So, Ryan Adams has sobered up and released a record. At least the recent New York Times article I read says he’s been sober for about a year. What do we get with sober Adams? A pretty good record actually. The one, two (pun intended) punch of “Goodnight Rose” and “Two” get Easy Tiger off to a cranking […]
Josh Rouse/Country Mouse, City House
Due July 31st on Bedroom Classics, Country Mouse, City House is Josh Rouse’s seventh proper full-length album. According to his press release it was recorded over a six day session in Puerto de Santa Maria, Spain with overdubs done later in Nashville. Speaking of Nashville, that’s the title of the first Rouse album I accquired, […]
Old Crow Medicine Show/ Headliner’s/Columbia, South Carolina/June 18, 2007
A Monday night may not be the best night to go out drinking and dancing in Columbia, South Carolina, but that didn’t stop over 200 people from heading out to Headliner’s for some old-time string music courtesy of Old Crow Medicine Show. The band had just gotten finished playing the Bonnaroo Festival and had a […]
Jennie Arnau/Mt. Pleasant
When I first saw the title to Jennie Arnau’s new album, Mt. Pleasant, I instinctively thought of the little town in South Carolina of the same name, but assumed that Arnau meant something different…she didn’t. The album was in fact named for that town. And although she’s based in New York these days, she’s originally […]
The Avett Brothers/Emotionalism
 A few years back, when I was the editor of my very own zine, I stumbled across a charming little band from North Carolina thanks to a review by one of my contributors. That band was the Avett Brothers and I ended up contacting them and getting permission to include one of their songs […]
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club/Baby 81
It’s been a while since I’ve got an album that has beckoned to be cranked to 11, but the release of Baby 81 has ended that drought. After a brief stint grabbing Americana-type reviews and features with their last album, Howl, the Black Rebel boys come back rocking. From the opening track, “Took Out a […]
Ana Miura/Tenacious Heart
“Oh Canda! Our home and native land!” Ok, sorry, I just had to get that in there, as Ms. Miura hails from Canada. Ottawa to be exact…or is it Ontario? Oh well, both are listed on her website and it looks like she spends a fair amount of time in each place while occasionally jaunting […]
Adam Hood/6th Street EP
Adam Hood’s 4 song EP starts off promising with the semi-rocking “Tuesday Night” in which he proclaims, “I’m always hoping for a good time/It never happens on a Tuesday night.” It’s the standout track of the disc which features mostly Edwin McCain-style vocals, acoustic guitar, bass and drums. (And if anyone would know where to […]
The Liabilities/The Liabilities
The Liabilities are a 4-piece from Macon, Georgia consisting of Aaron Irons (lead vocals, guitar), Justin Smith (bass, backing vocals), Brandon Fickler (lead guitar, vocals) and Josh Smith (drums). From listening to their debut self-titled disc, you’d have no idea it was recorded in a 10×30 foot storage shed in Columbia, South Carolina during the […]
Old Crow Medicine Show/Big Iron World
In what a big iron world we live. Or so think Old Crow Medicine Show. On their second disc, again produced by David Rawlings, the boys would like to take us back to a much simpler time. A time before Leo Fender and Les Paul’s “electric” guitars. This is a time when the banjo and […]