Americana Music Releases for June 21st

Posted on June 21, 2024 by

Here’s some the best Americana and roots-type music releases for June 21st, 2024. Click the artist or album links to find out more. The artist’s names link to their websites and the CD title links go to either Amazon, iTunes, Bandcamp or the artist’s site for ordering or downloading.  A + sign means although not a featured release, it’s a notable album that’s still worth checking out.  Also, this page will be updated as I find out about other new releases so check back again.

 

Dave Alvin & Jimmie Dale Gilmore feat. The Guilty Ones
TexiCali  (Yep Roc Records)

The title of their new album, TexiCali, like their first collaboration, Downey to Lubbock again plays up their geographical roots, and like the combination of words in that title, their individual styles continue to mesh smoothly. But there are some differences. The first one contained only two originals, and the duo was backed mostly by West Coast roots session cats. TexiCali contains six top-notch originals, and the backing throughout is by Alvin’s excellent band, The Guilty Ones. Gilmore’s distinctive warble makes everything he sings seem connected to a long tradition, adding heft and vitality to the ringing country-rock of his own “Borderland,” and a revved-up take on the Stonewall Jackson country chestnut “Why I’m Walking.” That voice and style also blend well with Alvin’s nicotine-scarred baritone when they share vocals, as on Brownie McGhee’s “Betty and Dupree,” among others. That theme of survival gets a more light-hearted, if still pointed, treatment on the finale, “We’re Still Here,” the only Alvin-Gilmore cowrite on TexiCali. In a rollicking roadhouse romp, the Downey guy and the Lubbock guy celebrate their longevity in the face of all kinds of hurdles while stubbornly doing things their own way. “We just keep on rolling,” they sing. Indeed they do.  (edited from No Depression review)

Also new this week…

Eden Brent – Getaway Blues  (Yellow Dog Records)
Cody Dickinson – Homemade (Strong Place Music)
George Ducas – Long Way From Home  (Loud Ranch Records)  +
Harry Lee Follon – Uncle’s Lament  (Down by the Point Records)
Matt Hillyer – Bright Skyline  (State Fair Records)  +
Lake Street Dive – Good Together  (Fantasy Records)
Jim Lauderdale – My Favorite Place  (Sky Crunch Records)  +
Linda Thompson – Proxy Music (StorySound Records)
Various Artists – Petty Country: A Country Music Celebration Of Tom Petty (Petty Legacy/Big Machine Label)  +
Robert Vincent – Barriers  (independent)

 

Coming out soon … Yarn, Silverada, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Kaitlin Butts, Jubal Lee Young, Dawn & Hawkes, Melissa Carper, Donovan Woods, Joe Ely, Rory Block, AJ Lee & Blue Summit, Jake Xerxes Fussell, Billy Strings, Norman Blake, The Cactus Blossoms, The Deslondes and more!

Check out Americana Boogie Radio!

Bill Frater

Posted in Americana CD releases, Bluegrass, Country Music, New music releases, Roots Music | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Americana Music Releases for June 14th

Posted on June 13, 2024 by

Here’s some the best Americana and roots-type music releases for June 14th, 2024. Click the artist or album links to find out more. The artist’s names link to their websites and the CD title links go to either Amazon, iTunes, Bandcamp or the artist’s site for ordering or downloading.  A + sign means although not a featured release, it’s a notable album that’s still worth checking out.  Also, this page will be updated as I find out about other new releases so check back again.

 

Hermanos Gutiérrez
Sonido Cósmico  (Easy Eye Sound)

The title of Ecuadorian-Swiss band Hermanos Gutiérrez’s new album translates to “cosmic sound.” It’s a bit literal for the type of moody, cross-cultural, instrumental music that the band makes, but the name also seems to capture something deeper, more spiritual between brothers Alejandro and Estevan. Although Sonido Cósmico is the brothers’ sixth album together, it’s just their second album with Black Keys band member and label owner Dan Auerbach and Easy Eye Sound, rendering them still fairly new to US audiences. Although instrumental records can be difficult for many lyrics-centric listeners to tap into, Sonido Cósmico is a remarkably visual album. Both the English and Spanish language song titles seem to serve as portals for the imagination. Together, these multicultural sounds and themes of spiritual and psychic connection showcase how Hermanos Gutiérrez’s contemporary, instrumental music exemplifies the widening umbrella of roots music.  (edited from No Depression review)

Oliver Wood
Fat Cat Silhouette  (Honey Jar Records)

The shared manifestation of roots in folk, rock, blues, country, and gospel notwithstanding,Oliver Wood’s two solo albums stand distinctly apart from his work with his Brothers Chris and Jano. And the distinctions of Fat Cat Silhouette fully reaffirm those of its  predecessor Always Smilin’: while there’s little doubt about how carefully crafted this and the previous album sound, the music still radiates a sense of one sustained moment of impromptu inspiration. That the man generally refuses to take himself too seriously only renders more emotionally genuine the forthright expression of feeling from this latest endeavor from this restlessly creative Wood Brother.  (edited from Glide Magazine review)

Also new this week…

Annie Bacon & her Oshen – Storm  (independent)
The Decemberists – As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again  (YABB Records)
Jenny Don’t and the Spurs – Broken Hearted Blue  (Fluff and Gravy Records)  +
Ryan David Green – Off and Running  (independent)
Madeline Hawthorne – Tales From Late Nights & Long Drives  (independent)
Michael Lawson – Tennessee River Shakedown  (independent)
Lonesome River Band – The Winning Hand  (Mountain Home Music Company)
Jake Neuman & The Jaybirds – Little Bitty Town  (Peacedale Records)  +
Grace Pettis – Down to the Letter  (MPress Records)
David Serby – Low Hanging Stars  (Blackbird Record Label)
The Smith & Western Jury – Hotel Texas  (independent)
Sugaray Rayford – Human Decency  (Forty Below Records)
Surrender Hill – River of Tears  (Blue Betty Records)
The Whiskey Charmers – Streetlights   (independent)

 

Coming out soon … Dave Alvin & Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Yarn, Silverada, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Kaitlin Butts, Jubal Lee Young, Dawn & Hawkes, Jim Lauderdale, Melissa Carper, Donovan Woods, Joe Ely, Rory Block, AJ Lee & Blue Summit, Jake Xerxes Fussell, Billy Strings, The Cactus Blossoms and more!

Check out Americana Boogie Radio!

Bill Frater

Posted in Americana CD releases, Bluegrass, Country music new releases, New music releases, Roots Music | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Americana Music Releases for June 7th

Posted on June 6, 2024 by

Here’s some the best Americana and roots-type music releases for June 7th, 2024. Click the artist or album links to find out more. The artist’s names link to their websites and the CD title links go to either Amazon, iTunes, Bandcamp or the artist’s site for ordering or downloading.  A + sign means although not a featured release, it’s a notable album that’s still worth checking out.  Also, this page will be updated as I find out about other new releases so check back again.

 

Keegan McInroe
Dusty Passports and Empty Beds  (independent)

is Texas singer-songwriter, Keegan McInroe’s seventh studio album and very much a product of post 2020; when the world went into lock down, and what managed to come out at the the other end was our ambition. With time for reflection, McInroe was holed up at his mother’s home in Dublin, TX for the duration. “If hindsight is 2020, I hope to never look back again”, he states. Opening track, Big Year somehow reminds me of New York-born singer-songwriter, Chip Taylor as the vitality it possesses literally jumps up at you as McInroe speaks of all the bad news around him, but how here and there the sun still shines out. McInroe covers John Prine’s Lonesome Friends Of Science. Taken off John’s last album, The Tree Of Forgiveness and is a beautiful piece of writing. McInroe has been around for quite a while and proudly carries the torch for insightful Texas songwriters for the generations, old and indeed new.  (edited from Rocking Magpie review)

 

Tony Trischka
Earl Jam: A Tribute To Earl Scruggs  (Down The Road Records)

One afternoon during the height of COVID, Tony Trischka opened a small package with a thumb drive. It contained some extremely rare recordings of Earl Scruggs and John Hartford jamming, mostly taken from private gatherings at Earl’s house during the 1980s and 90s – over 200 songs and tunes – and Tony’s mind was blown! He’d been studying Earl for over 60 years, but now he heard exciting new information in these solos, chock full of twists, turns and exciting revelations. Tony immediately began transcribing and learning his favorites. Tony plays on this album is his own, inspired by Scruggs, every solo is note-for-note Earl’s, from those jams. Tony felt that these tapes might never see the light of day, so he recorded this album in hopes that a host of others could experience the same excitement he felt on hearing Earl’s “new” music. The album was recorded with guest vocalists Sam Bush, Dudley Connell, Sierra Ferrell, The Gibson Brothers, Vince Gill, Del McCoury, Billy Strings, and Molly Tuttle.

 

Also new this week…

Bonny Light Horseman – Keep Me on Your Mind/See You Free  (Jagjaguwar Records)
Jesse Daniel – Countin’ The Miles (Die True Records)
Fantastic Cat – Now That’s What I Call Fantastic Cat  (Missing Piece Records)
Robert Earl Keen – Western Chill  (Scriptorium Rex Records)  +
Katie Knipp – Me (independent)
Nolen Sellwood – Cadence to the Flame  (New Folk Records)
Parker Smith – Short Street  (independent)
Quinn Sullivan – Salvation  (Provogue Records)
Joanne Shaw Taylor – Heavy Soul  (Journeyman Records)
Nichole Wagner – Plastic Flowers  (Star Catcher Music)

 

Coming out soon … Hermanos Gutiérrez, Yarn, Silverada, Ryan David Green, Jenny Don’t and the Spurs, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Kaitlin Butts, Oliver Wood, Jubal Lee Young, David Serby, Jim Lauderdale, Melissa Carper, Joe Ely, Rory Block, Billy Strings and more!

Check out Americana Boogie Radio!

Bill Frater

Posted in Americana CD releases, Country music new releases, New music releases, Roots Music | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Americana Music Releases for May 31st

Posted on May 30, 2024 by

Here’s some the best Americana and roots-type music releases for May 31st, 2024. Click the artist or album links to find out more. The artist’s names link to their websites and the CD title links go to either Amazon, iTunes, Bandcamp or the artist’s site for ordering or downloading.  A + sign means although not a featured release, it’s a notable album that’s still worth checking out.  Also, this page will be updated as I find out about other new releases so check back again.

Laurie Lewis
Trees  (Spruce and Maple Music)

On her new album, Laurie Lewis invites listeners to join her on a ramble through the natural world as she experiences both loss and joy. This project is her first without the mandolin accompaniment of long-time collaborator and partner Tom Rozum, due to his challenges from Parkinson’s disease. Rozum’s artwork, however, is featured on the album cover, and he provides harmony vocals on three of the cuts, including the haunting title song. On the album, Lewis incorporates a range of musical styles — bluegrass, old-time, folk, and more. Among her originals, she also includes Tom T. Hall’s “Hound Dog Blues” and John Hartford’s “Down on the Levee,” which conjures up images of a muddy river with “a real steam boat with double-swinging stages / compound condensing engines, and real old-timey looking gauges.” Rather than an escape into nature, Trees is a collection of songs artfully arranged to accompany an introspective journey.  (edited from No Depression review)


Swamp Dogg
Blackgrass: From West Virginia to 125th St  (Oh Boy Records)

Entering his seventh decade of recording, the musician born Jerry Williams Jr’s new album is bluegass-based with a core backing band which includes Noam Pikelny, Sierra Hull, Jerry Douglas, Chris Scruggs and Kenny Vaughan. “Not a lot of people talk about the true origins of bluegrass music,” the 81-year-old Swamp Dogg said, “but it came from Black people. The banjo, the washtub, all that stuff started with African Americans. We were playing it before it even had a name. I’m trying to touch on every kind of music I grew up loving and listening to. This is my way of letting people know that I’m not just a soul singer or whatever they think I am. I’m so much more.” A family affair, the album includes guest spots from Margo Price, Vernon Reid, Jenny Lewis, Justin Vernon, and the Cactus Blossoms and it was produced by Ryan Olson.  (edited from press release)

 

Various Artists
Long Distance Love – A Sweet Relief Tribute to Lowell George  (Flatiron Recordings)

 

Lowell George’s musical journey began as a member of Frank Zappa’s Mothers of Invention before co-founding Little Feat with Bill Payne. Over his seven-year tenure with the band, they produced eight albums that continue to captivate audiences worldwide. Although George’s untimely passing in 1979 left a void in the music industry, his spirit lives on through the timeless melodies and heartfelt lyrics showcased in this album. In collaboration with Sweet Relief, an organization dedicated to providing financial assistance to struggling musicians and industry professionals, Long Distance Love serves as a testament to the enduring impact of Lowell George’s musical legacy. Featuring a lineup of artists including Elvis Costello, Ben Harper, Taylor Goldsmith, and Dave Alvin, and many lesser known artists. This collection comprises 25 tracks that breathe new life into George’s timeless classics and lesser-known gems.  (edited from Grateful Web review)

 

Also new this week…

Wyndham Baird – After the Morning  (Jalopy Records)
Jessie Baylin – Strawberry Wind  (New West Records)
Jesse Dayton – The Hard Way Blues  (Blue Elan Records) +
The Infamous Stringdusters – Songs from the River  (Americana Vibes)
The Gringo Pistoleros – The Rise And Subsequent Fall Of The Texas Alien  (independent)
Jim Keller – Daylight  (Orange Mountain Music)
Kirby Lyle – Down in Nashville – Songs from the Rounds  (independent)
Curtis McMurtry – The Pollen & The Rot  (independent)
David Myles – Devil Talking  (Turtlemusik)
Willie Nelson – The Border  (Legacy Recordings)  +
Noelle and the Deserters – High Desert Daydream  (independent)  +
Red Shahan – Loose Funky Texas Junky  (Lemon Pepper Records)
Richard Thompson – Ship to Shore  (Yep Roc Records)
Anna Tivel – Living Thing   (Fluff and Gravy Records)  +

 

Coming out soon … Yarn, Tony Trischka, Katie Knipp, Silverada, Jenny Don’t and the Spurs, Jesse Daniel, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Kaitlin Butts, Oliver Wood, Jubal Lee Young, David Serby, Jim Lauderdale, Melissa Carper, Joe Ely, Rory Block and more!

Check out Americana Boogie Radio!

Bill Frater

Posted in Americana CD releases, Country music new releases, New music releases, Roots Music | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Americana Music Releases for May 24th

Posted on May 23, 2024 by

Here’s some the best Americana and roots-type music releases for May 24th, 2024. Click the artist or album links to find out more. The artist’s names link to their websites and the CD title links go to either Amazon, iTunes, Bandcamp or the artist’s site for ordering or downloading.  A + sign means although not a featured release, it’s a notable album that’s still worth checking out.  Also, this page will be updated as I find out about other new releases so check back again.

Kim Richey
Every New Beginning  (Yep Roc Records)

Sometimes our obsession with the ‘next big thing’ or newer wave of singer-songwriters in Americana has us overlooking the stalwarts that shaped the genre. This is not to suggest that Kim Richey has been invisible. Her stature, though perhaps not top-of-mind for many, has remained undiminished, and this new collection of ten songs on Every New Beginning, her tenth album, strongly reinforces her artistry – her soothing voice and precise articulation, rhyming couplets, singalong hooks, keen observations, and relatable emotional fare. While it may seem like a heavy dose of sad songs, you’ll likely relate to the emotions, admire the songcraft, find comfort in her soothing vocals, and, yes, find these tunes lingering in your head for days.  Richey delivers superb songcraft, as top-shelf as any album she has made.  (edited from Glide Magazine review)

 

Also new this week…

Stephanie Chapman – Under an August Sky  (self-released)
Bronwyn Keith-Hynes – I Built a World  (self-released)  +
Old Man Luedecke – She Told Me Where To Go (Outside Music)
Sweet Megg – Bluer Than Blue (Turtle Bay Records)   +

 

Coming out soon … Richard Thompson, Curtis McMurtry, Anna Tivel, Jim Keller, Willie Nelson, Swamp Dogg, Tony Trischka, Yarn, Jesse Dayton, Silverada, Laurie Lewis, Jenny Don’t and the Spurs, Jesse Daniel, Oliver Wood, David Serby, Jim Lauderdale, Melissa Carper, Joe Ely, Rory Block and more!

Check out Americana Boogie Radio!

Bill Frater

Posted in Americana CD releases, Country music new releases, New music releases, Roots Music | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Americana Music Releases for May 17th

Posted on May 16, 2024 by

Here’s some the best Americana and roots-type music releases for May 17th, 2024. Click the artist or album links to find out more. The artist’s names link to their websites and the CD title links go to either Amazon, iTunes, Bandcamp or the artist’s site for ordering or downloading.  A + sign means although not a featured release, it’s a notable album that’s still worth checking out.  Also, this page will be updated as I find out about other new releases so check back again.

 

Kaia Kater
Strange Medicine  (Free Dirt Records)

This album is deeply engrossing musically.  And thematically it’s about struggling through abject darkness, often using historical references, to a place of balance. Kaia named this album after her favorite Herbie Hancock quote:“the only way we can grow is to experience situations as they are. To take whatever situation we have and make something constructive with it—to turn poison into medicine.” These words resonate throughout the album, and, as Kaia says: “In this case, the bloodletting for me was to sort through my most raw feelings about colonialism, sexism, racism, and misogyny.” This album runs cold and dark, but always truthful, with mysterious banjo and fiddle and themes of revenge for unspeakable wrongs – against women, people of color, and in shadowy moments in history, and right now. The music is compelling and takes your hand to lead you down the twisted pathways that lead to cathartic release.  (edited from Americana Highways review)


Little Feat
Sam’s Place  (Hot Tomato Productions)

Most people don’t associate Little Feat with the blues. But the West Coast band, who started in 1969, typically tapped into the genre as part of their diverse gumbo which also included funk, folk, and country, along with rock and roll. Those who go way back will remember that their debut included covers of Howlin’ Wolf’s “Forty-Four Blues” and “How Many More Years.” Still, it comes as a surprise that the current edition of Little Feat, would release an entire set dedicated to the genre, the first such recording in their lengthy career. Even more unusual is that veteran conga player Sam Clayton, whose name is referenced in the Sam’s Place title, handles all the vocals. The now 78-year-old percussionist would previously chime in occasionally, but seldom sang lead. Yet here he is the only vocalist, delivering the bluesy goods with a raw, gravely baritone that makes even the gruff Wolf sound as smooth as Robert Cray in comparison. Even if this just buys time until they write another batch of originals, the rollicking and wonderfully energetic Sam’s Place is well worth putting on your sailin’ shoes for and following Little Feat’s side road into the blues.  (edited from Rock & Blue Muse review)

 

Also new this week…

The Avett Brothers – The Avett Brothers  (Ramseur Records/American Recordings)  +
Becky Buller – Jubilee  (Dark Shadow Recording)
Chris Castle – Long Way to the Bottom  (Dirtsandwich Music Company)
Dana Cooper – The Ghost of Tucumcari  (self-released)   +
Ani DiFranco – Unprecedented Sh!t (Righteous Babe Records) 
Tim Easton – Find Your Way  (Black Mesa Records)  +
Ana Egge – Sharing In The Spirit  (StorySound Records)
The Mavericks – Moon & Stars  (Mono Mundo)  +
Dom McLean – American Boys  (BFD Records)
Ruth Moody – Wanderer  (Blue Muse Records)  +
Pete Muller – More Love  (independent)
John Oates – Reunion  (Jasper Productions)
Rising Appalachia – Folk & Anchor  (self-released)
Martha Spencer – Out in La La Land  (Music Maker Records)  +
The Twins of Franklin – This Life  (independent)
Monte Warden and the Dangerous Few – Jackpot!  (Break A Leg Records)  +
Christopher Weir – Ten Feet Tall (Edgewater Music Group)

 

Coming out soon … Richard Thompson, Kim Richey, Bronwyn Keith-Hynes, Curtis McMurtry, David Myles, Anna Tivel, Jim Keller, Willie Nelson, Swamp Dogg, Yarn, Jesse Dayton, Silverada, Laurie Lewis, Jenny Don’t and the Spurs, Jesse Daniel, Jim Lauderdale, Melissa Carper and more!

Check out Americana Boogie Radio!

Bill Frater

Posted in Americana CD releases, Country music new releases, Music podcast, New music releases, Roots Music | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Americana Music Releases for May 10th

Posted on May 9, 2024 by

Here’s some the best Americana and roots-type music releases for May 10th, 2024. Click the artist or album links to find out more. The artist’s names link to their websites and the CD title links go to either Amazon, iTunes, Bandcamp or the artist’s site for ordering or downloading.  A + sign means although not a featured release, it’s a notable album that’s still worth checking out.  Also, this page will be updated as I find out about other new releases so check back again.

Pokey LaFarge
Rhumba Country  (New West Records)

Pokey LaFarge displays such easy grace when he sings that it’s tempting to consider him a supplier of light entertainment. Don’t believe it. The stirring, deceptively fraught Rhumba Country presents vivid vignettes of restless hearts gripped by desire and loneliness, and yearning for higher ground. If this smooth troubadour ultimately strikes a positive note, his progress is hard-earned. Likewise, lazy listeners might tag him as a source of the kind of cartoonish, old-timey Americana worthy of a theme park attraction, which is also wrong. An heir to the similarly underestimated Leon Redbone and Dan Hicks, LaFarge deftly intertwines reggae, country, soul, gospel, and what have you to fashion an instantly familiar, yet curiously fresh, sound.  (edited from No Depression review)

 

Kelsey Waldon
There’s Always a Song   (Oh Boy Records)

“I have been inspired by all kinds of music spanning many genres, but there is something about old time songs & bluegrass music that resonates so deeply within me. It’s like, I kind of was able to find my voice through these voices, you know?” Waldon says. “A part of me doing this album is expressing so much gratitude for the music that I love, for music that has meant a lot to me and helped me.” Across four albums full of both “heavy twang and spitfire pedal steel” and “coffeehouse confessionals” (Rolling Stone), she’s brought listeners into her world and shared her own experiences and perspectives. Her new project, There’s Always a Song, however, is about the “singular voices” that shaped her into the artist she is today. “These songs are deep. They were here long before me, and they will be here long after I’m gone, after any of us are here. They will survive the test of time,” Waldon says. “It’s like they live in some kind of universe that just survives forever. These songs know the secrets to life.” Guests include Margo Price, Amanda Shires, S.G. Goodman and more. (from label’s press release)

 

Also new this week…

Wade Bowen – Flyin’  (Bowen Sounds)
Jared Deck – Head Above Water  (independent) 
Rick Estrin & The Nightcats – The Hits Keep Coming  (Alligator Records)
Greensky Bluegrass – The Iceland Sessions  (Big Blue Zoo Records)
Anya Hinkle – Oceana (Red Parlor Records) +
Grant Langston – aLAbama  (independent)  +
Abigail Lapell – Anniversary (Outside Music)
MorningBird – Echoes In The Meadow  (MorningBird Records) +
Orville Peck – Stampede Vol. 1  (Warner Bros Records)
RubyJoyful – The Pie Chart Of Love  (independent)  +
Shannon & The Clams – The Moon Is In The Wrong Place  (Easy Eye Sound)
John Shipe – Water This Dark  (Involushun Records)

 

Coming out soon … Little Feat, Tim Easton, Bronwyn Keith-Hynes, Curtis McMurtry, Ruth Moody, David Myles, Anna Tivel, Kaia Kater, Richard Thompson, Kim Richey, Jim Keller, Willie Nelson, Ana Egge, Swamp Dogg, Yarn, Jesse Dayton, Silverada, The Mavericks, Jenny Don’t and the Spurs, Laurie Lewis, Jesse Daniel, Dave Alvin and Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Mellissa Carper and more!

Check out Americana Boogie Radio!

Bill Frater

Posted in Americana CD releases, Country music new releases, New music releases, Roots Music | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Americana Music Releases for May 3rd

Posted on May 2, 2024 by

Here’s some the best Americana and roots-type music releases for May 3rd, 2024. Click the artist or album links to find out more. The artist’s names link to their websites and the CD title links go to either Amazon, iTunes, Bandcamp or the artist’s site for ordering or downloading.  A + sign means although not a featured release, it’s a notable album that’s still worth checking out.  Also, this page will be updated as I find out about other new releases so check back again.

 

Adeem the Artist
Anniversary (Four Quarters Records)

If only this whole “anti-woke” mess could be dispelled with a simple listening exercise. As I took in Adeem the Artist’s new album, it occurred to me – again – that many of their (yes, we’ll be using neutral pronouns in this piece – get used to it) stories aren’t much different than anyone else’s – just more artfully worded. The record’s title – Anniversary – itself is a tribute to Adeem’s spouse. Along with country love songs and family stories, though, Adeem dives into societal issues – violence, racism, anti-trans bigotry – with equal passion, because these issues aren’t something they can stand to stay silent on.  (edited from Americana Highways review)

 

Chris Smither
All About the Bones  (Signature Sounds Recordings)

Chris Smither’s twentieth album is full to the brim with Smither’s distinctive vocals and fully primed with acoustic guitars, a fiddle and a haunting melody giving hints of the bayou and old New Orleans. Chris has been the real deal for decades, as honest as the day is long, and an incredible performer; the kind to hold an audience in the palm of his hand throughout a set. On record, he is, likewise, great company, usually writing most if not all of the material, with his stellar cover of Tom Petty’s Time To Move On here being a brave exception. Chris Smither is an unassuming master of his craft, despite being in his 80th year he still tours as hard as acts sixty years his junior; and shouldn’t be missed if he ever graces your part of the world.  (edited from Rocking Magpie review)

Also new this week…

Calder Allen – Dreamers Drifters and Hiders  (independent)
The Reverend Shawn Amos – Soul Brother No. 1  (Family Records)
Guy Clark – Truly Handmade Volume 1  (Truly Handmade Records)  +
Mac Cornish – Never Made Much of a Lover  (independent)  +
Deep Dark Woods – Broadside Ballads Vol​.​III  (Victory Pool Records)
Jay Gavin – Road Ready  (Good Time Charlie’s Records)
Will Kimbrough – For the Life of Me  (Daphne Records)  +
Noel McKay – You Only Live Always   (McKay Records)
Sarah Gayle Meech – Easin’ On  (Good Timin’ Woman Records)  +
Ordinary Elephant – Ordinary Elephant  (independent)
Emily Nenni – Drive & Cry  (New West Records)  +
Tylor & the Train Robbers – Hum of the Road  (independent)  +

 

Coming out soon … Pokey LaFarge, Grant Langston, Tim Easton, Little Feat, Curtis McMurtry, Ruth Moody, David Myles, Anna Tivel, Kaia Kater, Richard Thompson, Kim Richey, Jim Keller, Willie Nelson, Ana Egge, Swamp Dogg, Yarn, Jesse Dayton, Silverada, The Mavericks, Jesse Daniel and more!

Check out Americana Boogie Radio!

Bill Frater

Posted in Americana CD releases, Country music new releases, New music releases, Roots Music | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Americana Music Releases for April 26th

Posted on April 25, 2024 by

Here’s some the best Americana and roots-type music releases for April 26th, 2024. Click the artist or album links to find out more. The artist’s names link to their websites and the CD title links go to either Amazon, iTunes, Bandcamp or the artist’s site for ordering or downloading.  A + sign means although not a featured release, it’s a notable album that’s still worth checking out.  Also, this page will be updated as I find out about other new releases so check back again.

 

Charley Crockett
$10 Cowboy  (Son of Davy Records)

Suppose you’ve read about Charley Crockett, a Texas-born descendant of Davy Crockett. In that case, you know his nomadic, scuffling existence in the first three decades of the award-winning, now 40-year-old’s career. Fourteen records in, his keen observations and having-lived-it wisdom give him a seemingly endless well of ideas and experiences to draw from. $10 Cowboy is his follow-up to 2022’s widely acclaimed Man from Waco, a well-conceived concept album. While this one didn’t begin that way, the results yielded well-connected songs. Many were written on the fly as he toured through the country, at truck stops, casinos, alleys behind venues, or in his truck parked in South Austin. Mostly, he writes about those who have fallen through the cracks. Crockett has a potpourri of songs here, from the relatively simple country ditties, to arresting narratives, to those filled with symbolism that demand multiple listens. He remains squarely in the front row of today’s best writers.  (edited from Glide Magazine review)

 

Also new this week..

Chris BadNews Barnes – BadNews Travels Fast  (Gulf Coast Records)
Iron & Wine – Light Verse  (Sub Pop Records)
Cris Jacobs – One Of These Days  (Soundly Music)
Pi Jacobs – Soldier On  (Blackbird Record Label)  +
Lost Dog Street Band – Survived  (independent)  +
Mark & Maggie O’Connor – Life After Life  (Omac Records) +
Anders Osborne – Picasso’s Villa  (5th Ward Records)
Phoebe Rees – Bring In the Light  (Strictly Country Records)
Lawrence Rothman – The Plow That Broke the Plains  (KRO Records)
Gileah Taylor – Slow Parade (Velvet Blue Music)

 

Coming out soon … Tyler & the Train Robbers, Chris Smither, Pokey LaFarge, Grant Langston, Tim Easton, Kaia Kater, The Reverend Shawn Amos, Curtis McMurtry, Ruth Moody, David Myles, Anna Tivel, Richard Thompson, Kim Richey, Jim Keller, Willie Nelson, Ana Egge, Swamp Dogg, Yarn, Jesse Dayton, Silverada, The Mavericks, Jesse Daniel and more!

Check out Americana Boogie Radio!

Bill Frater

Posted in Americana CD releases, Americana Music Assoc. Conference, Bluegrass, Country music new releases, New music releases, Roots Music | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Americana Music Releases for April 19th

Posted on April 18, 2024 by

Here’s some the best Americana and roots-type music releases for April 19th, 2024. Click the artist or album links to find out more. The artist’s names link to their websites and the CD title links go to either Amazon, iTunes, Bandcamp or the artist’s site for ordering or downloading.  A + sign means although not a featured release, it’s a notable album that’s still worth checking out.  Also, this page will be updated as I find out about other new releases so check back again.

 

The Brother Brothers
The January Album  (Stumbling Rose Records)

The fourth record from Adam and David Moss, those twin sons of Peoria, Illinois, known musically as The Brother Brothers, is a COVID-era record in the strictest sense: The Mosses wrote most of its 12 tracks during the first few months of lockdown in the US. But The January Album, rather than lacing each song with obvious references to the crisis, embraces that moment under the surface. The work reflects themes common to the brothers’ discography to date; it’s tied to 2020 as a consequence of its conception. The choice to sidestep didactic nonsense is refreshing, if unsurprising. Like all other Brother Brothers records, The January Album is characterized by humble honesty. The Mosses aren’t showy or flashy. They speak and play simply, so their messages can be clearly heard, though this belies their craftsmanship’s subtle complexities, the product of a shared soul that’s equal parts playful and doleful.  (edited from No Depression review)

 

 

T Bone Burnett
The Other Side  (Verve Label Group)

Sometimes our subconscious is more aware than we are, especially when communicating the allegories that play out in our everyday lives. Who better to interpret these stories and appeal to our senses than Grammy-and Oscar-winner, T Bone Burnett. The Other Side, his first solo album in 20 years, was co-produced by Colin Linden, Mike Piersante and Burnett. The album features an early bandmate Steven Soles, as well as Lucius, Weyes Blood, Dennis Crouch, Stuart Duncan, Jay Bellarose and others. “He Came Down,” both title and repeating phrase, kicks off the country blues record with lovely guitar playing. It’s a beautiful pastoral folk song with biblical imagery and legendary archetypes. Working with gifted artists through his career, Burnett’s altruistic approach has supported them to greatness. Now it’s Burnett’s turn to welcome the accompaniment from folks like his good friend Rosanne Cash and the three songs that feature the celestial vocals of duo Lucius accompanying T Bone’s soft singing. Lucius was inspired to create their own magical parts for this. Listeners will experience Burnett’s story through his vast musical landscape and his love of all forms of writing. It’s no wonder he is both a masterful producer and legendary songwriter. The Other Side awakens our spirit through American roots song-writing mastery.  (edited from Americana Highways review)

 

Also new this week…

Andrea & Mud – Institutionalized  (independent)
Darin & Brooke Aldridge – Talk of the Town  (Billy Blue Records)+
Luther Black and the Cold Hard Facts – Let The Light Back In  (independent)
The Bacon Brothers – Ballad Of The Brothers  (Forty Below Records)
Barnstar! – Furious Kindness  (independent)  +
Thomas Csorba – Windchimes  (Standard Issue Records)
Wyatt Flores – Half Life  (OEG Records)
Stephanie Lambring – Hypocrite  (Almost Autonomous Records)
Heather Little – By Now  (Need To Know Records)
New Riders of the Purple Sage – Hempsteader: Live At The Calderone Concert Hall, Hempstead, NY, June 25, 1976 (Omnivore Recordings)
Ann Savoy – Another Heart  (Smithsonian Folkways Recordings)  +
The Stetson Family – The Stars, If You Look Closely  (independent)
Various Artists – Live On Mountain Stage: Outlaws and Outliers (Oh Boy Records)

 

Coming out soon … Lost Dog Street Band, Iron & Wine, Pokey LaFarge, Grant Langston, Pi Jacobs, Tim Easton, Charley Crockett, The Reverend Shawn Amos, Curtis McMurtry, Gileah Taylor, Tylor & the Train Robbers, Chris Smither, Ruth Moody, David Myles, Anna Tivel, Richard Thompson, Kim Richey, Jim Keller, Willie Nelson, Ana Egge, Swamp Dogg, Yarn, Jesse Dayton, Silverada, The Mavericks, Jesse Daniel and more!

Check out Americana Boogie Radio!

Bill Frater

Posted in Americana CD releases, Bluegrass, Country music new releases, New music releases, Roots Music | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment