Cambridge, England, native Boo Hewerdine has been an elusive, if supremely gifted, presence of no fixed abode or genre since arriving on the Britpop scene with The Bible in the mid-’80s. Specializing in haunting, relentlessly romantic pop songs, The Bible quickly squeezed out two discs, the second of which — 1988’s Steve Earle-produced Eureka — [...]

Born out of soul music’s ashes, this six-man ensemble played country music — meaning the music defined by Hank Williams, Bill Monroe, Bob Wills, and sometimes Al Green. As Lyle Lovett did years later, the Aces created a melting pot of musical traditions, wide-ranging styles, soulful performances, and sly humor. When the Amazing Rhythm Aces [...]

Chances are you won’t be at Jovita’s in Austin on a Thursday night when the Cornell Hurd Band hosts its weekly hoedown, so this disc is the next best thing. Recorded with pristine clarity at the Texicalli Grille, the 24 tracks on At Large In South Austin, Texas capture the true spirit of a Hurd [...]

If Bill Lloyd’s Set To Pop stands as one of the most glorious pop records of the ’90s, his latest, coming five years later, proves he hasn’t lost his touch. Indeed, he’s honed his smart songcraft even further.
Lloyd cut his teeth, of course, as half of the country-rock duo Foster & Lloyd, a late-’80s act [...]

With this follow-up to the Latin Playboys’ eponymous debut of five years back, David Hidalgo throws his virtual hat a little further into the visionary ring. On what amounts to a cosmic companion-piece to Houndog, the recent Hidalgo/Mike Halby collaboration, the ostensible Los Lobos leader is up to his third eye in murky grooves, clearly [...]

Just so we’re all clear about this: “Country Dick had 3 wives/He told ‘em bald face lies…Country Dick was our king,” but Princess Di was a “Drunk Divorced Floozie”. Show me again how we two-step around that double-standard.

Still at work on the Quinsonics’ new demos, leader D. Braxton Harris put them aside and fashioned a quiet, transitional statement instead. As a result, Deep Dark Black allows some of his different influences their proper breathing room. Falling somewhere between Richard Buckner and Gillian Welch, these latest, contemplative songs feature sparse backdrops but remain [...]

Likely, Phranc will always be skirting around in her trousers, giving Joe Public the slip. Self-described as the all-American Jewish lesbian folk singer, our denim-with-cuffs-wearing heroine has escaped household-name recognition for years, while gathering a ragtag cult following of folkies, dykes, critics and others whose unlikely obsessions run toward sporting cuffs bigger’n those of Spin [...]

For the past decade, Pete Krebs’ eclectic career has found expression in the punk-pop of Hazel, the rollicking bluegrass of Golden Delicious, and two quiet acoustic solo albums. His latest project, Pete Krebs & the Gossamer Wings, spotlights his musical diversity with a rock beat.
For Sweet Ona Rose, Krebs enlisted fellow Northwest musicians including John [...]