Gretchen Peters - Hello Cruel World

With a list of singles credits as impressive as "Independence Day," "The Secret To Life," and (my favorite) "A Bus To St. Cloud" to her credit, Gretchen Peters has carved out a name for herself as one of Nashville's top tunesmiths. The only thing better than hearing others' versions of her songs is having it come straight from the source, and after a few years' away from the recording studio, Peters is back with a whole new batch of songs. These songs detail some of the challenges of life that we all have faced at one time or the other over the years. The lyrics are -a Peters hallmark - very deep, and will really hit home on a lot of levels. A few of the highlights include...

Victoria Shaw – Fa La La

“Changing the world, one song at a time…” is what reads at the top of the home page to Victoria Shaw’s website. That’s no exaggeration. This award-winning songwriter, producer and respected vocalist HAS changed how we hear country music, having written multiple #1 hits like Garth Brooks’, “The River,” and John Michael Montgomery’s, “I Love The Way You Love Me,” as well as introducing us to Lady Antebellum by co-producing their crossover debut album. She’s...

Ian Siegal & The Youngest Sons – The Skinny

On the title cut to the latest album from Ian Siegal, you get the point. This band has a ton of confidence, and their self-assuredness is in full view from top to bottom. An English native, Siegal’s influences are all over the map – from Elvis to Jerry Lee to Muddy Waters, and each of these can be heard in the distance on this album. To lump this album as one musical style might be a little tough, as it is all over the map. But, even when they take a musical chance – like they do on the different (!) “Stud Spider,” you...

The Mighty Short Bus – Forever Endeavor

“Write what you know” is the old-hat advice given to writers, meaning write from an honest place and from personal experience. This is how Madison, Wisconsin band The Mighty Short Bus approaches their songwriting. These veteran highway hogs perform up to 200 shows a year, traveling the country in their red GMC, and their songs reflect life on the road, with chug-along-train beats and stories about leaving home. Members of this roots rock country soul band all have...

James Hyland & The Joint Chiefs – Celestial Navigation

In doing some research on James Hyland, I read someone describe his music as a mixture of “Beck and Alison Krauss.” After listening to this disc, I totally get that comparison. There’s a laid-back (Krauss) quality to this disc, but also a little bit of dramatic flair when it comes to the production and the lyrics on the disc (Beck). The steel playing of Kim Deschamps sets the mood of this album on “Radio City.” But, there’s other factors that sit this album apart. One of those is the songwriting here. The lyrics of “Lancelot...

Darren Warren – Cowboy Up And Party Down

They say that honesty is the best policy. So, I will choose that route in telling you about this disc. I have heard a lot about this newcomer, so I was very curious when I put this EP in the player. The first track didn’t impress me much. I just didn’t hear anything that set itself apart from the rest of the pack out there. That particular song just sounded like everything else out there about parties, dirt roads, and the like. Had I put the CD away then and there, I would have done Warren a huge disservice. He definitely knows his way around a song, as evidenced by the cute and energetic “Southern Belle,” which should no doubt be a huge crowd favorite. But, it’s the ballads on...

Taylor Swift – Speak Now World Tour Live

Just a few weeks ago, Taylor Swift reclaimed the Entertainer of the Year trophy at the CMA Awards. The award was won by the singer thanks to the elaborate stage show and production that she featured this year. Just in time for the holidays, Big Machine releases a CD / DVD set that proves what a phenomenon the singer has become, and that there is no end in sight. Swift knows her audience, and caters to them in a large way on this collection. Kicking off with the title cut, which may be the best tempo song she has...

Jimmy Lehoux - Thirteen

Jimmy Lehoux is somewhat of a rare breed as far as new Country artists go. When you hear him sing, you know that he’s country, and not ashamed of it. A native of New Hampshire, Lehoux wraps his vocals around these songs in quite the effective manner. From the sing-along feel of “The Way Things Are” to the simple understated balladry of “Even When It Rains,” Lehoux is able to paint quite a picture with his vocal approach – communicating his emotions to the listener. Lyrically speaking, he’s also surrounded himself with...

Bellamy Brothers & Gola – Platimum

When you have been in the business for the amount of time that the Bellamy Brothers have, you have to come up with something out of left field every now and then to keep the interest fresh and alive. Howard and David have done just that, teaming up with international recording star Gola. What might seem something of an odd pairing because the two acts are fans of each other, and seem to enjoy the pairing. That seems to come across on cuts such as “Guilty Of The Crime,” a song they the brothers...

Jonny Lives! – Revolution For Free

Reduction of carbon footprints; environmental sustainability; eco-system restoration: these are lofty passions of green-solution seeker and rock ‘n’ roll frontman Jonny Dubowsky. He has brought together his work for a cleaner planet and his New York City band Jonny Lives! to create Rock ‘n Renew, a non-profit group with programs in over 30 cities to aid communities in environmental turnarounds. They visit schools, luring students to important social causes with their...

Good Lovelies - Let The Rain Fall

The Good Lovelies trio keep 'musical raindrops' falling on our ears throughout this album. Their third full length release, Let the Rain Fall, blends vocals, instruments and zest into a musical rainstorm of easy listening fun. They mix a variety of topics into the music on this CD and demonstrate a strong ability to keep the listener's interest. The three members of Good Lovelies, Caroline Brooks, Kerri Ough and Sue Passmore hail from Toronto...

Lauren Alaina - Wildflower

As the runner up in one of the closest American Idol seasons in history, Georgia native Lauren Alania charmed America from the first time she appeared on the FOX series. That being said, there was surely going to be an incredible amount of interest in her musical career right from the start. The question wasn’t one of would she able to move units, but would the music be there after the initial interest died down? I have to say that the answer is yes. This is one of the most solid debut efforts I have heard...

Bill Anderson – The First Ten Years: 1956-1966

Bear Family Records is one of the jewels of the record business. The German-based company specializes in releasing comprehensive box sets on many of the classic artists of our time, such as Bill Monroe and Buck Owens. For their latest release, they pay tribute to one of the greatest singer-songwriters of all time, Bill Anderson. As a tunesmith, nobody – not Hank, Harlan, or anyone, has been as successful for as long as Bill Anderson. This four-disc set is a testament to his talents as a singer, but when you take it in...

The Jeff Healy Band – Full Circle: The Live Anthology

The Jeff Healey Band was at the cutting edge of blues rock music for fifteen years, ending with their break-up at the beginning of the new millennium. Frontman Jeff Healey, the celebrated, extraordinary lap-guitarist known for his explosive, distinctive style, who was blinded by cancer when he was just one-years old, went on with a solo career and a new jazz band up until cancer struck again and took his life at age 41 in 2008. A collection of concert performances by this energy...

The Coffis Brothers & The Mountain Men – Self-titled

One of the best things about reviewing is hearing new artists for the first time, and passing along those discoveries to readers. The latest newcomers to write about are The Coffis Brothers, who hail from the Santa Cruz Mountains of California. In their early twenties, Jamie on piano and Kellen on guitar share lead vocals, and have teamed up with a rocking guitarist, a thumping upright bass player and an in-the-pocket drummer on the debut album, “The Coffis Brothers & The Mountain...