Chase Bryant’s new single, “Room To Breathe,” is many things. It is upbeat, sexy, bluesy, seductive, funky, sensual, and brooding. It is also another step in the inevitable development of country music. Singing the breathtaking tune, it’s clear that Chase Bryant has a voice that could just as easily find big success in pop, jazz … Continue reading
Category Archives: Music
New Bluegrass: The Earls of Leicester — ‘Rattle & Roar’
The Earls of Leicester — Rattle & Roar Label: Rounder Records (to be released July 15, 2016) It is one of the most highly-anticipated bluegrass albums of the year, and it does not disappoint. The greatest way to pay tribute to what has come before isn’t necessarily to recreate. Rather, it is to develop. That … Continue reading
New Americana: Elouise — ‘Deep Water’
Elouise — Deep Water Expected Release: Jul 15, 2016 It is a swampy, nearly kinetic experience. The songs on Elouise’s new album, Deep Water, are enough to send you to swimming lessons, as futile as that may be, considering the mirky depths the songs take you. The soundscape presented on the entirety of the album … Continue reading
THE MAVERICKS LAUNCH MONO MUNDO RECORDINGS, PLAN FOR A BUSY YEAR AHEAD, WITH TWO ALBUM RELEASES
The Mavericks, one of the most independent-minded bands in the history of American music, have gone full indie, launching their own record label and announcing two new releases in the year ahead. Mono Mundo Recordings is a partnership that brings together the Mavericks, Nashville distribution and marketing innovators Thirty Tigers and the band’s trusted Ventura, … Continue reading
New Americana: Chip Taylor — ‘Little Brothers’
Chip Taylor — Little Brothers From the start, Chip Taylor makes it clear that Little Brothers is not your typical album. The fusion of guitar and text remind us of the essence of a good song: storytelling. The rest of the album amplifies this captivating notion, with songs of confession, enlightenment and personal redemption. Clearly, … Continue reading
New Bluegrass Gospel: Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver — ‘Burden Bearer’
Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver — Burden Bearer “Brother, have you heard, about the world coming to an end?” So go the lyrics to the entirely infectious song that I can’t get out of my head, titled “Brother Have You Heard.” And isn’t that the real point of effective gospel, anyway—this inability to stop singing it … Continue reading
New Rock/Roots: Travis Green — ‘A Little Too Late’
Travis Green — A Little Too Late Produced by: Kid Andersen It’s never too late. If you think it is, just put the needle back on track one of Travis Green’s new album, A Little Too Late, play to the end, and repeat. These are ten original songs that promise good times, or at least a very … Continue reading
Nashville Roots-Rock Trio The Coal Men Mine Lost Souls On Pushed To The Side, Releasing August 19
As excited as Dave Coleman is about the August 19, 2016 release of Pushed to the Side (Vaskaleedez Records), the fifth full-length album by his Nashville roots-rock trio the Coal Men, he’s also harboring an unusual fear: that the story of “three solid dudes trying to make really honest, genuine music” isn’t sexy enough to … Continue reading
New Music: Shane Alexander — ‘Bliss’
Shane Alexander — Bliss Label: Buddhaland Music As soon as I hear the first notes of Shane Alexander’s new album, Bliss, I got a breezy rush of nostalgia. Not that the music is retro in any way; the nostalgia I felt was more of a longing for emotions I thought I left behind in my home … Continue reading
Omnivore To Release Maynard Ferguson’s Complete ‘High Voltage’
The Complete High Voltage albums are released on Omnivore on July 15th. Maynard Ferguson conquered Jazz, television, the Pop charts, and even played the closing ceremonies of the 1976 Olympics. Then, hot off the heels of Body & Soul—his self-proclaimed “best album in years”—he took a creative left turn and re-invented himself in 1987 with … Continue reading