For such a blues traditionalist, D.C. Bellamy sounds like nobody else I can think of. As a writer, he has his half-brother Curtis Mayfield’s gift for taking an everyday phrase (say, “Keep On Pushin’”) and deepening its meaning (“First Come, First Served”, “Monkey See, Monkey Do”). Songs such as “I.C.U. Saw Me” and the title [...]

One foot in bluegrass and one in country is an increasingly popular stance these days, and that’s right where you’ll find Florida native Tresa Jordan. Produced by Jim Cooper, Jordan’s debut solidly blends the two idioms, with upright bass, acoustic guitar, mandolin, fiddle, dobro and drums leavened by an occasional banjo. Though the instrumentation may [...]

Despite the equine band name, Record Of The Year struts a lot more than it trots. For starters, there’s the vocal snarl of the opener, “Different Man”, followed by “Hide Today” and its “Sweet Virginia” take on country. “Too Bad” sports Nicky Hopkins-style piano between the grooves, and you’ll find Keef and Ronnie guitar [...]

A minimalist duo whose music harkens back to the earliest rock ‘n’ roll, the Lonesome Spurs lean on rockabilly and country in the way that the White Stripes trend toward garage and blues. Guitarist Danny B. Harvey fingerpicks like Merle Travis; vocalist Lynda Kay Parker accompanies on tenor guitar and a kick drum fashioned from [...]

Wayne Hancock’s first studio record since 2001 offers nothing more or less than the usual Hancock fare: songs you can swing your gal around the dance floor to, songs you can swig your beer down to when she leaves you, and songs such as “Ain’t Gonna Worry No More”, telling you to let it go [...]

From the title to the tunes, longtime Austin fixture Dickie Lee Erwin (whose career credits veer from Ronnie Lane to Killbilly) is enjoying himself, and the feeling is mutual. The title refers to the distinctive engine sound of a John Deere tractor, but unlike a Deere, this disc purrs along familiar Texas music furrows with [...]

The first full-length release from Seattle’s energetic Ruby Dee & the Snakehandlers jumps with more country spunk and attitude then you can shake your Starbucks grande soy latte at. North Of Bakersfield highlights the quintet’s considerable talent and range as it treads through hardcore honky-tonk, rockabilly and vintage country swing. At the center is Ruby [...]

Born in Argentina and raised in the SoCal Mexican barrio of Pacoima, Fernando Viciconte fronted hard-rockers Monkey Paw before relocating to Portland, Oregon, in 1994. His sixth disc (and first in five years) finds the singer-songwriter backed by an accomplished outfit including Chet Lyster and Derek Brown of the Eels and Paul Brainard of [...]

What could be more American than the open road?. The concept was compelling enough to persuade Pete and Maura Kennedy to drop their usual emphasis on originals and focus on material that enjoys heavy rotation in their van as they roll from show to show. If there’s a theme to this playlist, it’s not [...]

Nick Luca’s past (he’s a top honcho at Tucson’s famed Wavelab Studio) and his present disc’s guest list (M. Ward, Jon Rauhouse, Calexico’s Joey & John) suggest Sick Of Love might be a dose of airy Arizona desert country rock. Instead, Luca (he uses his surname as his band name) reveals his love for hooky [...]