ALBUM OF THE MONTH: Lean Forward, by The Bottle Rockets Now that summer has finally arrived, it’s a good time to pick out the summer albums. It starts with the latest from the pride of Festus, Missouri, The Bottle Rockets. Lead songwriter Brian Henneman is a pop songwriter masquerading as an alt-country musician. And summer […]
Grant Langston – Stand Up Man
These days, there seems to be a retro honky-tonk style act pop-up every 10 minutes. I regularly listen to acts that really want to be Dale Watson, or really wish that they were as rebelliously reckless as they try to be. I also get plenty of albums that showcase lyrics that are supposed to be […]
Scott Warren – Quick Fix Bandage
I have really enjoyed digging into the new album from Californias’ Scott Warren. Quick Fix Bandage (Jungular Music), is one of those great singer/songwriter albums that deftly tosses folk, rock, country and pop into a wholly satisfying creation. Warren’s vocals contain a gentle rasp that seems to help the fusion of different styles, much in […]
Owen Temple – Dollars and Dimes
Dollars and Dimes (El Paisano Records), the new disc from Texan Owen Temple is an artful shot of reality, as told through the memory and perspective of a traveler with perhaps more questions than answers. Drawing on the current socio-economical climate, Temple has crafted an album that will remind many that story-telling can be relevant […]
The Von Ehrics – Loaded
The marriage of Punk-Rock and Country music has been a fruitful union for years now. The Von Ehrics of Dallas, TX are yet another unapologetic spawn of the DNA that has produced The Supersuckers and Hank III. Loaded (Crustacean Records), which is The Von Ehrics third release, relentlessly displays their willingness to rock. Where certain […]
Red Stick Ramblers – My suitcase is Always Packed
The Red Stick Ramblers derive their name from where their hometown, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Their music is also derived from the cultural influences of their native region. Baton Rouge is located along a corridor that runs from New Orleans to Houston. Consequently the Red Stick Ramblers deliver an eclectic mix of Zydeco, Country, Bluegrass and […]
Ted Russell Kamp – Poor Man’s Paradise
When reporting on Major League Baseball, it seems as though most anchors or scribes have a hard time saying anything, whether it be positive or negative, about Manny Ramirez without using the tired, lazy phrase, “Manny being Manny” . I imagine that there is a similar need or desire by most bloggers or music journalists […]
Mayer’s Playlist for March/April 2009, Part 2
ALBUMS OF THE MONTH: Broken, by Todd Thibaud Thibaud is a roots rock everyman, routinely cranking out hearty workingman’s music. His latest continues his streak of satisfying releases. Thibaud is at his best when he takes on the emotional conflicts of people grappling with their everyday lives. His lyrics capture their internal conflict yet keep […]
Ronnie Fauss – New Songs for the Old Frontier: Vol. 1
Twangville City Limits – Mo Robson
Mo Robson is the lead-singer and songwriter for The Mo Robson Band. To celebrate the release of his new live album, Mo Robson Band – Live at Adair’s (Smith Music – out this week), Mo gives us a stripped-down preview of some of the new tracks and old favorites that we can expect from the […]