Was (Bob Dylan, Rolling Stones, Bonnie Raitt, etc), who describes the band as "The Clash Of Bluegrass Music" and "the smartest and finest purveyors of American music to come down the pike in decades." The album itself offers a virtual American road trip, populated with characters that span a century of the South. Down and outers, hustlers, junkies and freighthoppers are just a few of the archetypes we meet along the way as OCMS continues to create their special blend of American roots, rock, blues and country music. The album also features two distinguished session musicians in drummer Jim Keltner (John Lennon, Neil Young, Brian Wilson) and organ player Benmont Tench (Tom Petty).  (less)

and set about introducing it to the country's college kids. Four decades later, the members of OCMS fit the profile of those early revivalists, yet if anything they have tapped deeper into the primal elements of an American art form. As demonstrated on their debut, they have assimilated not just the sound--banjos, harmonicas, acoustic guitar and bass--but more importantly the haunting spirit of music that was made to keep hard times at bay. How else to explain their ability to take a well-worn chestnut like "CC Rider" and infuse it with an energy that reveals once again why it is a classic? Not content to live completely in the past, they wrote "Big Time in the Jungle," which, though it is about Vietnam, could easily be transposed to 2004's de...  (less)

Was (Bob Dylan, Rolling Stones, Bonnie Raitt, etc), who describes the band as "The Clash Of Bluegrass Music" and "the smartest and finest purveyors of American music to come down the pike in decades." The album itself offers a virtual American road trip, populated with characters that span a century of the South. Down and outers, hustlers, junkies and freighthoppers are just a few of the archetypes we meet along the way as OCMS continues to create their special blend of American roots, rock, blues and country music. The album also features two distinguished session musicians in drummer Jim Keltner (John Lennon, Neil Young, Brian Wilson) and organ player Benmont Tench (Tom Petty).  (less)

Dallas, TX, in the early ‘90s. Their early singles and 1994 indie debut disc, Hitchhike To Rhome led to a trio of critically acclaimed and crowd-pleasing albums for Elektra, beginning with 1997’s stellar Too Far To Care and running through 2001’s Satellite Rides.  (less)

Overall, it's a set of amiable country pop, but the title track and "What About Georgia?," which open the disc, are rock songs at heart--driven by a hard-smacked snare drum and layers of guitar. But what's really at the core of these excellent performances is Lambert's romantic lyrics and versatile singing. When she's playing the angry lover in "Kerosene," she's loaded with punky attitude. When she's brokenhearted and moving on in "New Strings," her soft, delicate tones and gentle phrasing perfectly capture a rich blend of sadness and hope. There's even a bit of Dolly Parton's sweet vibrato and rustic charm in "Me and Charlie Talking," a nostalgic contemplation on love and life's simple virtues. Lambert authored or co-penned 11 o...  (less)

are dramatized on these four, thematically programmed discs: Win, Place and Show: The Hits ; Old Favorites and New ; The Great American Songbook (mostly traditional songs); and Family and Friends (collaborations). For starters, consider the staggering depth and breadth of his repertoire (perhaps matched only by those of Bob Dylan and Ray Charles), embracing ancient folk tunes ("Streets of Laredo"), teen pop ("Ballad of a Teenage Queen"), mature contemporary rock ("Highway Patrolman"), gospel ("Were You There When They Crucified My Lord"), topical fare ("Ballad of Ira Hayes"), country standards ("Time Changes Everything"), novelties ("One Piece at a Time"), and more. Then there's the way his spare, spacious sound opens up to take in horns...  (less)

unsuccessful results. "I Don't Have to Be Me (‘Til Monday)," an Everyman's exuberant celebration of calling in sick at work, scored at radio, and there's plenty more here, including the love ballad "Lay Your Heart Next to Mine," that could follow. But Azar's more interesting songs (some cowritten with producer Rafe Van Hoy) go the pared-down, Todd Snider route. "Damn the Money," for instance, a rockin' little shuffle about that elusive green stuff, could show up in a discussion in No Depression , as could "The Underdog." Azar isn't going to win awards for his serviceable vocals, but he may turn heads with the title track, which starts out as a likeable blue-collar lament and turns into a modern-day "Wreck of the Old '97." If that's not a bridge between mus...  (less)

from over the hill. Brought to Europe as part of an annual barnstorming tour designed to introduce the blues to the old country, the forefathers (and a few mothers) of various strains of the genre basked in their chance to show their skills to appreciative foreign audiences. They also clearly enjoyed each other's company. The nature of the American Folk Blues road shows made for some fascination collaborations: The 1962 set, for example, finds Hooker, then in his brooding prime, backed by guitar legend T-Bone Walker--on piano! Willie Dixon (the MVP here), Otis Spann, Lightnin' Hopkins, and Mississippi Fred McDowell are just a few of the other legends who turn up in this expansive document of the blues revival tha...  (less)

response: Shania Twain, Joss Stone, LeAnn Rimes, Macy Gray, Indigo Girls, k.d. lang, and more have each packed the collection with previously-unreleased music. With half of the disc recently-written songs and half covers of old classics, the originals ultimately prove to be the highlight. Shania Twain's "Shoes" is a future line-dancin' classic, analogizing men to shoes ("a girl can't never have too many of 'em"). Joss Stone's "Treat Me Right" is nothing short of sexy, soul perfection, while SheDaisy's performance of the Jann Arden -penned "God Bless the American Housewife" kicks things off in a dark country style. The "who's that girl with the voice?" award goes to Idina Menzel ( Rent , Wicked ) for her powerhouse performance of ...  (less)

With a rhythm section, percussionists, and the able arranging and cello playing of his longtime partner, Jacques Morelenbaum, Veloso's feathery falsetto delves into some new and old staples in his celebrated songbook. In Veloso's sound world, rock, R&B, and reggae easily mix with Afro-Brazilian rhythms and song forms. A lot of the material, like the anthemic "13 de Maio" and "Zumbi"--which salutes the legendary black leader of a runaway slave republic--comes from his Noites Do Norte , which dealt with his country's legacy of slavery. Veloso also shows his debt to the bossa nova era by dusting off Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Caminos Cruzados" and the mid-'60s chestnut "Samba de Verão." But Veloso's voice and guitar playing and the audience pa...  (less)

career--accord him a respect that few other major labels show to past country greats who once enhanced their profits. That's why the 87-year-old Arnold's return to the studio for album #100 is nothing less than courageous. His producer, legendary Nashville eccentric Cowboy Jack Clement, combines low-key acoustic accompaniment with vintage material, including a remake of Arnold's 1956 hit "You Don't Know Me" and Roger Miller's "King of the Road." While Arnold imparts class, dignity, and youthful spirit to every tune, even this vocal master isn't exempt from aging's inevitable toll on every human voice. Hearing him valiantly struggle to achieve what once seemed effortless is profoundly moving and occasionally painful. Nonetheless, his magni...  (less)

Made Some of the Best Downhome Country Music of the 1940s - and the Best of it is Included on this CD. Merle Travis' Amplified Guitar is a Highlight of Many of the Tracks, with Some of his Solos Proving Hot Enough to Be Considered a Prototype for the Following Decade's Rockabilly. As Well as the Jones/Travis 'duets', "Steppin' Out Kind" also features Many Cuts which Highlight Jones' Clawhammer Banjo Style - Including the First Version of his Massive Hit 'old Rattler'. Also Included Are Some Rare Duets with Grandpa's King Labelmates the Delmore Brothers and Cowboy Copas, None of which have Ever Been Reissued in 'directly from the Acetates' Sound Before Now.  (less)