Madam Radar are a four-piece band from Austin, Texas, consisting of husband and wife duo Jace Cadle and Kelly Green, alongside Kelly’s brother Kody Lee and his wife Violet Lea (who, according to the prelude to 4th track “That Love Song,” were married in the October after taping this live album, so let me wish Violet and Kody an early Happy Anniversary!) Their sound consists of rock and country elements, reminiscent of the likes of Eagles or Allman Brothers Band, with a dollop of Fleetwood Mac vocal harmony work from the four singers thrown in for good measure.
Live From Antone’s is the band’s fourth record, and was recorded in famed Austin venue Antone’s as part of the celebrations for their 10th anniversary.
The 14-track album consists of songs from each across the band’s previous three studio albums, alongside rip-roaring covers of Grand Funk Railroad’s “Heartbreaker” & Golden Earring’s “Radar Love,” providing a great entry point into the band’s catalogue.
The band’s sound is diverse, full of different moods and energies, almost certainly due to the four distinct voices within the band being given equal footing, which makes this album hugely enjoyable to listen to in a full sitting. The musicianship is fantastic throughout, with some particularly fantastic lead guitar work showcased on tracks like “Eruption” and “Hands.”
The album feels like stumbling into a great band’s club set. You begin intrigued, not quite sure of what you’re looking at, but enjoying it nonetheless. As you stay on, you begin to get a sense of who this band are and what they’re capable of, with songs like “Just Like That” and “The Ride” stirring you. By the time you get to the “Hands” and “Radar Love” at the end, you’re jumping around at the front, a proper convert to everything that Madam Radar can do.
Madam Radar have made a fantastic live album in Live From Antone’s, one that I hope will bring the band to as wide an audience as possible.
