Sallie Ford & the Sound Outside

"What have these people done to music?" wails Sallie Ford on Dirty Radio's explosive opener, "I Swear." She's raging against sound-alike pop stars foisted on the public by mainstream media, but it's a question worth putting to the interrogators, too. The answer: Sallie Ford & The Sound Outside vigorously mines a sweet spot between modern and vintage. Sallie's voice has elicited comparisons to classic jazz and blues icons, yet it is stoked with the fire of youth and rebellion, too, an instrument capable of conveying raw emotion and nuanced artistry in the same breath. Since 2008, Sallie Ford & The Sound Outside has been intertwining elements of swinging roots rock, country, jazz, and blues with a contemporary lyrical stance and Ford's instantly recognizable voice. The Portland quartet has steadily ascended through the ranks, earning a growing following throughout the Pacific Northwest. Ardent evangelizing by nationally-recognized peers like the Avett Brothers has augmented that momentum. Now, with the release of Dirty Radio, Sallie Ford & The Sound Outside offers the most fully-realized example of its aesthetic yet. Sallie Ford grew up in an artistic family in Asheville, North Car... more...