Downsville Girl
U.S. and European Reviews
United States – Magazines and Newspapers
"Joice Walton has the ability to range all over the musical map, from the Blues to Soul based R&B. It's the same terrain traversed by the likes of Koko Taylor, Etta James, and Ruth Brown, but few new female voices have risen to join their ranks. Count Joice Walton in such select company."
– Steve Stolder, BAM Magazine, San Francisco, CA
"Joice Walton has a powerful voice adaptable to both Rock and blues Material"
– David Nelson, Living Blues Magazine, University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS
"Joice Walton has one of those treacherous, Texas baby doll voices like Lou Ann Barton, only this girl has been to church."
– Roberta Penn, The Hard Report, Medford, NJ
"Fast Rising Newcomer."
– Karla Hay, BAM Magazine, San Francisco, CA
"Joice Walton's R&B, pop and diva-jazz stylings provide welcome relief from the legions of one-trick phonies currently congesting too many clubs. Powered by a competent aggregate of local players, Walton's home-brewed soul is extremely satisfying."
– Metro Magazine, San Jose, CA
"This first effort by Joice and her band – called Blackout – has garnered rave reviews and has attracted attention and distribution-both nationally and in Europe. Joice's real strength is her ability to directly express honest emotions heightened by her powerhouse vocals. Based on solid Gospel roots mixed with a Texas Rock ‘n Raunch and all delivered in a broad range of styles. Her influences are diverse, from Billie Holiday, Motown, Sarah Vaughn, and Ella Fitzgerald to the more contemporary styles of Aretha Franklin, Etta James Koko Taylor and Bonnie Raitt. Her involvement in various Jazz, R&B, Pop, Rock and Blues bands in the past 15 years have contributed to her experience and added richness, a power and a depth of feeling to her performances and recordings. Whether performing a heart-wrenching, deep blues or an uptown ass-shaking R&B number, she communicates a legitimate message. When Joice Walton knocks on your blues house, either by a light rap on your bolted or broken heart’s portal or if she threatens to bang down the door to your hips or dancin’ “kicks” ...Let her in!"
– Peter Babcock, Sonoma Blues Notes – Blues Beat
"Up from Downsville, Texas, this 5' 4" powerhouse has been performing on the professional level for many years. Her style consists of Blues, Jazz, and Contemporary R&B. She displays magnificence in style and delivery."
– Ethan Fox, Frisco Studios, San Francisco, CA
United States – Radio D.J.'s and Program Directors
KAZU – 90.3 FM Pacific Grove, CA
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“Smoking! Like it all. I usually listen to a CD for one or two good tracks. Every song on this CD is great!” – Peter Williams/Kai Christensen
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KFAN – 107.9 FM San Antonio, TX
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“We love your C.D. We play it all the time. Everybody in Texas should be playing this C.D.” – Bruce Kidder
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WSPU – 91.1 FM Rochester, NY
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“Hard hitting solid soul blues that fits nicely into a format with both classics and contemporary.” – Don Wilcox
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KZSU – 90.1 FM Stanford, CA
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“Southern, sassy, and sweaty all over. Kind and gentle here – tough there.” – Mike Howes/Chanel Wheeler
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KCBL – 88.7 FM Sacramento, CA
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“It’s excellent! This is the kind of C.D. you can listen to over and over and find something new each time you listen.” – Denny Sanchez
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KKUP – 90.7 FM Cupertino, CA
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“Good mix of styles. Should get considerable airplay.” – Bob Weiss
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KPIG – 107.5 FM Watsonville, CA
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“I love your sound. It’s head and shoulders above the many others we get in here.” – Rand Reuter
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KSJS – 90.7 FM San Jose, CA
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“We love it! Will put it in regular rotation.” – Brad Stone
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KSCU – 103.3 FM Santa Clara, CA KKUP – 91.5 FM Cupertino, CA
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“Joice has been taking the Bay Area by storm with her dynamic vocals and charming stage presence. She’s ready to go the full distance.” – Roger (Big Daddy Blu) Anderson
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KCSM – 91.1 FM San Mateo, CA
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“Powerful voice, lots of gutsy feeling.” – Kathleen Lawton
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KZSC – 88.1 FM Santa Cruz, CA
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“Ooowee Great! Play everything.” – Tristy Taylor
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KBZY – 1490 AM Salem, OR
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“A very favorable phone response and personally I like her. A young Etta James.” – Bruce Bjorkman
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KBOO – 90.7 FM Portland, OR
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“Great! Can expect heavy airplay.” – Chris Merich
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KPLU – 88.1 FM Tacoma, WA
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“Lots of energy – strong voice. Upbeat and contemporary, while at the same time, mainstay.” – Joe Cohn
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KGON – 1520 FM Portland, OR
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“Really like it. Some cuts have that electric blues sound that will fit well with our format.” – Bob Ancheta
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KXRX – 96.5 FM Seattle, WA
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“Fine raunchy Texas female vocalist – Bluesy. Will play it often.“ – Roberta Penn
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KVMR – 89.5 FM Sacramento, CA
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“Exciting new singer, straight from the Brazos, with an earthy Brazos sound.” – (The late) Phil Givant (Sac’to Blues Fest.)
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European Clippings
Click images to view full-size review.
“Real Blues with a strong rhythm, a bit of funk, always with this tangible humanity. A touching CD. Very humaine.” – Jazz Revue Internationale, Paris, France
