SXSW 2013 Records

The Como Mamas

Proving it's as interested in the root as the fruit, indie soul standard-bearer Daptone continues its foray into traditional gospel with the praise songs of the Como Mamas. Hailing from the hardscrabble town of Como, Mississippi, the mamas in question are Ester Mae Smith and sisters Della Daniels and Angela Taylor, whose powerful a cappella harmonies carry the weight. The album follows 2008 Daptone compilation Como Now: The Voices of Panola Co., Mississippi, but was actually recorded prior, on a simmering 2005 summer day at Mt. Moriah Baptist Church. Recorded in the song-catcher mold by Michael Reilly, you can hear the occasional cough and throat-clearing, but the warts are few and far between. The trio rumbles and soars on traditional hymnals "God Is Able," "I Know It Was the Blood," and "99 and a Half Won't Do," a song Wilson Pickett once flipped to address more earthly desires. (8pm, ACL Live at the Moody Theater)