Toska by Red Mouth
"The list of world-class artists that have emerged from Muscle Shoals, Alabama is long-- a veritable “who’s who” of music makers that spans decades... even generations. Indeed, nearly every genre and style has a representative, but you’d be hard pressed to find an artist-- a voice-- as unique and compelling as Eric “Red Mouth” Gebhardt.
Simply put, there’s really nobody quite like him in American music... and that is not hyperbole. Sure, there are reference points. Captain Beefheart, Iggy Pop, R.L. Burnside and Leonard Cohen are all echoed throughout his songs... but really, references are cheap. Red Mouth is Red Mouth and it’s truly difficult to nail him down.
On “Toska”, his latest record, he enlisted some of the area’s finest musicians to help escort you through what he calls “dark tales of love and the bizarre”. Jimbo Hart and Chad Gamble (Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit) provide the rock-solid rhythm section, while Ben Tanner (Alabama Shakes) anchors the keyboards and organ. Harvey Thompson (Lyle Lovett, countless others) blows the saxophone and Donnie Fritts (Kris Kristofferson, solo) contributes not only electric piano, but a song as well.
“From my booth, it felt like there was a lot of love being poured in from all who worked on it,” Gebhardt says. “Kinda like what I imagine the sessions for Screamin’ Lord Sutch and his Heavy Friends might have been like.”
Despite the big names, the real attraction here is Red Mouth. He sings, stomps, romps, bellows and howls his way through thirteen songs that truly communicate the essence of his craft-- true, unabashed artistry without a hint of compromise or pretense.
“I feel like this record bridges the language barrier between the spirit world, myself and all the Earth like nothing I’ve ever done before,” Gebhardt added.
“It’s not pop music. It’s messages from the other side.”
That attitude is the essence of Red Mouth’s music-- a sound that has taken him all over the world. It’s even put him in film festivals-- he has a role in “Mourning Hills”, a motion picture from Highland Piper Entertainment that’s due to screen this year.
But for this multi-talented artist, whether it’s the screen or the long-player-- he can’t help but make that sound. “Toska” is the penultimate distillation of that sound... and the perfect opportunity for you to get acquainted with an artist unlike any you’ve ever met before." - Reed Watson (Belle Adair, The Pollies)
Tracklist
| 1. | Black Old Bones | 2:56 |
| 2. | Das Moose | 2:55 |
| 3. | Sugar Sugar | 3:18 |
| 4. | Butcher Knife | 2:54 |
| 5. | Bone Camp Road | 2:04 |
| 6. | Long Gone Train Of Mine | 4:19 |
| 7. | A Gentler Hand | 3:47 |
| 8. | She's Got A Crush On Me | 2:45 |
| 9. | God Don't You Trouble My Body No More | 2:10 |
| 10. | Johanna | 2:54 |
| 11. | Jimmie Mack Lynn | 2:48 |
| 12. | This Thing | 2:41 |
| 13. | There is a Crow | 4:35 |
Credits
Produced and mixed by Eric "Red Mouth" Gebhardt, assisted, engineered, and mixed by Jimmy Nutt at The Nutthouse Recording Studio. Assistance from Michael C. Ivey and Luke Hunter. Additional mixing help from Andreas Werner. Mastered by Kramer. Instigation by Brian Brinkerhoff. All songs written by Eric "Red Mouth" Gebhardt, published by Singular Recordings/Gokuhi, LLC and Sugar Duke Music/ASCAP 2014, except * - "Johanna" written by Iggy Pop and James Williamson, BMG Bumblebee/Cruisin' Music/Strait James Music - "She's Got A Crush On Me" written by Donnie Fritts and Billy Lawson, BMG Bumblebee/DF Music. Cover photos by Carl Gebhardt with assistance from Shannon Well and Chris James. Graphic design and back cover concept by Chris James (Heavy Color).
Red Mouth Records www.redmouthmusic.com
- BLACK OLD BONES
Red - Vocals, Electric Piano, Backing Vocals
Cody Gaisser - Organ, Noise, Backing Vocals
Jimbo Hart - Upright Bass, Backing Vocals
Chad Gamble - Drums, Percussion, Backing Vocals
Kate Tayler Hunt - Violin
- DAS MOOSE
Red - Vocals, Guitar
Cody Gaisser - Guitar
Jimbo Hart - Upright Bass
Chad Gamble - Drums
Ben Tanner - Electric Piano
Harvey Thompson - Baritone Sax
- SUGAR SUGAR
Red - Vocals, Guitar, Backing Vocals, Toy Piano
Cody Gaisser - Guitar
Jimbo Hart - Upright Bass
Chad Gamble - Drums
Ben Tanner - Organ
Harvey Thompson - Baritone Sax
Louisa Murray, Kim Tibbs, Brittany Faith - Backing Vocals
- BUTCHER KNIFE
Red - Vocals, Electric Piano
Cody Gaisser - Guitar
Jimbo Hart - Upright Bass
Chad Gamble - Drums
Harvey Thompson - Saxophones
Kim Tibbs - Organ
- BONE CAMP ROAD
Red - Vocals, Guitar
Cody Gaisser - Guitar, Piano
Jimbo Hart - Upright Bass
Chad Gamble - Drums
Harvey Thompson - Saxophones
Louisa Murray, Kim Tibbs, Brittany Faith - Backing Vocals
- LONG GONE TRAIN OF MINE
Red - Vocals, Guitar
Cody Gaisser - Guitar
Jimbo Hart - Upright Bass
Chad Gamble - Drums
Kate Tayler Hunt - Violin
Ben Tanner - Piano
Louisa Murray, Jessica Rothstein - Backing Vocals
- A GENTLER HAND
Red - Vocals, Guitar
Cody - Guitar, Grand Piano
Jimbo Hart - Upright Bass
Chad Gamble - Drums
Kate Tayler Hunt - Violin
Louisa Murray, Jessica Rothstein - Backing Vocals
- SHE'S GOT A CRUSH ON ME
Red - Vocals
Donnie Fritts - Wurlitzer Electric Piano
Jimbo Hart - Upright Bass
Jeremy Woods - Trombone
James Thigpen - Trumpet
- GOD DON'T YOU TROUBLE MY BODY NO MORE
Red - Vocals, Percussion
Chad Gamble - Drums
Jimmy Nutt - Percussion
Kate Tayler Hunt - Strings
Louisa Murray, Kim Tibbs, Brittany Faith - Backing Vocals
- JOHANNA
Red - Vocals
Cody Gaisser - Guitars
Jimbo Hart - Upright Bass
Chad Gamble - Drums
Ben Tanner - Grand Piano
Harvey Thompson - Saxophones
- JIMMIE MACK LYNN
Red - Vocals, Electric Piano
Cody Gaisser - Guitar, Electric Piano
Jimbo Hart - Upright Bass
Chad Gamble - Drums, Percussion
Harvey Thompson - Baritone Sax
Kate Tayler Hunt - Strings
Louisa Murray, Kim Tibbs, Brittany Faith - Backing Vocals
- THIS THING
Red - Vocals, Guitar
Cody Gaisser - Guitar
Jimbo Hart - Upright Bass
Chad Gamble - Drums
Harvey Thompson - Saxophones
Jimmy Nutt - Percussion
Louisa Murray, Kim Tibbs, Brittany Faith - Backing Vocals
- THERE IS A CROW
Red - Vocals, Guitar
Cody Gaisser - Guitar
Jimbo Hart - Upright Bass
Chad Gamble - Drums
Kate Tayler Hunt - Strings
Thanks - Carl Susan and Chris Gebhardt, Nadene Mairesse, Eli Flippen, Jack Wadkins, Bryan Farris, Nate Emery, Bill Conflict, Kevin Reed, Patrick Billingsley, Dana Fasano, Robin Gillespie, Shannon Wells, Ivannoel Gonzalez-Dollar, Nathan Pitts, Clinton Harris, Jeff Pruett, Tyler Young, Brian Corrigan, Jon Ray, Benjamin Aviotti, Nathan Powell, Evan Sandy, Ben Tanner, Andreas Werner, Pegasus Records, John Cartwright, Andres Roots, Vlad Lee, always Iggy Pop, and last, several ideas on this record are fruit from trees seeded many years ago by my dear friend, Jeff East, rest well, Brother, you are always with me.
License
All rights reserved.
A strange brew of Son House, Captian Beefheart, Elvis and Nick Cave, backboned by stomping, driving Muscle Shoals rhythms. All resulting in a gospel experience through a gothic Alabama that your typical singer songwriters won't be guiding you anytime soon.