brace Yourself", in 2006 comprised of three of her own Blues tunes: Put That Toy Down; Some of That Ricky; and No Poaching.
In November of 2009, Allison will release her second full-length Blues album, "Solitude", highlighting twelve of her original songs.
Allison is presently performing and promoting her voice and her original songs as a singer-songwriter artist, and she is shopping these and additional songs written by her to other established acts and to the film and television industry. Allison's independent record label is Head On Records and her publishing company is Labrador Hill Music.
INFLUENCES
Allison greatly admires Billie Holiday, Koko Taylor, Bobby Blue Bland, Big Mama Thornton, B.B. King, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Warren Zevon, Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, Patsy Cline, Hank Williams, Sr., Elvis Presley, John Hiatt, her mother, her grandmother, and her father.
The ninth cut on "Talking Thrash" entitled, "Woman Enough", is Allison's tribute to Billie Holiday and her self-penned tune, "Don't Explain". The tenth cut entitled, "Mean Mean Man", was written in an effort to draw attention to the enduring crime of violence against women and children.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Allison was a headliner act for the 2005 NXNE Music Festival where she and her band played at Toronto’s premier blues venue, The Silver Dollar Room.
Allison performed as the ASCAP Songwriter for the Saxon Pub's Songwriters In The Round event.
Allison is a past winner in the R&B category of the Austin Songwriters Group annual competition for her song, "Memories Lounge".
Allison performed as an invited singer-songwriter at Austin's The Backyard for a Songwriters In The Round event.
Hit and Run Music picked up Allison's song, "Memories Lounge", and her song, "Woman Enough", was picked up by Hamstein Publishing, both formerly of Austin, Texas.
Allison's performance of "I Wanna Take Care Of You", under the name of Liz Lindsey, entered the independent country music chart at 61 with a bullet and went to 83.
Allison was the featured musical act
Band Members
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