Ramsay Midwood

Ramsay Midwood's masterful wordsmithing and sparse production values carry the 11 songs on this striking debut. Midwood, a Virginia native residing in Austin, has put together a song cycle that often verges on the timelessness of his influences: Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan and early Tom Waits. This is earthy, sitting-on-the-porch-swing music at its best.

Midwood’s Shoot Out is much better than the middling fare at the eponymous Chinese restaurant.

Details

Tuesday, March 18,for more information, call 713-528-5999

McGonigel's Mucky Duck, 2425 Norfolk

Related Content

• What Every Musician Needs: Better Shut Up Lines
  January 31, 2012
• Amplified Heat
  January 5, 2012
• Mourning The Texans' Loss At The #Thurogod's Altar
  January 17, 2012
• Hear Ke$ha's Quality, Teary-Eyed Cover Of Bob Dylan's "Don't Think Twice It's Alright"
  December 13, 2011
• With a Rebel Yell: 10 Rockers Gone Country
  January 11, 2012

More About

• Ramsay Midwood
• Woody Guthrie
• Tom Waits
• Bob Dylan
• Folk Music

Like this Story?

Sign up for the Music Newsletter: Keep your thumb on the local music scene with music features, additional online music listings and show picks. We'll also send special ticket offers and music promotions available only to our Music Newsletter subscribers.

Privacy Policy Cancel Continue

Shoot Out benefits from the experienced hand of former Lonesome Stranger Randy Weeks -- who co-produced and played guitar, banjo, harmonica and drums -- and will go down nicely with fans of his work. Midwood's sandpaper rasp vocals are perfectly suited for the rootsy blend of folk, country and bluegrass that he and Weeks construct.

Meanwhile, lines like "I heard Merle Haggard was a junky / I know it's so 'cause I read it on the radio" from "Chicago" and "Suck it from the poor / make another war / catch the details on the news at four" from "Monster Truck" exemplify Midwood's talent for turning a phrase. And you can almost taste the roasted corn and smell the fresh-cut hay as Midwood drawls his way through "Spinnin' on This Rock." Midwood came well armed to this Shoot Out --there's not a single dud in his ammo belt. This disc announces the arrival of a major new talent.