The title song from Terri Hendrix’s latest album, The Ring, is inspired by a gift her father once gave to her mother. When Terri was a child, whenever an argument flared up between her parents, her father would quietly retire to his workshop and labor into the night. No one knew what he was working [...]

The third record by Austin’s tousled scarecrow Beaver Nelson opens with “Mud River”, an easygoing shuffle anchored by George Harrison-style slide guitar, courtesy of producer Scrappy Jud Newcomb. With its subtle power-pop vibe, the song sets the tone for the entire album. Imagine a stripped-down, rough-hewn version of Squeeze or Crowded House, with a touch [...]

On Back To Oklahoma, Austin’s Michael Fracasso introduces a tune titled “1950s” by saying he’s reluctant to explain his songwriting process since it’s “very personal.” He then begins quietly singing, almost as if to himself, slowly unwinding a flurry of vignettes that sound like they were transcribed from the pages of a family diary. The [...]

A blast from the past kick-starts Deepcut To Nowhere, as stinging guitar lines and organ fills punctuate Graham Parker’s snarling vocals on the apocalyptic opening track “Dark Days”. Parker hits the ground running with the same soulful brew of gritty R&B and pub rock that he emerged with more than two decades ago, and hardly [...]

Twenty-four-year-old vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Eliza Carthy usually performs traditional fare with her parents, English folk music icons Martin Carthy and Norma Waterson, as a member of the trio Waterson/Carthy. On Angels And Cigarettes, the daughter goes her own way and takes on nine originals and one modern cover to conjure up that rare album where [...]

On Steve Forbert’s first studio album since 1996, producer Jim Dickinson adds his own mix of laid-back Memphis soul and experimentation to the singer’s streetwise folk music. “Something’s Got A Hold On Me” kicks things off, echoing Forbert’s earlier rollicking style with his trademark cracked voice and trilling harmonica. After this familiar beginning, however, Dickinson’s [...]

Texas-raised Ian Moore built his reputation as an ace blues guitar player, but his new album attests to his songwriting talent, showcasing the diverse styles of his original compositions. “Airplane”, a ballad with a mysterious edge, features a pretty string quartet arrangement. The psychedelic rumble of “Closer” builds, then retreats like crashing waves on a [...]