MICROWAVE DAVE & THE NUKES: atomic electric

microwave dave & the nukes

atomic electric

© 2003 dave gallaher (664980016026)

CD IN STOCK. ORDER NOW. Will ship immediately.

Atomic Electric's performances offer tradition and voltage from a tight, experienced ensemble labeled a "cult blues band" by Bo Diddley and leading Bobby Blue Bland to comment, "Microwave Dave---he's a blues MAN."

notes

ATOMIC ELECTRIC FEATURES THE ORIGINAL STUDIO RECORDING OF "TRAIL OF TEARS'--THE LOWEBOW (CIGAR-BOX GUITAR) INSTRUMENTAL PERFORMED BY MICROWAVE DAVE ON NPR'S "MICHAEL FELDMAN'S WHAD'YA KNOW?" ON NOVEMBER 18, 2006.

NOW AVAILABLE ON CD BABY: MICROWAVE DAVE & THE NUKES' NEW LIVE ALBUM, DOWN SOUTH NUKIN'--WHICH CONTAINS THE SECOND SELECTION FROM THE SHOW, BODY AND FENDER MAN. TYPE DOWN SOUTH NUKIN' IN THE SEARCH BOX ABOVE TO ACCESS ALBUM INFO.


Wander up on one of the hundreds of venues where Microwave Dave & the Nukes are playing one of their thousands of gigs. ATOMIC ELECTRIC will document the encounter well, providing a texture of selections from various eras joined at the hip in tight arrangements that frame Microwave Dave's very identifiable voice, style and exuberance within the Nukes' intuitive grooves.

Unwinding like a late-night last set, ATOMIC ELECTRIC's modern originals such as Microwave Dave's sleazy-scungy Moon Winx and Shady Muscadine (co-written by Billy C. Farlow and Dave) rock toward the dance floor while Jerry 'Boogie' McCain's Courtin' In A Cadillac swings the shuffle and James 'Icepick' Harman's It's All Right Now 's barely-controlled jump threatens to spin out of control, propelled by Rick Godfrey's Telecaster bass in tight, upright articulation.

Dyke & the Blazers' seldom-heard Shot Gun Slim boogaloos, bumps and drives aboard the punchy drumming of Skip Skipworth, supplying irrevocable evidence of his Muscle Shoals birthright. Night Train is one tune that truly earns the ATOMIC ELECTRIC designation as Microwave Dave's amplifier risks detonation under the duress of triple-stops that shag right up the tracks only to twist back down.

Two-fisted jazz piano chords emerge from the guitar on Percy Mayfield's The River's Invitation while original solo Trail Of Tears with it's present-tense primitivity displays Dave's amplified diddley bow praying the fear and desolation of the forced march.

Ensemble dynamics play on Robert Nighthawk's Anna Lee , rising and falling with each nuance of the lead as if conducted from a classic film score, and in the detail of Ray Charles' orchestration on Mary Ann , a six-handed assimilation of the sounds of a dozen-plus musicians.

The sweetness of Santo & Johnny's venerable Sleep Walk seduces a last-dance embrace, but things get rough as the Nukes stomp Howlin' Wolf's Highway 49 well past closing time with slide guitar hollering like the drunk that won't go home.

Captured in vintage analog with minimal overdubs by producer/engineer Tom Gallaher, ATOMIC ELECTRIC is fission, tradition---and voltage.

Please spin responsibly.

reviews

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  • Excellent Blues Album
    author: S. Morton

    If you like the blues, you will no doubt like this CD!!!! You need to get it.

  • Good Stuff
    author: Benny McDonald

    Raucous, electric blues lives still in Microwave Dave and the Nukes Atomic Electric. Do not skip this addition to you collection unless you want to sell yourself short. Great CD, great band. Benny McDonald, Gardendale, Alabama, USA

  • "EXPLOSIVE"
    author: tommy upton

    words alone can not express the way this music makes you move! you can`t help but get up and move something!!!! you`ve just got to hear it for yourself and then you`ll see what i`m talking about. micro dave and the nukes are by far the best blues band i`ve ever heard and boy i`ve heard some.

  • Train of Tears on the LoweBow is AWESOME!!!
    author: George Erdel

    The whole album is great but I especially love the delta sound of the LoweBow Cigar Box guitar on Trail of Tears, Cut #4. There is a lot of new material which I have not heard him do on this album. I think you will like it as much as I do.

  • NUKES, ATOMIC ELECTRIC TAKE THREE REAL BLUES AWARDS
    author: REAL BLUES MAGAZINE (CANADA)

    Canada's REAL BLUES magazine has announced the 2004 REAL BLUES AWARD winners. 2003 TOP SOUTHERN BLUES ALBUM: ATOMIC ELECTRIC, MICROWAVE DAVE & THE NUKES. 2003 TOP SOUTHERN BLUES GUITARIST/MODERN: MICROWAVE DAVE GALLAHER. 2003 BEST SOUTHERN BLUES BAND: MICROWAVE DAVE & THE NUKES (tie with J Lapalm and Roadhouse).

  • solid, raw - tracks 4,11 and 12 will blow you away
    author: dale duffey

    raw, hard edged rockin blues. trail of tears, sleepwalk and hiway 49 are classic and over the top. the cd is an overall solid 5 star effort.

  • Just Received Microwave Dave and the Nukes CD
    author: Paul Buechler

    Just Received The CD Microwave Dave And The Nukes ,It has a Great cover of the song "sleepwalk"

  • damn near vaporizes his strings
    author: Dave Rubin - GUITAR ONE magazine

    "Microwave" Dave Gallaher damn near vaporizes his strings on this selection of hip covers which includes "Night Train" and "Sleepwalk." HOT LICK: "It's All Right Now." To quote Frank Barone, "Holy crap!"

  • the kind of unwritten understanding of what the Blues is meant to be
    author: Steve Langhauser - Mississippi Valley Blues Society

    Sometimes you get the wrong impression when you make a snap judgement. When my editor told me to review this offering from Microwave Dave & The Nukes I made some initial impressions without even listening to the CD. I thought, local guy and his band, independent label and maybe just some hack trying to squeeze out some notoriety by slogging through some Blues. I think I might have rushed to judgement. Dave and his crew pound out the Blues as it was meant to be on their latest offering, Atomic Electric. As I said, my impression and the first spin of the disc did not quite impress me because of my predisposed bias. I have always reviewed offerings with a hope that the first play will knock me off my feet and never let go. I have come to learn that the Blues are not meant to be in that vein. The Blues are something that takes patience. The Blues are a cerebral and soulful understanding and something that cannot be rushed. Microwave Dave and the Nukes display the kind of unwritten understanding of what the Blues is meant to be. Atomic Electric is a mix of original music and cover tunes blended in a style and a bump and grind that a true aficionado of the true meaning of the Blues can come to appreciate. These guys mix a boogie beat and sound that initially reminds me of Canned Heat. They then pick up the pace with some southern up-tempo on a few cuts. They then slow it down again with Dave's talented picking on the Lowebow, which is a homemade slide with a cool distinctive twang. They have across-the-board talent with a subtle, "we've got the goods" swagger. That swagger really flies on "Moon Winx", a Gallaher original. Microwave Dave Gallaher is backed by Rick Godfrey on bass and Skip Skipworth on drums and these dudes roll out the Blues like the Blues are supposed to be rolled out. They can pick it up and shake it around or they can pick it slow and grind it down. "Anna Lee" fits the grind down category quite well. Don't rush to judgement. Let Microwave Dave & The Nukes take you through the Blues. Play it once, play it twice and then play it again. I think you will end up thanking me. Until next time, Keep your Mojo workin'

  • "Highway 49" earns my vote for blues song of the year
    author: Eric Steiner

    Microwave Dave and the Nukes have honed their considerable blues chops playing Northern Alabama nightclubs for over 12 years, and Atomic Electric is a collection of songs that should satisfy any blues appetite. The slow, acoustic lament of "Trail of Tears," straightahead boogie of "Shady Muscadine," or 50's-inspired "Courtin' in a Cadillac" all show the versatility of this outstanding trio. Microwave Dave and the Nukes play classic blues tailored to the stripped-down, three-piece format with Microwave Dave Gallaher on vocals and guitar, Rick Godfrey on bass, and Skip Skipworth on drums. Fans of urban, post-war won't be disappointed with the way Dave & Co. tear it up on "Highway 49," and perhaps more importantly, they honor Elmore James and Houndog Taylor and the Houserockers with this six-minute plus spine-tingling slide guitar jam. "Highway 49" earns my vote for blues song of the year, thanks to Microwave Dave Gallaher's expert slide, and the firey engine room of Godfrey and Skipworth.

  • nuclear sounds ranging from jump to shuffles to funky
    author: TWELVE BAR RAG / Published by the Suncoast Blues Society, Tampa/

    I think Ken slipped me this CD simply because of the Alabama connection. Although I've seen the band's name on festival t-shirts and posters for several years, I didn't realize that Huntsville, AL was their base. This CD was recorded in Meridianville, AL The liner notes state the performances were fueled by fried chicken from Posey's Restaurant in Hazel Green, AL. Ok, that was enough on the cover to interest an Alabama boy. This trio does an admirable job of laying down some nuclear sounds ranging from jump to shuffles to funky, boogaloo dance tunes. Microwave Dave is Dave Gallaher and he does vocals, plays guitar and a strange instrument called the Lowebow whihc looks like one of the things Richard Johnston might end up on stage with. Rick Godfrey provides some soulful bass playing that accents the driving guitar and Dave's gruff vocals. Finally, Skip Skipworth demonstrates some heavy drumming skills learned while working in Muscle Shoals. Blended together, they sound more like a band of six at times and must be hell on amplifiers. Dave sets the stage for some smokin' blues with the first cut called Shady Muscadine which he penned. There are two other songs here that he had a hand in writing with my favorite being Trail Of Tears where he shows off his stuff on the Lowebow. The final one is Moon Winx which is a funky, Louisiana sounding dance tune. I know some of us worry when we see too many covers listed on a CD and I was a little concerned before listening to the disc. I stopped worrying when I heard this trio take the Ray Charles tune Mary Ann and give it an almost Charles-type orchestration. There is a crackerjack version of Robert Nighthawk's Anna Lee along with Percy Mayfield's The River's Invitation. The trio maintains the Alabama connection with a cool version of Jerry "Boogie" McCain's (Gadsden, AL) Courtin' In A Cadillac as well as James "Icepick" Harman's (Anniston, AL) It's All Right Now. There are twelve songs total on this CD that the liner notes request that you "Please spin responsibly". I would recommend a bucket of Posey's fried chicken to accompany these greasy BAMA tunes. Tim Graham

  • Genuine, butt kickin', roadhouse blues.
    author: Epiphone Will

    I'm always on the lookout for fresh blues and with Atomic Electric, I've found it. If you're tired of canned, formulatic, please the masses, rehashed, overproduced stuff, check out Microwave Dave & the Nukes on Atomic Electric. Your eyes will be stinging from the smoke, your throat will be dry from want of another whiskey and the woman at the end of the bar will be starting to look mighty fine. The man knows his way around the fretboard and sprinkles in some classy, unexpected changes (Sleepwalk). Backed by a solid rhythm section, Mr. Gallaher cuts to the bone both vocally and instrumentally. For a slow burn blues, give a listen to Anna Lee....just perfect! This CD is getting max airtime during my morning and evening commute.

  • author: Andria Lisle - LIVING BLUES Issue # 169 (Fall 2003):

    Thanks to folks like guitarist Willie King and harp player Jerry McCain,the Alabama blues scene is alive and well. Barroom faves Microwave Dave & the Nukes have certainly pulled their share of the weight, dominating rough-and-tumble northern Alabama roadhouses since 1989. Led by Dave Gallaher, this trio pulls no punches on Atomic Electric, their third full-length disc. Opening with the shuffling roots rocker Shady Muscadine---penned by Gallaher and one-time Commander Cody sideman Billy Farlow---the Nukes get the party off to a good start. Skip Skipworth lays down a steady drumbeat, while bassist Rick Godfrey anticipates Gallaher's every move. Next, the gruff-voiced guitarist tears through a handful of well-picked covers, including Dyke & the Blazers' Shot Gun Slim, James Harman's It's All Right Now, and Percy Mayfield's The River's Invitation. The trio strips down on Jimmy Forrest's bump-and-grind instrumental Night Train, staying in check long enough for an ethereal take on Santo and Johnny's Sleep Walk. Fellow Alabamian Jerry McCain gets a nod on an over-the-top rendition of Courtin' In A Cadillac, while Big Joe Williams (who lived just across the border in Crawford, Mississippi) gets his due when the Nukes rock his Highway 49 for Atomic Electric 's six-minute closer. The best moments on Atomic Electric , however, belong to the Nukes alone. Gallaher picks up a LoweBow (John Lowe's diddley bow-inspired electric one-string) for the searing, plaintive Trail Of Tears , then plays hydro-percussion (whatever that is) on the swampy, rhythmic Moon Winx , which owes as much to Goo Goo Muck -era Cramps as it does ZZ Top.

  • great
    author: kim Reed

    It is a great cd I guess because my grandaddy is the main singer.

  • Atomic Electric is sure to please all fans of good-rockin' blues
    author: Don & Sheryl Crow - Music City Blues review, May 2003 Blueslette

    In the grand tradition of the "power trios," such as Hound Dog Taylor and the House Rockers and SRV and Double Trouble, we give you Huntsville, AL's own Microwave Dave and the Nukes!! Microwave Dave Gallaher is on guitar and vocals, Rick Godfrey is on bass, and Skip Skipworth is on drums. Together, these fellows really pack a wallop on Atomic Electric, a 12-pack of covers and originals guaranteed to get your feet movin'!!! We have been fans of these gents since 1995, when they released a rockin' cover of Bo Diddley's "Road Runner." This CD keeps that guitar-driven boogie scheme alive, and these fellows really let loose! There isn't a weak cut on this one, fans. From the opening shuffle "Shady Muscadine" to the slide-drenched "Highway 49," this is one great party CD, with plenty of good blues in between! We liked the frenetic pace of the James Harman tune "It's All Right Now," and the rhumba beat of "Mary Ann." The vocal effects on "Moon Winx," a band original, kind of give it a "vintage" '50s sound. We also enjoyed the excellent covers of Boogie McCain's "Courtin' In A Cadillac," the perennial favorite "Night Train," and the slow-dance Santo and Johnny classic "Sleep Walk." The tune that really stood out was the brooding instrumental, "Trail of Tears." Played by Dave on a custom-made cigar-box-shaped guitar called a LoweBow, it sounds as if it rose right up out of the mists of the Mississippi Delta and goes right through to your soul. For us, this was the set's tour de force. A fine set from a proven group of road warriors, Atomic Electric is sure to please all fans of good-rockin' blues. As Dave so aptly puts it-"The mission of this music is JOY," and we say-mission accomplished!!!

  • a tireless musician with true love of the BLUES and its varied styles
    author: Susan Collier for the May, 2003 Magic City Blues News

    "This latest CD from Microwave Dave & The Nukes provides a texture of selections from various eras joined at the hip in tight arrangements that frame Microwave Dave's very identifiable voice, style and exuberance within the Nukes' intuitive grooves." If you've seen Dave and the Nukes live you will love this CD and start singing right along. Dave is a tireless musician with true love of the BLUES and its varied styles. Rick Godfrey hs been with the band 14 years and Skip Skipworth ahs been with the band 5 years and they are a wonderful complement to the heart and soul of the band. The three musicians are truly one. Shady Muscadine (co-written by Billy C. Farlow and Dave) and Moon Winx rock you toward the dance floor with a steady, sleazy feeling. Shot Gun Slim boogies, bumps and grinds aboard the hard-hitting drumming of Skip. Trail of Tears is a Dave original on the Lowe Bow and it is haunting with the delta hill country sound that is all about authenticity, style and grace. Mary Ann gets one into a boogie down frame of mind and Dave's rides are full of perfection. Jerry "Boogie" McCain's Courtin' In A Cadillacswings your hips and shuffles your feet. On Robert Nighthawk's Anna LeeDave's voice is so sultry one feels like they've been scorched. "Rising and falling with each nuance of the lead as if conducted from a classic film score" sets a mood to sway and swoon. The River's Invitation written by Percy Mayfield emerges with 'two-fisted jazz piano chords" that emerge from the guitar. Night Train "is one tune that truly earns the ATOMIC ELECTRIC designation as Microwave Dave's amplifier risks detonation under the duress of triple-stops that shag right up the track only to twist back down." I found myself tapping a hole in the floor with my foot. Sleep Walk evokes closing your eyes to the "sweetness and seduction of a last dance embrace." Highway 49 kicks in with Dave's slide "hollering like the drunk who won't go home." "Captured in vintage analog with minimal overdubs by producer/engineer Tom Gallaher, ATOMIC ELECTRIC is fusion, fission, tradition and voltage." Dave graciously donated a copy to the Magic City Blues Library so check it out. Better yet just go buy it!!! It is a must for your collection. Also check out the web site http://microwavedave.com.

  • author: Gary von Tersch - Big City Blues (Aug/Sep 2003)

    My buddy Tim and I were sitting around listening to this inspired blues power trio and his eyes lit up at the third cut: a Junior Parker and His Blue Flames-styled meltdown cover of James Harman's "It's All Right Now." "Turn it up!" he shouts. I do so, and start paying attention myself. Next up--actually separated by a jolting version of Ray Charles' "Mary Ann"--are a pair of ear-catching Microwave Dave (Gallaher) originals. "Trail Of Tears," a moody instrumental tour de force showcasing Dave on the drone-like cigar box Lowebow guitar (custom built by John Lowe of Xanadu Music in Memphis) begins Charley Patton bleak the, after about three minutes, starts cooking Sun-style. The other self-penned opus is "Moon Winx," a gris gris tribute to one of Dave's favorite hangouts--the Moon Winx Lodge & Restaurant (air conditioned plus telephones) with great place setting lyrics and Dave's Night Tripper-deep vocal. And then there's the "hydro-percussion." Tim and I stare at each other. "I'd sure like to see Dave and his Nukes live," he grins. I smile and red zone the volume as atmospheric, downhome covers of the likes of Jerry McCain's "Courtin' In A Cadillac", Big Joe Williams' "Highway 49" (with some particularly searing, swerving slide work by Dave), Percy Mayfield's "River's Invitation" and that ever magical, slow-dancer "Sleep Walk" proceed to warmly greet our respective lobes. The two Nukes who also deserve a few lines is Skip Skipworth's seasoned drumming really rings out on the uptempo numbers while Rick Godfrey's bass under-rigs affairs and clearly throughout. The liners assert that the "performances herein were fueled by fried chicken from Posey's Restaurant in (sic) Hazlewood, Alabama. " Tim and I chuckle. That must be some chicken!

  • It's atomic. It's electric. It's nuclear.
    author: Michael Buffalo Smith - Gritz magazine (Spring 2003)

    Alabama's "Microwave" Dave Gallaher and his band "The Nukes" is back and they brought one of their best albums along for the party. The Nukes are Rick Godfrey on Bass and Skip Skipworth on the skins, and they are the perfect rhythm section to accompany Dave's guitar. The set begins with a tune co-written by Dave and Billy C. Farlow, "Shady Muscadine", a bluesy romp with Dave doin' some of his trademark pickin'. "Shot Gun Slim", a Dyke & The Blazers cover, drives the funk home with some excellent drumming from Skipworth, and the band gets into jump-blues with "It's All Right Now", one of the best tracks on the album. Just plain fun. Speaking of outstanding tracks, Dave gets down with his Bo Diddley Lowe Bow guitar on the introspective "Trail of Tears", creating an emotional tribute to the Native Americans who marched through the fear. Ray Charles' "Mary Ann" and Robert Nighthawk's "Anna Lee" are born "Nuked" and sound great. Dave's own "Moon Winx" is strange and off the beaten path--and fantastic. Kind of a Zappa meets Dr. Hook with a bit of Dr. John. How cool. Dave can't go wrong on "Atomic Electric," and the boys pop it good on Boogie McCain's "Courtin' In A Cadillac," a blues meets rockabilly romp, and a slick and swank cover of Percy Mayfield's "The River's Invitation." The Nukes keep it drivin' with "Night Train" and pull back the reigns for a smooth groovin' "Sleep Walk." The set closes out in true Microwave style as the boys rock through Howlin' Wolf's "Highway 49 Blues." It's atomic. It's electric. It's nuclear. It's an explosive, high voltage set by some of the best pickers ever to set foot over the Alabama state line to carry their music to the world. -----Michael Buffalo Smith

  • "This Alabama trio has everything a blues fan could want"
    author: Blues Revue Issue No 84, Oct/Nov 2003

    This Alabama trio has everything a blues fan could want: impeccable taste; a steady, no-frills rhythm section; and, in Microwave Dave Gallaher, a first-rate guitar individualist. Gallaher, bassist Rick Godfrey, and drummer Skip Skipworth kick out a dozen solid tunes. Gallaher has a gritty sound all his own, with punchy rhythm work and loads of unhurried, flavorful soloing. The bigfoot funk of "Shady Muscadine," which starts the record, provides a fine example of his craft; the song's first solo passage is a burning yet restrained melodic run, while the second is John Fogerty-swampy, minimalist and perfect. Atomic Electric hangs together beautifully from beginning to end. "Shot Gun Slim" is a Jerry Reed-style tale of an off-kilter Southern man who, come to think of it, might live just down the road from Amos Moses. Skipworth shows how it's done on a powerful cover of James Harman's jump blues "It's All Right Now" with playing that's unforced, masterfully disciplined and truly powerful. On the instrumental "Trail of Tears," Gallaher breaks out the cigar-box guitar known as the Lowebow for a moving, slide-fueled tribute to the nation's largest annual motorcycle ride. Other fine cuts include a cover of Ray Charles' rumbling "Mary Ann," a rocking take on Jerry McCain's "Courtin' in a Cadillac," a pass through Percy Mayfield's always-welcome "River's Invitation," and a hot and heavy "Night Train"---killers all. Gallaher's "Moon Winx," a grinding tribute to a Tuscaloosa, Ala., "motor lodge," has a percussion effect that sounds like rubber boots walking in a rainstorm; somehow, it fits perfectly. The band manages to freshen up the guitar ballad "Sleepwalk" through sheer force of will, and wraps things up with their standard show-closer, "Highway 49," a slide tour de force. This is the real thing. Put it on and rediscover everything you love about blues. JEFF CALVIN - BLUES REVUE

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