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Lilly Hiatt Offers 'Walking Proof' of Her Many Talents

Every track on Lilly Hiatt's Walking Proof shines with imaginative playing, spirited vocals, and sensitive, literate lyrics. It's truly a kick ass record.

Music

José James Amplifies His Debut with 'No Beginning No End 2'

José James has a rich, velvety voice that simmers and smolders. He takes it easy in a seductive way. The vibe is romantic and sexy on No Beginning No End 2.

Music

The Mastersons Sing That Now Is 'No Time for Love Songs'

The world is unraveling around us. But Americana duo the Mastersons know better. It's human feelings that make living worthwhile, as they show on their new album, No Time for Love Songs.

Music

Smoke Fairies Find 'Darkness Brings the Wonders Home'

South London alt-rockers, Smoke Fairies allude to the danger of looking too closely in the light on their new album, Darkness Brings the Wonders Home. It's only in the darkness where one can experience the marvelous.

Music

The James Hunter Six Arrive in the 'Nick of Time'

Think of the James Hunter Six's Nick of Time as a lost jukebox of singles from that bar and grill on the edge of the nostalgia highway that always has a full parking lot of semi-trucks and convertibles, beaters, and hot rods.

Music

Ron Pope Cuts Deep Into the 'Bone Structure'

Ron Pope's Bone Structure presents a personal view of the world from the perspective of one who is seeing it again for the first time. He is a realist. He knows that human connections are the best one can hope for, and maybe that's enough.

Music

Marla Hansen Lets the 'Dust' Sparkle

Singer-songwriter Marla Hansen creates a mesmerizing new album. Dust, as a whole, shimmers and sparkles like dust in the bright light.

Music

Caroline Rose, A 'Superstar' Is What You Are

Caroline Rose's Superstar is often quite grand in a DIY-kind of way. Think of 1980s era MTV rock performed on a Casio keyboard with a sampler in your bedroom as recreated on modern technology.

Music

Nathaniel Rateliff Gets Personal on 'And It's Still Alright'

The title of Americana artist Nathaniel Rateliff's latest solo LP, And It's Still Alright, suggests that there's joy after pain, but the record's contents also note that the opposite is true.

Music

John Moreland's 'LP5' Finds Strength in Simplicity

Americana's John Moreland has a deep voice and sings without affectation. There's an honesty in his straightforward delivery and something down-to-earth even in his most lofty sentiments.

Music

Terry Allen and the Panhandle Mystery Band Go on Expedition 'Just Like Moby Dick'

Texas country artist Terry Allen has a sinister sense of humor that he uses to lighten up Just Like Moby Dick and add emotional depth to seemingly innocent situations.

Music

Andy Shauf Shines a Light on 'The Neon Skyline'

On The Neon Skyline, Andy Shauf reminisces about the bad as well as the good with the fuzziness of alcohol cushioning the blows of memory. Life continues, he notes, even if it doesn't always progress.

Music

Guitarist Marcus King Finds His Voice on 'El Dorado'

Marcus King has a raw ache in his throat that makes him sound as if he's coarsely whispering the words. Even when he's singing about a "Young Man's Dream", King's vocals suggest the experience of age.

Music

Miranda Lambert Uses Her 'Wildcard' to Fit In

Miranda Lambert can be funny on Wildcard, and she makes fun of herself as well as others. The songs are generally radio friendly. No doubt this CD will yield several hits. However, one expects more.

Music

Get 'Up on High' with Vetiver

Vetiver get intimate by addressing one person at a time on their new album, Up on High. This music is for dancing alone in one's mind.

Music

Darrin Bradbury Finds the Connections Between 'Talking Dogs & Atom Bombs'

For 26 minutes, folk's Darrin Bradbury creatively mines the preposterous to show the benefits of mentally coping with life's problems. Talking Dogs & Atom Bombs provides a kind of talk therapy for our collective disorders.

Music

'The Lost Tapes' of Ian and Sylvia and the Great Speckled Bird

Stony Plain Records rounds up lost tapes from Canadian country/folk legends Ian and Sylvia Tyson performing as Great Speckled Bird in 1969. It was a very good discovery, indeed.

Music

Big Thief Know That It Takes 'Two Hands'

On Big Thief's Two Hands, the songs flow together and were purposely linked without pauses. This is an arid record purposely made in the desert with an audible dryness and shimmer to the sound.

Music

Jeremy Ivey Knows You Can't Separate 'The Dream and the Dreamer'’

Americana singer-songwriter, Jeremy Ivey is a romantic in tough guy clothes He may pessimistically perceive the world with his head, but his heart intrudes and he can't keep from smiling at the goodness.

Music

Paul Cauthen Emerges From 'Room 41'

Room 41 showcases Paul Cauthen's continued growth as an innovative country artist who isn't afraid to take risks.

Music

The New Pornographers Find Messages 'In the Morse Code of Brake Lights'

The New Pornographers' latest offers a myriad of listening pleasures on the surface, and the further one digs into its contents, the more one can find to enjoy until one concludes that the journey of discovery is its sole purpose.

Music

Ezra Furman Blasts Off on 'Twelve Nudes'

On Twelve Nudes, Ezra Furman demonstrates how an explosion of negative feelings can create an enjoyable sensation.

Music

Devendra Banhart Finds His 'Ma' in Everything

Devendra Banhart's latest album, Ma, is a tender, beautiful meditation on the bonds that ties us together.

Music

'Don't Ask My Neighbors' About The Emotions

Five albums from 1976-1981 on a three-CD box set reveal the underappreciated talents of the Emotions, three Chicago sisters with a sophisticated R&B/disco sound. The group is well overdue for newfound appreciation as their sound has influenced contemporary pop more than one realizes.

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