2012 INDIE MUSIC CHANNEL AWARD WINNERS for BEST BLUES RECORDING - Crazy Life (Angel Calnek). Album received judges nomination for RECORDING OF THE YEAR! If one’s not yet sampled Canadian blues, this Winnipeg fivesome serves up a most vibrant country blues-to-r&b intro. Vocalist Angel Calnek plays the bold blues siren to near-perfection on “Me And My Chauffeur Blues”, and Mississippi John Hurt’s “Richland Woman Blues” and backs up her brassy pipes with solid songwriting on “Eden”. Guitarist Darrell Sandmoen’s penning skills shine as well, dealing some extremely sly irony on “Casino”. Props to the rhythm section, serving up a smokin’ boogie on the afore-mentioned “Chauffeur” and recasting the Don Covay gem “Chain Of Fools” as a rough-and-ready blues shuffle. ROOTS MUSIC REPORT ★★★1/2 Hillbilly Burlesque Crazy Life (Independent) www.hillbillyburlesque.com Honky-tonk blues band Hillbilly Burlesque couldn’t be more aptly named. The band’s first album, Crazy Life, opens with the wild and fun Eden, which evokes the kind of live show/musical romp that this band must put on. Me and My Chauffer Blues makes effective use of raunchy "riding" puns in a variation of the cheeky-sexy rockabilly tradition. Hillbilly Burlesque’s cover of Chain of Fools reappropriates the song in the band’s style — what good covers are supposed to do — and makes it clear singer Angel Calnek can belt it out. The whole album is loud, infectious and attention-grabbing.– Emily Wessel THE UPTOWN MAGAZINE