Getting into the holiday spirit, I'm happy (well, partially--as the one writing all of this I'm also frankly sort of exhausted) to let y'all know that, paying tribute to entering the last month of the year, November and December's joint Round-Up comprises a whopping 12 artists! That's right, six today and six tomorrow. So strap on and plug in your best pair of earphones, because have we got some muzik to dizcover...
Let it be known DIY roots musician Dege Legg (better known as Brother Dege) is the real deal: while folk style and music has come into vogue as of late, he's already spent two decades wandering the grime-stained alleys of the Deep South before it was cool. His third release, How To Kill A Horse, makes an immediate impact with its rip-roaring sonic force and ragtag tapestry of instruments--yet the most important ingredient to its success is Dege himself, who pours all he's witnessed volunteering at homeless shelters, traipsing through trailer parks, and working a traveling circus' worth of jobs into his one-of-a-kind voice, twangy, razor-sharp, and bleeding with emotion (as suggested by the presence of a song titled "Crazy Motherfucker," he doesn't hold much back). Profanity and grit aside, there is a sense of spiritual reconciliation on How To Kill A Horse. The stories all have a spiritual bent to them, as if there are demons lurking beneath every reverb-soaked riff, as if the Dobro is barely strung and the drums are cracking at the seams, ready to fall apart. Even so, there is dignity in Dege's voice, a refusal of defeat woven into each steely melody; How To Kill A Horse makes triumph of its darkness. Stream and download the title track below:
