Saturday, March 17   8:00 p.m.
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  Scott Nolan - Golden
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Scott Nolan

The easygoing nonchalance and weary, but not entirely dissatisfied, vocals of Scott Nolan belie the multitude of miles he�s logged -- either fronting his own band, Leaderhouse or serving as a hired gun for bands like Nathan and the New Meanies. Renouncing the jaded attitude and cocksure stance that�s often replete with veterans like Scott, he instead reveals himself as a laid-back master of steady pacing -- one who knows when it�s time for taste and restraint and when it�s time to take his foot off the brake and let �er roll.

Rife with top-notch playing from some of Winnipeg�s best musicians, there�s no better example of Scott Nolan�s instinctive feel for a good song than No Bourbon & Bad Radio, his flawless new debut on Transistor 66 Records. This is one of those rare roots-oriented records that exudes variety, yet remains seamless from start to finish.

Opening with the driving-yet-wistful �Golden,� Scott pours out a timeless take on lost love and regret that quickly spills over into the equally melancholy �Sad Story/Beautiful Song� before moving into the country-calypso of �Daytime Moon.� From there the album takes an even deeper dip into sadness with �Cold Cold Change,� and immediately rebounds, hard and bluesy, with the tough, crisp chord-changes of �Postcards.�

Eventually, � of the way through, when you finally relax into the ebb and flow of the album, perhaps thinking of it as a comfortable blanket for an overcast day, Scott jams his foot down on the accelerator for the gritty telecaster twang of �Right on the Wrong Time.� It�s a serious mood-swing interruption that reappears regularly from there on in, ending No Bourbon & Bad Radio with the raucous title-track and leaving the listener with no doubt: This is not some sad-bastard blues-roots-country record, but a testament to an incredibly well-rounded songwriter with plenty of fodder for a great live show.

Yes, the live show: Let�s not forget about that. If you�re reading this, you may very well be lucky enough to have Scott Nolan visiting your town. And whether you�re witness to the spontaneous, explosive instrumental interchange of his full band, or take a stethoscopic glimpse into the heartbeat of each song during Scott�s solo acoustic sets, you�re in for a treat.