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Even when he was a young man, before the years and the ailments, Levon Helm's vocals sounded like they were from a bygone era. It was a voice to make you believe that medicine shows still traveled the earth. That wonderful, weathered instrument is the rustic heart of this new record, just as Helm's ageless drumming is its heartbeat. And despite a title that suggests a more modern program than 2007's "Dirt Farmer," the songs, like their vessel, are mostly from another time... »»»
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It took a long time and a lot of spins and even a bit of research to find out what was missing from this new Tanya Tucker album. The project is obviously a heartfelt one and not just designed to cash in on a continuing trend of resurrecting old songs and giving them a new, glossy paint job. Tucker has recorded a dozen songs for this disc that were favorite of her late father Beau.
She certainly wasn't afraid to take on the giants. The disc has Hank Williams' (Lovesick Blues ), Buck... »»»
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You know you're in a minority when you can call your ex-wife a Dixie Chick, but Charlie Robison is dealing with that reality in his new album. And while it's not exactly a happy-go-lucky album despite the amicable split, Robison, with the help of guitarist Charlie Sexton, puts a slightly cheery take on things with the poppy, chipper Beautiful Day. Unfortunately, Yellow Blues resembles a poor man's take of Steve Earle's I Feel Alright.
The strength of the album comes from the... »»»
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The Sons of Bill is not a tribute to Bill Monroe band. The "Bill" is the father of band members Sam, James and Abe Wilson, whose second release displays an equal affinity for country ballads and hard edged rockers. The brothers Wilson are involved in the writing of all 12 tracks with singer/guitarist James the most prolific with 9 credits. In one of the stronger tracks, Broken Bottles, he observes that "Hank Williams might have been a love-sick drinker/ But being a love-sick drunk... »»»
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Rhonda Vincent rarely disappoints. She knows the formula that her fans like, and she usually delivers, while at the same time reaching out to new fans. That's why she's a regular IBMA award winner and favorite at concerts and festivals nationwide.
This album doesn't disappoint either. Vincent's formula here includes hard-driving bluegrass tunes like Heart Wrenching Lovesick Memories and Last Time Loving You, country-tinged bluegrass like Destination Life and Crazy... »»»
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With a lineage like Holly Williams', it would be expected that there be some reference to her family on her sophomore album. And it's there, too, but maybe not as upfront or in-your-face as the family mentions of her half-brother Hank III or her daddy Hank Jr. Mama, is a thank you note to her mother for letting her develop her own relationship with her father instead of pushing her own thoughts on her daughters. Let Her Go is to her father as he struggles to let his daughter fly the nest... »»»
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manages to put a modern day spin on a pair of classic-style songs. The album's name is ironic given that Daryle Singletary's music is far from rockin country, but the title track - which includes Charlie Daniels Band - is really about Farm Aid and how CDB and Willie Nelson raise money so farmers can keep their land. Everyone in America knows about the foreclosure crisis, and Singletary puts it into heart-wrenching ballad form like only a traditional country song could with Real Estate... »»»
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The buzz around Sarah Jarosz is bound to focus on a few noteworthy points, but those facts could unjustly overshadow her work. The CD deserves to sink or swim on it's own merit. Don't worry - it swims, all right. It does the butterfly, the backstroke, and might even invent a new stroke. The CD is a masterful collection of songs written by Jarosz with the exception of two tasteful covers thrown in, most notably an eery version of The Decemberists' Skankill Butchers... »»»
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After a quick look at Trailer Choir's track list with song titles like In My Next 5 Beers, Off The Hillbilly Hook and Rockin' The Beer Gut, it would be easy to dismiss this band as just another flash-in-the-pan novelty act with a couple of funny songs. However, after just one listen to the six tracks, it is clear that not only is this trio funny, but Trailer Choir has the songwriting, vocal and music talent to sustain a career.
The band, - Butter, Big Vinny and Crystal - has a... »»»
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Never taking anything for granted. That's the point of Darryl Worley's song, You Never Know. The song might have a heavy theme about treating every day as if its your last. But that's the exception on a disc filled with fun-loving songs with a recurring theme of having a good ol' time.
Fellow country artists Jamey Johnson, Mel Tillis and Bill Anderson lend their voices on Don't Show Up (If You Can't Get Down).
But the highlight is definitely, Honkytonk Life - which... »»»
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It would be easy to assume that using a well-known producer like Don Was was meant to bring about a slicker, more refined Todd Snider, one with some of the rough edges burnished off. But Was takes a different tack, capturing the loose, easy going feeling of a live show. It's a vibe that suits Snider's story-telling, troubadour style. The minimal instrumentation never gets in the way of lyrics that ruminate on an oddball collection of misfits and outcasts.
There are some slight songs... »»»
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On the heels of his successful Tim McGraw-Kenny Chesney collaboration, Find Out Who Your Friends Are, Tracy Lawrence's latest is an uplifting set filled with Christian songs in the vein of Randy Travis' "Rise and Shine." The songs here don't quite have the same lyrical punch as some of Travis' work, but it is a solid album nonetheless. Lawrence's warm baritone and effortless, emotional delivery make each track sound genuine and heartfelt.
I'm Done is a... »»»
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As yet another graduate of the Doyle Lawson University of Bluegrass Excellence, Barry Scott steps out on his own with a 14-track collection that proves that over the course of nearly a decade as lead singer in Lawson's band Quicksilver, he paid pretty close attention to the master's lessons. Part of a family tree that includes bands like IIIrd Tyme Out and Mountain Heart, Second Wind may be the truest to the Quicksilver style and tradition. After leaving Lawson in 2005, guitarist Scott... »»»
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To say that Ray Charles pushed the envelope with these two reissue releases on one CD would have been an understatement at the time. Charles, of course, was known for being a black pop and R&B singer, but he grew up with country music in his native Florida listening to the Grand Ole Opry radio broadcasts on Saturday evenings and wanted to stretch his musical boundaries. The result was volume 1 recorded in February 1962.
From the get go with a cover of the Everly Brothers' Bye Bye Love, it... »»»
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Not yet 30, Americana singer Ryan Bingham sounds as if he could be a decade or so older by the sound of his whiskey-drenched, weather-beaten voice, sort of a sandpapery growl that reminds one of something snatched out of an Alan Lomax folk music archive.
Following up 2007's borderlands epic "Mescalito," Bingham brings his band the Dead Horses into the spotlight here. With the help of producer Marc Ford, formerly of the Black Crowes, Bingham and the boys tear through 12... »»»
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When Elvis Costello released "King of America" back in 1986, he spoke as an enlightened European. ("He thought he was the King of America/Where they pour Coca Cola just like vintage wine."). Now, more than 20 years later, Costello once again revisits Americana music with producer T Bone Burnett, who also produced "King of America."
But instead of looking down his nose at the America's poor white trash, he sometimes puts himself into the ragged shoes of the Dirty South... »»»
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With his latest collaborative effort with the Guilty Women, Dave Alvin proves himself a deft genre jumper and provides the listener with a wonderfully diverse musical selection ranging from traditional to up-tempo rockers. The Guilty Women, a replacement here for Alvin's usual Guilty Men, are a who's who of musicians and vocalists: Sarah Brown, Cindy Cashdollar, Amy Farris, Nina Gerber, Laurie Lewis, Christy McWilson and Lisa Pankratz. Of the dozen tracks, McWilson and Brown contributed... »»»
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Like its predecessors, David Serby's third release takes its bearings (as the title suggests) from the style and edge of west coast country music. Naturally enough, that translates into your usual mix of fast and slow, from the high-test honky tonk of Get It in Gear that kicks things off, the hard shuffle of If You're Serious and the propulsive picking of Don't Even Try to the melancholic vibe of Tumble Down and the steel-drenched, moody intensity of I Only Smoke When I Drink... »»»
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When accordionist Chris Gaffney lost his battle with liver cancer last year, the immense void he left in his passing rippled through the music community like the concentric circles from a thrown stone into a glassy pond. Gaffney was a solo artist, one of the Hacienda Brothers, a member of Dave Alvin's Guilty Men and a songwriter with an immense reputation among his musical peers.
The roll call is a who's who of contemporary roots music and a potent testament to the friendships that... »»»
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Dale Ann Bradley, two-time and current International Bluegrass Music Association Female Vocalist of the Year, displays remarkable vocal range here. A former Coon Creek Girl and daughter of a Baptist preacher from the hills of Kentucky, Bradley grew up in a self-described "backwoods holler" on a rural road where electricity and running water weren't available until she was in high school. Her "close to the ground" background is evident in convincing heartfelt vocals... »»»
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The Kenny Chesney hit machine continues, which explains a second volume of hits. And these really are because this is his first proper greatest hits in nine years. He's enjoyed a remarkable career with only 4 singles since 1997 not hitting the top 10 (interestingly one of them was one of his signature songs She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy.) Even the one new song here, Out Last Night, hit number one.
The songs cover both the sensitive, more introspective side of Chesney where he tends to... »»»
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One of the best bands in bluegrass, IIIrd Tyme Out, delivers again. With material from a variety of writers, including three songs by Russell Moore and an instrumental by band-mate and ace mandolist Wayne Benson, they offer a variety of songs. Edgar Loudermilk now plays bass while Justin Haynes continues on fiddle and long-time member Steve Dilling is on banjo.
Russell has one of the best lead voices in the business and drives a song hard. Hard Rock Mountain Prison is a prime example of his style... »»»
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Those familiar with Mike Herrera's work with punk band MxPx may be a little surprised by Tumbledown's country sounds, while those who mostly know the man for his Christian songs might be shocked by all the drinking numbers. But just like Mike Ness (Social Distortion) has done with his solo outings, Herrera has called upon the rebel side of Johnny Cash for his newfound inspiration.
With Butcher Of San Antone, Herrera pulls off a good old murder song, which more than solidifies his... »»»
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Singing and performing 13 songs in both English and Cajun French, Louisiana's Red Stick Ramblers refuse to let up here. The French language Je T'aime Pas Mieux, written by singer and fiddler Linzay Young, kicks things off on this 13-song album produced by the group, Gary Paczosa and Brandon Bell.
Old Fashioned Two-Step, with its infectious accordion, is an Acadiana classic. The title song features Young telling his sweetheart that he "believes in traveling light" as his... »»»
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The Tractors' music is ideal for those with long memories and can play a little guitar. Stephen King counts himself a fan. This is that flavor of boogie-woogie blues harkening back to when songs could be written and recorded in the same session, including a long lunch break. The handclaps sound like handclaps. Those who insist on deep thoughts or high production polish can file in another line.
Bob Dylan recently name-checked Tractors singer/songwriter/leader Steve Ripley as one of his best... »»»
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Alecia Nugent wraps her smooth, beautiful voice on her third release around songs written by some of the best in country and bluegrass music: Buddy and Julie Miller, Carl Jackson, Jerry Salley, Larry Cordle and Connie Leigh. She even co-writes a couple of songs - the rousing title track (written with Jackson and Sonya Kally) and the autobiographical Nugent Family Band (written with the storyteller Tom T. Hall and his wife Dixie).
The majority of the album (9 of the 11 songs) is ballads or mid-tempo offerings... »»»
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Chuck Mead's first solo album, a Ray Kennedy production, is a testament to the power of co-writing, not to mention pub rocking honky tonk. Mead, who grabbed a deal with a Nashville songwriting publisher after BR549 took a hiatus a few years back, joined pens on all but one song here, a yodel-riffic cover of The Beatles' Old Brown Shoe.
The "co's" include Nashville wild man Trent Summar, who partnered with Mead for the nicely detailed story-song Up on Edge Hill, and... »»»
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It's tough enough perfecting a single facet of American roots music. So encompassing everything from soul to rockabilly to zydeco on a single album sounds downright schizophrenic. To be sure, Li'l Mo's first record in a decade covers a lot of ground. But the 20-year veteran of New York's country scene - with a huge assist from multi-instrumentalist and co-producer Hank Bones - deftly glides between styles with flair and confidence.
Li'l Mo-otherwise known as Monica Passin... »»»
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The most interesting thing about The Belleville Outfit, a talented sextet with members hailing from throughout the south, is that there is no way to really pigeonhole the group. "Time To Stand," their follow-up to "Wanderin'," is musically all over the map, yet staying within certain boundaries that could be loosely categorized American music.
There is a healthy mix of country, jazz, Big Band and roots pop on the disc produced by Bil VornDick and the band... »»»
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Steve Earle has paid tribute to Townes Van Zandt often over the years. He's recorded a couple Van Zandt songs - most effectively, Tecumseh Valley on "Train a Comin'" - and he dedicated the moving Ft. Worth Blues to Van Zandt. There's the business of his son's middle name and the oft-quoted testimonial about Van Zandt's song writing that involves Bob Dylan's coffee table. But this collection of 15 Van Zandt songs has the feel of a closing statement... »»»
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Doyle Lawson has often joked about how his band seems to be a farm club for talent, as so many of his former members have moved on to successful bluegrass projects on their own. This means he has to keep seeking out fresh and quality talent to fill the ranks. While the sound of the instrumentation and vocals may change, the overall mark is still trademark Quicksilver.
With "Lonely Street," Lawson has found a new vocalist with Darren Beachley, who also handles most of the guitar chores... »»»
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David Davis is still a traditional artist, but here he leads his group into new territory. One can still hear the Bill Monroe influence, but the style is a more modern sound. The repertoire is bluegrass, but they have chosen new songs and writers rather than rely on old tunes recorded many times before.
At the same time, the banjo kick-off and the tight brother duet style singing on the opening cut I've Been All Around This World leave no doubt that Davis et al have not abandoned their heritage... »»»
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Colorado has long been known for the abundance of talented bluegrass artists that have emerged from its borders. One of the state's hottest young bands, Spring Creek, is now taking its sound nationwide with its label debut. Although bands from the Centennial State have been known to stretch the definition of bluegrass with a very progressive style and sound, Spring Creek maintains a traditional footing throughout.
A group in the truest sense of the word, the four members equally contribute... »»»
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"So country music became kind of like a soundtrack to my life. And for me there's still nothing like turning down a quiet road on a hot Sunday afternoon and listening to a Randy Travis song." That's a sample of the liner notes for British Columbia native Dean Brody's debut, and it's an indication of his traditionalist sound. Brody had a hand in writing 9 of the 11 songs; he penned six of them alone and strikes a nice balance between serious topics and lighter themes... »»»
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Dear Jason Michael Carroll,
Congratulations on the success you enjoyed with your first album "Waitin' in the Country" as well as the first single Where I'm From off your new album. At this stage in your career, you should probably be thinking about ways to make yourself stand out from the ever-increasing crowd of the next king of country music wannabes. It's not enough to have three names (just ask Earl Thomas Conley or Jason Michael Montgomery... »»»
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It's either genius or the craziest thing you've ever heard. The remaining members of bluegrass band King Wilkie join forces with other well known (and some not so well known) names like Peter Rowan and John McEuen to make a recording that, most of the time, seems to channel '60s rock bands.
Once you get past the group endeavor opening blurb you get an Association-like Videotape, you segue to Delta blues and then on to Ricky Nelson (Sweet Dream). Orange Creme Houses kicks off, and... »»»
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Long before the release of last year's excellent "The Confiscation" EP, Samantha Crain had already established herself as a legitimate talent with a string of raw but impressive demos. "The Confiscation" merely put Crain's gifts in a little higher relief, and showed the Oklahoma native/full blooded to be more than worthy of the hype being slung in her direction. With a sound that hinted at Feist (or even Erika Wennerstrom) playing Victor Frankenstein with the limbs of... »»»
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To call Paleface's backstory colorful is like calling the current economic crisis a slight correction. The singer/songwriter learned how to write songs from cult hero Daniel Johnston, helped found New York City's anti-folk movement (becoming the first within the scene to secure a major label deal), recorded 14 albums (mostly self-released) since the early '90s, helped mentor Beck when he was a fledgling artist and nearly died 13 years ago from a withering liver due to a longstanding... »»»
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While it's distinctive enough to be described as a bluegrass band from Alaska, Bearfoot has the added intrigue, in an era when bluegrass still tends to be testosterone-heavy, of featuring three women among their five members - fiddlers Odessa Jorgensen and Angela Oudean, along with bassist Kate Hamre. The guys are guitarist Mike Mickelson and mandolin player Jasn Norris, and while all five contribute vocally, it's the shared leads of Jorgensen and Oudean that give this band its unique... »»»
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The songwriting shines bright on Slaid Cleaves' first album of new material since 2004's "Wishbone." Of course, that's nothing new for the Austin resident, who makes his debut on the new Music Road label after many years on Rounder. But Cleaves has obviously spent his time away well (on the road) and has returned with a scorching batch of tunes.
Okay, scorch may be a bit over-the-top for Cleaves' often downbeat music, which more accurately simmers and sways behind... »»»
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