Mike Birch - Believe

Forged with an iron will and a heart of gold, Virginia's own Mike Birch is carrying the banner of classic country and proving himself as one of the genre's latest up and coming stars. As a dreamer and a music lover, this talented singer possesses a charm like no other, utilizing his innate country sensibilities to pen memorable, catchy songs which stay with the listener long after the record stops spinning. Now fresh off the debut of his first album, Believe, Birch is ready to take on the world with his group of country music veterans. From his life as a deputy sheriff to teaching criminal justice...

Jaime Babbitt – Working With Your Voice

Knowledge is power, and if you want to be a pro at anything, there’s no getting around having to learn the craft, picking up tools along the way that will get you there. For those looking to be a singer for a living, one must-have tool that will save time in achieving that goal is a unique book that directs you through the maze of dos and don’ts of the trade: “Working With Your Voice: The Career Guide to Becoming a Professional Singer” by Jaime Babbitt (Alfred Music Publishing). In a delightful...

Adam Gregory - Different Places

Adam Gregory has already made an impact at Country Radio with his hit single from a few years back entitled "Crazy Days." Now, he's back with an EP full of songs that showcase his growth both as an artist and as a writer. He had a hand in co-writing four of the six songs on this album, and you can hear his progression as an artist loud and clear on such tracks as "Loves You Right," a tune that he penned with the great Victoria Shaw. The cut shows how strong of a vocalist Gregory is, as does the emotional "Just Say It." He picks up the tempo a bit on such roll-down-the-window selections as "Throwaway Day" and "Can You Take It," where it sounds...

Jonathan Edwards - My Love Will Keep

It was actually another century when Jonathan Edwards released his last disc - 1998 to be exact. It's good to know that though the years have changed on the calendar, Edwards - the artist behind the 1970s classic "Sunshine" -sounds exactly like he does. Listening to this album feels like an old pair of shoes that you have sitting in the corner. Just as always, when you hear Jonathan Edwards, you get a little bit of everything. You want soul and stirring emotions? Then, cuts like "She Loves You" and the powerful "Surrounded" might be right up your alley. His pop sheen has not been lost either, as evidenced on the beautiful "This Island Earth," which...

Joe Robinson - Let Me Introduce You

Joe Robinson is an Australian guitar player and singer who capturted the hearts of many when he won "Australia's Got Talent" back in 2008. After listening to just the first song on his new album, "Let Me Introduce You," I can see why so many people love him. It makes me wonder why he isn't more popular. The YouTube-learned musician started touring with top-notch names in the Australian music industry when he was young. Since then he has played...

Todd Snider - Agnostic Hymns & Stoner Fables

Todd Snider is one of Nashville's most acclaimed singer-songwriters. For his latest collection, Snider delves into the dark sides of life - singing stories of people who are not in a good spot in life. As Gary Allan sang so truly, "Life Ain't Always Beautiful." You can tell the direction this album is headed in from the opener,"In The Beginning." You know how some records start with an upbeat song to let you know that everything is alright? This is not one of those albums. The drama and ...

Lucero - Women & Work

Memphis has a rich musical legacy. Sun Records. Dewey Phillips. Elvis Presley. Johnny Cash. Otis Redding. Dusty Springfield. There may be something in the river that conjures up so many spirits. There are still new musical sounds coming out of that city on the Mississippi, and at the forefront of such sounds is the band Lucero. How do you describe them? Two words - you don't. I can't really think of a genre to put them in. They are not "Country," although if you listen to the opening ...

Suze Lanier-Bramlett - Swamp Cabaret

As the wife of the legendary Delaney Bramlett, it would stand to reason that music is something that would have rubbed off on Suze Lanier-Bramlett. She has said that it was her exposure to his musical genius was part of the reason that she became drawn to music. You can definitely tell it by this collection, which features some of the great Blues music that the Delaney name is known for. The title cut is nothing short of an old-fashioned blues romp, something she handles with...

Cutting Edge Released - LIVE

Are you ready for the best thing since sliced bread??? Well then, you're in luck my friends because Cutting Edge is their name and `RELEASED… LIVE' is the album that will electrify audiences everywhere! Seriously, if you dig live recordings then this one is definitely for you. In my opinion, this record is right up there at the top of my list for one of the best live albums I've ever heard! From start to finish, you know right away that Cutting Edge was specifically designed to perform live `n' exciting music for thousands of screaming fans. All 14 tracks display a crazy amount of energy where the fans...

Billy Dean - Naturipe Presents Songs By Billy Dean

It has always amazed me that Billy Dean is not a bigger star than he is. Don't get me wrong, his run of hits - as both a singer and songwriter - has been staggering over the years. But, his vocal style has lost none of its' smoothness over the years since he first broke onto the scene in 1990 with the inspirational classic "Only Here For A Little While." His latest recording project is part of an endorsement deal with Naturipe, and shows the influence that nature and the farmland has had on his musical style over the years. There's an earthiness to songs like "I Only See You" and "Anything But Average," that the Billy Dean of 1995 might not been...

Radigan - The Breakdown of a Breakup

It always seems that when something tragic occurs in life - a death or a breakup, that music is the best healer of all. And, though a breakup doesn't mean the end of a life, let's be honest - sometimes it feels very much like it does. Singer-songwriter Terry Radigan explores the emotions and feelings associated with the end of a relationship on this disc in a way and manner not shown since Willie Nelson's legendary Phases and Stages. From the beginning track, "Love Wouldn't Lie To Me," Radigan nails that moment in a relationship that you either know it's ending or that you are living on borrowed time. It's a very restrained vocal, and one that...

Queen – Days of Our Lives

The name Queen “at the time was outrageous,” explains legendary rock ‘n’ roll front man Freddie Mercury in the new documentary, “Queen: Days of Our Lives.” In 1971, it was his idea to change the name of their Imperial College of Science and Technology band, “Smile,” which consisted of London students Brian May on guitar, Roger Taylor on drums and Mercury on vocals, later bringing bassist John Deacon into the fold. Their music was “out there,” too, befuddling critics, but slowly winning fans to the tune of selling over 300 million albums worldwide.

Frizzell & Friends – It’ll Be Alright

For the majority of his life, David Frizzell has been performing, and doing it very well. Though his commercial peak was in the 1980s, the singer has lost none of his vocal power, and sounds very much the same as when he was topping the charts with songs like “I’m Gonna Hire A Wino To Decorate Our Home,” as well as his successful string of duet hits with Shelly West. You can tell he is still very much that singer on this new album, which features some of his strongest solo work, as well as collaborations with some of Nashville’s rising talents. One of the new acts that David shares his talents with is Georgette Jones, who lends her voice...

Fred Andrews & Honeybrowne – This Side Of Crazy

Fred Andrews has made quite the name for himself in the Lone Star state, and with this disc, he is trying to take that star and shine it a little brighter. As strong as his material is here, I think he's got a strong chance to do so! He and his band, Honeybrowne, definitely have quite a strong selection of songs to work with. The opener, “Rock It All Night,” has a roadhouse feel that works on record just as well as it would on stage. The tempo slows down just a little bit on the melodic “Beautiful Waste Of Time,” which features some nice steel work from Kim Deschamps. I could see this as a possible mainstream country single, should he want...

Jimmy C. Newman Sings Swamp Country

Jimmy C. Newman may not be one of the best-known members of the Grand Ole Opry but he is one of that prestigious organization’s longest-serving artists. He was invited to join in 1956, just two years after his first country hit, “Cry, Cry Darling” on Randy Wood’s Dot Records. In the late 1950s, Newman became a regular on the Louisiana Hayride and had a string of country hits including “A Fallen Star” that also crossed over to the Billboard pop charts. Another Newman song to chart (# 9, Billboard’s country chart) was “D.J. For A Day” penned ...