Currently at the CST blogs
Pat Green –
Pat Green was once the King of the Texas/Red Dirt music scene, and if "Songs We Wish We'd Written, Part II" is any indication, he's making a bid to re-claim his crown. The Waco native was maligned by the sub-genre's fans for the supposed sin of "selling out" to Nashville - something that actually paved the way for other Texas artists. »»»
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Sara Watkins –
Well, so much for the sweet, adorable Sara Watkins. After an endearing, cuddly solo debut in 2009 that included her foot-stomping rendition of John Hartford's Long Hot Summer Day, Watkins adds a new wrinkle with her latest effort: an edgy, sometimes angry attitude. Bathing her songs in a folky-bluegrass setting with an array of way-cool guests, If It Pleases You is a defiant flip-off while Willie Nelson's I'm a Memory seethes with open hostility. »»»
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Carrie Underwood –
Carrie Underwood's calling card remains intact - her ultra strong set of pipes. Blown Away is almost a tale of two CDs. The first half or so tends to be far more pop oriented and at times rocks, while the other half veers far more towards country and even gets traditional on a song or two. The lead-off hit first single, Good Girl, rocks far more than anything else. »»»
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Chelle Rose –
So much for maintaining momentum. It's been nearly a dozen years since Chelle Rose's striking debut "Nanahally River," a span of time, which by most measures, could be considered an eternity in the music biz. Even so, Ghost of Browder Holler isn't so much a comeback as a new beginning for this feisty singer/songwriter. »»»
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Mark Collie –
In the early '90s, Mark Collie was a rising Nashville star. Part of the wave of Neo-Traditionalists like Mark Chesnutt and Neal McCoy, Collie landed a couple of top 10 hits and made several albums for MCA. Collie slid pretty quickly off the radar after signing with Giant Records, where he released his last major studio album in 1995. Alive at Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary should give Collie some well-deserved attention, but it should have done that a decade ago. »»»
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Concert Review: M. Ward assertion proves false –
M. Ward supposedly isn't all that big on the live performance. At least that's what he indicated to a writer. But based on this outing, he was either pulling the reporter's leg or lying.
Truth be told, Ward was far better than a Somerville gig three years ago when he was on the inert side when it came to any sense of excitement and showmanship.... »»»
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Trampled by Turtles reach for stars and satellites –
Trampled by Turtles is one of the best bluegrass bands around, sort of. They hesitate to ascribe any particular label to their unique sound. When asked to clarify, front man Dave Simonett said, "I don't really know what to say when I'm asked that. I hesitate to say bluegrass because I'm familiar with that kind of music. I feel that is a genre that has set boundaries that, and anytime you stray out of that, you're not really considered a bluegrass band no matter what instruments you're playing on. I would say it's Americana with string instruments, but whatever anyone wants to call it, that's fine." »»»
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Carolina Chocolate Drops leave Eden –
With its latest full-length, "Leaving Eden," the uniquely modern, old-timey jug and/or string band Carolina Chocolate Drops was faced with the daunting task of following up a highly successful major label debut album. After all, "Genuine Negro Jig" earned the act a Best Traditional Folk Album Grammy. All pressure aside, though, these new tracks are just as unusually enjoyable as those found on the group's debut. »»»
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Martina McBride rolls on –
Martina McBride was introduced at a CMT awards presentation as "one of the greatest voices ever created by God." While debatable that her voice may be the result of divine creation, her high octane soprano is one of the most beautiful and powerful in music. Her latest studio release, "Eleven" ("Hits And More" came out in January as a greatest hits plus package) is her most personal to date. »»»
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Chris Isaak travels beyond the sun –
It is an obvious no-brainer that Chris Isaak tracked his most recent full-length, "Beyond the Sun," at the historic Sun Records in Memphis. Although Isaak is famous for his sexy Wicked Game hit, with its even sexier video, along with the natural humor in his witty Chris Isaak Show, this smooth operator is a roots rock guy deep down at heart. With this new all covers album, Isaak heated it up with Ring of Fire and Great Balls of Fire and got his Elvis on with songs like Can't Help Falling in Love. »»»
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The Jayhawks soar again –
Each step of The Jayhawks' resurrection has been a little more unexpected and incrementally better than the last, culminating in perhaps the most unlikely and joyously welcomed result of all - "Mockingbird Time," the first new Jayhawks album in 16 years to feature the band's co-front men Gary Louris and Mark Olson. »»»
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Lydia Loveless proves indestructible –
At an age when most people are contemplating the direction of their life, Lydia Loveless has already blazed an impressive trail. The 21-year-old Coshocton, Ohio native began playing bass with her two sisters in their band Carson Drew when she was just 13 and was playing solo shows at 15. "I was in various bands before that, but I never sang," recalls Loveless from her Columbus home. »»»
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Dave Alvin gets personal –
Listening to Dave Alvin's new "Eleven Eleven" album reveals once again what a great storyteller the man is. His songs are filled with the kinds of details normally only found in your better novels. In some cases, he comes off like nothing less than a historian with a guitar.For example, Johnny Ace Is Dead revisits the death of that beloved performer of yesteryear, while Gary, Indiana 1959 puts the listener right back in the thick of the emerging workers union movement, midcentury. »»»
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