Featured Album

WXPN Radio

The premier guide for new and significant artists in rock, blues, and folk - including NPR-syndicated World Cafe ®

Listen Xpo

24/7 Musical discovery. A unique mix of emerging and heritage blues, rock, world, folk, and alt-country artists.

Singer Songwriter Radio

Featuring classics from heritage troubadours to new musicians and bands in the singer-songwriter tradition.

Folk Radio

Folk music radio streaming on the web; Americana, Roots Music, recordings, and stories from folk's best.
Listen Live

The Holmes Brothers - Simple Truths - Alligator Records

Wendell and Sherman Holmes, and Popsy Dixon have been playing their funkified and gospel inspired blues and R&B since the Sixties and released their first album in 1989 on Rounder Records. In The Spirit was an instant classic, showcasing their tight rhythm playing and vocal harmonies. Early supporters included Peter Gabriel and Van Morrison, while Joan Osborne produced their last album and hired them as her backing band in 1997. It has taken them almost a quarter of a century, but now The Holmes Brothers are internationally acclaimed performers.

The Holmes Brothers’ live shows and albums have received nothing but rave reviews and for all the right reasons. As live performers they’re inspiring and fun. As artists they put a unique spin on contemporary, spiritual soul music that has passion, fire and authenticity. They play every show like it was their last.

For Simple Truths, the band turned to the same Grammy-winning pair—producer Craig Street (Cassandra Wilson, Chris Whitley) and engineer S. Husky Höskulds (Tom Waits, Joe Henry, Wallflowers)—who were part of the team for the 2003 Norah Jones hit “Come Away With Me.” Simple Truths features an excellent collection of songs written by some of the greatest songwriters, including Townes Van Zandt “If I Needed You,” Bob Marley’s “Concrete Jungle,” Gillian Welch, Willie Nelson, Hank Williams as well as a unique cover of Collective Soul’s “Shine.” Their original songs fit perfectly next to these well chosen covers. Transcendent, warm, boundary-defying, and soulful – all the right ingredients for another fantastic Holmes Brothers album.

Release Date: 1/13/2004

Written by Bruce Warren

Track Listing
1.Run Myself Out of Town - 3:25
2.Shine - 3:14
3.We Meet, We Part, We Remember - 3:56
4.If I Needed You - 3:40
5.Hey Baby - 4:01
6.I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry - 4:52
7.Everything Is Free - 5:08
8.Big Boss Man - 2:52
9.Opportunity to Cry - 3:35
10.Concrete Jungle - 5:26
11.You Won't Be Livin' Here Anymore - 3:10
12.He'll Have to Go - 3:01
13.I'm So Lonely - 4:40

Buy it now at our CD Store

Visit label's website.

Check out our other Featured Albums of the Week

Help Support WXPN

Make Music Philly Spotlight: Joy Ike

Here’s another great artist you don’t want to miss at Make Music Philly this Friday: Joy Ike.  This Pittsburgh...Read More

The Week So Far: 12 must-read stories on The Key (incl. Big Footprints Project, Make Music Philly, Light Heat) ...

  The Dead Milkmen continue their sudden streak of new recordings with Welcome to Undertown  Light Heat recorded a...Read More

Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros Release new single “This Life” (playing XPoNential Fest in July and Longwood Gardens in...

Last week, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic  Zeros released the music video for “Better Days,” the first single from...Read More

Photos: Black Flag goes hard at Union Transfer

All photos by Abi Reimold | abireimoldphoto.com On the occasion of its first new music in 28 years, the reformed Black Flag played...Read More

Watch Philly grindcore four-piece Fantasy Panther get bloody in The Barbary bathroom

Maybe you remember mid-aughties Philly noisemakers An Albatross, but if not, here’s a quick summary – they ruled. They...Read More