03/16/2013 American Songwriter, Album review , 'SXSW Friday: Dawes, Ashley Monroe, Caitlin Rose'

American Songwriter favorite Luke Winslow-King will release his new album, The Coming Tide, this April on Bloodshot Records. Winslow-King, originally from Michigan, will bring a New Orleans flavor to the Chicago label’s eclectic roots roster. On Friday afternoon at Bloodshot’s annual Yard Dog party on S. Congress, Winslow-King sat on a bill with Bobby Bare, Jr., Ohio country-rocker Lydia Loveless, and Chicago soul champs JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound. Winslow-King, along with singer “sweet” Esther Rose and bassist Cassidy Holden, treated the crowd to originals like “So Tired” (from 2009’s Old/New Baby) and interpretations of blues like Beaumont, Texas sanctified singer Blind Willie Johnson’s “Keep Your Lamp Trimmed and Burning.” Rose led the band through a spirited version of “Crazy Blues.” After the set, Winslow-King and Rose noted the song is often considered the first blues record released (by Mamie Smith in 1920). That version went on to sell over 100,000 copies, opening the door for blues singers like Bessie Smith. While it can sometimes be hard to break through the noise at South By Southwest, for this talented young band, the Austin trek seems sure to pay off. They’re one of the most professional, staunchly original, and true-to-their-core bands working today.