IndexAmericana

AMERICANA RELEASES

2008 PAGE 2

JEWEL

"PERFECTLY CLEAR"

VALORY VMCAJK0100

PRODUCED BY JEWEL & JOHN RICH

CARRIE RODRIGUEZ

"SHE AIN'T ME"

MANHATTAN 50999 5 21101 2 2

PRODUCED BY MALCOLM BURN

SISTERS MORALES

"TALKING TO THE RIVER"

LUNA DIG 131

PRODUCED BY STEVE BERLIN

1. Stronger Woman
2. I Do
3. Love Is A Garden
4. Rosey And Mick
5. Anyone But You
6. Thump, Thump
7. Two Became One
8. Till It Feels Like Cheating
9. Everything Reminds Me Of You
10. Loved By You (Cowboy Waltz)
11. Perfectly Clear

1. Infinite Night
2. She Ain't Me
3. Rag Doll
4. Absence
5. El Salvador
6. Mask Of Moses
7. The Big Mistake
8. Grace
9. Let Me In
10. El Dorado
11. Can't Cry Enough

1. You're Losing Me To No One
2. Right From The Start
3. World Goes Round
4. Time Off And Piece
5. La Canoera
6. It's Time
7. I Won't Stand Still
8. Say Goodbye
9. Whatcha Gonna Do About It
10. La Macura
11. Talkin' To The River (aka La Llorona)
12. Where Is Love

This collaboration between Jewel and
John Rich is listed under Americana
but it is really what one might call
Smooth Pop. I like Jewel and of course
everyone likes John and together they
have made a CD that is bound to be
successful. It certainly reveals Jewel as
being a very good writer. The CD is on
the new imprint from Big Machine.
Although it isn't to my personal taste, I
can see how it will find a big audience.

You may remember Carrie from her
duets with Chip Taylor. Now she steps
out front and center with this solo CD.
This is an interesting mix of Pop,
Classical and Rock. Guests include
Lucinda Williams ad that alone may
give you an idea about this release.
There are shades of the Celtic side of
Nickel Creek on "Absence" and in toto
it is a nice slab of Americana. Carrie is
very talented as a singer, writer and
musician. I am interested in seeing her
play live.

Sisters Morales come off as a gentler
female version of a mix of The
Mavericks and Texas Tornados. My
problem is with the songs themselves;
especially those of Roberta Morales.
Their freeform doesn't always hang
with the production. I have a feeling
that this is going to take several listens
before coming up with a definitive
critique.

MICKY & THE MOTORCARS

"NAIVE"

SMITH ENTERTAINMENT SED7103

PRODUCED BY DAVID ABEYTA AND CODY BRAUN

DREW HOLCOMB & THE NEIGHBORS

"PASSENGER SEAT"

MAGNOLIA MUSIC NO CAT #

PRODUCED BY PAUL EBERSOLD

JOHNNY FLYNN

"A LARUM"

LOST HIGHWAY B001433-02

PRODUCED, RECORDED & MIXED BY RYAN
HADLOCK

1. Naive
2. Amber
3. Long Enough To Leave
4. Grow Old
5. Don't Be Sad
6. Misunderstood
7. Bloodshot
8. Seashell
9. Everything I've Got
10. Twilight
11. Seeds
12. Let's Split Out Of Here

1. Jamie
2. Hallelujah
3. Late Night Drama Queen
4. Fire And Dynamite
5. Love Is Magic
6. Lonely Anna
7. Heartache Heartbreak
8. Fly Home In The Morning
9. Rhythm Of The Clock
10. The Wire

1. The Box
2. The Wrote & The Writ
3. Tickle Me Pink
4. Brown Trout Blues
5. Eyeless In Holloway
6. Shore To Shore
7. Cold Bread
8. Wayne Rooney
9. Leftovers
10. Sally
11. Hong Kong Cemetry
12. Tunnels
13. All The Dogs Are Lying Down

Led by Micky Braun, Micky & The
Motorcars are another Austin, Texas to
prove that Country-Rock is alive and
well. Micky's co-writers include
heavtweights like Randy Rogers and
Kevin Welch. If you like the Eagles,
Cross Canadian Ragweed and
Reckless Kelly, then you are going to
love this release. Among the guest
musos are Mickey Raphael and Lloyd
Maines. This is definitely a keeper.

Memphis born Drew Holcomb is a
singer that belies his young years. His
lyrics have the weightiness and
intensity in the tradition of Springsteen
and Steve Earle. What makes this CD
rhythmically different are the drum
patterns of Jon Radford. Very tasty. I
also like the harmonies provided by
Drew's wife Ellie; they work really well.
All in all, this is a superb CD and is one
of my favorite releases this year.

You could be excused for not know
who Johnny Flynn is. I am going to
educate you. Johnny is a London,
England born actor, singer, songwriter,
poet and multi-instrumentalist. He
fronts The Sussex Wit and his music
defies categorization. Call it Folk Rock,
call it Americana (or Britannia); neither
fully pigeon holes it because it can't be
pigeon holed. I just want to call it
brilliant. It reminded of my days playing
in the folk clubs in Europe. There is
something of Johnny in the storytelling
side of Mark Knopfler or is it the other
way around. All I know is that this is
ACE!!!

DONAVON FRANKENREITER

"PASS IT AROUND"

LOST HIGHWAY B00111589-02

PRODUCED BY JOE CHICCARELLI
* PRODUCED BY SQUEAK E. CLEAN WITH
ADDITIONAL PRODUCTION BY JOE CHICCARELLI

LARRY WEISS

"CUTS AND SCRATCHES"

CAPE CRT 025

PRODUCED BY LARRY WEISS

JOAN BAEZ

"DAY AFTER TOMORROW"

BOBOLINK/RAZOR & TIE 7930183002-2

PRODUCED BY STEVE EARLE

1. Life, Love & Laughter *
2. Too Much Water
3. Come With me
4. Your Heart'
5. Hit The Ground Running
6. Mansions On The Sand
7. Someone's Something
8. Sing A Song
9. Pass It Around
10. Come Together

1. I Am Somebody
2. My Forefathers
3. (I Remember) Dempsey's
4. Real Kind Of People
5. Help Me Girl
6. My Road Leads To You
7. Man Who Never Was
8. You Can't Have Me
9. Get Your Act Together Sam
10. The Ruins Of El Hakamir
11. (Ain't It Supposed To Be) Better By Now
12. Can't We Start Over Again

1. God Is God
2. Rose Of Sharon
3. Scarlet Tide
4. Day After Tomorrow
5. Henry Russell's Last Words
6. I'm A Wanderer
7. Mary
8. Requiem
9. The Lower Road
10. Jericho Road

I own up to having a blind spot when it
comes to Donavon. I don't understand
what he is getting at. Now, I don't
blame him because this is obviously a
generational thing. Listen and make up
your mind.

Larry Weiss is known as a superb
writer. Among his hit songs is
"Rhinestone Cowboy." He dropped me
off a copy of his new CD and I must
say it is immensely entertaining. Larry
has the same feeling as Van Morrison,
Pete Seeger, Bruce Springsteen and
Tom Paxton. He speaks of the human
condition in a way that few can. Just
listen to "My Forefathers" and "The
Ruins Of El Hakamir." His hit songs
give the impression that he is
lightweight. The truth is far from that.
He is lyrical, thought provoking and
melodic.

On her first studio album in five years,
Joan seems to have a definite leaning
towards God. Nothing wrong with that
of course but with this theological turn
there seems to be a lack of the energy
one associates with her previous
catalog. Some of this may be due to
the non-energetic production brought
to the table by Steve Earle. This isn't
an instant "I love it" album and I
estimate it will take several listens.
However, I have already found one
track that sits up and that is Diana
Jones' retro song "Henry Russell's Last
Words." I just wonder how Johnny
Cash would have treated it.

RYAN ADAMS & THE CARDINALS

"CARDINOLOGY"

LOST HIGHWAY B0012195-02

PRODUCED BY TOM SCHICK

GRAYSON CAPPS

"ROTT-N-ROLL"

HYENA HYN 9368

PRODUCED BY TRINA SHOEMAKER &
GRAYSON CAPS

MARK ERELLI

"DELIVERED"

SIGNATURE SOUNDS SIG 2014

PRODUCED BY ZACK HICKMAN

1. Born Into Light
2. Go Easy
3. Fix It
4. Magick
5. Cobwebs
6. Let Us Down Easy
7. Crossed Out Name
8. Natural Ghost
9. Sink Ships
10. Evergreen
11. Like Yesterday
12. Stop

1. Back To The Country
2. Arrowhead
3. Gran Maw Maw
4. Psychic Channel Blues
5. The Waltz
6. Big Black Buzzard
7. Ike
8. Sun Don't Shine On Willy
9. Big Ole Woman
10. Guitar
11. Fear Fruit Bearing Tree
12. Sock Monkey
13. Bacon

1. Hope Dies Last
2. Baltimore
3. Shadowland
4. Volunteers
5. Five Beer Moon
6. Not Alone
7. Delivered
8. Man Of The Family
9. Once
10. Unraveled
11. Abraham

Ryan Adams is like Mr. Everyman. At times
he can be more Country than anything put out
in Nashville. Other times he sounds like
David Bowie in his Ziggy Stardust days.
"Natural Ghost" definitely falls into the latter
case. While "Born Into A Light" is in the
former. Ryan is the happy blend of lyrics and
melody which is a rarity nowadays. The
production allows the listener to hear what
he is singing and that is also a rarity.

I first heard Grayson live at Tin Pan South
when he was the opening act for Dr. John
and there is a lot of the same bluesiness
about his music because has what used to
be called a whiskey soaked voice. I
particularly like "Psychic Channel Blues."
Perhaps Dionne Warwick should cut it. "Ike"
is a song about a guy who could have been
the subject of Guy Clark's "Let Him Roll." "Big
Ole Woman" could be the ultimate rockabilly
song in which Grayson bemoans that he
"need me a baby with a big ol' ass."
Immediately after this, he becomes
Dylanesque with "Guitar." His "Fear Fruit
Bearing Tree" is a downright scary
monologue. This is one interesting CD.

Mark is in the tradition of
singer/songwriter/folkie such as Al Stewart,
Bert Jansch, Phil Ochs. There is a plaintiff
quality in his voice that spells out pain. His
songs talk of war ("Shadowland" and
"Volunteers" as if he was actually there; such
is the potency of his imagery. He is a great
observer of the human condition. My
personal favorite is "Abraham" which is a cry
from the heart and a desperation for the
future. I believe that the world will hear a lot
more of Mark Erelli.

JESSE GOPLEN

"COWBOY"

ANCIENT RAINBOW MUSIC NO CAT #

PRODUCED BY JESSE GOPLEN

MURRY HAMMOND

"I DON'T KNOW WHERE I'M GOING BUT I'M
ON MY WAY"

HUMMINBIRD HBR-003

PRODUCED BY MARK NEILL

BRIAN ASHLEY JONES

"COURIER"

NO LABEL 634479638664

PRODUCED BY MARK VAN ALLEN AND
BRIAN ASHLEY JONES

1. Cowboy
2. Highway 101
3. Freedom's Twilight
4. I'm Gonna Be Gone For Awhile
5. Didn't You Know
6. Blinding Morning Light
7. Highway 101 (Radio Edit)
8. Freedom's Twilight (Radio Edit)
9. Blinding Morning Light (Radio Edit)

1. What Are They Doing In Heaven Today?
2. Between The Switches
3. Lost At Sea
4. I Never Will Marry
5. Wreck Of The 97
6. Life Is Like A Mountain Railroad
7. Next Time Take The Train
8. Riding The Rods
9. Grainer
10. You Will Often Meet Obstruction
11. In The Shadow Of Clinch Mountain
12. Satan, Your Kingdom Must Come Down
13. Satan Your Kingdom Must Come Down
14. As You Roll Across The Trestle
15. Rainbow's End
16. Other, Younger, Days
17. I Believe, I Believe

1. Free To Miss You
2. Courier
3. Take
4. More Than Survive
5. Pull 'em Up
6. Johnny Appleweed
7. Think It Over
8. Maybe Then
9. As Of Yet
10. I Ain't Jokin'
11. A Song To Move Me

Jesse is a one man production team and a
fine job he does of it. It is just him and his
guitar that motor this CD and this stripped
down production proves what I have been
saying for ages; "less is more." "Freedom's
Twilight" has Jesse looking at the world post
9/11. Jesse translated a story as to whether
WTC 7 was terrorist action or a planned
demolition. Jesse's CD is thought provoking.

Murry Hammond is bassist and singer with
the Texas band, Old 97's whose live act is
highly praised. He, like the group, is an
amalgam of influences. Just listen to "Lost At
Sea" and you hear The Kinks and then the
next track is A.P. Carter's "I Never Will Marry"
done with a haunting hurdy gurdy sound
complete with yodel. Murry is an old soul in a
young body. Like a lot of Texans, he travels
his own path. Mixing original material with
oldie tyme songs seems to work because of
the use of echo chamber which an other
wordly feel to the whole. It is quirky but after a
couple of listens it gets to you.

Although Brian is a capable singer and a
better than average songwriter, it is as
guitarist that he shines. I am reminded of a
situation some thirty years ago. I was
managing then singer/guitarist, Gordon
Giltrap and we had him booked into a date.
He rang me the morning of the date with
laryngitis and asked me what to do. I told him
to just play guitar and not sing. He was a
smash and never sang again and went on to
become one Europe's top guitar masters. I
offer the same advise to Brian. There are lots
of singers but not that many true masters of
the guitar. You are one of them.

PAUL LIPPERT

"DEMOCRACY FOR LOVERS"

RASPBERRY 735

PRODUCED BY MATT BROWN AND PAUL LIPPERT

RUSSELL LAWSON

"NEW & IMPROVED"

NEW LABEL AND CAT #

NO PRODUCER LISTED

JODY RAFFOUL

"BIG SKY"

TAKES THE BISCUIT NO CAT #

PRODUCED BY JODY RAFFOUL

1. Years Of Peace
2. I've Got A Brick
3. In God We Trust
4. Winner Take All Democracy
5. What The World Needs Now Is Love
6. This Rain
7. Sometimes A Song Is Just A Song
8. Do You Believe?
9. Give Me
10. Last Time I Looked
11. When Johnny Comes Flying Home
12. Bring Her Back

1. U R The 1
2. Intruder
3. Moments
4. Wheatland
5. Penguin Blues
6. Movin' On (For Sarah)
7. Your Place (For Ben)
8. Light
9. Dark Threshold (For Brenda)
10. Cy's Shuttle
11. Favorites (For Richard)
12. Grandma And Me
13. Friends (For Dave)
14. Rock Creek Blues
15. Heaven
16. Christmastime

1. Chasing Paper
2. Days Gone By
3. Stay (With Me)
4. Fontana Lane
5. Home
6. Little Black Car
7. World Of Temptation
8. It's Grand
9. Should I Have Known Better
10. Love Is The Answer
11. I Told You So
12. On My Way
13. My My
14. Learn From Me
15. And It Shines

This is Paul's 5th CD and I am sorry that I
have missed the four previous ones. A lot of
Paul's songs are political but it is political
with a small 'p' until the Tom Paxton
influenced "When Johnny Comes Flying
Home" which is no holds barred attack on
George W. Bush and the wars in Iraq and
Afghanistan. Paul's inclusion of his cover of
"What The World Needs Now Is Love" turns
the song into a humanist/ecological anthem.
I now plan to check out his other CDs.

I was sitting next to Russell at the Americana
Convention and he gave me a copy of this
CD. This is a nice album with religious
overtones and not badly produced
but....Russell needs to step back and instead
of recording 16 cuts, he needs to go into a
professional studio with a professional
producer and do himself justice. He is a
talented writer but now he needs to take it up
a notch.

Jody became the National Winner of the
2006 Bon Jovi “Have a Nice Gig” Contest,
hand-picked and announced personally by
Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora. He went
on to open a sold out show at Giant’s
Stadium in Bon Jovi’s home state, New
Jersey, alongside fellow Canadians,
Nickelback. He is a rock vocalist in the grand
tradition of Robert Plant, Paul Rodgers and of
course, Jon Bon Jovi. He is not a screamer
but just a straight no nonsense rocker. I am
sure that "Little Black Car" with its fiddle and
accordion motif is sure to be a concert
favorite. “Learn From Me” came about when
Jody was asked to write a theme song for an
anti-bullying program in Jody’s native
Leamington, Ontario Canada called B-RAD.
B-RAD was developed by several police
services designed to help teens deal with
Bullying along with Relationships, Alcohol
and Drugs. One of the best rock albums I
have heard in a long while.

DARRELL SCOTT

"MODERN HYMNS"

APPLESEED APR CD 1111

PRODUCED BY DARRELL SCOTT

LUCINDA WILLIAMS

"LITTLE HONEY"

LOST HIGHWAY B0011434-02

PRODUCED BY ERIC LILJESTRAND AND
TOM OVERBY

1. All The Lovely Ladies
2. Urge For Going
3. Out Among The Stars
4. Jesus Was A Capricorn
5. The Devil
6. James
7. Frisco Depot
8. American Tune
9. Noby Eats At Linebaugh's Anymore
10. Joan Of Arc
(With Mary Gauthier)
11. I Don't Believe You (She Acts Like We Never
Have Met)
12. That Old Time Feeling

1. Real Love
2. Circles And X's
3. Tears Of Joy
4. Little Rock Star
5. Honey Bee
6. Well Well Well
(With Charlie Louvin and Jim Lauderdale)
7. If Wishes Were Horses
8. Jailhouse Tears
(with Elvis Costello and im Laudedale)
9. Knowing
10. Heaven Blues
11. Rarity
12. Plan To Marry
13. It's A Long Way To The Top

Darrell is not shabby as a writer having
penned such classics as "You'll Never Leave
Harlan Alive." For this latest project he has
visited some of his favorite writers and
songs. Darrell is joined by a stellar cast of
supporting players: Dirk Powell, Danny
Thompson, Andrea Zonn, Stuart Duncan, Del
McCoury, Ronnie McCoury, The Fisk ubilee
Singers, Jonell Mosser, David Grier, Odessa
Settles, Danny Flowers, John Cowan, Suzi
Ragsdale, Kathy Chiavola, Moira Smiley,
Gabe Scott, Tim O'Brien, Jamie Hartford,
Sam Bush, Orchestra Nashville, Mary
Gauthier, Alison Krauss and Casey
Driessen. I just love this CD and encourage
everyone who thinks that Nashville pap is
good to listen to this CD and for that matter
any of Darrell's CD's and LEARN!!!

When Mary Chapin Carpenter recorded
Lucinda's "Passionate Kisses," Lucinda
became a darling of the Nashville recording
industry. However, Lucinda plays by her own
rules and doesn't bother to pitch her songs.
In fact, "Passionate Kisses" wasn't pitched.
Lucinda has cut her own path which has led
to her garnering three Grammy Awards and
being nominated for seven others. She
straddles Country, rock and pop with
consummate ease but on her own terms. I
love the punkish "Honey Bee, the Hank
Williams/Cash influenced "Well Well Well,"
"Jailhouse Tears" which should be a favorite
of line dancers and her version of AC/DC's
"It's A Long Way To The Top."