Growing up Catholic in Cincinnati apparently qualifies as more of a condition than a circumstance. To judge from Cincy native Greg Dulli’s work with the Afghan Whigs (sordid tales of debauchery and destruction infused with a lingering guilt) and now fellow Ohioan Matt Berninger’s world view as frontman for the National (ditto, but laced with [...]

As bluegrass music has gained popularity in recent years, a couple of trends have emerged. One is to smooth out many of the rough edges and downplay the “country” aspects of the music, which results in a bunch of bands that sound pretty similar. The other is a conscious effort to re-create the sound (and [...]

This solo debut by Shane Nicholson was first released outside of the United States in late 2002; now Seattle-based Virt Records is giving Americans a chance to check out the talented Australian.
Because of his home country and his sweetly subtle tenor, Nicholson gets his share of comparisons to Crowded House’s Neil Finn. But American ears [...]

An American Starlet combines the heartache of classic country with the minor-key flare of Northwest indie rock. The Duchess Of Hazard, the band’s second outing, might as well be its first; following the release of 2001’s overlooked Sweet Country Melodies, singer-songwriter Ian Parks disbanded the group (then based in San Francisco) and relocated to Seattle [...]

Typically, when a band is described as Stonesy, it means there’s a certain swagger to the outfit’s sound and plenty of wiry guitar raunch. However, Asheville, North Carolina, quartet the Choosy Beggars offer a different angle on the Stonesy tag. Their stripped-down soul music is halfway between the Rolling Stones in ’65, when they were [...]

Sure, the Dollar Store is well-stocked from the country store — pedal steel here, fiddle there — but this is just good revved-up guitar rock with a twang. Singer-guitarist-songwriter Dean Schla-bowske is a founding Waco Brother; sometime Wacos Alan Doughty on bass and Joe Camarillo on drums round out the band. Good friends stop by, [...]

In an age when it often seems as if musicians rush to record as soon as they’ve mastered a chord change, Becca Sutlive showed remarkable (almost painful) restraint in getting around to cutting her debut disc. A solid contributor to the Iowa City music scene for several years, Sutlive routinely wowed audiences and musicians alike [...]

Dulcie Taylor has been making a name for herself in the mid-Atlantic, winning songwriting awards in Washington, D.C., and at Merlefest for her thoughtful, direct slices of life. Mirrors & Windows, her second album, should go a long way in establishing her in the singer side of the singer-songwriter equation.
Though some numbers, such as “Blackberry [...]

The whole affair could so easily be precious. A comely Yorkshire lass sets a bunch of traditional lyrics about milking maids, castles and Robin the miller to music. Adds a few antique-sounding originals. Includes a cittern and flugelhorn among the accompanying instruments. Delivers the songs in a manner so measured and understated that a passing [...]

When two-time IBMA Guitar Player of the Year Kenny Smith left the Lonesome River Band in late 2001, it took him no time at all to decide to put a band together with his wife Amanda. After self-releasing a strong debut, the new group won the IBMA’s Emerging Artist of the Year award, and now [...]