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Few artists exude pain in their voices the way Slaid Cleaves can, and there are moments during his strong new full-length, "Still Fighting the War," when he seems a little like the male equivalent to Lucinda Williams.
With Rust Belt Fields, Cleaves speaks up for most anybody that's been laid low be America's recent recession, from those dealing with home foreclosure to the ones laid off from their jobs. There once was a time in the country when a willingness to sweat and... »»»
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Aiofe O'Donovan has been on a roll. As lead singer of the well-regarded alt.-bluegrass band, Crooked Still, O'Donovan helped put the alt. in the bluegrass with her light, sometimes breathy vocals. She also gained attention for singing on two songs on "The Goat Rodeo Sessions." She's now on her own (Crooked Still is on hiatus) for her first full-length disc.
O'Donovan shows she is more that up to the task, starting with Lay My Burden Down, which the Massachusetts... »»»
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It may seem an unlikely collaboration at first encounter, this combination of talents that involves noted master of the macabre Stephen King and those heroes of the heartland John Mellencamp and T Bone Burnett. And indeed, given even a cursory listen to the soundtrack to this unusual modern musical, it's strange indeed how these disparate elements jive. The story is bizarre enough - no surprise there considering it's King's concept. Two brothers die in a bizarre murder/suicide, and... »»»
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Although Pokey LaFarge is a relatively young 30 years old, his songwriting soul is as old as a Victrola crank. In the past seven years and across seven albums, LaFarge has paid homage to the American music that caught his ear as a teenager (hot jazz, swing, country blues and Appalachian folk), not with an idolator's slavish heart, but with the nervy spirit of an innovator. In the same way that Jim Mathus absorbed similar influences and churned out clearly referential and yet completely... »»»
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Say what you will about the vocal chops of today's leading ladies of country - Miranda Lambert, Faith Hill or Martina McBride chief among them - but LeAnn Rimes is hands down, no doubt about it the best female vocalist in country music today.
And it will be bordering on a criminal act - thievery of the first order - if she doesn't sweep every award country music has to offer with her latest. For most of the bulk of the new millennium every Rimes album has been a treat... »»»
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After only two albums, it might seem strange that a band like Joy Kill Sorrow would resort to some stopgap measure in anticipation of their next full length foray. After all, when your group's on a roll, it's best to keep the momentum going and forego any halfway measures. Nevertheless, with the band apparently itching to branch out from their standard bluegrass beginnings, it is logical that they'd use an EP to wade into new terrain somewhat cautiously, negating the need to... »»»
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Joe Diffie, Sammy Kershaw and Aaron Tippin likely recorded this collection of both old and new songs simply to have new merch to sell on the road while touring together. And while it may be a pretty obvious commercial ploy, the music created together also holds up particularly well.
Things don't get off to all that great a start, though, with a stripped down arrangement of Tippin's annoying hit, Kiss This near the beginning. However, the proceedings get a whole lot better with a... »»»
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You'd think The Henningsens would be rivals to The Band Perry. After all, both tread on the same territory - family bands with a female taking care of lead vocals (Clara Henningsens and Kimberly Perry). But one suspects that there's no rivalry because The Henningsens, in fact, wrote three songs on TBP's debut, including the hits You Lie and All Your Life. Henningsen has a warmer, more tender voice than the grittier Perry, whose range is more limited.
This four-song EP may be from... »»»
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Claire Lynch covers a lot of ground . Doin' Time is full of woe, the story of someone running from life and weary of the trip. Here, and at other points throughout the CD, bassist Mark Schatz uses a bow, adding a pleasant bottom end to the music though a bow-and-bass combination tends to cause some raised eyebrows at bluegrass shows. Some will argue that a bass unplucked just isn't bluegrass. On the subject of bluegrass, the only number that has a traditional bluegrass sound is the... »»»
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Although it isn't rare to hear women singing and playing bluegrass-inspired music, it is still unusual to take in a five-girl band doing so. Della Mae are not what The Runaways and The Go-Go's meant to rock & roll, perhaps, but they're nevertheless significant and unique.
With Heaven's Gate, the Boston-based Della Mae proves they can play with the best of them on this fast-paced workout, with plenty of nimbly quick picking. Better still, Della Mae write the most of their... »»»
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It's now some 25 years and counting since a self-assured fiddle sensation from Illinois by the name of Alison Krauss tore down barriers in bluegrass and proved that women could indeed be superior lead singers, impeccable instrumentalists and lead their own bands in a genre infamous for turnover. For evidence that Virginia native Rebecca Frazier is a disciple, look no farther than this debut release on Compass, a label founded and run by Krauss' onetime banjo player Alison Brown... »»»
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Considering that Creedence Clearwater Revival's back catalogue contains some of the most beloved and iconic music of the rock era, and John Fogerty himself - the man who made all those great songs great - will be dueting with you, an artist has to feel like he's got two strikes against him when he sets out to contribute to a cover album tribute to Creedence Clearwater Revival and John Fogerty.
Three if Lily Allen is right about CCR being God's favorite band... »»»
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On the fourth album released on her label, Home Perm, Ashleigh Flynn continues to do what she's always done best: seduce us with lively stories backed by tender, raucous, and rollicking instrumentals. In the tales on "A Million Stars," Flynn celebrates and recovers for our view the lives of the numerous women - some well-known, such as Calamity Jane, but others unnamed - who participated in the westward expansion but whose exploits often go untold. Her long-time collaborator Chris... »»»
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Jason Boland and the Stragglers have released a new country album that sounds old. This isn't to imply that the sound is aged in a negative way; they have a classic country maturity that isn't heard too much these days with the exception of Jamey Johnson.
For those not familiar with the music of Boland, the first track is a great way to decide whether this is your kind of country music. The title track is a mid tempo country song reminiscent of the late Waylon Jennings... »»»
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For its first album in 20 years, the Del-Lords haven't so much resurrected the band's original sound as they have taken all their experience since then and processed it through a time machine blender, resulting in a new batch of songs that are as powerful and immediate as anything from their heyday without sounding dated in the least. Founding members Scott Kempner, Eric Ambel and Frank Funaro are all along for the ride, which is one of gutsy roots-rocking fervor combined with a sense of... »»»
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George Strait may have reached his seventh decade, but he shows zero signs of slowing down. In fact, Strait seems to be getting even more consistent as he gets older. Strait doesn't stray all that far from the formula that has resulted in superstar status.
First and foremost, that means his sonorous voice is mixed far above the music, a very good thing. He is comfortable on everything including hard core country (pedal steel, fiddle and mandolin are not tacked on afterthoughts with... »»»
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Darius Rucker remains a great singer. He still has that smiling South Carolina party boy delivery that made him Hootie The Hitmaker. His guitarist, J.T. Corenflos, knows how to knock out a solo or two and his producer, Frank Rogers, does admirable work surrounding D-Ruck's voice with just the right amount of compression.
So why is this the front runner for Most Boring Country Album of 2013? Well, for starters, the songs suck. The lyrics are so insipid they make the dialogue from a Hannah... »»»
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"Wilderness" is another twisted menagerie of The Handsome Family songs. Once again, husband Brett Sparks sings their songs, sometimes in a bellowing gravedigger voice, after adding music to wife Rennie's lyrics. This time out, each and every tune is named after an animal, insect or other such nature creature. However, Rennie studies animals the way Flannery O'Connor wrote about humans, which is with the weirdness and character flaws in primary focus... »»»
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For those who thought "Hell on Heels" was a one-off side project for Miranda Lambert (along with sidekicks Angaleena Presley and Ashley Monroe), think again. The Annies, aka "Lonestar Annie" (Lambert), "Hippie Annie" (Monroe), and "Holler Annie" (Presley), are no novelty act. Instead, they tackle material that you just are unlikely to hear on mainstream country radio both in subject matter and sonics.
Like the debut, this one also makes it quite clear that... »»»
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Some six years and counting after their spectacular debut on the bluegrass scene, with a couple of handfuls of IBMA awards garnered along the way, Jamie Dailey and Darrin Vincent continue to avoid the trap of sputtering out after using up their best material on the first couple of albums. The primary reason is, although they are adept at writing some of their own material (and two of the tracks on this new release, Steel Drivin' Man and Back To Jackson County are nice efforts by Dailey),... »»»
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Lady Antebellum probably needed a change in direction after "Own the Night" dropped in 2011. The material was overly geared towards taking dead aim at the radio jugular and not the best material. That isn't the case this time out on the trio's fifth release because most of the songs veer away from being obviously radio fodder (except for the current singleDowntown with its soulful beginning and strong vocals from Hillary Scott), but that also doesn't man that this was the right change... »»»
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Chances are good people will think they've heard an unknown Dierks Bentley song on the radio, when in fact it was actually a Craig Campbell tune. That's because Campbell sounds a whole lot like Bentley during "Never Regret." About the only chief difference between Campbell and Bentley songs, however, is how Bentley adds so much humor to his tunes. He also has a far more expressive singing voice.
One of the few places Campbell adds in some humor is during My Baby's... »»»
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ABC's Nashville has been called everything from a guilty pleasure to "the musical equivalent of a Nicholas Sparks novel. Well, the formula works. In conjunction with being picked up for a second season, Volume 2 of the soundtrack was released. The album cover is a perfect portrayal of the show. The veteran and the vixen sit on opposite ends of the same couch with a huge gulf between them. No matter how different they may seem their experience as music stars is the glue that holds the... »»»
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It's rare that an artist can maintain a solo career while also sustaining his or her role in an established outfit. So credit Ruth Moody with being able to do both. A lynchpin in the successful Canadian folk/roots trio the Wailin' Jennys, she garnered kudos with her first individual outing "The Garden" in 2010. As if to prove that was no mere fluke, she strikes out again with "These Wilder Things," an album that shows she's more than capable of operating under... »»»
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Despite the carefree, cruise-line posture of most Kenny Chesney records, there's always a nagging suspicion that his party-time vibe is about as predictable as a plastic pink flamingo on a Palm Beach patio. Yet Chesney's career-long theme of girls, guitars, beer and beaches (not always in that order) - and the occasional piece of farm machinery - has yet to wear thin. And with summer fast approaching, that's okay.
Chesney's latest is something of a running journal of his... »»»
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Modern bluegrass can sometimes be a sanitized affair, with crystal clean recordings and slick arrangements taking most of the soul out of the mountain songs and traditional origins of the music. Frank Solivan isn't a raw Stanley Brothers style performer, but he has left enough grit and substance in his music to keep it far away from mainstream mediocrity.
Solivan's main instrument is the mandolin, and there are plenty of moments here where he shines on solos and runs, but the focus is... »»»
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William Clark Green has been building momentum in Texas as a singer/songwriter for years thanks to his first two albums and his frequent live dates. "Rose Queen" blends rootsy country, rock and big choruses. The best country songs are the ones that connect on a personal level, and Green is particularly adept at sharing stories from a personal perspective. Green is definitely familiar with life in small town Texas, which informs many of the songs here.
The themes of staying and leaving... »»»
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Many bluegrass musicians spent time in the Bluegrass Boys. Peter Rowan's gig was from October 1964 to March 1967. While most of the graduates of Monroe's school of bluegrass stayed close to those bluegrass roots, Rowan's adventures have varied from the path. He sometimes adds a country influence (Big Twang Theory), R&B (Twang an' Groove), reggae (Crucial Reggae) and one band is the Free Mexican Airforce. The Earth Opera paired him with David Grisman... »»»
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No,no, not that Steve and Eydie, the husband and wife duo Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme who had a couple minor hits in the pre-rock era and after that were on every telethon or second-rate variety show in the '60s and '70s. The new and improved Steve and Edie features actor, comedian, novelist, playwright and all-around wild and crazy Renaissance guy Steve Martin. He's had a banjo in his act since the arrow-through-the-head days, but nobody knew until his recent work with the... »»»
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It still seems bizarre that such a great singer-songwriter like Lori McKenna, who's written songs for the likes of such country luminaries as Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, among others, as well as crafting her own records, reflecting an honest and insightful look into real life, is not a household name. Yet, perhaps, the Massachusetts-based artist is just fine with that, as her latest album, ironically titled after her home state, seems to suggest.
McKenna's songwriting has always managed... »»»
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The first full length album by the Austin-based Rankin Twins features elements of Texas alt.-country, bluegrass and mainstream country, fueled primarily by the tight harmonies of Amy and April Rankin.
Among the stronger tracks are the bluesy You Got the Heart and the up-tempo Hit and Run (the latter featuring a blazing guitar solo from John Carroll), as well as the bluegrass tinged Jezebel (featuring Noah Jeffries on mandolin and fiddle).
Some tracks, such as As the Music Plays and... »»»
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Jerry Miller has been standing in the shadows for some time now, a highly sought after sideman backing musicians such as The Spurs and Eilen Jewell (with and without the Sacred Shakers), among many others. The all-knowing internet seems to have a hard time differentiating between him and the Jerry Miller who was one of the original members of seminal psychedelic band Moby Grape. But the new road under the un-Moby Jerry Miller's wheels just might bring him out of the gloaming and into the spotlight... »»»
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In some respects, Eric Brace and Peter Cooper make a perfect pair. The former is the leader of the alt.-country combo Last Train Home, while the latter gained prominence as the music critic for the Nashville newspaper The Tennessean. Together, they've found obvious chemistry, courtesy of a mutual musical mindset and a shared Rolodex that's yielded an impressive cast of support players.
The whimsically dubbed "The Comeback Album" is no exception, boasting such luminaries as... »»»
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Hailing from Cadillac, Mich., singer, songwriter, and guitarist Winslow-King has lived in New Orleans since 2001. Since living in the Big Easy, he's collaborated with a number of local musicians from John Boutte and "Washboard" Chaz Leary to Paul Sanchez. On this new album, he and his partner, singer/washboardist Esther Rose, deliver an electrifying blend of the sultry, dark, and celebratory rhythms of ragtime, jazz, blues, gospel, country and rock-and-roll that they've... »»»
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It's been an interesting trajectory for Amy Speace. Mentored by both Judy Collins and Ian Hunter - an unlikely combination if ever there was one - she won the praises of NPR and luminaries like Nanci Griffith and Guy Clark, each of whom tapped her to open for them on tour. Her string of albums have indicated she's worthy of such high regard, but her latest, "How to Sleep in a Stormy Boat," offers the definitive proof that further kudos would be well justified... »»»
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Willie Nelson celebrated his 80th birthday in April by releasing this collection of classics. There is 1 Nelson original here, an acoustic version of the relatively obscure track Is the Better Part Over from Nelson's 1989 album "A Horse Called Music," but for the most part, Nelson puts his unique stamp on pop, jazz and country standards.
The '50s pop/rock era is represented by an effective rendition of The Platters' hit Twilight Time and a rocking version of Carl... »»»
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It is sometimes an unwise decision to look back at music written years ago, and try to breathe new life into them. Perhaps there was a reason these songs never inspired a budding audience or career at that time. Well, that is just what The Steel Wheels have done with their new release "No More Rain," but after one listen many may wonder what took so long for these songs to find their way out once again.
Of the 12 songs released here there is only 1 cover, which just so happens to open... »»»
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If you're a forever smitten fan of Steve Earle who's always looking forward to his next record, you'll likely be satisfied with "The Low Highway." It's a 12-song collection of strong songs, all stamped with his signature sound.
The title cut is a beautiful, world-weary ballad that narrates a trip along the highways and byways of America. Over a gently rocking beat, Earle crosses paths with empty houses, hungry people and broken factories, a bleak picture that belies... »»»
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Underlying the entire CD is some talented instrumental work by Marcy Marxer and her friends playing a well documented and broad array of instruments. The mixture of styles and genre is unusual and gives rise to an inference that the target market is fans (and new fans) of Marxer rather than being aimed at, say, the old time crowd.
The title song, with a theme of "I've got the left hind leg of a rabbit" (a lucky charm, if you're having a "huh?" moment) is... »»»
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Kim Richey has certainly secured a reputation as a songwriter's songwriter, co-penning two number one hits: Believe Me, Baby I Lied for Trisha Yearwood and Nobody Wins for Radney Foster. On her follow up to 2010's "Wreck Your Wheels," Richey displays not only her songwriting chops, but also her rich, often soaring, vocals, and her canny ability to capture the vagaries of love, sex, misunderstanding, contempt and disappointment in musical styles ranging from traditional country... »»»
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