September 11, 2012
Kathy Mattea -
TBD
(Sugar Hill)
Kathy Mattea records her debut for Sugar Hill after releasing several albums, including the very well received "Coal," on her own.
July 17, 2012
Joey + Rory -
Joey+Rory - His & Hers
(Sugar Hill)
Husband-and-wife act Joey + Rory are back with their third release.
Billy Joe Shaver -
Live at Billy Bob's Texas
(Smith)
Billy Joe Shaver offers 20 live renditions on an audio CD and DVD as well as 2 bonus tracks and is the first set of new concert recordings since 1995. Included among Shaver classics and favorites are two new songs: Wacko From Waco (co-written with his longtime friend Willie Nelson) and The Git Go.
July 12, 2012
The Farm -
The Farm
(Warner)
The Farm release their self-titled debut. The 11-song debut, co-produced by Farmer Nick Hoffman and songwriter Danny Myrick, features the band's first single Home Sweet Home. The band also includes Damien Horne (vocals, keyboard, guitar) and Krista Marie (vocals, guitar).
July 10, 2012
Zac Brown Band -
Uncaged
(Atlantic/Southern Ground)
The new CD from the Georgia band marks the official debut of ZBB's newest member - percussionist Daniel de los Reyes.
July 3, 2012
The Flatlanders -
The Odessa Tapes
(New West)
The Flatlanders - Joe Ely, Butch Hancock and Jimmie Dale Gilmore - are out with a new disc, sort of. The 14 songs were recorded on a 3-track recorder in 1972 right before the trio went to Nashville to record what became "More Legend Than a Band." The new set includes Dallas.
June 19, 2012
Don Williams -
So It Goes
(Sugar Hill)
Don Williams, the Gentle Giant, supposedly retired to his farm in Tennessee. That was until he recorded this disc.
Kenny Chesney -
Welcome to the Fishbowl
(BNA)
June 12, 2012
Edens Edge -
Edens Edge
(Big Machine)
Arkansas trio Edens Edge release their self-titled debut. The current single is Too Good To Be True.
Josh Turner -
Punching Bag
(MCA)
Josh Turner is set to release his fifth album, "Punching Bag." The first single is Time Is Love. Turner wrote 8 of the 11 tracks, many penned within the four walls of his newly built cabin located on his property behind his home to serve as a 'songwriter's den' and personal getaway.
June 5, 2012
Neil Young -
Americana
(Warner)
Neil Young & Crazy Horse will release their first disc in nearly nine years. The band is Billy Talbot, Ralph Molina, Poncho Sampedro and Young. "Americana" is collection of classic, American folk songs. In their day, some may have been referred to as "protest songs," "murder ballads" or campfire-type songs.
Mary Chapin Carpenter -
Ashes and Roses
(Rounder)
Mary Chapin Carpenter releases a 13-song CD, which includes a guest appearance by James Taylor on Soul Companion.
Rodney Crowell and Mary Karr -
Kin, Songs by Mary Karr and Rodney Crowell
(Vanguard)
Rodney Crowell teams with author Mary Karr, who wrote her memoir "Cherry and The Liar's Club."
Alan Jackson -
Thirty Miles West
(Alan Jackson Music)
This marks the label debut for Alan Jackson after spending his entire career on Arista Nashville. The current single is So You Don't Have to Love Me Anymore.
Jana Kramer -
Why Ya Wanna
(Elektra/Warner Nashville)
Janna Kramer releases her debut disc, "Why Ya Wanna," which is also the name of her charting single.
May 29, 2012
Wade Bowen -
The Given
(Sea Gayle/BNA)
Texas artist makes his label debut with a 10-song CD.
Larry Stephenson -
What Really Matters
(Compass)
Bluegrasser Larry Stephenson is out with a dozen songs
May 15, 2012
Willie Nelson -
Freedom
(Sony Legacy)
At 79, Willie Nelson remains prolific. He wrote a bunch of songs on the CD with his song Lukas.
May 8, 2012
Pat Green -
Songs We Wish We'd Written II
(Sugar Hill)
Texas star Pat Green releases his first disc for the label. The first edition of this came out in 2001 with fellow Texas artist Cory Morrow. Green covers such songs as Joe Ely's All Just to Get to You and Lyle Lovett's If I Had a Boat.
Sara Watkins -
Sun Midnight Sun
(Nonesuch)
Sara Watkins, former Nickel Creek member, releases her second solo disc. Produced by guitarist, singer, and songwriter Blake Mills, co-founder of the band Simon Dawes, the album features special guest appearances by Fiona Apple, Jackson Browne, Taylor Goldsmith (Dawes), Benmont Tench of Tom Petty's Heartbreakers and brother Sean Watkins.
May 1, 2012
Mark Collie -
Alive at Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary
(Wilbanks)
Mark Collie, who had a few albums on MCA and Giant, recorded the disc in October 2001, but it sat on the shelf for years. Collie goes through 14 songs with help from Kelly willis, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, Shawn Camp, Willie Weeks and others.
Carrie Underwood -
Blown Away
(19 Recordings/Arista Nashville)
Carrie Underwood's CD includes the first single Good Girl, which the singer had a hand in writing. Underwood helped write 8 of the 14 songs on a disc produce by Mark Bright. Underwood covers bases from rock to reggae to traditional country.
Chelle Rose -
Ghost of Browder Holler
(Lil' Damsel)
Chelle Rose had her sophomore disc produced by Ray Wylie Hubbard, who also sings and lays on the disc. So does Elizabeth Cook. Lucinda Williams is a reference point for Rose, who lives in east Tennessee.
Todd Snider -
Time As We Know It: The Songs of Jerry Jeff Walker
(Aimless)
Todd Snider gives Jerry Jeff Walker the tribute treatment. Snider moved to Austin in the 1990's ad was befriended by Walker.
April 24, 2012
Waco Bros. and Paul Burch -
Great Chicago Fire
(Bloodshot)
Paul Burch, who has released albums on his own and with Lambchop, joins with the Waco Brothers for the first time. Burch and Jon Langford take turns on lead vocals.
Lee Brice -
Hard to Love
(Curb)
Lee Brice picks up where he left off on his debut - with a hit single with A Woman Like You. The South Carolina native had a huge hit in 2010 with Love Like Crazy.
Ryan Adams -
iTune Sessions
(Captol)
Ryan Adams's set captures eight solo performances recorded at the Capitol Studios in Hollywood. The track listing features a mix of Adams classics from his 2000 solo debut "Heartbreaker," the Whiskeytown era Houses On The Hill and songs from his new album "Ashes & Fire," including Lucky Now.
Various Artists -
Mercyland: Hymns For The Rest of Us
(Mercyland)
Producer and writer Phil Madeira set out with an initiative to affirm the common ground and positive qualities of faith. The Civil Wars, Shawn Mullins, Buddy Miller, The Carolina Chocolate Drops, Madeira, Mat Kearney, Cindy Morgan, Amy Stroup, The North Mississippi Allstars, Dan Tyminski, Emmylou Harris, and John Scofield contribute 10 original and 2 traditional songs.
Marty Stuart -
Nashville: Volume 1 - Tear the Woodpile Down
(Sugar Hill)
The 10-song collection, almost entirely written by Marty Stuart, features his touring band The Fabulous Superlatives plus some Nashville folks, including Buck Trent and Hank Williams III.
Josh Abbott Band -
Small Town Family Dream
(Pretty Damn Tough)
Texas artist Josh Abbott is well known around Texas, one of those artists who makes a living hanging out in the Lone Star State. He works with fellow Texas such as Brandon Rhyder, Django Walker and Radney Foster here.
Kip Moore -
Up All Night
(MCA Nashville)
Kip Moore, a Tifton Ga. native, has a radio hit on his hands with Somethin' 'Bout a Truck. His first single was Mary was the Marrying Kind. This is his debut.
April 21, 2012
Wilco -
Mermaid Avenue: The Complete Session
(Nonesuch)
When Woody Guthrie died in 1967 at 55, among his belongings were thousands of complete song lyrics for which he had not written out music or made recordings. Many were written in the 1940s and '50s, in the Guthrie family home on Mermaid Avenue in Coney Island, Brooklyn. The lyrics remained in boxes for decades, but once his daughter Nora found them in the 1990s, she knew they had to be shared. She approached English singer-songwriter and activist Billy Bragg to select some to set to music. The Chicago rock band Wilco came aboard soon after, with Jeff Tweedy writing music - along with his late bandmate Jay Bennett on some songs - and the band recording with both Tweedy and Bragg on vocals. Natalie Merchant joined the group to sing a duet with Bragg and two solo songs, and guitarist/singer Corey Harris, who wrote two songs and co-wrote one, performed on many tracks. . In 1998, the first batch of songs was released to critical acclaim as "Mermaid Avenue," receiving a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Folk Album. "Mermaid Avenue Vol. II" followed in 2000. "Mermaid Avenue: The Complete Sessions" includes "Mermaid Avenue"; "Mermaid Avenue Vol. II" (re-mastered) and "Mermaid Avenue Vol. III," comprising 17 previously unreleased recordings made during the "Mermaid Avenue" sessions; director Kim Hopkins' 1999 film "Man in the Sand," which documents those sessions; and a 48-page booklet with new liner notes by Nora Guthrie, full lyrics, archival photographs, and facsimiles of lyric sheets and sketches by Guthrie.
April 10, 2012
Jason Eady -
AM Country Heaven
(Underground Sound)
Texas-based Jason Eady opts for a traditional country sound recalling Haggard and Jones. That's a change fro his previous three discs, which veered pop. Patty Loveless lends her vocal chops on Man on a Mountain.
Steep Canyon Rangers -
Nobody Knows You
(Rounder)
The Steep Canyon Rangers make their label debut after recording two discs for Rounder with Steve Martin. The bluegrass band previously was with Rebel Records.
Trampled by Turtles -
Stars and Satellites
(Thirty Tigers)
Minnesota raucous bluegrass band Trampled by Turtles are out with their first disc since 2010's "Palomino." Trampled by Turtles is Dave Simonett (vocals), Tim Saxhaug (bass, vocals), Dave Carroll (banjo, vocals), Erik Berry and Ryan Young (fiddle).
April 3, 2012
Johnny Cash -
Bootleg Vol. IV: The Soul of Truth
(Sony Legacy)
In honor of Johnny Cash's 80th birthday, a series of CDs are coming out. This two-CD set focuses on recordings from the '70s and '80s, with these songs explore his spirituality. The 51 songs include an unreleased 1975 album, the out-of-print "Gospel Singer" project, outtakes from the studio and collaborations with June Carter Cash, Rosanne Cash, Rodney Crowell and Jessi Colter.
Rascal Flatts -
Changed
(Big Machine)
Rascal Flatts releases its seventh album. Dann Huff co-produced the new project with Rascal Flatts. The disc includes the hit single Banjo.
The Vespers -
The Fourth Wall
(Black Suit)
The Vespers, a family quartet, release their second disc. The group consists of Callie (21) and Phoebe Cryar (19) on lead vocals and Bruno (20) and Taylor Jones (22). The music, a countryish folk blend, was recorded in Nashville.
March 27, 2012
Boxcars -
All In
(Mountain Home)
Bluegrass band The Boxcars, including mandolin ace Adam Steffey, are back with their second disc containing a dozen songs.
Justin Townes Earle -
Nothing's Gonna Change the Way You Feel About Me Now
(Bloodshot)
Justin Towne Earle's fifth disc reveals him going a different path. Memphis-styled souls is the predominant sound in a disc examining the pitfalls that Earle has met.
Special Consensus -
Scratch Gravel Road
(Compass)
Bluegrass band Special Consensus releases its 16th album. The group consists of founder Greg Cahill, David Thomas, Rick Faris and Dustin Benson. The song about Bill Monroe, Monroe, includes guest vocal appearances by Special C alums Josh Williams and Chris Jones along with the fiddling of Stuart Duncan.
Ray Wylie Hubbard -
The Grifter's Hymnal
(Bordello)
Ray Wylie Hubbard releases his 16th album with help from Ringo Starr and Ian McLagan. Hubbard had a hand in writing 11 of the 12 songs with Ringo writing the other (Coochy Coochy).
March 26, 2012
Andra Suchy -
Little Heart
(Red House)
Singer Andra Suchy makes her debut for Red House after previously self-releasing a disc. Among those helping out are Ketch Secor (Old Crow Medicine Show) and Dave Pirner (Soul Asylum)
Lionel Richie -
Tuskegee
(Mercury)
Lionel Richie goes to his country roots with his first country disc. Duet partners include Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles, Jason Aldean, Tim McGraw, Blake Shelton, Darius Rucker, Rascal Flatts, Kenny Chesney, Billy Currington and Little Big Town.
March 20, 2012
Casey James -
Casey James
(BNA)
Casey James gained a name by being on American Idol. This is his debut for the label. Let's Don't Call It a Night, a soulful song, was released as a single.
The Grascals -
Life Finds a Way
(Mountain Home)
Bluegrass band The Grascals make its debut on Mountain Home. The disc from the sextet contains 13 songs, including a cover of James Taylor's Sweet Baby James.
Various Artists -
The Hunger Games: Songs from District 12 and Beyond
(Universal Republic)
The Hunger Games soundtrack highlights music from the much-talked about movie. Taylor Swift and The Civil Wars work together on Sight & Sound and The Civil Wars have their own song as well. Others on the disc include The Decemberists, Kid Cudi, Carolina Chocolate Drops and Glen Hansard. T Bone Burnett produced the music.
March 13, 2012
Shooter Jennings -
Family Man
(eOne)
Recording in his recently adopted hometown of New York, producing himself for the first time, and playing with a group he dubbed The Triple Crown, Shooter Jennings is back with a more country disc than his last effort. The band feature jazz pianist Erik Deutsch, guitarist Chris Masterson, drummer Tony Leone, bassist Jeff Hill, pedal steel player John Graboff, and Eleanor Whitmore, who contributes harmony vocals as well as playing mandolin and fiddle.
Sam Lewis -
Sammy Sings Songs
(Sam Lewis)
Sam Lewis wrote all 10 songs on the disc, which includes ace guitarist Kenny Vaughan and bassist Dave Jacques.
March 6, 2012
The Hobart Brothers & Lil' Sis Hobart -
At Least We Have Each Other
(Freedom)
Jon Dee Graham, Freedy Johnston and Susan Cowsill came together to form this rootsy, sometimes country trio. This is their first disc.
Julie Lee -
Julie Lee & the Baby-Daddies
(Still House Road)
Julie Lee has achieved some songwriting success with Alison Krauss covering her material, but here she uses her baby sitting skills. You see, once upon a time, Lee sat for the likes of Mike Bub of the McCoury Band and guitarist Kenny Vaughan. They are members of the Baby Daddies,. The CD features 10 songs.
Cary Hudson -
Mississippi Moon
(MusicReleaser)
Cary Hudson used to be part of Blue Mountain. He's also forged a solo career, including this bluesy, rootsy mix of nine songs.
Luke Bryan -
Spring Break 4: Suntan City - EP
(Capitol Nashville)
As sure as it's March, Luke Bryan offers an EP of good time music. Bryan has enjoyed a successful career with his full length CDs as well. The new EP features four songs geared for the fun and sun.
Neal McCoy -
XII
(Blaster)
Neal McCoy is out with his second disc already this year. In January, he put out a big band record. The latest contains a dozen songs, including A-OK, Van Gogh and Crazy Women.
February 28, 2012
Chuck Mead -
Back at the Quonset Hut
(Ramseur)
Chuck Mead reaches back to the classics for his latest. that would include Wabash Cannonball featuring Old Crow Medicine Show, Hey Joe with Bobby Bare andPickin Wild Mountain Berries with Elizabeth Cook. Mead was previously in BR549.
Carolina Chocolate Drops -
Leaving Eden
(Nonesuch)
Carolina Chocolate Drops started off doing old time black string band music. But they mix it up with soulful and South African sounds, among others, on this Buddy Miller-produced disc.
Chris Jones -
Lost Souls & Free Spirits The Rebel Collection Old & New
(Rebel)
Bluegrass ace Chris Jones collects songs from the various parts of his Rebel career along with three new songs - Final Farewell, Waltz of Regret and A Hero in Harlan. The music is mostly drawn from 3 albums Jones recorded for Rebel between 1997 and 2000-No One But You (1997), Follow Your Heart (1998) and Just a Drifter (2000).
Various Artists -
Music City Roots Live from the Loveless Cafe
(Compass)
Music City roots is a live music series featuring a combination of up-and-coming and better known acts. This collection features Jim Lauderdale, Nanci Griffith, Charlie Louvin, Caitlin Rose, The Black Lilies and others recorded in late 2009.
Lyle Lovett -
Release Me
(Lost Highway)
Produced by Nathaniel Kunkel and Lyle Lovett, "Release Me" represents the end of an era as it's his last record for Curb/Universal Music Group after being on the label for his entire career.
Craig Morgan -
This Ole Boy
(Black River)
Craig Morgan releases his first disc for his latest label. Morgan co-produced with his creative partner Phil O'Donnell. Morgan co-wrote 7 of the 12 tracks as a co-writer on his first disc in almost 3 years.
February 24, 2012
Drew Nelson -
Tilt a Whirl
(Red House)
Michigan native Drew Nelson released the album "Dusty Road to Beulah Land" (Waterbug Records) in 2009, which led him to Red House. Nelson mines a rootsy, sometimes country, sometimes folk-flavored sound.
February 21, 2012
Moot Davis -
Man About Town
(Highway Kind)
Moot Davis is back with his first disc in five years, playing traditional country music. he has a lot of help on the 13 songs,including Elizabeth Cook, Harry Stinson and Kenny Vaughan, who produced.
The Chieftains -
Voice of Ages
(Hear Music)
The Chieftains explore their roots, including country, on a disc coinciding with its 50th years as a band. Paddy Moloney of The Chieftains and T Bone Burnett produced the music. The songs feature collaborations with The Civil Wars, Pistol Annies, Carolina Chocolate Drops and Punch Brothers.
