Crooked Still / Infamous Stringdusters

Two of the best young Newgrass groups have new albums.

Crooked Still - will release Some Strange Country on May 18th on Signature Sounds. They are certainly a genre bending groups always, but they rise to a new level on this. The album is beautifully arranged,lyrically infused with both spiritual and earthly wisdom, and as always the musicianship demands accolades. Heavyweights Tim O'brien and Ricky Skaggs lend a hand. In fact, "I'm Troubled" which features O'brien may be the best track. Crooked Still is no longer emerging. With the release of Some Strange Country hey have arrived.

The infamous Stringdusters - Will release Things that Fly on Tuesday. On this release they move even more toward the progressive side of the Bluegrass spectrum. The breadth of their musical palate is increasing. With this release they have created a masterpiece. Check out the EPK below.

Jason and the Scorchers - Halcyon Days

For all of you youngsters out there who love the history of alt-country, the first fact to know is that Uncle Tupelo started it all. Wrong Answer!!!! Before there was something called alt-country, there were many in the field. Rank & File (an early Alejandro Escovedo project), X was heavily roots influenced, The Blasters just to name a few. However, in my mind (which was clouded with Beer during this period)there is one band who created what later became alt-country. At the time it was referred to as Cow-Punk. Who cares what it was called then or now, Jason & the Scorchers fused Country with Rock in a way nobody had before. Jason was the panache and the voice and Warner Hodges raging guitar licks were the soul. Everyone who came to see them had kickin' party they could almost remember. The energy in a Scorchers show could power a third world country.

My life changed in 1984 when I first heard Lost and Found. They dominated the college bar scene of the 80s. They began to grow in popularity and even played with Dylan. However, label troubles, sickness and rehab (the big three for all rock bands)eventually put them on hiatus. However, with the success of the alt-country sound, which they basically created, they came back with an excellent album A Blazing Grace in 1993.

Fast forward to 2010, two years after receiving a lifetime achievement award from the AMA, they release Halcyon Days. It is their first new release in almost 15 years. Guess what folks? They've still got it. It is a more mature sound but still has everything you would expect of the Scorchers. So go out and get yourself a history lesson. It appears they intend to finish what they started.

Here's one from 1984

Patty Griffin - Downtown Church

Patty Griffin has just released her new album Downtown Church. The album was brilliantly produced by Buddy Miller and has an excellent supporting cast. On this album Griffin captures the soul of the traditional African-American Church, as well as the beauty of more traditional hymns. The mix of songs on this album capture a spirit of forgiveness that is truly the central message of Christianity. These songs don't have anything to do with the exclusive legalism of the mainstream American Church. Instead there is a soothing redemption given.

I don't care what your affiliation, songs like "little Fire," which features Emmylou Harris, will warm you deep in your soul (even if you don't believe in one). She reinterprets classic Gospel songs and hymns like "Tear This Building Down" and "All Creatures of Our God and King." Buddy and Julie Miller both join her on this project. On "Never Grow Old" Buddy's voice adds an authentic roughness to complement the softness of Griffin's voice. Downtown Church offers no condemnation, just beauty, soul and hope.

Austin Collins - Wrong Control

Austin Collins is an artist on the rise. His previous release Roses are Black received a lot of critical praise. With the release of Wrong Control on March 2nd, music fans will no doubt take notice. Along with his band the Rainbirds, Collins is delivering a more rocking twist to accompany his excellent songwriting.

The album begins with the broken love of "Just the Same." On this song Collins declares "A rose by any other name is just a flower in the rain. She was born to hold your dreams back by strain." On the title cut we get a glimpse of what he feels gets in the way of Love's happiness, "you always said that choice was a device in a disguise. Place you bets and leave because the heartache's in the details." It seems we can reinvent what is good about a relationship into something entirely different. Then there is "The Island," which uses seemingly incongruent metaphors to bring it all together in a hopeful way.

All of these conceptual twists and turns have an underlying edgy beat that moves them along. The groove is consistent among the songs, but it is not monotonous. There is an undertone to the music that makes it one of those albums you can play over and over again. Give it a try. I bet you'll listen more than once.

Elliot Randall & The Deadmen - Caffeine and Gasoline

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 is producer David Simon-Baker, who has worked with Jackie Greene and The Mother Hips. There is a blend of Country, Rock and troubadour songwriting that reflect Randall’s influences and South Carolina upbringing. He may be based in San Francisco but his influences range from coast to coast. Common themes are love on the mend and love gone wrong.

The way Randall pours out the soul of his protagonists is a manner exhibited by more seasoned songwriters. Randall will no doubt go from a popular regional Northern California artist to a true touring songwriter. He has recently opened for Junior Brown, Cross Canadian Ragweed, Hayes Carll and The Steve Miller Band. The diversity of this album should firmly establish him in the Americana landscape. There is no sophomore slump. In fact, it appears there are even better things to come.

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 on "The long slow decline 'Elvis is in the building.' The song is "Elvis, The King," which captures the King in his young cool style as well as sequined jumpsuit Elvis.

As I said, much of the characters are unchanged. Like the Honky Tonk anthem "Shade Tree Mechanic" (which could easily be about a particular uncle of mine), "Rich folks spend their time countin' money and the poor spend their time gettin' drunk. Whose to say what is worse what's a blessing what's a curse but old Billy is just shit out of luck." A dark character on the album is the "Suicide Trucker." One touching romantic ballad shows the beauty of the one relationship you can count on in "Good 'ol Dog." "Hot Rod Daddy" combines guitar work that could be mistaken for Dick Dale with a Rockabilly back beat.

Straight from Colorado to your ears "The Beautiful Loser Society" is a social club I want to join. The initiation fee is only a 12 pack and the will to drink it. Long Slow Decline is a more Country affair than its predecessor. So put the sawdust on the floor. I'm ready to go.

MySpace

January 12 - Release Highlights

While not a complete list here a a couple of releases I am excited about:

Ray Wylie Hubbard - A. Enlightenment, B. Endarkment (Hint: There Is No C) (Bordello) Here is an excerpt from the press release. (I'm sure it will be the dark but entertaining effprt we expet from him.)

Ray Wylie Hubbard will release A. Enlightenment B. Endarkenment (Hint: There is no C) on January 12, 2010 on Bordello Records with marketing and distribution provided by Thirty Tigers/RED. The album was produced by Hubbard with help from George Reiff. With a keen eye for observation and a wise man's knowledge, Ray Wylie Hubbard composes and performs a dozen songs that couldn't spring from anywhere else but out of his fertile rock and roll bluesy poet-in-the-blistering-heat southern noggin. "I like to look at both enlightenment and endarkenment," he declares. "I feel comfortable observing each." A. Enlightenment
B. Endarkenment demonstrates the kind of talent that every great songwriter yearns for. Throughout the album, his focus remains on the song- constructing and performing stories set to music that resonate in a way that is completely his own.

Vampire Weekend - Contra - The best new indie band of 2008. This should have the quirkiness and understated World Music influences fo there previous release.

Cousins:

The Top Two

Though I put Band of Heathens number one, it was really a tie with Buddy andf Julie Miller. The tiebreaker was the addiction to BOH I developed this year. It was my heaviest rotation. The different styles nd tempo made it fresh no matter how much I listened to it.

Buddy and Julie put out an emotional portrait of simpler times and the pain of true love. It's power and outstanding songwriting are undenible. More importantly the arrangement and intrumentation of eac song underscore the emotion of the lyrics.

No. & M. Ward Hold Time

Since numbers 3-7 on my best of list have been covered previously, I am going to forgo posting on them. However, number 7, M. Ward - Hold Time, did not get the coverage it deserved here on AWT, even though it is high on my list. The album is simultaneously, Folk, Indie and Americana. The sound is wispy but not too ethereal. Just listen to the duet with Lucinda Williams, which is a cover of Hank Williams "Oh Lonesome Me." He captures all the pain of the original but makes it uniquely his own. The album is permeated with passion and exhibits clever lyricism.

Check out this ACL performance

8) Charlie Robison 9) Sam Bush 10) Grant Langston

Sam Bush and Grant Langston have previous reviews here on AWT. Coming in at number 8 Charlie Robison rates higher than both. Beautiful Day is both a kiss off to Emily, his Dixie Chick ex-wife, and an embrace of new found freedom. It has three main ingredients heartache, piss and vinegar. It also has an awesome cover of Bobby Bare Jr.'s "Nothin' Better to Do."

Numbers 11 and 12: Lucero and Wrinkle Neck Mules

12) Wrinkle Neck Mules - Readers of AWT know how much I love the Mules so I will just point you to my Previous Post. Now on to ...

11) Lucero-1372 Overton Park - This band has building something great for almost ten years. With 1372 Overton Park, they created the perfect record that blends their Drive-By-Truckers meets The Replacemenrts sound and the perfect amount of hometown Memphis R&B.

The best of 2009

The Winner is...
Tis the season... The best of lists are coming out in force. So I am going to get ahead of the curve. This year is particularly interesting if you want to check out the top "Twang" lists. Keep your eye on Twangville for a collaborative list for those of us in the Posse, as well as individual lists. The best best of list will be The Bird List, but there will be more on this later. For now let's just focus on my humble list here on AWT.

In my mid-year list, Buddy and Julie were on top, but they have been replaced by Band of Heathens in the final list. This was actually a close call and was decided by addiction. Once I listened to the first song, One Foot in the Ether became audio crack. Other new entries into the top ten are Roseanne Cash, Two Tons of Steel, Sam Bush and Grant Langston. Enough banter the list is below and then I will spend the remainder of the year writing individual posts on my top 12. (Sort of a twelve days of Christmas with no turtle doves.)

1 Band of Heathens - One foot in the Ether
2 Buddy & Julie Miller - Written in Chalk
3 Roseanne Cash - The List
4 Ryan Bingham and the Dead Horses - Roadhouse Sun
5 Roman Candle - Oh Tall Tree in the Ear
6 Two Tons of Steel - Not That Lucky
7 M. Ward - Hold Time
8 Charlie Robison - Beautiful Day
9 Sam Bush - Circles Around Me
10 Grant Langston - Stand Up Man
11 Lucero - 1372 Overton Park
12 Wrinkle Neck Mules - Let the Lead Fly
13 Monsters of Folk - Self Titles
14 Wilco - The Album
15 Slaid Cleaves - Everything You Love Will be Taken Away
16 Justin Townes Earle - Midnight at the Movies
17 Stephen Kellog and the Sixers - The Bear
18 Brendan Benson - My Old Familiar Friend
19 Sarah Jarosz - Song Up in Her Head
20 Sarah Borges & the Broken Singles - The Stars are Out
21 Nitty Gritty Dirt Band - Speed of Life
22 Elvis Costello - Secret, Profane and Sugarcane
23 Guy Clark - Sometimes the Song Writes You
24 Scott Miller & the Commonwealth - For Cryin' Out Loud
25 Hill Country Review - Self Titled
26 Conor Oberst & the Mystic Valley Band - Outer South
27 The Gourds - Haymaker!
28 Donna Ulisse - Walk this Mountain Down
29 Bottle Rockets - Lean Forward
30 The Decemberists - The Hazards of Love
31 Bob Dylan - Together Through Life
32 Chuck Prophet - Let Freedom Ring
33 Derek Trucks - Already Free
34 The Flatlanders - Hills and Valleys
35 Dallas Wayne - I'll Take the Fifth
36 Red Stick Ramblers - My Suitcase is Always Packed
37 Chuck Mead - Journeyman's Wager
38 Bruce Springsteen - Working on a Dream
39 Gina Villalobos - Days on Their Side
40 Cracker - Sunshine in the Land of Milk and Honey
41 Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit - Self Titled
42 Kieran Kane - Somewhere Beyond the Roses
43 Radney Foster Revival
44 Mindy Smith - Stupid Love
45 Mark Olson & Gary Louris - Ready for the Flood
46 Dave Matthews Band - Big Whiskey and the Gru Grux King
47 Pter Holsapple and Chris Stamey - Here and Now
48 Neko Case - Middle Cyclone
49 Sara Watkins - Self Titled
50 Dierks Bentley - Feel that Fire

Sam Bush - Circles Around Me

Circles Around Me, Bush's seventh solo album is a mix of classic bluegrass covers and new originals. Quite possibly this is Bush’s most cohesive release. Bush has always been a dichotomy. He is influenced by the old but is the original innovator of the new. Hell, he literally coined the term new grass with his original band New Grass Revival, which he founded. The young innovators of today like Chris Thile, Infamous Stringdusters, Old Crow Medicine Show, Chatham County Line, Hackensaw Boys, Crooked Still and more recently the likes of Sarah Jarosz, owe their success to Bush, Bela Fleck, John Cowan and their peers.

On this new release, Bush blends the old and new seamlessly with both covers and original compositions. Produced by Bush, Circles Around Me includes appearances by Del McCoury, Edgar Meyer and Jerry Douglas to name a few. Let’s not forget Bush's own band; Scott Vestal, Stephen Mougin, Byron House and Chris Brown, which is one of the best in all of Bluegrass.

The album includes some great songwriting collaborations. The title cut was co-written with Jeff Black. My favorite is "The Ballad of Stringbean and Estelle," which Bush co-wrote with Guy Clark and Verlon Thompson. This song is a true story of the 1973 murder of Grand Ole Opry star David "Stringbean" Akeman and his wife. "Souvenir Bottles" and "Whisper My Name" are re-workings of New Grass Revival songs. These songs build a nice bridge to the traditional tunes on the record. Del McCoury lends his unmistakable tenor on two Bill Monroe covers, "Roll On Buddy, Roll On" and "Midnight on the Stormy Deep." However, the most poignant and powerful of the traditional songs is the excellent rendition of "Diamond Joe."

Whatever you perspective, Circles Around Me gives us an artist that obviously is content where he is now, where he came from and where he is headed. Maybe that is why he just received the AMA lifetime achievment award.

Check out his AMA performance:

Wrinkle Neck Mules - Let the Lead Fly

With the release of their fourth album the Wrinkle Neck Mules have established themselves as one of the premier roots rock bands. Let the Lead Fly is a bit less electric but rocks just as hard. With the use of banjo, mandolin and pedal steel, the roots move to the forefront on this release. As usual the band tells stories of the people on the margins of society. The poignant vignettes are especially effective at a time when the margins of society are growing However, this is not an album about sorrow and despair. As they say on the title cut, “Don’t just stand there raise, your guns and let lead fly.” Instrumentally the linchpin that brings the traditional and the electric rock together is “Medicine Bow.” This song stands in contrast to “The Waters all Run Dry,” which would have been a country standard if it had been recorded in the 40’s or 50’s.

The band has two members that contribute lead vocals and each gives the band a different feel. Andy Stepanian has a raw, edgy voice. Mason Brent has a smoother voice that gives a folksier feel. To put it in terms of bourbon it is like Old Grand Dad versus Basil Hayden. However, either one can result in a good time. This two singer, two style concept has a direct correlation to the Drive-by Truckers. The formula works pretty well for both the Truckers and the Mules. The comparison to the Truckers is not entirely fair given the depth of the Truckers catalogue. However, after four albums the Wrinkle Neck Mules have firmly established themselves. They seem to be here to stay and getting better. If you haven’t listened to them yet it is time for you to Let the Lead Fly.


Sample Title Cut

WSM starts new show - Music City Roots

The legendary Nashville radio station WSM, the broadcasting home of the Grand Ole Opry, has a new show, Music City Roots. It is broadcast from a new venue, The Loveless Barn, just outside of Nashville.

This week was Sam Bush and Mike Farris. The first episode was Emmylou Harris. Check out the website .

The Upcoming Lineup is unbelievable. You can also go to the WSM Website for on demand streaming

Sarah Jarosz appears on Prairie Home Companion

My friend Mark heard Sarah Jarosz on Prairie Home Companion last week and was blown away. This reminded me that I had a promo I was going to post about earlier this Summer. The problem was I got busy and moved and the post was never made. That was crime that needs to be rectified.

Sarah Jarosz is only 18 and she grew up in the Texas Hill Country, home to a songwriter or two I would say. What makes her unique is that she is a great musician as well as a songwriter. She is now studying at a conservatory in the Northeast and released an album this past Summer on Sugar Hill Records that includes a whose who of Modern Bluegrass stars. The album is entitled Song Up in Her Head and guests include Chris Thile, Darrell Scott, Stuart Duncan, Mike Marshall, Tim O'brien and Jerry Douglas along with Samson Grisman the progeny of David Grisman. It bares repeating that this is her debut album. I can't imagine what she will due for her next release.

She is a kindred spirit of Sara Watkins and Abigail Washburn. The future of Bluegrass never looked so good.

Listen to the Audio

Two Tons of Steel = One Ton of Fun

The band was named after the vintage restored Cadillac owned by lead singer Kevin Geil. This is appropriate considering Not that Lucky is a cruise through the Country and Rockabilly of the 50s delivered with a punk attitude. Two Tons of Steel certainly deliver a fresh interpretation of what a Honky Tonk band should be. This is their first since 2005’s Vegas and is already creating a buzz, debuting at number 8 on the Americana charts and is now number 4. They enlisted the expertise of the ubiquitous Texas musician and producer Lloyd Maines. Maines touch is evident on this masterpiece. Another notable contributor is Tom Gilliam, who plays on the title cut and wrote the ending track, “Bottom of the Bottle. “ All of the other songs on the album were written by Geil except for the brilliant cover of Fred Eaglesmith’s” Alcohol and Pills.”

The Punk attitude of this album really shows up when they use the thumping upright bass and fuzzy guitar riffs as on “Wanna Dance.” Make no mistake though this album is also a vintage Honky Tonk party. One listen to Not That Lucky will have you pouring sawdust on your hardwood floors and clearing the furniture. So call the neighbors and have plenty if PBR on hand because they will want to join the party. After all something this fun needs be shared and enjoyed by all, at least until the Cops arrive. Not that Lucky was released last month by the Texas label Smith Entertainment Group. Get your copy today but be sure to get the PBR first.

Stream on the Two Tons Website

This review also appears on Twangville

Roseanne Cash - The List

Read the press release below and tell me how this won't bw great. Then check out the track list and imeem link.

ROSANNE CASH TO RELEASE BRAND-NEW ALBUM, THE LIST,
ON MANHATTAN RECORDS ON OCTOBER 6TH, 2009

ALBUM FEATURES CASH'S CONTEMPORARY INTERPRETATIONS OF
SONGS FROM A LIST OF ESSENTIAL COUNTRY SONGS
PASSED ON TO HER BY HER LEGENDARY FATHER

SPECIAL GUESTS INCLUDE ELVIS COSTELLO,
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, JEFF TWEEDY, RUFUS WAINWRIGHT


Acclaimed singer-songwriter Rosanne Cash will release her 12th studio album, entitled The List, on Manhattan Records on October 6th, 2009. This stunning work features Cash's contemporary interpretations of 12 classic songs culled from a list of essential country tunes that her legendary father Johnny gave her in 1973, and filtered through her own unique, sophisticated perspective.

Known primarily for her stellar songwriting, Cash showcases her incredible voice on The List -- her first-ever covers record. As a result, the album is Rosanne Cash like you've never heard her before as she embraces her heritage and sings for the pure love and beauty of these songs which have shaped who she is as an artist.

The idea for The List came about while Cash was on tour promoting her 2006 studio album, the critically heralded, Grammy-nominated Black Cadillac -- a reflective song cycle about the loss of her father, mother Vivian Liberto, and stepmother June Carter Cash. During the well-received multi-media event Black Cadillac: In Concert, Cash told audiences how, when she was 18, her father became alarmed that his daughter appeared to lack a deep understanding of country music (having been obsessed with The Beatles and steeped in Southern California rock and pop music). Johnny gave her a list of the "100 Essential Country Songs" and told her that it was her education and she should learn them all.

The track-listing for The List :
1. "Miss the Mississippi and You"
2. "Motherless Children"
3. "Sea of Heartbreak" (w/ Bruce Springsteen)
4. "Take These Chains From My Heart"
5. "I'm Movin' On"
6. "She's Got You"
7. "Heartaches by the Number" (w/ Elvis Costello)
8. "500 Miles"
9. "Long Black Veil" (w/ Jeff Tweedy)
10. "Silver Wings" (w/ Rufus Wainwright)
11. "Girl From the North Country"
12. "Bury Me Under the Weeping Willow"

Long Black Veil with Jeff Tweedy
imeem

Kieran Kane - Somewhere Beyond the Roses

An album doesn’t have to have great lyrics for me to connect with it. A good song doesn’t need to possess deep meaning for me to enjoy it. In fact there is nothing more formulaic and boring than a guy with an acoustic guitar pretending to hold the meaning of life. However, when I come across an album with lyrics that have a genuine and distinctive reflection on life I develop a spiritual connection that goes beyond the music. That is the way I feel about the new Kieran Kane release Somewhere Beyond the Roses. It would be great if it stopped there; but in this case the instrumentation and arrangement of the songs makes the album one of the top releases of the year. Kane has been cranking out the brilliance in the last several years both as a solo artist and with Kane, Welch and Kaplan. However, with this release Kane is playing his trump card.

To begin with it is hard to even adequately describe the style of his banjo playing it is so eclectic. He combines this on the songs with a Baritone Sax that hearkens back to the alternative rock band Morphine. Deanna Varagona (Lambchop) supplies this baritone sax, Richard Bennett (Neil Diamond, Mark Knopfler) is on electric guitar, and Lucas Kane (Kane’s son and contributor to Kane, Welch, Kaplin) is on drums. David Olney provides backing vocals on “Don’t Try To Fight It” and Fats Kaplin plays steel guitar on “Unfaithful Heart”. The unusual banjo and Sax combination gives the music complexity even though the production is stripped down and raw. In almost perfect harmony with this minimalist yet edgy instrumentation the lyrics are infused with a raw spirituality. The spirituality is earthy. There is nothing esoteric about the lyrics. They are deep and infused with timeless truth.

Sample Tracks

Stephanie Schneiderman

Tony Furtado recently produced an interesting project, Dangerous Fruit by Portland, Oregon Indie Pop artist Stephanie Schneiderman. It is some masterful songs that are bent and twisted in some different directions. Fans of Feist should really like her. She is creating a Buzz in the Northwest.

Wolfmother New Album

I don't often hype metal but Wolfmother is worth the exception. They have only one album released in 2005 that was equally ground breaking and derivative. Then turmoil hit and they supposedly broke up. However, co-founder Andrew Stockdale is back with a new lineup and is set to release a new album. As the real driving force behind the Wolfmother sound I expect nothing less than another masterpiece and am excited for the release. You can already pre-order Cosmic Egg on iTunes.

Listen to "New Moon Rising" onMySpace

Mindy Smith - Stupid Love

The best way to understand the present state of Mindy Smith's career is to put that career in the context of how it really began. Mindy Smith was included in an all-star tribute album to Dolly Parton, Just Because I'm a Woman (Sugar Hill, 2003). However, in 2003 Smith was no All-Star, but there she was on an album with Allison Krauss, Emmylou Harris, Kasey Chambers, Shelby Lynne and Norah Jones among others. Dolly Parton was so impressed with her cover of "Jolene" that she sang on the version recorded for Mindy Smith's 2004 debut album. In fact,the two of them remain close Friends. Fast forward to 2009, and you see a Mindy Smith taking a step away from those rootsy and acoustic beginnings and embracing a more diverse sound, and potentially a wider audience.

Widening your appeal can be a tricky proposition, often to create breadth an artist will sacrifice depth. Fortunately, there is nothing shallow about Stupid Love. There is a theme to the album. Love is tough and involves heartache and disappointment. However, there is enough good to make it worthwhile. Maybe that is why love is stupid. There is more heartache than happiness for humans when it comes to love. Is it really worthwhile? Is it worth all the heartache we go through in the search for true love? When you look at human behavior the answer seems to be yes. Mindy Smith seems to have noticed this also, and to her it seems to be stupid. How ironic! The fact that we are stupid enough to look for true love makes it all the more satisfying when we find it. It is the depth of her music that ha always made me connect with it. On Stupid Love I see a Mindy Smith that has widened her appeal in a way that will not weaken her connection with her existing fan base.



This review also appears on Twangville

Brendan Benson Power Pop Genius

Brendan Benson has taken a break from his side project ith Jack White, The Racoteurs. He is back to doing what he does best, making great Power Pop. Hooks and tunes you can listen to0 over and over. My Old, Familiar Freind is certainly familiar territory for this under appreciated Indie star.

Check out his letterman performance from earlier this week:

Radney Foster New Album

REVIVAL will be releasing on September 1st. I am a huge Radney Foster fan and this promises to be a huge release for him. Following on the death of his father, I have no doubt this will be an emotionally charged release:

Grant Langston - Stand Up Man

When I first looked at the CD and saw a song called “Shiner Bock and Vicodin” I thought it had possibilities. Then I listened to the song, which featured a naked guy in a wedding, and knew that Stand Up Man couldn’t miss. Then I remembered that Grant Langston was the guy who dared to do a Country cover of “Fat Bottom Girls” and even made it work. Talk about an oddity, a Honky Tonk Freddie Mercury song sounds more like a bad porno, but it is hilarious. “Burt Reynolds Movie Brawl” is a tongue in cheek reference to the obligatory donnybrook that always seemed to be included in Reynold's movies. In that song Langston referred to, “The guy in the L. S. U. T-shirt that looks just like Terry Bradshaw” and I almost drove my car in a ditch. Langston also provides a fresh perspective on aging in “The King of Sunset Hills,” which is the story of man who finds renewed vigor when he is sent to a retirement home as a “Thoroughbred champ turned out to stud… The doctors they cannot believe their eyes, he’s lost 14 pounds and his prostate’s the normal size.”

If humor was all there was, Stand Up Man would fall short. Fortunately there is so much more. The melodies and musicianship are great and there is a mix of traditional country and modern roadhouse sounds. I highly recommend this CD, but I don’t recommend going naked to weddings. Do us all a favor and save the nudity for the honeymoon.

Check out the title cut.



This review also appears on Twangville