Five albums and a decade in, Glossary singer Joey Kneiser has the right to ponder whether rock ‘n’ roll — day jobs to support playing for gas money, putting out records on small labels or, as with this one, giving it away on the web — is worth it. From the evidence of Better Angels, [...]

Dave Gleason’s heart has been stomped hard on honky-tonk hardwood floors covered with sawdust and whiskey. With ever-present twang, the California singer-songwriter-guitarist tells her to “Look At The Way You’ve Become” (with Albert Lee on guitar), ponders how “The Good’s Been Gone”, laments that he “Couldn’t Give You Anything”, and pleads “(Wine) Take Away My [...]

With song titles such as “Shaking Like A Flame”, “Poor Boy”, “Headstones And Dead Leaves”, and “As Far As Fear Will Take You”, Glossary doesn’t blow a lot of sunshine up your…well, whatever. But singer Joey Kneiser infuses songs of restlessness, weariness and growing older with the belief that something better lies ahead, even if [...]

Singer-guitarist-writer Kurt Marschke and his Deadstring Brothers compatriots are steeped in “Dead Flowers”-era Stones, The Band, Gram Parsons, Dylan, and other deep-rooted sounds. But this Detroit band has assimilated its influences into a full, organic sound — and, hell, it’s not Marschke’s fault his upper register is like Mick in Exile. “Sacred Heart”, with slide [...]

This Los Angeles country-rock and pop band’s debut full-length is appropriately titled, as it’s got a city heart that gazes hard at mountain and desert. Raymond Richards and Heather Goldberg, whether alone, harmonizing or chasing each other, share the singing; Richards is the main writer, but he gets significant help from pedal steel player Greg [...]

With embroidered shirt and shaggy blond hair, Dave Gleason looks like he could have stumbled off the Flying Burritos’ bus in 1969. He and bassist Mike Therieau and drummer John Kent surely love California country, rock and its hybrids. It’s easy to hear Buck Owens’ twang, Merle Haggard’s straightforwardness, the Burritos’ and Byrds’ harmonies, even [...]

John Lee Hooker, Blind Willie Johnson, Dock Boggs, Roscoe Holcomb. Some people hear them and think, “What’s that howl, and why’s it always the same?” Others dive into the groove and wallow because it’s evil and joyous and comes from the depths of the soul, made by people who make music because there’s no option [...]

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, [...]