Autumn Letendre – Raise Your Flag

Over the past ten years, there have been many patriotic-themed songs released by newcomers and established artists alike. You wonder after a while just how sincere the motivation behind such releases might be with some, but when it comes to Autumn Letendre, there is nothing to wonder about. To say she wears her sleeve is putting it mildly, having lost her husband while serving his country......

Jeff Talmadge – Kind of Everything

He’s been a poet. He’s been a lawyer. Somewhere between the two occupations, Texas native Jeff Talmadge has found the middle ground of being a recording artist, and you know what? He’s pretty good at it! The opener, “If It Wasn’t For The Wind,” is a brilliant piece of storytelling that Jeff handles well. Though he didn’t write the song (the only one he didn’t), he throws everything he has...

The Dunn Boys - Volume 1

Some good ol’ lads of Irish folk rock have released their debut album. Canadian band The Dunn Boys – a likeable quartet of three brothers and their father – have got an eleven-track CD under their belts, generically titled, “Volume 1.” Full of energy and swaying Guinness-mug music, they’ve been compared to the traditional-leaning Irish Rovers and even The Pogues, but they render a style all...

Jason Michael Carroll – Numbers

Upon having had a chance to catch Jason Michael Carroll live a few times over the years, I have always thought that he hadn’t truly been captured on record as he should have been. He is really one of the format’s more diverse talents, one that is able to swing from Contemporary to Traditional, Up-tempo to Ballad, on just a minutes’ notice. He’s made some fantastic records, but for whatever reason.....

Michael Martin Murphey – Tall Grass & Cool Water

As the sixth volume in Michael Martin Murphey’s long-lived “Cowboy Songs” series, as well as the third in the “Buckaroo Bluegrass” line, the veteran performer finds himself representing some of Western Music’s all-time classics, with some of the top players in Bluegrass music along for the ride. Songs like “Cool Water” and “Way Out There” have been some of Cowboy music’s top classics, and Michael stays...

Jeff Dayton – Never Been Better

Reading the bio of Music City’s Jeff Dayton, I had to say that I was very impressed. He’s a songwriter. He’s a producer, with Country Music Hall of Famer Buck Owens to his credit. He’s even an artist-in-residence teacher. And, he’s also a pretty good singer on his own, as well. Listening to this CD was a treat for me on so many levels. There’s a happiness, a zest for life that comes across.....

Dolly Parton – Better Day

OK, there’s no need to start this review off by telling you about the talent of Dolly Rebecca Parton. That goes without saying. Simply put, she’s one of the best female vocalists ever in the format, and as a writer, Hank Williams would be her equal, and that’s it. So, what’s left to write about such a legend? That’s the interesting thing about this album. Artists who have achieved what she has are usually.....

LiveWire – Self Titled EP

The five men that comprise the group Live Wire have seen their share of knocks over the past few years, but that is the music business, sometimes those things happen. To say that the Missouri natives have handled it the right way would be nothing short of an understatement. This is a very unique band. There’s some Marshall Tucker sounds, some Rascal Flatts, and some Montgomery Gentry, and it all works...

Various Artists - Rave On Buddy Holly

A mix of Americana, roots rock, blues and even a tribute to one of early rock’s most influential names highlight notable recent releases. You will be interested if you are a fan of: Buddy Holly, Paul McCartney, She & Him, Nick Lowe, Lou Reed and any of the artists featured on the collection. Tell Me More: There are ambitious tribute collections where artists from the same genre turn...

Ray Manzarek and Roy Rogers - Translucent Blues

You will be interested if you are a fan of: Otis Taylor, The Doors, the Ray Manzarek/Roy Rogers 2008 disc “Ballads Before the Rain”. Tell Me More: “Translucent Blues” is the latest collaboration between keyboardist Ray Manzarek (The Doors) and slide guitar virtuoso Roy Rogers. A mix of heavy blues and classic rock marks the sonic territory explored by the musical greats, who also share lead...

Neil Young - A Treasure

You will be interested if you are a fan of: Neil Young’s “Harvest,” “Harvest Moon” and “Comes A Time” albums, Gram Parsons, Poco. Tell Me More: Few living artists are as eclectic or influential as Neil Young. From his classic rock role as a member of Buffalo Springfield and CSNY to his searing electric guitar-anchored rock recordings with Crazy Horse (“Powderfinger,” “Like a Hurricane,”...

Ricky Skaggs - Country Hits Bluegrass Style

There’s no denying the success of Ricky Skaggs in either Country, Gospel, or Bluegrass music. Since he first began to hit the radio back in the early 1980s, Skaggs has put together one of the strongest bodies of work of any musician of his time. He celebrates his past with this unique offering that has him re-recording his classic 80s hits in a Bluegrass fashion. When it comes to highlights, I think you can.....

Rich O’Toole - Kiss Of A Liar

Spend any amount of time with the bio of Rich O’Toole, and you get the idea that he is very proud to be from his home state of Texas. His music definitely has a Lone Star spirit about it, and he has more than just a little bit of a swagger to it. This will definitely be an album that you won’t listen to just once. It’s one of the more fun albums I have heard in quite some time...

Sheryl Crow – Miles From Memphis: Live At The Pantages Theatre

Sheryl Crow has managed to keep her career on a very even keel over the years. While there have been commercial highs and lows, she has always been able to keep her music fresh and exciting. Almost twenty years to the year of her first hit, “All I Wanna Do,” Crow has just released a new concert DVD that encompasses all eras of her career, from those first hits to her current album, the highly.....

Suzy Bogguss – American Folk Songbook

The talent of one Suzy Bogguss could definitely be defined with the word “Timeless.” Since she came on the scene two decades ago, she has taken many songs and taken them from compositions to classics. But, she also knows how to handle a song that someone else made famous. After all, when your first single, “Somewhere Between,” was a deep catalog Merle Haggard chestnut, and your take on the...