Elliot Randall, along with his band The Deadmen, has released his sophomore album Caffeine and Gasoline. It is a decidedly more Country affair than his previous effort. What hasn’t changed is the depth of the songwriting. A full band, The Deadmen, have a lot to do with the diversity of styles. However, the main influence […]
The Honey Dewdrops – If the Sun Will Shine
When did Gillian last do an album, 2003? Â Sure, David Rawlings had a great release last year, but it was a Dave Rawlings album that Gillian sang on, not a Gillian album. Â Well, if you have a hankering for something new in that vein, I suggest you check out the latest release from The Honey […]
Kasey Anderson- Nowhere Nights
Nowhere Nights is one of those records for me. It came out of the blue, out of that nether world of independent music (aka the life blood of rock and roll). I was searching for information on the new Chip Robinson record and learned that he had been signed to Red River Records, a label […]
The .357 String Band – Lightning From The North
Musical fads are a double-edged sword…or are they a blessing and a curse? Either way, with each new “movement”, whether it be Texas/Red Dirt or Freak-Folk or whatever, we see an influx of artists that, thanks to the artists who initially drew the attention of the masses to a certain trendy style, get to bask […]
This Ain’t No Place for the Weary Kind- A Review of Crazy Heart
I don’t think I’ve ever reviewed a movie before and this certainly isn’t a ‘movie’ site, but Crazy Heart warrants exception. For those who haven’t heard about Crazy Heart, it stars Jeff Bridges as an aging Texas songwriter plagued by alcohol problems and a flagging career (plenty of inspiration there). I’ll do my best not […]
Beautiful Loser Society – The Long Slow Decline
Following up their brilliant effort Aim Low, The Beautiful Loser Society delivers a somewhat lighter effort. Don’t get me wrong the album is haunted by a similar cast of characters as the previous release. They even take you on a highway ride with Lucifer. That’s right ol’ scratch himself is on “Highway 666 South.” Also […]
Little Country Giants – Fists of Foam & Fury
If you listen hard enough, you may hear some “en vogue†or trendy nature in bringing back Hank Williams’ country style. I mean hell JT Earle’s is in GQ’s next issue with top as one of the top 25 most stylish in the world! While the giants begin with a straight out of the opry […]
Chip Robinson- Mylow
The late 1990’s may have been the golden era of alt. country. We had Son Volt’s Trace and Lucinda Williams’ Car Wheels on a Gravel Road. Steve Earle was having a post prison career renaissance, the Old 97’s were signing with a major label, and Wilco was teaming up with Billy Bragg on unrecorded Woody […]
I See Hawks In L.A. – Shoulda Been Gold
Imagine if Graham Parsons had hooked up with Grace Slick instead of Emmylou, and one of their offspring had moved out to Joshua Tree for a decade or so, then formed a band with a couple of his friends. Â The real story of how I See Hawks In L.A. came into being is less, well, […]
Adam Carroll & Michael O’Connor- Hard Times
Hard Times was released on January 1, 2010 by Texas singer-songwriters Adam Carroll and Michael O’Connor. I’m pretty well acquainted with the former as the laconic, yet sharp witted songwriter who writes the funniest folk songs this side of Todd Snider. And while I haven’t heard of O’Connor before, his contributions to this record are […]