Category: Country (Page 15 of 33)

Various Artists: Ten Out of Tenn Volume 2

September 12, 2008 / Mike Farley

Singer/songwriter Trent Dabbs hails from Nashville, where you can throw a rock and hit a musical artist. But when he and his wife/manager Kristen realized that their favorite artists were Trent’s peers, and not those being touted by the media outside of Nashville, they decided to do something about it. The result was Ten Out of Tenn, a compilation featuring some of Nashville’s more under-the-radar pop/rock talent. The first volume was released in 2005, and Vol. 2 is dripping with so much talent, it may be difficult for anyone on it to remain unknown for long. Most of these artists have enjoyed film/TV placements, and some are or have been signed to labels, but the bottom line is that the Dabbs family knows how to evaluate talent. The most promising are Erin McCarley, whose “Pony (Go On)” is the first and best track, as well as Butterfly Boucher, Andy Davis and Dabbs himself. There are also a few clunkers – Griffin House sounds like he’s trying too hard to be Jason Mraz on “The Guy That Says Goodbye” and Katie Herzig’s vocal vibrato may wear on you after ten seconds – but both have been praised by critics, so feel free to form your own opinion. Overall, this is a solid compilation and a great avenue for pimping some of Nashville’s true talent. (Ready Set Records)

Ten Out of Tenn MySpace Page

Alternative, Artists, CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Country, Indie Labels, Pop, Rock

Donna the Buffalo: Silverlined

September 4, 2008 / Lee Zimmerman

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Forget the silly handle; there’s no one named Donna in Donna the Buffalo. For that matter, there’s no Buffalo involved either. Nevertheless, over the past 20 years or so, Donna the Buffalo has become a fan favorite on the festival circuit, thanks to a no-nonsense blend of breezy Americana and homespun attitude. Their latest, Silverlined, appears more streamlined than previous efforts, with the band’s three singers – Tara Nevins, Jeb Puryear and Joe Thrift – rotating the vocal chores. With a sound that recalls the latter-day Byrds and their Flying Burrito Brothers offspring, the new album finds them in affable country rock mode, complete with mid-tempo melodies, down home arrangements and a populist point of view. Nevins’ songs garner the most attention here – “Temporary Misery,” “Broken Record” and “I Don’t Need A Riddle” being the best of the bunch – and it’s her sass and swagger that gives the band its spunk. So while Silverlined doesn’t break any new ground, it still purveys plenty of back porch charm, and that’s ample reason in itself to want to run with the herd. (Sugar Hill)

Donna the Buffalo MySpace page

CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Country, Rock

Red State Update: How Freedom Sounds

August 29, 2008 / David Medsker

Say this for Jonathan Shockley and Travis Harmon, the two men behind Red State Update: they are walking as slippery a slope as you will find. Pretending to be what is traditionally thought of as blue-collar Republican voters, without either pandering to blue-collar Republican voters or having fun at their expense, is not an easy feat, but Shockley and Harmon do the balancing act quite well. The problem with not taking sides, though, is that you deny yourself the opportunity to do something extraordinary, and that is what ultimately prevents How Freedom Sounds, Red State Update’s debut (and likely swansong) album, from being something special. The songs won’t reinvent the satire wheel, but some genuine smarts are lurking within the redneck accents; “If I Was You” recommends that the subject of the song should just start drinking heavily in order to forget how miserable their life is, while Dunlap (Shockley) daydreams about the elusive “Stripper without a Kid.” Best of the bunch is “Get the Hell Outta My Store Hippie,” where Jackie (Harmon) complains about the Bonnaroo crowd freeloading in his store. It’s cute, but it’s just that: cute. The best humor is incendiary, not cute, and Shockley and Harmon are clearly capable if doing something incendiary. (Dualtone)

Red State Update MySpace page

CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Country

Brandie Frampton: What U See

August 28, 2008 / Captain Capm

I’m not the world’s biggest pop country music fan by a long shot, but even I have to admit that 16-year-old Brandie Frampton has a lot going for her on her album What U See. The young artist shows an uncanny command of working a song into a tasty froth without getting into cornball or cliched territory. The gal’s already won some awards for her work, and one listen to this disc will prove why. “Ain’t That Life” is one of the best pop country tunes to come along in years by anyone, period. “I Want You 2” sounds like something that could easily climb the charts with Frampton’s throaty vocals at the fore and her down-home attitude shining through. “Colours” shows off Brandie’s softer side and once again it comes off impeccably, with beautiful production. What Frampton really has here is a true pop and country album, straddling the line easily between both. What’s more, she isn’t doing kiddie fluff or tackling subjects that might be too “adult” for someone her age. This is simply just good stuff through and through. Look out, Miley Cyrus. (DLF Records)

Brandie Frampton MySpace page.

CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Country, Pop

Mars Arizona: Hello Cruel World

August 27, 2008 / Lee Zimmerman

Pinpointing the exact locale of one Mars Arizona may be difficult, but the Berkley-based duo that appropriates these fictional environs as their moniker offers up an assured sound for their superb third outing. Banjos, fiddles and mandolins – not to mention the participation of legendary veteran session players David Grisman and Al Perkins — fuel their tales of hard-bitten heroes and steely glimpses at the nation’s current malaise. Fortunately though, the blues in their bluegrass never sounds so downcast as to deter from the album’s unabashed exhilaration. Intriguing covers of Neil Young’s “Time Fades Away,” T Rex’s “By The Light of the Magical Moon,” Loretta Lynn’s “Blue Kentucky Girl” and back porch standard “In The Pines” reflect the band’s diversity and should help turn heads their way, but the originals are equally embracing, a reflection of their down-home charm and rousing, rambunctious technique. Suffice it to say, there’s enough life on Mars for all. (Big Barn 2008)

Mars Arizona MySpace page

CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Country, Folk