This disc is subtitled Songs For Kids Of All Ages, but odds are most of the material here will go over the heads of the preschool set. Diaper-dumping Raffi disciples will be horrified to hear Broken Social Scene turn “Puff The Magic Dragon” into a drugged-out stoner jam. And every child who dreads the words [...]

Albert Brooks released an album 30 years ago called A Star Is Bought. It included a glossy photo of Brooks, tucked inside the sleeve. Printed on it was the inscription, “To single any one of you out would be a big mistake.” That line came to mind when considering the title for Jenny Scheinman’s fourth [...]

A self-described “jamgrass acoustic power trio”, Three Ring Circle consists of Blue Highway’s resonator guitarist Rob Ickes, Ricky Skaggs’ fiddler and mandolin player Andy Leftwich, and Nashville bassist-about-town Dave Pom­eroy. The trio have been making regular appearances in Nashville for several years, and the experience has given them a chance to develop a tight familiarity [...]

An early review of Ting complimented the “funky rock band” assembled by Seth Kauff­man. Nothing against Kauff­man, a founding member of the soul-rocking Choosey Beggars, but the recruiting was easy. He is the band here, playing everything from guitars, organ and upright bass to violin, agogo bells and llama toenails; he even provides his own [...]

Given the presence of Nashville producers Harold Shedd (Reba, Shania, Alabama) and Norro Wilson (Chesney, Shania, Sara Evans), the bland arrangements, and the ultra-conservative song selection, no doubt we’ll soon be hearing Rhonda Towns all over Clear Channel country stations. The material and the production are aimed at 35-year-old, divorced Arkansas housewives with 2.79 children [...]

Brigitte DeMeyer surrounds herself with some big names, including Steve Earle, Buddy Miller, Daniel Lanois, but the most significant contributor is drummer/producer Brady Blade. His thoughtful arrangements, built upon organic and atmospheric elements, provide the perfect setting for DeMeyer’s soulful vocals. The results sound something like Sheryl Crow backed by Emmylou Harris’ Spyboy band (no [...]

Meet Miss Misery’s band of brothers. The five men of Chicago’s Low Skies hurt large and they hurt messy on this second album. Their songs fumble sex, murder and guilt like greasy footballs that never make it over the goal line and win the big game. They play it slow and pretty in that ambiguous [...]

The third release by Essex Green is smart, hook-filled pop at its finest. Sweet sounds are tempered with lyrics that describe complex hopes and desires. None of it is cloying, thanks to smartly sympathetic arrangements that utilize some dozen additional players who float in as needed. The Brooklyn-based trio mixes the best elements of the [...]

Defined by the rhythm of the road, the Vulgar Boatmen’s music traveled two-lane blacktop through a midwestern landscape. Never mind the lyrics, the beats were like pistons firing. The Tortoise side project Pullman, by contrast, was ideal for freeway driving in an air-conditioned car with cruise control. Lanterna makes driving music for a free afternoon [...]