Bright Eyes, Cassadaga (Saddle Creek) Under normal circumstances, Connor Oberst aka Bright Eyes is the kind of guy I want to chaperone to the gym. Aside from his tender heart, his music is generally hit or miss for me. For many others (including one of my all time favorites, Michael Stipe), he is highly revered. […]
Ted Leo & More, Album Previews
Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, Living With the Living (Touch & Go Records) If I’m telling the full truth, Jesse Malin would have been my pick of the week if I could locate a full album stream. The good news is that Ted Leo and the Pharmacists are more than second best. Fans of Spoon […]
Son Volt & More, Album Previews
Son Volt, The Search (Legacy) Their previous release, Okemah and the Melody of Riot, landed at #3 on my top ten list of 2005. Its fair to say I’m biased when talking about Son Volt. Jay Farrar and Mike Heidorn created Son Volt out of the ashes of Uncle Tupelo who along with Whiskeytown should […]
Southern Culture on the Skids, Album Preview
Southern Culture on the Skids, Countrypolitan Favorites (Yep Roc) I got the opportunity to see SCOTS last year in San Francisco for the first time. They are fantastic live. I got hit by a flying piece of fried chicken and I loved it. I don’t know much about the new album but I expect it […]
Backyard Tire Fire & More, Album Previews
Backyard Tire Fire, Vagabonds and Hooligans (O.L.E. Records) Good stuff from Athens and Asheville rooted Backyard Tire Fire. Now putting it down in Bloomington, IL the trio delivers a promising new record titled Vagabonds and Hooligans. You gotta love an album whose first verse reads: Instruments and cable ties and bottles on the floor / […]
Paolo Nutini & More, Album Previews
HOT STUFF: Paolo Nutini, These Streets (WEA) I haven’t given many of this week’s new releases a listen yet, but a preliminary dig into Scottish cat, Paolo Nutini, has me interested. I’m getting some of the same good vibes I’ve had from Amos Lee and K.T. Tunstall in the past. It has me looking forward […]
Tom’s Pick of the Week, Drive-by Truckers
DBT!… DBT!… DBT!… my favorite rock band since GBV hung the towel over a year ago. The Drive-by Truckers return with their latest release A Blessing and A Curse. While I’m not as emotionally attached to this one as I was 2004’s The Dirty South, I undoubtedly believe this will add yet one more notch […]
Tom’s Pick of the Week, Josh Ritter
The Animal Years has been highly anticipated for some time now. You’ll find this album reminiscent of the folkier side of Bruce Springsteen and more recently Ryan Adams but with better vocals, at least in my opinion. So far this year, this is the best Folk album I’ve listened to. A full album stream is […]
Tom’s Pick of the Week, Bruce Robison
There are several interesting releases this week. I’m intrigued by releases from just about all these artists. Though, the only one that I’ve been able to preview that I feel comfortable recommending is Texas-based, Americana singer-songwriter, Bruce Robison’s Eleven Stories. Check out track #2 “Virginia”: [audio:http://www.sustainrecords.com/audio/Bruce%20Robison%20-%20Virginia.mp3] Notable releases for week of April 4, 2006 from: […]
Tom’s Pick of the Week, Matt Costa
What’s the deal with surfer-turned-musicians lately? There’s Jack Johnson, Tristan Prettyman and now Matt Costa. Well, diverging slightly, Costa is skateboarder-turned-musician. Regardless of the subtle difference, it seems that he is closely associated with the aformentioned Johnson. You’ll find him on Brushfire Records home of Johnson and pal G. Love. Costa’s “Songs We Sing” mostly […]