Blue Angel by Hundred Year Flood

Twang is more than just evident... heart tugging county folk roots and rock attitude, and as psychedelic as Lenny Kravitz vymura wall paper, (the odd guitar break is reminiscent of our Lenny) and down home at the drop of a hat. Its bang on, I tell you!! Buy it now!!! No doubt in my mind you will thank me."

Flying Shoes, U.K.

Santa Fe Reporter asked Creed producer John Kurzweg - If he could take one band to the top, who would it be? "I know there's a whole world of stuff going on, but I'd have to say HUNDRED YEAR FLOOD because I think they write really great songs and they've already got the whole thing right there."

John Kurzweg (producer) Santa Fe Reprter

"..swings from gritty to gracious, featuring nifty guitar licks, thoughtful lyrics and some fine singin'...flashes of Dylan or Tom Petty in Palmer's voice, and hints of Bonnie Raitt in Fords."

John Arnold Albuquerque Journal

"The Beast and the Burden song is one of the Best I may hear the last 5 years !!! Felecia has a voice I fall in love with!"

Ray Pieters, Radio Golden Flash Westelo Belgium

"Flutterstrut really is one of my fav albums of the year. I've played it every week for the last 5 on the Medshow."

Rob Ellen, Medicine Show, U.K.

"For a group of such upbeat people, so prone to smiles and Texas charm, the folks who make up Hundred Year Flood Bill Palmer, Felicia Ford, Jim Palmer and Kendra Lauman certainly can write some introspective, dare I say dark, songs. Case in point is blue angel, the group's newest disc, recorded here at the studios of local label Frogville Records. The subdued vibe of the record is there even before cracking open the CD case the slightly blurry, obscured shades of blue, the photograph of just a portion of a steering wheel, the spectral title all point to what's inside. And what's inside is indeed spectral too, a haunting, understated beauty of a record. What's initially noticeable about the disc is the lyrical theme of questions and quotes: The first line of the entire album is a question. "What was it you said when everything was good?" Bill Palmer sings in the opener, named "I Love You Still." And the reply is a quote: "It's easier to undertand/than to be understood." It's an under the radar motif that weaves its way in and out of the entire disc, and one that works to make the emotions of blue angel personal, real and relatable. Similarly, the FloodÕs strength proves to be their ability to sneak subtle, simple imagery into their songs. The references to "torn and worn out hands," or "restless hearts" with "their belly to the bars" provide tangible anchors for ethereal songs. And then there's the music itself. The Flood is evolving, clearly moving down a thoughtful track, allowing their songs to unfold at their own pace. There are Jim Palmer's always shimmering drums, his brother Bill's echoed guitars, Lauman's barely there bass and, of course, Ford's intense, balls out vocals. On the song "Pour Over Me," Ford's voice is so drenched in vibrato, she sounds like Stevie Nicks singing opera arias; in fact, the entire song sounds less like the Flood's usual Americana and more like the weird, rich California rock of Fleetwood Mac. Such forays into different musical worlds are what mark the Flood's current evolution. Songs like "Take a Chance," with its needle sharp guitar fills and subtle tempo, or "Kingdom of Cold," which interweaves traditional sounding pedal steel with almost Johnny Marr-esque fretwork, foretell the future of Hundred Year Flood. This is a band that's going places, not just in terms of their collective career, but in terms of their ability to branch out from their country roots."

Jonanna Widner Santa Fe Reporter published March 29th 2006

Hundred Year Flood is currently based out of both the artist mecca of Santa Fe, NM; and the live music capital of the world, Austin, TX. They have played all over the western U.S., and have even toured in Mexico. In the last year, Hundred Year Flood has opened for both Son Volt and James McMurtry to packed and sold out theatres, and during SXSW 06 they played an amazing 9 gigs in six days. The members are Felecia Ford (voice and keys), Bill Palmer (guitar and voice), Jim Palmer (drums) and Kendra Lauman (bass). They play southern-fried roots rock that ranges from beautiful folk-rock ballads to gritty, politically saavy country punk; from stark darkness to a frenzied twang. Felecia Ford is a West Texas master of voice, who cut her teeth on Broadway show tunes and the big production theatrical stage, as well as the underground roots scene of Austin. Bill Palmer's songwriting and guitar playing is as steeped in shoegazer Brit-pop as it is in Texas country tradition and folk poetry. Bill's younger brother, Jim Palmer is powerful and nimble simultaneously with his unique drum style, inspired by African pop and American rock. Kendra Lauman roots the music to the ground with her thoughtful and solid bass approach. The band currently has four albums under it's belt: 2000's self-titled release, 2003's critically acclaimed "Flutterstrut", 2004's "Cavalier" and 2006's buzz album "BLUE ANGEL" just released on Frogville Records. They were invited to perform at the 2004 High Sierra Music Festival in Quincy, CA, and have recently been attracting radio and press attention in Texas, the US & Europe.

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