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 Former leader of the late local roots-rock act The Remainders, Bucky Halker is a man who wears many hats. He has a Ph.D. in American History from the University of Minnesota and has written a book American Labor Protest Songs 1865-1900 and has served as a professor of American History at the University of Idaho. He is also a musician of some note. Besides The Remainders, he has toured and recorded extensively as a solo artist. His musical influences and styles are as diverse as his interests: rock, honky-tonk, blues, folk, and country all find their place on his latest release Passion Politics Love on Whitehouse Records. He is a very competent songwriter and has a strong voice that works very well on this sparely and cleanly produced record. He is very ably joined by a terrific supporting cast including his backing band The Complete Unknowns (Brian Dunn: guitar, Phil Levin: drums, Gordon Patriarca: bass) plus guests Dan Anderson: tuba, Don Stiernberg: mandolin, fiddle, backing vocals, Rich Parenti: backing vocals, Sue Demel: backing vocals, Jim Cox: bass, Jim Nudd: electric guitar, and T.C. Furlong: pedal steel.  The album itself is littered with gems that, though all are original, sound like they were mined from throughout the history of 19th and 20th century folk music. It's treatment of the vicissitudes of life, love and work in the heartland compares favorably to some of the greatest albums in this genre: Springsteen's Nebraska, Mellencamp's Scarecrow, Uncle Tupelo's March 16-20 1992 and the towering progenitors of roots music: Woody Guthrie, Johnny Cash, Hank Williams et al. "Don't Let the Bastards (Grind You Down)" is a great rocker while "Povety's Lament" and "Democratic Blues" are great blues tracks. "Color Outside the Lines" and is a great love song and "I'll Be In Heaven In Milwaukee (While You're Cryin' in St. Paul)" is a great honky-tonk love-gone-wrong tune.Perhaps the greatest pure old-school country folk tune on the record is the delightful, swinging "Fundy Line" (on which guest Sue Bemel provides some great vocals.) "Too Far Gone," "Birthday Song/One More Year" are highlights as well. Though Halker speaks in a voice that is emphatically that of the American heartland, his record achieves a universality that transcends regional and even national and language boundaries and illuminates the struggle and joy that are the human condition. For more information, visit their website: www.buckyhalker.com
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