Twain finally releases new disc

Friday, February 3, 2023 – Shania Twain finally is back releasing her first album in 5 1/12 years, "Queen Of Me." Twain already released the songs "Waking Up Dreaming," "Last Day of Summer" and "Giddy Up!" The 12-track album is sonically inspired by '70s and '80s funk and rock. The album consists of 12 new tracks. In the stand-out friendship anthem "BEST Friend," Shania affectionately gushes over her closest confidant as she emphasizes "you always take the blame and you know I'd do the same for you. No matter what, yeah I got you, and I know that you got me."

Bluegrass musicians Tim Stafford and Thomm Jutz started amassing a catalog of co-written songs during COVID lockdown and the results are out today with "Lost Voices" on Mountain Fever Records. Decamping to Jutz's log cabin studio outside of Nashville with Shaun Richardson on mandolin, Ron Block on banjo, Tammy Rogers on fiddle and Mark Fain on bass, Stafford and Jutz cut 14 songs.

Larry Campbell & Teresa Williams released "Live At Levon's," a dozen-song set recorded at Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock, N.Y. The duo, who are married, were members of Levon Helm's band. Campbell also had a long stint as a guitarist with Bob Dylan. The material includes originals and covers, including Johnny Cash's "Big River."

Boston-based bluegrass/string band Mile Twelve is out with its first full-length since 2019 with "Close Enough to Hear,." The band, which won the IBMA's New Artist of the Year Award in 2020, consists of banjo (BB Bowness), mandolin (Korey Brodsky), fiddle (Ella Jordan), acoustic guitar (Evan Murphy) and upright bass (Nate Sabat). Jordan and Brodsky are new members. The new disc consists of 10 songs, which were recorded in Parsonfield, Maine. The previous releases were recorded in Nashville.

Independent artist, Texas songwriter Jarrod Dickenson dropped "Big Talk," a 10-song effort. The effort includes Jano Rix (The Wood Brothers) on drums and keys, Ted Pecchio (Doyle Bramhall II, Tedeschi Trucks Band) on bass, JP Ruggieri on guitars, and Claire Dickenson, who is Jarrod's wife, on backing vocals. Oliver Wood of The Wood Brothers makes a guest appearance, singing on "Home Again."

Long-time Boston-area musician Mark Erelli, who plays with Lori McKenna in addition to have his own career, released "Lay Your Darkness Down" today via Soundly Music. Erelli created the LP in the wake of being diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa ("RP"), degenerative eye disease that leads to blindness.