This sweeps you up with a readiness and confidence that takes your feet out from underneath you. Opener "Family Asylum" could be the greatest Johnny Cash/June Carter gem you've never heard, packed with crazy relatives, cool turns of phrase, death bed worry and a vibe the boys at Folsom Prison would've loved. From there, the wind whips us westward into the "Blue," with ringing guitars and manly energies suggesting both surf rock and the Los Angeles rough boy rock of The Blasters. And so it goes for the remaining five cuts, shifting wildly yet grounded in something solid. When most people reference "roots music" or "Americana" it's often a cheap way of saying rock 'n' roll with a touch of twang. However, there's some bands that fully embrace a wide sweep of American bred possibilities – blues, rock, country, zydeco, folk, etc. – and Lansdale Station throws their arms around homegrown possibilities with infectious relish.
Led by the powerful singing duo of Judge Murphy (Zero) and spouse Lauren Murphy, Lansdale Station is what I call a "fundamental pleasure," a group that has all the basics down cold and then fills in the right details and delivers performances that still feel very much of the moment - think Buddy & Julie Miller or Gillian Welch & David Rawlings as prime examples. From the dead solid songwriting to the crisp musicianship, there's sturdy bedrock to each cut, which Lauren and Judge use as platforms for their spirited, character-filled voices to soar. There's wonderful boy-girl energy to the pair, though each sings with serious oomph on their own, too. Trying to describe voices like theirs is akin to cataloging the flavors of fine wine. Better to just roll it around for a while and let the bouquet saturate your senses.

If country radio had any real taste or guts the breathlessly rockin' "Hired Hand" would already be a smash, while "Houselevelers" moves with killer restraint, capturing the floating menace of being really broke but also the pleasure and freedom of living on the ragged edge. Closer "Mercy" is marvelous R&B with a fab rock itch, something The Meters might've stumbled upon in their heyday, and they further sweeten the deal with a pitch perfect cover of Fairport Convention's "Come All Ye." This debut is a terrific calling card, and one hopes it puts them onstage with folks like Gillian and Buddy. These are kindred spirits, musician's musicians who've retained the palpable excitement of music making. It's rare for seasoned veterans to resonate such unbridled enjoyment, and better still when that mojo can be anchored to such maturely crafted fare.
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10/22/2008

MUSIC
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                                                      Reviews of releases by local artists

Lansdale Station
Lansdale Station
(independent)

  Lansdale Station, a Marin band, spotlighting the husband and wife team of Judge & Lauren Murphy, takes its name from what was once the first San Anselmo stop of the old Northern Pacific Railroad.
 It’s a hip historical reference for a band whose understanding of rock’s past is evident on their eponymous debut CD, showcasing six original songs and one very cool cover in a traditional guitar-driven style that mixes Southern rock with a fresh take on the San Francisco Sound.
 Raised in Marin, Judge Murphy sang for years with Zero, the Marin progressive rock aggregation that included the late Quicksilver Messenger Service guitar slinger John Cipollina. One of the more impassioned moments on this independent CD is Murphy’s rugged baritone on a respectful rendition of Cipollina’s driving rocker “Hired Hand.”
 Lauren Murphy, previously featured with her husband on her solo CD, “Magnolia Heart,” comes from New Orleans and brings her Southern sensibility to songs like “Family Asylum,” the medium tempo rocker that opens the album with some righteously raw guitar work from Danny Uzilevsky , one of the young hot shots on the Marin club scene, and slide guitarist Jimmy Cucuzella (Swamp Thang).
 Dana Miller (The Mother Truckers, Chrome Johnson) and Rayner Brock (King Perkoff) form a flexible rhythm section on evocative story songs like Lauren Murphy’s “Houselevelers.”
 Proving once and for all that Lansdale Station is an authentic Marin band with respect for its roots, the Murphy’s dedicate their album to the memory of the charismatic tenor saxophonist Martin Fierro, who died in March.
 Buy it: “Lansdale Station” at cdbaby.com or oder an autographed copy by sending a money order to Lansdale Station, P.O. Box 221, San Anselmo, Ca. 94979. $12.50
-PAUL LIBERATORE Marin IJ “Here”
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Taxi A & R judge's songs on a number of components and grades on a grid . Overall , on a scale of 0-10, with 10 being the highest, the Judge's gave us a solid 8. Please keep in mind as you read, that while the comments noted are basic, they were the top of the line for scoring!

Here is what they have to say .

Song title: Family Asylum

Title rating: "Innovative & Different"

Style : "Country Rock with influences al la Emmylou Harris"

Melody rating" Good Music in verses. Good Music is choruses." with side note "Nice musical choices with a solid backing track"

Song Structure rating: "Well written" 

Lyric Structure rating: "Unique" with side note " Interesting picture created around this scenario".

Overall Comments: " I like the raw energy that comes across in this tune. This is also a very inventive perspective/viewpoint for this type of situation. I recommend looking into film/TV placement, as Music supervisors are looking for material such as this". 

Music 8, Lyrics 8, Arrangement 8, Production 8, Engineering 8
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