Album name: Live from Austin, TX Artist name: Drive-By Truckers Genre: Rock n’ Roll Released: July 7 2009 Label: New West ZME Rating: 9/10 Website: drivebytruckers.com In the spirit of full disclosure, I should probably inform you of two things: 1 – I’m a hard marker. In the time I’m writing for this website, you’ll likely never see me give an album 10/10. This is partly because I don’t think you could reasonably call any…
Clichés are basically the exact opposite of a box of chocolates: you always know what you’re gonna get next. The key to making clichés work in songwriting is to couch the clichés in a bunch of other interesting stuff so that they’re not all that important to the song, in the end. This is a lesson I learned last night, watching Jason Isbell give a fantastic performance upstairs in Whelan’s. Supporting act for the night…
The constantly energetic Elvis Costello will be expanding his respectable catalog next week with yet another album, titled “The Secret, The Profane, and the Sugarcane.” Recently he paid a visit to Newsweek’s Pop Vox music session, where he played his latest single “Sulphur to Sugarcane,” a moving southern anthem. That’s not all though, besides playing his song, Elvis also discussed a bit about contemporary country music, Stevie Wonder and, inevitably, digital music. Being a ferm…
Album name: Roadsinger Artist name: Cat Stevens/Yusuf Islam Genre: Folk, Rock, Pop Released: May 5, 2009 Label: Umvd Labels ZME Rating: 10(!)/10 Website: Yusuf Islam When Cat Stevens said he would never sing ever again in the late 70s, I was devastated and it seems it was just yesterday. Nah, I’m just messing with you, but still… Here was this absolutely brilliant young man that had conquered mankind just giving up on everything he had…
Artist name: Cardinals Album name: Cardinology Label: Lost Highway Records Gender: Alternative Rock, Country Release date: October 28, 2008 ZMErating: 9.5/10 Website: www.ryan-adams.com From my point of view, it’s a big shame that Ryan Adams has been in the spotlight due to his drug related problems and mental meltdowns and tantrums than for artistic reasons. But if he had a chance to release an album that would rise him above his current level, Cardinology would…
The gorgeous blonde has recently lost some fans due to what they call a shift to country music. But her response is the same, no matter how many times she is asked about this. The acclaimed singer-songwriter is trying to explain why even though the music on her seventh record, “Perfectly Clear,” is a departure from the smooth dance-rock of 2003’s “0304”. Basically what she said is “I haven’t gone country. I didn’t wake up…
Artist name: Mudcrutch Album name: Mudcrutch Label: Reprise Records Genre: Rock/Country Rock/Southern Rock Release date: April 29, 2008 ZMErating: 9/10 Website: www.mudcrutchmusic.com Tom Petty is without doubt one of the most influential and recognizable American artists, of the 20th century. His work spans on over 3 decades, after releasing countless records with The Heartbreakers, The Traveling Wilburys, as a solo artists and of course, as of lately, with Mudcrutch. When you reach a certain age…
Artist name: Counting Crows Album name: Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings Label: Geffen Gender: Folk Rock Release date: March 25, 2008 ZMErating: 10/10 Website: www.countingcrows.com Well boys ‘n’ girls it’s here! Don’t know if you were expecting it, but I certainly eagerly awaited their return. Without further ado, I’ll just get right into it and tell you about it. First of all, the name struck me; could it be related in any way with the…
Oh man, when a titan such as Bob Dylan makes plans, you know it’s gonna be good; and when this record is going to be based on some unfinished lyrics by country singer Hank Williams, it’s gonna be great. When he also asks Jack White, Willie Nelson, Lucinda Williams and other to work with him…you know it’s going to be just fantastic! As the story goes, Dylan asked a series of musicians to write music…
Country rock legend [tag]Willie Nelson[/tag] is set to celebrate his 75th birthday, on April 30, by releasing a whooping 100 track long, four CD, box set, called “One Hell Of A Ride.” The box set will be released on April, on Legacy, 1 and will feature songs from across Willie’s five decade long discography; what a epic best of. And if that’s not enough, a day before Willie birthday, on April 29, Legacy will release…
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