Posted in Americana, Folk, Katy Leonard, Rock, Singer-songwriter on July 23, 2008 | No Comments »
John Sebastian & David Grisman
Satisfied
Acoustic Disc
3.5 stars (out of 5)
Satisfied is a perfect soundtrack for the lazy days of summer – or for imagining what “lazy days” might be like while gazing longingly out of the window of your urban office.
The album as a whole brings to mind a rowboat on the water, parasols, [...]
Posted in Americana, Maria Morgan Davis, Rock, Singer-songwriter on July 11, 2008 | No Comments »
John Hiatt
Same Old Man
New West Records
2 stars (out of 5)
If there’s any truth to the lyrics on his latest album, then John Hiatt is one conflicted guy. First, he’s celebrating a time when “I had nothing to live up to/Everywhere to be” (“Same Old Man”) and dismissing a loyal companion, saying “I woulda took her [...]
Posted in Americana, Rock, Singer-songwriter, Tim Walsh on July 2, 2008 | No Comments »
Gary Louris
Vagabonds
Rykodisc
3.5 stars (out of 5)
Apparently, 20 years with the Jayhawks affords one ample cause for serious self-examination. On his solo debut, guitarist Gary Louris soul searches on ten abstractions connected by evocative imagery and producer Chris Robinson’s well-orchestrated arrangements.
Vagabonds begins with Louris finding spiritual rebirth in “True Blue” and freedom in “Omaha Nights.” “To [...]
Posted in 4 and 4.5 Star Albums, Americana, Bluegrass, Kevin Kehrberg, Rock, tagged Kevin Kehrberg on June 26, 2008 | No Comments »
Casey Driessen
3D
Sugar Hill Records
4.5 stars (out of 5)
Upon entering Casey Driessen’s 3D into iTunes, the word Unclassifiable appears in the application’s Genre column. Coincidence or not, this debut solo project from one of today’s most promising young fiddlers is certainly beyond category. After what sounds like a storm siren—perhaps a beacon to listeners that this [...]
Posted in Americana, Blues, Country, Rock, Tim Walsh on June 24, 2008 | 1 Comment »
The Band of Heathens
The Band of Heathens
BOH Records
3 stars (out of 5)
The Band of Heathens was born at the legendary Momo’s in Austin, where its singers and songwriters Colin Brooks, Ed Jurdi, and Gordy Quist transformed their regular co-billings into on-stage collaborations. The Heathens quickly became heroes in the local club scene and started racking [...]
Posted in 4 and 4.5 Star Albums, Aaron Keith Harris, Bluegrass, Country, Rock on February 19, 2008 | No Comments »
Larry Cordle and Lonesome Standard Time
Took Down and Put Up
Lonesome Day Records
4 stars (out of 5)
There are some songwriters whose work sounds best when sung by someone else. Others simply need to sing their own songs.
Larry Cordle is neither kind. Loretta Lynn, Garth Brooks, and Alison Krauss have all recorded the Cordell, Ky. native’s work, [...]
Posted in 4 and 4.5 Star Albums, Aaron Keith Harris, Americana, Bluegrass, Country, DVD, Rock, Television on January 6, 2008 | 1 Comment »
Johnny Cash
The Best of the Johnny Cash TV Show
Sony Columbia Legacy
5 stars (out of 5)
I was in journalism grad school when Johnny Cash died, the same week that John Ritter died of a heart attack. In a seminar on entertainment writing taught by the entertainment editor at the Chicago Tribune, we debated which death was [...]
Posted in Bluegrass, Erin Faith, Rock on September 21, 2007 | No Comments »
Hayseed Dixie
Weapons of Grass Destruction
Cooking Vinyl Records
3 stars (out of 5)
Hayseed Dixie is made up of four strange and possibly brilliant men: Barley Scotch (guitar/vocals/fiddle), Reverend Don Wayne Reno (banjo), Deacon Dale Reno (mandolin) and Jake Bakeshake Byers (bass). Hayseed Dixie is awful, but in a wonderful way.
With the cunning use of what can only [...]
Posted in Aaron Keith Harris, Americana, Rock on September 17, 2007 | 2 Comments »
Various Artists
Endless Highway: The Music of The Band
429 Records
2.5 stars (out of 5)
Covering The Band presents a different sort of challenge than covering another great band or artist, simply because Rick Danko, Levon Helm, Garth Hudson, Richard Manuel and Robbie Robertson amounted to much more together than they ever could apart.
Which is saying something, because [...]
Posted in Americana, Concerts, Katy Leonard, Rock on September 3, 2007 | 1 Comment »
Levon Helm’s Ramble On The Road!
The Levon Helm Band and Ollabelle
with special guests Emmylou Harris, Sam Bush, Buddy Miller, John Hiatt, Fred Carter Jr., Sheryl Crow, Ricky Skaggs and Lee Roy Parnell.
Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, TN July 18, 2007
I was raised on a diet of classics – Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Crosby Stills Nash and Young, [...]
