Kendel Carson - Alright Dynamite

Artist: Kendel Carson
Song: Lady K
Album: Alright Dynamite
Label: Trainwreck Records
Released: June 23, 2009

Kendel Carson has been immersed in music since the age of three, and has been mastering the fiddle since then in various musical projects in her native Canada. With her strong debut (Rearview Mirror Tears) behind her, the songwriter has joined forces once again with songwriter and musician, Chip Taylor, for her follow-up, Alright Dynamite.

Just released last month, the new album’s fourteen tracks lie pleasantly in country, but flickers of pop are sprinkled throughout. Carson’s capable voice is rich and sweet and the entire record is bolstered beautifully with a strong group of musicians backing her.

‘Lady K’ is one of the album’s more moving songs and perhaps one of its strongest standouts. A softly played piano eventually giving way to acoustic guitar and the sound of a deep bass.

Press snippet: One of the last songs Kendel Carson prepped for her extraordinary new album, Alright Dynamite, was a cover. It came about when the 24-year old Canadian singer/musician (and fiddler extraordinaire) was in a bar one night with Chip Taylor, the legendary songwriter (“Angel of the Morning,” “Wild Thing”) and her trusted collaborator.

Suddenly, Janis Joplin’s “Mercedes Benz” belted out of the jukebox.

“Neither of us had heard it in so long. It kicks so much ass!” says Carson. “The original isn’t even really in tune, but it just has something else to do it…there’s that attitude, that magic.” She laughs. “So, for the album, we did this rippin’ fiddle take on it. And I have a bit of a running theme about cars and trucks, so the song suits me just fine.”

Trucks? Fiddles? If that sounds familiar, you may remember Carson from her single, “I Like Trucks,” which came out in 2007 (on Rearview Mirror Tears) and garnered the singer a huge audience on both sides of the Atlantic. The song, a playful slice of country/roots music, served as a nice introduction to the singer, who was already a much sought-after studio/live performer in her homeland before the song hit.

But to really get to know Kendel Carson, listen to Dynamite. It suggests a singer who’s both confident and coy, and a musician who’s technically gifted but spontaneous at heart. It also ties together everything that make her one of today’s most important new performers – her mentorship with Chip Taylor, a childhood spent in the prairies of Alberta and, later, the burgeoning roots music scene of Victoria, and her lifelong passion for music and the fiddle.

WWW
www.kendelcarson.com
www.trainwreckrecords.com

Purchase
Kendel Carson Official Site | Amazon | Amazon MP3 | iTunes