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The
Morning Line capture the raspy mournful vibe of Elliott Smith combined with a
three-chord jangly pop. Veterans Stephen Smith (Salem 66, Green Magnet School),
David Shollenbarger (Agent Orange, Blood On The Saddle), David Knupp (Joe Buck),
and Marco Baroz (Joe Buck) use their experience (and age) to echo the mid-80s
sound of REM and American Music Club (sans moroseness). This hook-filled album
nicely mixes up rockers and introspective tunes. They don't mess around, trying
to sound hip and new. They go with what they know and and do it very well. --
Jeff Weiss, Miles of Music (self-released)
"Recorded
on two-inch analog tape and assisted by members from groups backing Jo De Messina,
John Doe and Junior Brown, Iowan Kelly Pardekooper sounds as if he's channeling
The Dandy Warhols on the retro-rock, groovy title track that sets the album off
on the right course. But it's just a teaser as he settles down for the slow and
roots based "Crazy Girl", where Pardekooper shuffles along as if he
was covering Mark Knopfler. Fans of Todd Snider will revel in a number like "Last
Call", which is a rather sparse but comforting affair that sounds as if the
artist recorded it while someone was mopping the barroom floor before closing.
The album chugs along nicely with the near-perfect "Mehaffey Bridge",
the equally gorgeous "Quiet Tonight", and the haunting, mysterious "Sometimes".
What makes the album so consistently good is Pardekooper's ability to show different
sides of his craft without diminishing the song's quality or shortchanging himself.
The icing on the cake though has to be the stellar "Grandma's Rosary"
with its Springsteen quality. 8/10 stars " -- Popmatters.com 
Suffused
with the heft of the epic, Don't Tell Columbus's lyrical and emotional resonance
straddles the Atlantic and evinces GP's stature as one of the most gifted writers
in rock 'n' roll. From the personal and metaphorically grand "The Other Side
of the Reservoir" to the overtly political and swinging "Stick to the
Plan," this album ripples with tension between the melancholic, the urgent
and the hopeful. Best of all, it's wrapped in his gifted brawny pop and blue-eyed
soul smarts. Only GP can have you happily humming along to songs swaddled in desperate
loneliness and internal mayhem. (Bloodshot)
This
is Blaze Foley's last studio CD recorded before his untimely death in 1989. This
the country CD that he always wanted to make. Blaze Foley was a wonderful singer
and a great songwriter. Songs written by him have been recorded by Merle Haggard,
John Prine, Willie Nelson, Townes Van Zandt, Lyle Lovett and many other artists.
This CD contains eight of Blaze Foley's original songs and two cover songs, one
by Calvin Russell and one by Jubal Clark. The songs on this CD were thought to
have been lost after his death. After 15 years of being lost, these recordings
surfaced and have now been digitally mastered. (Deep South Productions)
One
of the greatest singer-songwriters of the rock era. Solo. Acoustic. January 19,
1971. Live At Massey Hall, the legendary concert from Neil Young, is finally officially
released, and in highresolution stereo, in this CD+DVD package (also as a solo
CD). The acclaimed Toronto performance features classics "Old Man" and,
in a suite, A Man Needs A Maid and Heart Of Gold (before they were recorded for
Harvest) along with some of his most popular songs (Cowgirl In The Sand, Ohio)
as well as the most obscure (Bad Fog Of Loneliness). Live At Massey Hall is a
newly mined rock gem. Track Listings Disc 1: On The Way Home/Tell Me Why/Old Man/Journey
Through The Past/Helpless/Love In Mind/A Man Needs A Maid-Heart of Gold Suite/Cowgirl
In The Sand/Don't Let It Bring You Down/There's a World/Bad Fog Of Loneliness/The
Needle And The Damage Done/Ohio/See The Sky About To Rain/Down By The River/Dance
Dance Dance/I Am A Child. Disc 2: On The Way Home/Tell Me Why/Old Man/Journey
Through The Past/Helpless/Love In Mind/A Man Needs A Maid-Heart of Gold Suite/Cowgirl
In The Sand/Don't Let It Bring You Down/There's a World/Bad Fog Of Loneliness/The
Needle And The Damage Done/Ohio/See The Sky About To Rain/Down By The River/Dance
Dance Dance/I Am A Child. (Reprise) 
Paula
Frazer resurrects Tarnation...and the results are mesmerizing. This band had a
good bit of success in underground circles before Frazer eventually dissolved
the group and concentrated on her solo recordings. But after writing a bunch of
new tunes that reminded her of her former band, Paula opted to release Now It's
Time under the band's name as well as her own... This eleven track album features
moody, personal, slightly distant soft pop tunes...all of which sound like forgotten
classics. The arrangements are precise and appropriate...and Paula's vocals are
exceedingly perfect from start to finish. Although released very early in the
year, Now It's Time is bound to be one of the best albums of 2007. Highly recommended.
(Rating: 5+++) /www.babysue.com (Birdman)
Already
a cult phenomenon in Scandinavia and gaining quick revere in the UK, Olav writes
songs that sublimely resonate with broken hearts, lost highways, sunshine daydreams
and drunken promises. Astutely supported by his band, The Alabama Rodeo Stars,
"Love's Come To Town" is adorned with acoustic guitars, fiddles, harmonica,
dobros, pianos and accordions. And while that might sound downright reverent to
his influences, Olav and his band deliver with an urgency and modernity that finds
them sitting comfortably amongst the likes of Giant Sand, Wilco and Ryan Adams.
As the UK's Maverick Magazine recently declared: "This is one of those rare
happenings, an album that warms the cockles from uplifting start to fantastic,
celebratory end. The more you play this the more you enjoy it until it becomes
a best friend." (Hyena)
"I
sort of wanted to get back to that time when I played music for nothing,"
says singer-songwriter Rosie Thomas of her fourth and best album, a Spartan 10-song
collection of new and used songs. Throughout, Thomas' delicate vocals lilt over
the album's center, while her friends (Dave Bazan, Jeremy Enigk, Damien Jurado,
Sufjan Stevens) frame her introspective poetry with backing vocals and minimal
acoustic arrangements. Be careful, though: The ache is contagious." -- Shawn
Telford, seattlepi.nwsource.com (Nettwerk) 
The
pedal steel/Hawaiian wizard, who has contributed his alternately swashbuckling
and swoony stylings to recordings by-among others-- Calexico, Neko Case, Kelly
Hogan, Giant Sand, Sally Timms and the Waco Brothers, lets fly his third CD, Steel
Guitar Heart Attack. Hitting all the hotspots between Harlingen and Honolulu,
Jon and his band (featuring Calexico and Jon's longtime guitarist/ co-conspirator
Tommy Connell) swing, sigh, giggle and charm their way into even those with hearts
of tar. There are performances by a few of the top notch singers of our day: Neko
Case ("East of the Sun"), Kelly Hogan ("Big Iron"), Rachel
Flotard of Visqueen ("Harbor Lights") and Sally Timms ("I'll Be
Seeing You"). Jon even steps to the mic for one (the theme to the Andy Griffith
Show "The Fishing Hole" (Bloodshot)
"There
are two clear traditions of 'diva' in soul music. On one side there's Diana Ross
- and her natural heir, Beyonce - all immaculate polish and surface. And on the
other there are the likes of Etta James - a woman whose music reeks of desire
and emotion. It's to this 'Dark Soul' tradition that Amy Winehouse aspires - she's
certainly got the voice for it. And the music. The much praised opening track,
Rehab, comes across like an obscure northern soul gem, riddled with pathos and
melodrama. In fact none of the music here sounds like it was made after 1967...Much
of the rest of this pleasingly short album - eleven three-minute or so tracks
- goes on to explore the joyful misery of being young, messy and in love/lust.
-- Matt Harvey, bbc.co.uk (Republic)
The
Alternate Routes are a young, dynamic rootsy rock-pop band with a strong emphasis
on songwriting and storytelling. Their debut Vanguard Records release, Good and
Reckless and True, is a collection of eleven songs born out of pain, faith, personal
tragedy, passion, humor and desperation. (Vanguard Records) 
A
true storyteller in the tradition of his family-father Larry is a celebrated novelist-James
McMurtry's music has been described as roots-rock with a country feel, with a
little bit of soul and blues thrown in just for good measure.Track Listings: Sixty
Acres/Every Little Bit Counts/No More Buffalo/Gulf Road/Tired of Walking/Lobo
Town/Broken Bed/Paris/Walk Between the Raindrops/Fast as I Can/12 O'Clock Whistle/Choctaw
Bingo. (Sugar Hill)
Over
the Hills is the most personal recording to date by New York City singer-songwriter
Lucy Kaplansky and certainly the most accomplished and realized album in her remarkable
catalog. Rediscovering her musical roots, Lucy returns to a more acoustic sound
that is influenced by the music she first fell in love with--folk and classic
country.Produced by Ben Wittman (Roseanne Cash, Paul Simon), Over the Hills features
a world class band of Larry Campbell (Bob Dylan Band, Elvis Costello, Emmylou
Harris), Jon Herington (Steely Dan), Duke Levine (Mary Chapin Carpenter), and
noted jazz bassist Stephan Crump. Lucy is also joined by a parade of friends,
who lend their vocal harmonies--Eliza Gilkyson, Buddy Miller, Richard Shindell
and Jonathan Brooke. (Red House)
Haunting,
playful, elegant, relentless...on their sophomore album Waterloo, Tennessee, the
four women of Uncle Earl awaken the sleeping giant of old-time stringband music
and hold it as a mirror to our present era. Resolutely modern, yet preserving
the luminous mystery of its ancient origins, their music illuminates what is timeless
in the everyday. Produced by John Paul Jones, Waterloo, Tennessee laces raucous
fiddle tunes and jug band blues with ballads of loss and exile, love songs, and
a profound longing that can only be echoed in the strains of fiddles, banjos,
mandolins, crystalline tender harmonies, and the occasional wobbleboard. (Rounder)
The
Red Button is LA-based singer-songwriters Seth Swirsky and Mike Ruekberg. Ruekberg
is writer and singer for pop-rockers Rex Daisy, and wrote the soundtrack for an
indie film (Dummy, starring Adrien Brody). Swirsky has written hit songs for artists
ranging from Al Green to Tina Turner to Taylor Dayne. The two met in 2004, when
Seth was recording his first solo album, Instant Pleasure (Best Pop Album; 2005
Los Angeles Music Awards). She's About to Cross My Mind is the result of that
meeting: 11 pop songs created, says Goldmine Magazine, "the way God and Paul
McCartney must have intended". Amplifier Magazine says "Swirsky and
Ruekberg can now wear their rightful crown as the Peter Holsapple/Chris Stamey
of the New Millennium". (Grimble Records)
Originally
issued in 1983 and re-released in 2006, Beter Days finds lauded Texas-born singer-songwriter
Guy Clark at the end of his late-'70s/early-'80s stint for Warner Brothers. From
the rollicking "Blowin' Like a Bandit" to the wistful title track to
the sauntering "Uncertain Texas," these finely crafted rock/folk-influenced
country tunes are filled with undeniable charm and wit, arguably making Beter
Days Clark's finest album of the '80s. (DBK Works)
The
2006 reissue of Guy Clark`s 1981 release South Coast Of Texas is a wonderful reminder
that this talented country singer-songwriter has been churning out well-made albums
for quite a long time. Lovingly produced by Rodney Crowell, the album also features
appearances by Ricky Skaggs, Rosanne Cash, and Vince Gill, as well as a slew of
top-notch studio musicians. But it`s Clark`s songwriting that takes center stage,
with tunes like `She`s Crazy for Leavin`` and `Heartbroke` (which later became
a big hit for Ricky Skaggs) representing the man`s way with meticulously crafted
lyrics, and melodies that blend the best of outlaw country with elements of folk
and rock. (DBK Works)
Legendary
Texas songwriter Guy Clark composes songs with the thoughtful attention and artisanal
mastery of a guitar-maker-which he also happens to be. His dryly sentimental songs
reflect an old-fashioned sensibility that emphasizes honesty, integrity, and carefully
chosen words. Clarks' recordings on Sugar Hill include some of his most well-loved
story-songs, and his plain-spoken delivery lends itself to his persona. Track
Listings: Magnolia Wind/Cold Dog Soup/Soldier's Joy, 1864/South Coast Of Texas
(Live)/Sis Draper/Mud/Ain't No Trouble To Me/A Little Of Both (Live)/Dancin' Days/Forth
Worth Blues/Red River/Arizona Star/Bunkhouse Blues/Queenie's Song/Out In The Parking
Lot (Live). (Sugar Hill) 
Spotlighting
the flying fingers of Buckaroos guitar-picking whiz Don Rich, -- the full-bodied
pedal steel of Tom Brumley and the rock-steady rhythm of bassist Doyle Holly backed
by the solid beat of drummers Willie Cantu and Jerry Wiggins, this Buckaroos smorgasbord
is the perfect introduction to the band that created the Bakersfield Sound behind
country music Hall of Famer Buck Owens. Here's the definitive example of their
for forward-thinking style -- an electrified honky-tonk sound that wowed the crowds
wherever they played. This set clearly defines what made the vibrant Bakersfield
sound of Buck Owens and the Buckaroos compelling enough to grab the country charts
by the throat in the mid-'60s and not let go, while scoring plenty of cross-over
pop-chart success at the same time. Track Listing: Buckaroo/Chicken Pickin'/I'm
Coming Back Home to Stay/Anywhere USA/Nobody But You/You You'll Never Miss the
W ou'll Water/Seven Come Eleven/Tater Tumwater Breakdown/Apple Jack/Buckersfield
Breakdown/I'll Be Swingin' Too/Rattle Too Traps/Pedal Patter/Spanish Moonlight/Moonlight
On the Desert/ Highland Fling/Cinderella/Guitar Pickin' Man. (Sundazed)
At
different times critics have called Jerry Douglas the Charlie Parker and the Jimi
Hendrix of the resophonic guitar. In addition to being widely acknowledged as
America's foremost master of the instrument, Douglas is a freewheeling, forward-thinking
recording artist whose output draws upon a bottomless well of musical inspiration,
incorporating elements of bluegrass, country, rock, jazz, blues and Celtic into
his distinctive musical vision. Track Listing: The Wild Rumpus/Takarasaka/Senia's
Lament/We Hide And Seek/Lullaby of the Leaves/A New Day Medley/Cave Bop/Hey Joe/Birdland/Monkey
Let The Hogs Out/Ride The Wild Turkey/A Tribute To Peador O'Donnell/Things In
Life/Like It Is/In The Sweet By and By.(Sugar Hill ) 
Featuring
originals as well as songs that have been buried under a rock for decades, the
album was recorded at La Louisiane Studios in Lafayette, Louisiana, home and birthplace
of some of the most legendary Cajun recordings from Aldus Roger, Lawrence Walker,
all the way up to Wayne Toups. From Wilson Savoy's Blues de Musicien about a father
who must leave his children to travel the world and play music, to Cedric Watson's
sorrowful, yet beautiful Musicien avec un Coeur Cassé about a man who lost
his woman because he was a musician, always on the road, to Drew Simon's Wild
Side of Life, which tells about the trouble that musicians get into on the road,
some might say this album has a common theme. (Arhoolie) 
Discom-bop-ulated
jive' is how chuck e. weiss describes his fourth album '23rd and stout', his latest
collection of songs from the bohemian front line. His songs rejoice in the dirtiest,
moodiest, most finger-popping grooves - from the Cuban garageband surf guitar
of Novade Nada to the loungebar swing of Primrose Lane. The lyrics are populated
by a cast of oddballs, cool cats, midnight ramblers and low-rent chancers, all
brought to life by the magic of Weiss's gruff, after-hours delivery. Scratch the
surface of these narratives, and most times you'll find a real-life story. Like
the one about the hustler who, many years ago, accosted Weiss in the street and
asked him for 50 cents so that he could get himself down to 23rd & Stout.
Produced by Weiss's Longtime Friend and the Band's Drummer Don Heffington. 
The
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame-enshrined guitarist and founder of Jefferson Airplane
and Hot Tuna returns with a stunning acoustic record, his first new recording
since 2002's Grammy-nominated Blue Country Heart. Continuing the journey through
American roots music he started in the early 1960's, Jorma cooks up a tasty collection
of down-home blues, bluegrass, folk, country gospel and reggae. Stars In My Crown
was recorded in Nashville and is rooted in classic Americana, flavored with a
laid-back bluesy feel. (Red House)
Careful
is P.J. O'Connell's latest project with Terry Adams, Chandler Travis and members
of the inimitable NRBQ/Incredible Casuals family. Recorded in Boston, the CD's
14 tracks include 12 originals by O'Connell whose recordings have been described
as "Jerry Lee Lewis joined to Big Star" (Independent Weekly). Careful
features members of NRBQ's extended musical family; including Tom Ardolino, Aaron
Spade, Rikki Bates,and Johhny Spampinato. The 14 tracks on Careful are the best
stash of roots pop gems yet assembled by Mr. O'Connell and friends. (CLANG!)
Track
Listings: Echoes/Think I'm Gonna Feel Better/Tried So Hard/Is Yours Is Mine/Keep
on Pushin'/I Found You/So You Say You Lost Your Baby/Elevator Operator/Same One/Couldn't
Believe Her/Needing Someone/Tried So Hard. (Sundazed Music)
With
eleven new songs that are memorable and genuinely moving, the album continues
their progression toward intimate recordings where each note played and sung seems
essential. From the shining opening track, "Brotherhood of Man", in
which she speaks of connectedness to strangers in everyday moments, to the longing
of the closing lines of "My Sisters Return from Ireland", Karen Peris'
hauntingly beautiful voice communicates with immediacy. (Badman Recording Co.)
Artist,
producer, and multi-instrumentalist Ken Andrews began his career in 1991, fronting
the critically acclaimed alt-rock group Failure.As a producer, Ken has worked
for acts including-Beck, Pete Yorn, Tenacious D, A Perfect Circle, Jimmy Eat World,
Mae, and Blink 182. Now Ken returns to the scene with his first solo release.
Now, Ken returns to the scene with his first solo release as Ken Andrews. "I'm
very excited about this album [Secrets of the Lost Satellite]. I've had the opportunity
to ask various people I've worked with over the years to come in and collaborate
with me this time. I brought in two of my oldest musical cohorts, Justin Meldal-Johnsen
(Beck, IMA Robot) and Jordon Zadorozny (Blinker the Star, Abbey) to co-produce.
"I think people are going to hear things that they are used to hearing from
me on this album, but they are also going to hear things that I haven't really
done in the past," explains Ken. (Dinosaur Fight) 
On
Auto Interiors' debut, Let's Agree To Deceive Our Best Friends, the Cambridge,
Massachusetts rockers combine a balanced dose of '60s psychedelia, '70s arena
rock and a dash of post-punk, aptly described by the band as record collector
rock. (Ryko) 
Following
up his breakthrough Strange and Beautiful, Aqualung returns with another memorable
record that will move the hearts of all those who listen. Harmonic melodies combined
with beautiful, moving lyrics fill Aqualung's mesmerizing Memory Man and features
the captivating first single Pressure Suit. (Sony) 
"The
new British band to appear out of nowhere and be rocketed to hype-ridden stardom,
The Fratellis' debut album is pretty much exactly what you'd expect. Young, hip
and very, very Brit, it's one of those 'here for a good time, not a long time'
numbers....Fans of other cool indie British bands like The Arctic Monkeys and
The Libertines would probably do well to check Costello Music out. The most obvious
point of difference is that The Fratellis are relentlessly upbeat, every song
moving along at a cracking pace and usually something to do with girls."
-- Josie Smith, xpressmag.com (Cherry Tree)
Ex-Black
Crowes and Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals guitarist showcases his phenomenal
blues guitar work. (Blues Bureau Int)
An
exceptional, multi-label collection of the acclaimed singer/songwriter. Andersen
established his career in the 1960s with a romantic folk-based sound. By the 1970s
he had developed a unique mix of folk, country and rock elements culminating in
his 1972 classic LP 'Blue River'. Highlighted by a rich tenor voice and intricate
finger-picked guitar, between 1969 and 1980 he recorded eight albums of poetic,
deeply personal music with songs often breathtaking in their sheer beauty. This
CD compiles the best of Eric`s recordings for Warner Bros, Columbia and Arista
on one stunning volume. Also included are four key tracks from his 'missing' album
'Stages: The Lost Album', including the original versions of the haunting Moonchild
River Song and the epic Time Run Like A Freight Train. With over 77 minutes of
superb quality audio and a 12-page colour booklet featuring rare photos and track-by-track
notes from Andersen himself, this is an essential purchase for all fans of timeless,
introspective singer/songwriters. Track Listings: (We Were) Foolish Like the Flowers/Secrets/Sign
of a DeSperate Man/Blue River/Wind and Sand/Is It Really Love at All/Woman, She
Was Gentle/Baby, I'm Lonesome/Time Run Like a Freight Train/Moonchild River Song/Be
True to You/Love Is Just a Game/Sweet Surprize/Close the Door Lightly/Violets
of Dawn (Live)/Thirsty Boots (Live)/Messiah. (Raven)
Classic
Old-Time Fiddle From Smithsonian Folkways Various Artists Old-time fiddler Jake
Krack and Folkways archivist Jeff Place compiled and annotated this collection
of vintage Southern Appalachian string band music from the Smithsonian archives.
Clark Kessinger, Wade Ward, Tommy Jarrell, Marion Sumner, Gaither Carlton, Eck
Robertson, Melvin Wine, and many more old-time fiddle masters play their signature
sounds from the heart of Appalachia. (Smithsonian Folkways)
" If the Replacements played Southern rock, they might have sounded something
like Cape Girardeau`s Dirty 30`s. Teaming with legendary roots producer Eric Ambel,
the band struts and grinds through heavy, twangy rock that`s too loud for Americana
and too spontaneous for the typical indie template on its self-titled debut. To
call them a bar band is no slur: They play fast and loose with free-wheeling blues-based
guitar riffs, always a dependable soundtrack for drinking till last call and smoking
up on the way home." - Roy Kasten, River Front Times 
Sweetheart
of the Rodeo will forever be revered as the Byrds' 1968 album that opened the
eyes of the hip and the young to country music. Whether it was the first country-rock
album doesn't really matter: It was certainly the best and most heartfelt such
excursion and paved the way for fabled combos the Flying Burrito Bros. and Poco
yet to come. Sweetheart featured the first extensive lineup change for the Byrds,
as Roger McGuinn and Chris Hillman said goodbye to David Crosby, Gene Clark and
Michael Clarke and welcomed former International Submarine Band leader Gram Parsons
into the fold. With his magical voice and bona fide country pedigree, Parsons
helped unleash a style that had already begun to seep into the Byrds' sound. And
now Sundazed makes available a perfect replica of the original vinyl release of
the ever-enduring Sweetheart of the Rodeo. (Sundazed Music Inc)| Alt Country | Americana Music | Bluegrass Music | Country Bluegrass | Folk Music Folk Rock | Roots Rock | Singer Songwriter | Sitemap |