New Video: Kasey Chambers & Shane Nicholson

The New Buddy and Julie Miller.



Live is even Better

Blue Mountain Reunited and Reborn on New Album

2008 has seen some of the founding insurgents that have been credited for the Alt-Country movement have released albums this year. Names like the Old 97’s, Alejandro Escovedo, Gary Louris, Jason Ringenberg among others have proven that, in spite of rumors to the contrary, alt-country (or whatever you want to call it) is alive and well. You can now add a reunited Blue Mountain to that list. They have actually released two albums this year. Omnibus contains remakes of classic material. Midnight in Mississippi is an album of new work and the focus of this review. Folks Blue Mountain is back with a vengeance. The gang from Oxford, Mississippi has released an album that has a Southern Gothic masterpiece. Steeped in Southern Rock, Country and Hill Country Blues, the album like great Southern literature is at once dark and beautiful, a dichotomy which makes the album so compelling.

There are songs on the album that are mid-tempo Southern Rock. These songs, like “Groove Me,” “By Your Side” and “Gentle Soul,” provide an undercurrent from which other songs can spin off. “She’s a Wild One” is a story song set in Mexico. The title cut is a dirty blues influenced cut about a night that begins in Junior Kimbrough’s club and ends in violence in a cheap hotel. (Have you ever noticed how many country and blues songs involve cheap hotels?) The most fun song is the blues romp “Skinny Dipping” that closes the album. Blue Mountain was missed while they were gone and Midnight in Mississippi is a welcome return.

Listen on MySpace

This review also appears on Twangville

Best of 2008 So Far

This is my Fourth list of the year. It is based on releases through August 19th. The Truckers are still #1 but almost got knocked off by The Hold Steady who debuted at #2. The other top debuts are Reckless Kelly at #5, Alejandro Escovedo at #7 and Chris Knight at #8. Anyway as always leave comments and tell me what an idiot or genius I am. I've been called a lot worse. The list follows:

1) Drive By Truckers - Brighter Than Creation's Dark
2) The Hold Steady - Stay Positive
3) Tift Merrit - Another Country
4) Hayes Carll - Trouble in Mind
5) Reckless Kelly - Bulletproof
6) Old 97's - Blame it on Gravity
7) Alejandro Escovedo - Real Animal
8) Chris Knight - Heart of Stone
9) My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges
10) The Waybacks - Loaded
11) Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
12) Shawn Mullins - Honeydew
13) The Whigs - Mission Control
14) Ashton Shepherd - Sounds so Good
15) Band of Heathens - Self-Titled
16) Drew Emmitt - Long Road
17) Infamous Stringdusters - Self-Titled
18) Wild Sweet Orange - We Have Cause to be Uneasy
19) Sonny Landreth - From the Reach
20) Justin Townes Earle - The Good Life
21) Griffin House - Flying Upside Down
22) The Raconteurs - Consolers of the Lonely
23) The Steeldrivers - The Steeldrivers
24) John D. Hale - Lost
25) Jakob Dylan - Seeing This
26) John Mellencamp - Life, Death, Love and Freedom
27) Teddy Thompson - A Piece of What You Need
28) The Waifs - Sundirtwater
29) Donna The Buffalo - Silverlined
30) Gary Louris - Vagabonds
31) Heybale - The Last Country Album
32) Kathleen Edwards - Asking for Flowers
33) Sierra Hull - Secrets
34) South Austin Jug Band - Strange Invitation
35) Eleven Hundred Springs - Country Jam
36) Jim Lauderdale - Honey Songs
37) Dr. Dog - Fate
38) The Stills - Oceans Will Rise
39) Black Crowes - Warpaint
40) Beck - Modern Guilt
41) Del McCoury Band - Moneyland
42) Chatham County Line - IV
43) Abigail Washburn & the Sparrow Quartet - Self-Titled
44) Have Gun Will Travel - Casting Shadows Tall as Giants
45) Allison Moorer - Mockingbird
46) R.E.M. - Accelerate
47) Railroad Earth - Amen Corner
48) Widespread Panic - Free Somehow
49) John Hiatt - Same Old Man
50) Stephen Malkmus - Real Emotional Trash
51) The Avett Brothers - Gleam II
52) Rhonda Vincent - Good Thing Goin'
53) Ben Sollee - Learning to Bend
54) Willie Nelson & Wynton Marsalis - Two Men with the Blues
55) Ralston Bowles - Rally at the Texas Hotel
56) Paul Thorn - Long Way from Tupelo
58) George Strait - Troubadour
59) American Gun - The Mean and the Machine
60) Twilight Hotel - Highway Prayer

Honorable Mention: Whisky Myers, The Weepies, Shelby Lynn, Wes Charlton, Jeb Loy Nicholls, Mando Saenz, North Mississippi All-Stars, Tim O'Brien, Black Mountain, Carlene Carter, James McMurtry, Willie Nelson, Jackie Greene, Langhorne Slim, The Hollyfelds, Malcolm Holcombe, Jason Collett, Firewater, Tab Benoit, Marah

The EPicecenter of obscurity

Recently I have come across some EPs and MySpace pages that intrigued me. Take listen and who knows, you may be able to say I heard them when.

Chris Milam - Tin Angel: This one blew me away from the first note Power Pop with a twist. He mixes in horns on a couple of tunes that give a feel of Memphis Soul or even big band. However make no mistake he is a mature songwriter as the title cut showcases. Get past the fact that he looks 14. Listen to Only One

Jeff Michael - "The Other Side": Produced by David Cobb (Shooter Jennings), this SoCal Songwriter crosses country and mid-tempo rock. Think Tom Petty, Shawn Mullins or Pete Droge. MySpace or His Website

Town & Country - My Blue Heaven: Jangly guitars with good hooks and a tough of The Byrds. The collaboration of a Math Prof. (Arnie Kim, a graphic designer (Scott Gagner) and a writer (Dan Weir). Should such educated people write the following lyric? "First you suck then you lie. If there is a hell I think you qualify" MySpace

Treva Blomquist - As it Should Be: She gained a reputation in several songwriting competitions. She is not just a writer though. She is a singer with a capitol "S." It is only a matter of time until she is on a major label. Website

John Wyatt - Godshock - John is friend of mine who, after enduring some personal pain recently, picked his guitar back up after years of neglect and found it full of songs. He is working on a project titled Godshock. On MySpace MySpace John has some rough cuts of a few of these songs he has written. Listen to Baby Gone

Lucinda Williams New Album and Mood Change

I've written before on AWT that I was no fan of Lucinda's previous release West. The whole girl gets done wrong by a loser then gets dark and dreary act was old on on the album. There were few great songs on the album but what worked on World Without Tears slid into a disturbing creepiness on West. I say all of this because Williams is absolutely one of my favorite artists. I am not one of these people wanting Carwheels II. I like her eclecticism. I just want her to do what she does best by mixing styles and moods.

Based on a review I stmbled upon on, I may get my wish. Her new album, which will be titled Little Honey, is coming out in October. Here is an excerpt from the review and interview done by >MusicRemedy

Lucinda Williams has always been adept at painting landscapes of the soul, illuminating the spirit’s shadowy nooks and shimmering crannies -- but she’s never captured the sun breaking through the clouds as purely as on her new Lost Highway release, Little Honey. “I’m in a different phase of my life, so there are more happy moments on this album,” the singer-songwriter says of her ninth studio set...Williams wastes no time signaling that mood change, leading into Little Honey's opener, “Real Love” with a false start riff that's the six-string equivalent of a friendly wink – then sidling into the tune's hard-rocking vibe with a sensual slink that underscores the passion of finding exactly what that title indicates. The bluesy physicality of that tune is echoed in several of Little Honey's tracks

Bring it on! I can't wait.

Here is live video of her doing the first song off the ne album Real Love (Warning the Audio is poor):

Bel Air - Pole to Pole

Check out Kelly's review over at Twangville. This band is definitely worth checking out for fans of Iron & Wine and like minded neo-folkies.

On MySpace

Watson Twins - How Am I to be Video

The Watson Twins Brand of Americana infused Indie-Pop has got me hooked check out their Video:



Then liste on MySpace

Catie Curtis - Sweet Life

Why are so many Folk Singers sad? They have broken hearts, come from broken homes and live broken lives. To be sure such angst provides the motivation for a lot of great songs but a little happiness is good for the soul too. Modern movies aren’t much different either. How many critically acclaimed movies end with happily ever after? Not many, but not many real lives involve happily ever after either. Then again an escape from reality is a good thing from time to time. So a happy ending wouldn’t hurt every now and then. Well put up your razor blades, untie the noose and please don’t throw yourself in front of the oncoming traffic, Catie Curtis is here with Sweet Life. On this album even in heartbreak Curttis finds reason for optimism. She espouses realism with hope but without being overly sentimental or Cheesy.

Now that you have come in off the ledge, let’s start your therapy. Not the Tony Robbins fake optimism variety, but the Catie Curtis realistic glass is half full variety. First, listen to the the title cut “Sweet Life” and then “Happy.” The titles alone make you feel better and the music will get you tapping your toes. The thing about this album is the lyrics and the music are both encouraging. As you listen to the songs on the album you will often find characters who encounter the same problems you do or worse, but they are still hopeful. Now listen to ”Sing.” I bet you are already starting to feel better. This song is the album’s lynch pin to me. The instrumentation and musicianship go right along with the hopeful upbeat song. In fact, that can be said for the entire album. Now for a lullaby and some much needed rest. The soothing tune “For Now” will take you into dreamspace and you won’t even need to take the Ambien.

Sweet Life is truly an enjoyable album in every way. Plus sometimes a little hope is the perfect prescription.

Pre-Order and sample at Compass Records

The Avett Brothers Sign to Columbia

American/Columbia Records has signed The Avett Brothers. Their first album for Columbia, produced by Rick Rubin, will be released in 2009. Obviously, the success of Emotionalism and the rave reviews of The Second Gleam got them noticed. It will be interesting to see what Rick Rubin does with them. Considering what he did with Johnny Cash I think this will be a good Marriage. I hope Rubin blends the raw edge of the bands' early work with their more recent pop sound. That is not a criticism of The Avetts. I just think they would do well to recapture their earlier edginess.

MOG Interivews Craig Finn of The Hold Steady

Rock, Religion, Redemption and Forgiveness are the subjects.

Check it out on MOG TV

The 25 Bands/Artists You'll be Hearing About

A sneak preview to an interesting article to appear in the September Issue of Paste

Paste magazine’s “The Best of What’s Next”…

Bon Iver – Eau Claire , WI
Islands – Montreal , Canada
Janelle Monáe – Atlanta , GA
Johnny Flynn – London , England
The Bridges – Oxford , AL
Ben Sollee – Louisville , KY
Jamie Lidell – Berlin , Germany
Wild Sweet Orange – Birmingham , AL
Mugison – Ísafjörur , Iceland
Right Away, Great Captain! – Atlanta , GA
Katie Herzig – Nashville , TN
Brooke Waggoner – Nashville , TN
The Dodos – San Francisco , CA
The Everybodyfields – Knoxville , TN
Amy Macdonald – Glasgow , Scotland
Los Campesinos! – Cardiff , Wales
Slow Runner – Charleston , SC
Black Kids – Jacksonville , FL
White Rabbits – New York (via St. Louis )
Samantha Crain – Shawnee , OK
Langhorne Slim – Langhorne , PA
Joshua James – Provo , UT (via Lincoln , NE )
Liam Finn – Auckland , New Zealand
Wale – Washington , DC
Alela Diane – Portland , OR (via Nevada City , CA )
Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele – Taylor , MS

Funny Blog!!

Amazing what photoshop will do. PhotoCrap has some funny album covers etc. Chck it out.

Chris Knight - Heart of Stone

Suffice it to say that Chris Knight knows what Nashville has forgotten, that country music is the original narrative of the common man. It grew out of the Great Depression and forged a transcendent bond with its' fans. Country music turned the struggles of rural America into poetry that helped ease the pain of fans for decades. Knight hasn't forgotten the ability of music to sing to the soul of listeners. Probably because he is from coal mining country in Kentucky, which has been in economic upheaval as the rest of America has prospered. Dr. Phil and Deepak Chopkra do not resonate with someone who loses their job or their land or perhaps both. However, the songs on Heart of Stone will speak to them.

There is a certain moral code on this album. Even when times are hard Knight does not glorify people who lose their perspective. Hard times are no excuse to cook meth in your basement ("Hell Ain't Half Full"), or abandon your family ("Heart of Stone"). Conversly he also sings about hope on "Something to Keep Me Going." The power of faith and the fight to keep it is at the heart of "Crooked Road." The latter song is gut wrenching and powerful. In this one song, Knight goes through a lifetime of complex emotions with the central character, who is emerging from the depths with an eye on the future but carrying the scars of the past.

This record also rocks. Knight returned to work with Dan Baird of Georgia Satellites, who produced Pretty Good Guy and The Jealous Kind. In fact, the album comes out of the gate rocking on "Homesick Gypsy." Another great rocker is the song "Another Dollar" that addresses the greed in our society. When people talk about the great songwriters they need to include Chris knight in the conversation. His body of work has earned him that distinction. He certainly sings to the common man in the manner of Cash and Haggard. The album releases on August 19th.



This review also appears on Twangville

Johnny Cash Remixed

I got a promo of the Johnny Cash Remixed project. I must admit I was skeptical. However, it is really cool. The Man in Black didn't believe in labels and without fear crossed genres and broke down barriers. Hell, he spent then end of his career working with Rick Rubin. So I think he would approve. Besides his son is an executive producer.

Check out this MP3 of Big River (Count Da Money Remix)

Also watch the making of remixed:

MUSIC CITY MADNESS

CMT.com and Comcast have partnered to bring live local auditions throughout the month August to the cities of Atlanta, Nashville , Pittsburgh and Knoxville as the network searches for the next breakout country music act in the third annual Music City Madnes. Undiscovered singer/songwriters will have a chance to video tape an original song and submit it to CMT.com’s national on-line competition. The local auditions will be held in August, and grand prize winner from each city will be guaranteed a spot in the top 64 finalists and receive a Comcast/CMT-sponsored showcase in their hometown, along with $5,000 in prizes. In addition, the auditions will be taped and packaged for Comcast’s local video on demand channels.

Here is the local schedule:

KNOXVILLE
Saturday, August 16 from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Fountainhead College of Technology
3203 Tazewell Pike, Knoxville, TN

PITTSBURGH
Saturday, August 23 from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Westin Pittsburgh
1000 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA

ATLANTA
Saturday, August 23 from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Cobb Centre Galleria
Two Galleria Parkway, Atlanta, GA

NASHVILLE
Wednesday, August 27 from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Oceanway Studios
1200 17th Avenue South, Nashville, TN

The Hold Steady - Chelsea's Cafe Baton Rouge, La 8-7

The Hold Steady are known as a quintessential live band. I never doubted this but until I saw it for myself I never realized how true it is. Since I am currently Sequestered (but not subpoenaed) in Baton Rouge during the weeknights, when I saw that The Hold Steady was playing at a cozy venue like Chelsea's, I could not say no. (To hell with auditors who need info early the next morning.) In the Case of The Hold Steady seeing is believing. These guys have as much fun as any band touring. In fact they have as much fun as their audience.

Chelsea's had to be one of the smaller venues they played on this tour. This intimate college bar located not too far away from the LSU campus proved to have great acoustics and provided a perfect environment. Speaking of the environment, it would not be Louisiana without the humidity, which created another important ingredient to a live Rock N' Roll show, sweat. In fact, Craig Finn paid homage to Louisiana's French heritage by declaring it, "Hotter than a French whorehouse in here." The crowd on hand was dominated by Hold Steady fans who seemed to know the lyrics to every song. They opened with the song "Constructive Summer" from the new album Stay Positive On this song when Finn sang, "Raise a toast to old Joe Strummer. I think he was our only decent teacher." The crowd (myself included) instinctively raised our bottles and toasted along. Which confirmed another statement in that song which declares "our songs are sing-along songs."

Craig Finn interacted well with the audience. Dancing around on stage, he looked like a cross between Steve Martin dancing on the front porch in The Jerk and Pee Wee Herman's "Tequila" dance. It was so quirky and lacking in Rhythm it was cool. The coolest member of the band though was keyboardist Franz Nicolay. He was wearing a fedora and black suit that made him look like a mafia don. His stage presence and facial expression give the band its' panache. Not to mention Franz is an accomplished keyboardist. Just as impressive was Tad Kubler on lead guitar. At one point he played a solo on the 12-string neck of a bad-ass double neck guitar. His guitar solos were an unexpected surprise.

The song that came off the best live was surprisingly "Stay Positive" the title cut off the new record. The set was composed mainly if material off of the new record and Boys and Girls in America. "Massive Nights" from that release really stood out. Not surprisingly, they saved "Stuck Between Stations" for the encore. This crowd pleaser had everyone singing so loud Craig Finn could have let the crowd take over. In my opinion, The Hold Steady represent everything that makes Rock great and their live show only enhanced that opinion.

This cut from Letterman will give you a feel:


This review also appears on Twangville

AWT Back in the Saddle

I apologize to my regular readers. The last few weeks have been abit of a whirwind for me. There was a death in the family. I have been very busy at work. Also, I travel and the Wi-Fi connection in my hotel was inactive for a few days this week. Interestingly, it was due to me being blocked on Monday night. Apparently my Fantasy Football draft was the culprit. I learned that it is frowned upon to keep 5 browser windows open simutaneously researching players during an online draft when on a shared Wi-Fi connection. So ultimately it was my own fault. However I feel pretty good about my team.

Anyway look for me to be back in the saddle with my poison pen in the holster for the Fall.

Todd Snider's Coming Out Delayed

Earlier this week it was announced that Todd Snider's Peace Queer project was delayed until October due to some unforseen production issues. Look for it then.

Todd Snider Coming out on August 19th

Todd Snider is coming out of the closet as a flaming “Peace Queer” on August 19th. He’s loud, he’s proud, he’s here and he’s a “Peace Queer.” Normally when musicians get too political it annoys me. I just want to scream “Shut Up and Sing.” However, somehow Todd Snider pulls it off using his humor and wit as a weapon. It just goes to show that there is no need to stand on a soapbox and pontificate to get a message across. Snider seems to understand that he can deliver the same message with subtlety and still make his point. In fact, sometimes a paper cut hurts worse and lingers more than a deeper wound. With Snider whether you agree or disagree with the message, you can appreciate the delivery. Peace Queer is no exception.

This EP is a brief statement. In fact, it is sort of a side project while he is working on a full length project with producer by Don Was. It starts out with a song of victory albeit a hollow one, “Mission Accomplished.” On this song Snider wonders aloud about Will Rogers famous quote, “He may have liked every man he met that’s true; but he never said he liked every man that he knew.” The album also includes a minimalist cover of CCR’s “Fortunate Son.” The most poignant song is a spoken word song, “Is This Thing Working,” in which a bully is cast as the central character in a parable with obvious implications. The song also has a sung version titled “Is This Thing On” that closes the album. However, it is the spoken word version that proves to be more moving. Snider is joined by guests, Patty Griffin, Kevin Kinney and Will Kimbrough. Snider predicts big things for this project. In an interview with NPR’s Cokie Roberts he feels the album, “will outsell Thriller,” and estimates sales at 6.8 Billion copies. He also said, “(O)n the day that happens, I guarantee America and parts of Canada world Peace.” That should make him bigger than Elvis, The Beatles and even Zam Fir, master of the pan flute.

Catch a Preview of Todd’s Upcoming Full Length:


This review also appears on Twangville

Signposts: Along the Information Super Highway

Cold War Kids - "Something Is Not Right With Me", the first single off the second album, Loyalty to Loyalty, is streaming now on
MySpace The song will be available as a free download on RCRDLBL.com starting Thursday July 24.

Teddy Thompson, who released his 4th studio album, A Piece Of What You Need, last month, has a new video for his single "In My Arms." Teddy is the son of British folk icons Richard and Linda Thompson. This is a great song!

Check out more songs from the Album on MySpace

The Hold Steady's Craig Finn's Top 10 Pet Peeves on The DL

The Old 97's on The DL

WIDESPREAD PANIC TO BE INDUCTED INTO THE GEORGIA MUSIC HALL OF FAME

Frrom their publicist:

Athens, Ga. , July 18, 2008 - Widespread Panic will be inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame at the 30th Georgia Music Hall of Fame Awards Show on Saturday, September 20th in Atlanta , GA. The show will broadcast live on Georgia Public Broadcasting and will include a special performance from the b and . Past inductees include Georgia musicians including Ray Charles, Gladys Knight, R.E.M., and the Allman Brothers B and as well as industry professionals such as music attorney Joel Katz and record label owner Antonio “L.A.” Reid. "Sharing this honor... with so many of our greatest musical influences, is something I'm sure none of the B and members imagined when we first started making music together. September 20th is going to be a truly special day for the entire Widespread Panic Family," says John Bell, vocalist and founding member of Widespread Panic.

Kelly gives us 2 new genres on Twangville/Gobblers Knob and while you are there check out Tom's Mixtape

Settin'' the Woods on Fire: This Week's Charts

This is a periodic feature in which I post on AWT the top albums and debuts in the airplay charts from Americana Music Assoc., XM Cross Country and FMQB Non-Commercial Adult Alternative chart. I haven't posted the charts in six weeks because there was not a ton of movement for a while. Now that here have been a rash of Spring releases things are shaken up a bit. Links to all of these charts are found to the right in the AWT favorite links list.

Americana Music Association - Airplay Week of July 7th
1) John Hiatt- Same Old Man
2) Hayes Carll - Trouble in Mind
3) Alejandro Escovedo - Real Animal
4) Band of Heathens - Self Titled
5) James McMurtry - Just us Kids
6) Reckless Kelly - Bulletproo
7) Emmylou Harris - All I Intended to Be
8) Old 97's - Blame it on Gravity
9) Eleven Hundred Springs - Country Jam
10) John Mellancamp - Life Death Love and Freedom

Debuts
29) Hacienda Brothers - Arizona Motel
30) Honeybrowne - Mile by Mile

XM Ch.12 Cross Country - Cross Checking week of July 7th

1) James McMurtry - Just Us Kids
2) Reckless Kelly - Bulletproof
3) Hayes Carll - Trouble In Mind
4) Brendon James Wright & The Wrongs - Self-Titled
5) Band Of Heathens - Self-Titled
6) Pear Ratz - Holier Than Thou
7) Shurman - Waiting For The Sunset
8) Stone Coyotes - VIII
9) Van Morrison - Keep It Simple
10 Jason Ringenberg - Best Tracks & Side Tracks

Debuts
44) Alejandro Escovedo - Real Animal

FMQB AAA Non-Commercial - Airplay Week of July 7th

1 MY MORNING JACKET -Evil Urges
2 COLDPLAY - Viva La Vida
3 ALEJANDRO ESCOVEDO - Real Animal
4 ELVIS COSTELLO - Momofuku
5 BIG BLUE BALL - Big Blue Ball
6 AIMEE MANN - Smilers
7 AMOS LEE - Last Days At The Lodge
8 DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE - Narrow Stairs
9 FLEET FOXES - Self-Titled
10 R.E.M. - Accelerate

Debuts:
29) Adele - 19

Ralston Bowles - Rally at the Texas Hotel

Ralston Bowles is a songwriters songwriter. His songs have depth and transcendence in the vein of a Bruce Cockburn or Bill Mallonee. His newest album is Rally at the Texas Hotel. After I heard the album I did some internet research on him and found that he has been profoundly influenced by author Phillip Yancey, who is one of my favorite authors. In fact Yancey's book "What's So Amazing about Grace" was the inspriation of his song "Grace" from a previous album (incidentally that book was also an inspiration for a U2 song by the same.) In other words, it is no wonder that I have such a personal connection with this recording.

On Rally he comments on our culture by employing cultural icons in a humorous way. First there is the song "I Saw John Kennedy Today" in which he uses revisionist history by encountering John Kennedy, who is on a permanent road trip after leaving it all behind when his double was shot in Dallas. Hey if you are going to use JFK why stop there. On the song "Velvet Elvis" he inquires "When did he cross that line from a person to a textile shrine." He reflects on modern religion on "Begging the Question." However, unlike most post-modern singers he doesn't end with cynicism. He proposes an answer on the song "Friend of God," which is a call to simplicity and relationship. He also covers the Mark Heard song "Satellite Sky." The songs are well crafted. At times they are humorous and entertaining at others they are thought provoking and inspiring. The album is on Judy Collins' Wildflower Records. The same label that produced Wes Charlton, who I have posted on previously.

The album was produced by Mark Eitzoni (Counting Crows) and he is joined on the album by Gurf Morlix and Charlie Sexton.

Check out his
MySpace page.

Willie Nelson & Wynton Marsalis - Two Men with the Blues

It has always amazed me that Willie Nelson will record with anyone no matter their background. This eclecticism is one of Willie's strengths but he has occasionally made questionable partnerships. However, the idea to combine Nelson with Wynton Marsalis was one of genius. These two men are living icons in their respective genres Country and Jazz. However, Willie is no stranger to singing the standards. His recently re-released "Stardust" which was originally recorded in 1978, shocked the Outlaw world when Willie recorded Ballads from the 30s and 40s. As for Marsalis he is a walking encyclopedia of music history, not just Jazz. So this pairing makes perfect sense. Two Men with the Blues was recorded in January of 2007 as part of a special series sponsored by Jazz at the Lincoln Center. It was recorded at the Allen Room on New York's Upper East Side. Joining the two legends were Marsalis' Quartet and Nelson's harmonica player, Mickey Raphael.

The results of the evening are best described in technical terms, un-freakin'-believable! In fact, technically I should probably add two or three more freakin's to aptly describe it. The album starts off with a Swing style rendition of "Bright Lights Big City." Swing Jazz and Blues are the base of most of the songs but the Harmonica gives the album a bit of country soul as well. However, the harmonica sounds natural with Jazz quartet as if it belongs permanently. Not that I think that Harmonica will replace the trumpet or saxophone anytime soon but in this case it adds a cool vibe. Willie's voice sounds great with these songs also. In fact, two of the songs "Stardust" and "Georgia on My Mind" were recorded by Willie on the above mentioned Stardust album. The album does have a bit of twang in it on the lighthearted cover of Hank Williams, "My Bucket's Got a Hole in It." The fact that these two Icons are able to be lighthearted and not tale themselves too seriously is one of the most endearing qualities about this project. For example, the vocal interplay between the two on "Ain't Nobody's Business" is classic. I am certainly glad they decided to release this project as a CD so I can get a feel for what the lucky few who were there got to experience. I suggest you do the same.

This Review also appears on Twangville

RIYL Reckles Kelly - Try John D. Hale and Austin Collins

For those of you who like their new album as much as I do, read the Austin Chronicle article on Reckless Kelly and the The 9513 review of Bulletproof. However, if you like the new Reckless Kelly I think you will also like two other artists starting to make some noise on the Texas scene. One is Austin Collins out of his Namesake city in the Lone Star State and The other is The John D. Hale band.

The John D. Hale Band is from Iowa but they are gaining notoriety on the Texas and Southwest circuit. In fact Ray Randall says they are practically the House Band at Americana Roots which is high praise indeed. Their album Lost will appeal to fans of the more Rocking side of Reckless Kelly. Although they have more country undertones than Reckless Kelly. John D. Hale's musical pedigree was formed early when his older brother gave him a Robert Earl Keen album when he was just 10 years old. He subsequently immersed himself in REK and his kindred spirits and the rest as they say, is history. He especially took after Keens ability to spin an outlaw tale. On "Pistol in Each Hand," a drug deal gone wrong song he sings "He rolled one while he waited for them to gun him down." Two other songs in this mold involve jealous lovers, "Love Pulled the Trigger" and "LA County." "Stake our Claim Again" (See video below.) is a lament song in the vain of Chris Knight that addresses the plight of the rural farmer, "Should we cash the farm on in. Just move on down the line. Tell 'em all to go to hell and buy us a little more time." The album also has a hilarious hidden track called "The Local First Assembly Church of Crystal Methodists." A church that reads from the Book of Jerry Jeff and has commandment like "Don't covet your neighbors weed and pass it to the left."

Austin Collins will appeal to those who like Reckless Kelly's more country singer-songwriter tunes, of which there aren't many on Bulletproof. Collins has always been interested in songwriting but upon graduation from college he tried to be practical an d became a financial analyst for a while. Being in the Corporate Finance and Accounting field myself, I was glad to here that we all aren't complete bean counter nerds. (Collins had the good sense to get out though.) Collins songwriting is powerful and engaging, and primarily addresses the complexities of relationship on Roses are Black. This songwriter certainly has staying power.

Old Crow Medicine Show to Release 2 New Projects

is prepping for two NEW releases! They're new Album "Tennessee Pusher" is out Sep. 23rd as well as a 3 Song EP "Caroline" out Aug. 29th.

Read OCMS Article on Billboard