This is one of the top CDs that I have heard this year. Before this couple got married, they both had successful solo careers and still do. This is the first CD that they have done together and I think they sound very well singing together, though I'll take Willis singing by herself anyday. I like Bruce's brother Charlie better than Bruce, just a stylistic, talent thing. Bruce is very talented himself. This is produced by Brad Jones and it is a very well done CD with a Texas Country sound. Only problem I have with recording is that it is way too loud, don't know if it was mastered too loud or recorded too loud originally, but there is no Distortion, unless you turned it up real loud which I did not try. A combination of songs written by different writers. It is a real good recording though ,mastered by Yes Master, who are a very well known outfit. Robison and Willis sing very well together. It is a collection of catchy songs which work well. As for the material, I like just about every song on the disc. Favorites are "Border Radio" by Dave Alvin, "We're All the Way" by Don Williams. "Long Way Home" by Hayes Carl has Kelly singing lead which is a delight. Nice mid-tempo ballad in a sad mood, but it is a delight. "9,999,999 Tears" by Razzy Bailey is another great song with Willis singing lead, her vocals are so beautiful. Eamon Mclaughlin (former Greencard) plays cello,mando and fiddle on most songs. Bruce Robison has a good voice, but I like the songs Kelly sings better, They do sing very well together. The artwork for the CD is very creative, a bit offbeat, but fun. When you open up the Cardboard case it looks like a pinball game. Interesting booklet with lyrics. Bruce Robison wrote about half the songs on the thirteen song disc. He is a good songwriter. As a solo artist, I like his brother Charles Robison better. My favorite song on the whole disc is a slow heartbreak song called "Waterfall" sang by Kelly. www.KellyWillis.com www.BruceRobison.com

"Mindy Smith" - Mindy Smith - A Review

Mindy came out with her first CD on Vanguard Records back in 04. Seems like such a long time ago. I was crazy about her music, when I heard that CD. Mindy was a songwriter in Nashville working for a songwriting company, where she had access to recording studios to record her demos to give out to Producers and however that company worked. Mindy was originally from Long Island,New York. But she moved to Knoxville, Tennessee because of her Dad's job. In Knoxville, she became interested in playing guitar and singing and then in songwriting.

Smith moved to Nashville to be closer to where her dreams were, singing and writing songs. So,she continued to write and record her music. She had the opportunity to record "Jolene" on a compilation CD and then She started singing around Nashville, and She got together with Steve Buckingham and made her debut CD "One Moment More", which was to me ,an aural masterpiece with the beauty of her vocals and lyrics and the edge of hot electric guitars making her not unlike Lucinda Williams. Her voice had that ache in it from losing her mom, That is what "One Moment More" is all about. Vanguard records released her first four CDs and then Mindy kinda vanished.
I heard about this new Cd on her own label and had to hear it, because her last CD on Vanguard ended up not so good in my opinion. It was called "Stupid Love" and it was more like a pop record, the alt/country trappings were gone. In fact, there was so much distortion on the first 2 songs, you could not listen to them. There was some good songs on the CD , but the magic from her first three Cds was gone.

Well, with a new label and publicist, and a great recording, Mindy Smith is back, singing better than ever, this CD reminds me alot of her first CD. It has everything, from Beautiful ballads like "Tin Can","If I", "Everything Here Will Be Fine", "Devils Inside" to rockers like "Sober", and mid tempo tunes like "Cure For Love" to sad songs like "When You're Walking On My Grave". The music is very well done with Bryan Sutton on guitar and Dan Dugmore on pedal steel who played on her first CD.
Her first single "Closer" is a song that reminds me of "Come To Jesus" with it's loud guitars and mixture of other instruments in a collage of sound. Her vocals are strong and sweet, with some great hooks and lyrics. The flow of songs is great, where there is tension, she will relieve it in the next song with a pretty ballad.
And for something new, Mindy did the great artwork for the CD , and also has been doing a good bit of painting. There is one offer where you can buy some of her paintings. This is literally, a great work of art.

              www.mindysmithmusic.com

Mindy Smith is Back, yes, BACK!!!

Welcome back Mindy Smith with an awesome new album and also some really neat artwork, Look for her on the road in a town near you.
              www.mindysmithmusic.com  CD at website or Amazon.

"The Dreaming Fields" - Matraca Berg - A Review

Matraca Berg has been writing hit country songs for quite some time. This collection of her performing a set of her material is an ethereal experience. It is such a subtle production, but seething with emotions.

Berg sings songs that are so poetic, yet so real in human experience. The musical textures are subtle yet they so augment her vocals. The art work for the cardboard CD case is beautiful. Dualtone Records released this recording for her. The Musicians are the best that Nashville has to offer. There is a haunting feel to the music with the steel guitar fades and sparse feel. Dan Dugmore gets some sounds out of his steel on "You & Tequila" that are like other worldly.


"Racing The angels" has Suzy Boguss and Gretchen Peters on background vocals and also as co-songwriters.


If you never have heard of Berg, her sound on this CD is a cross between Kathleen Edwards and early Mindy Smith. There is a dark feel to the mood, but there is something deeply personal there you can relate to.



"Clouds" - I love this song, "only like clouds when it's rainin', doin' no good just hangin' round".


The title track is basically just her and piano . With the watered down glut of Discs littering the internet, this is a masterpiece. After I finished doing this review, I saw Kenny Chesney's version of "You And Tequila" on a CMT video, from his last CD, "Hemingway's Whiskey". It is good, I like Berg's version better.



http://www.matracaberg.com/

"Follow Me Down" - Sarah Jarosz - A Review

If you expect more of the rootsy, country-bluegrass , folk sound of "Song Up In Her Head", you won't find that here. Jarosz has pulled a quick Chris Thile type move into the experimental, very eclectic style of expanded string music. She wrote all of the songs except a couple, one by Bob Dylan and the other by "RadioHead". Also, she has so many guest musicians ,it is quite an extraordinary affair. Her vocals a bit like Norah Jones at times. Gary Paczosa (one of the best acoustic music producers in Nashville) works with her on this CD as he did on her first one.




She plays everything from toy piano to electric guitar, but sounds best on octave mandolin. She is studying contemporary improvisation at Boston's New England Conservatory.



A lot of songs sound like a jam band. Then there are songs that are like chamber music. Sometimes her music is frenetic with all sorts of percussion going on.



Some of her guests include The Punch Brothers, Vince Gill, John Leventhal, Vicktor Krauss, a total of about 24 well known musicians.



Jarosz definitely is a super talented young lady and I can see this CD being hugely popular.



One song that really touches me is her version of Bob Dylan's "Ring Them Bells" with Vince Gill singing backup vocals. Paczosa mixed this CD, that must have really been a task, with all that is going on. He does an excellent job however. I really like track seven, also, with her creative and in command jamming on octave mandolin.



If you like Mumford and Sons, Trampled By Turtles, you should love this. Very well done CD.



http://www.sarahjarosz.com/

The Roys Unveil New Website Design, Offer Fans Chance to Win Ipod Nano

The Roys Unveil New Website Design, Offer Fans Chance To Win An iPod Nano®


Prize Comes Pre-Loaded With Duo's New CD, LONESOME WHISTLE

George Jones: "Lee and Elaine's rootsy, pure sound is just what music fans need to hear. Their harmonies are as pure as anyone I have ever heard."



Ricky Skaggs: "I've known The Roys for a long time and have heard them just keep getting better and better. This new project is their best yet. I was real proud to be on it."

Nashville, TN (April 22, 2011) -- The Roys celebrate the unveiling of their exciting new website design by giving fans a chance to win an iPod Nano® loaded with songs from their debut Rural Rhythm Records' CD, LONESOME WHISTLE. Fans can enter the contest at www.theroysonline.com/ipod.





"We're thrilled with the new site, and our fans seem to love the fact that we're constantly updating videos, photos and stories," says Elaine Roy, the sister side of this musical brother/sister team. "And we each have Nanos," she adds. "Couldn't live without them, you know it's all part of that techno thing," adds Lee. "I carry my FlipCam everywhere and Tweet all day long ... I'm addicted to Facebook."

The contest launches today and runs through Sunday, June 5; the winner will be announced on Monday, June 6. Entering the contest is easy - and this one-time entry qualifies that individual for a chance in all future promotional events sponsored by The Roys. "We're all about easy," laughs Lee. "And it doesn't get much easier than entering your name, phone number and email address - one time."

LONESOME WHISTLE launched late last month amidst a nine-day media blitz of major television, personal appearances and radio visits. The Roys swept through six states, appearing on several Fox Television Network shows, Better TV, ABC-TV's What's The Buzz, Daytime, GAC-TV, and Daily Buzz in support of the disc. "It's been a whirlwind," confirmed Elaine. "But a good one."

That whirlwind is creating a media "storm," with reviewers praising The Roys' vocals, song selection and production values. Roughstock.com says, "With eleven fantastic tracks of acoustic country and bluegrass goodness, The Roys' album gets better with each and every listen ... a supremely satisfying album." AOL/The Boot adds "LONESOME WHISTLE is more than a bluegrass album. The 11-track recording is something of a painting of American life and an appreciation of those who keep the faith in bleak times." TheBluegrassSpecial.com calls their harmonies "captivating," and adds, " the voices are evocative (his reedy and a bit bluesy, hers bright with an appealing backwoods plaintiveness), the songs impressive and arresting, the playing impeccable."

The video of the duo's current single, "Coal Minin' Man," remains on GAC-TV's Top 20 Country Countdown ballot, and fans can vote for Lee and Elaine at http://bit.ly/VOTE4THEROYS.com

Read all the reviews, listen to select tracks from LONESOME WHISTLE and learn more about The Roys at http://www.theroysonline.com/





# # #



MEDIA CONTACT

Martha Moore

so much MOORE media

615.746.3994

somuchmoore@charter.net

"Texas Girls" - Thom Shepherd - A Review

Many people will recognize Shepherd when they hear some of the songs on this CD that were done originally by other artists. Shepherd has been around awhile doing lots of songwriting ,having sixty cuts done by artists like Craig Morgan,David Ball,George Jones and Montgomery Gentry.




This ten song effort has a mix of old and new material. He is making a single on the CD -"App for That" to send to Texas/Red Dirt radio stations. It is a real cute upbeat song making some humor on the "App", you know, the things you download on your smart phone.



The production of this CD is simple seventies country, without the many layers of instruments, just some hot tele pickin', acoustic guitar and pedal steel with backup vocals. Nothing fancy, but done real tastefully, Shepherd has a very good singing voice, adding some new takes on alot of his older songs.



"Riding With Private Malone", originally a big hit by David Ball is a song that sends chills thru me. Just a great story song that Shepherd does a more acoustic take on.



This Album should do well with folk that like like Shepherd's style and very original songs. He has had two bouts with cancer, now five years being cancer free he does lots of benefits to help benefit cancer support organizations.



One song that I identify with is "A Father's Love", reminds me of my own relationship with my Dad. Check this out on.



http://www.thomshepherd.com/

Foster & Lloyd Release First album of new material since 1990

Foster & Lloyd release first album of new material since 1990




It’s Already Tomorrow debuts on ‘Effin ‘El Records May 17



Digital Release date April 26 at Fosterandlloyd.com and other online music stores



Spring and summer tour planned





For immediate release



March 23, 2011, Nashville, TN - Looking back at the history of music, one can pinpoint those times when change takes place...something new replaces the old. Music that once sounded “like this” suddenly sounds “like that.” In the 1930’s, country music was considered to be the sound of hillbilly string bands. When the music was electrified, a honky-tonk shuffle played with a drummer became the new sound. It was still country.



In the mid-to late 1980s, there was another sea change—a short period of undeniable diversity coming out of Nashville that broke through on country radio. Steve Earle famously referred to it as “the great credibility scare,” a time of creative freedom that’s rarely been seen since. In the thick of that wide-open feeling, the duo of Foster & Lloyd came together and—along with Earle, Dwight Yoakam, Lyle Lovett, Rodney Crowell and others—was a part of the movement that changed the sound of country music and pioneered the Americana movement.



In 1985, Radney Foster and Bill Lloyd were two young singer-songwriters signed to the same song publisher. They came from different backgrounds but had enough in common to create an almost immediate response to the songs they co- wrote and recorded. Their first success came as songwriters, but it was the distinctive sound of their publishing demos that gained them their record deal with RCA Records.



The duo mixed straight up Buckaroo country with jangly-Byrds sounds, looking and sounding a little louder than most of the other country acts of the era. Their first single, the rockabillyish-honky-tonkin’, “Crazy Over You,” shot to the top of the charts, making them the first duo in Country music history to score a No. 1 on their debut single.



Foster & Lloyd also became one of the first acts to be played simultaneously on Country and College radio, sharing common musical ground and press accolades with Rank and File, Lone Justice and the Blasters. The combination of their harmony vocals (recalling everyone from The Everly Brothers to Rockpile) with their self-produced guitar-centric sound and solid, clever song craft won over critics and fans alike.



In the end, they recorded three groundbreaking albums for RCA (containing hits “Sure Thing,” “What Do You Want From Me This Time,” “Texas in 1880” and “Fair Shake,” as well as “Crazy Over You”), toured internationally, garnered a Grammy nomination and were a constant presence at the CMA awards.



The duo split in 1990, with both members going on to successful solo careers. Though they remained friends and wrote together sporadically over the years, it took a request from the Americana Music Association to reunite for a fundraiser to get the duo together again onstage. News that Foster & Lloyd were performing for the first time in 20 years spread like wildfire, and the show sold out in 15 minutes. The band that night included Cheap Trick bassist Tom Petersson and drummer Keith Brogdon, with a guest appearance by bluegrass virtuoso and longtime friend, Sam Bush, on mandolin.



“It was so much fun getting back together onstage, and we realized that the new songs we had written together still had that magic,” says Foster. “We decided to start getting together once a month to write. Soon the songs were pouring out, and we knew we needed to get back in the studio.” Again, like it was in the beginning, they went in to the recording process to please themselves first–let the chips fall where they may.



The result is the new album: It’s Already Tomorrow. Fans of their older records will no doubt hear the familiar blend that only happens when Radney and Bill work together. One might think that after a twenty-year break, the vocal harmonies might creak a little but the duo sounds surprisingly strong from the opening notes. Foster’s voice is strong, deep and resonant throughout the album and you can hear the years of experience in his tone and timbre. Lloyd is still hitting all the high harmonies with style. Their blend is cohesive and is arguably tighter than it used to be.



As before, it’s the guitars that hold center spotlight when it comes to the instrumental aspect of the Foster & Lloyd sound. Lloyd delivers his usual guitar hooks sounding reckless enough to be exciting but melodic enough to be memorable. There are plenty of crunchy guitars to go with the twangy and succinct solos’ that you can hum later. Foster also adds both electric and rhythm acoustic parts to the mix.



From the ringing opening notes of “It’s Already Tomorrow,” the rockin’ twin telecasters of “That’s What She Said,” to the plaintive harmonies of the final acoustic track “When I Finally Let You Go,” the collection is vintage Foster & Lloyd. The duo co-wrote all twelve songs and co-produced the set, which was recorded and mixed by Justin Tocket (known for his work with Marc Broussard, the Randy Rogers band and others) with the same core band of Foster, Lloyd, Petersson and Brodgon. Petersson even joined the duo in co-writing “Lucky Number.”



The duo also put their own spin on an old song, “Picasso’s Mandolin,” which they had written years before with Guy Clark, who recorded it on his Boats To Build album.



Other guests on It’s Already Tomorrow include legendary pedal steel guitarist Lloyd Green, who is featured on “You Can’t Make Love Make Sense” and the Beatle-esque ballad “If It Hadn’t Been For You.” Noted producer and former Emmylou Harris steel guitarist Steve Fishell also played blistering lap steel on “Don’t Throw It Away,” and singer/songwriter Beth Nielsen Chapman came by to lend her beautiful voice to “Lucky Number.” After the core combo tracked the album, Radney and Bill recorded one last song, the acoustic-based "When I Finally Let You Go," in Radney's home studio. Bruce Springsteen's E. St. Band bassist, Garry Tallent, was in town visiting and added a nylon string bass part to the recording.



Through all the inventive lyrical twists and turns and crackerjack guitar licks, what comes through loudest is a sense of fun, adventure...and freedom. “Back then, we were concerned with trying to keep ourselves within a radio format,” says Lloyd. “We would try and be different enough to stand out but we didn’t want to color too far outsides the lines. We didn’t have any constraints this time. The sound of this new album is unfettered by formats...either real or imagined.”



Country. Rock n’ Roll. Power-pop. Folk. Americana. Whatever you want to call it, Radney and Bill combined make Foster & Lloyd music.



It’s Already Tomorrow

Hear it today!

"Lonesome Whistle" - The Roys - A Review

The Roys in a one word description are "refreshing". The brother and sister team have uncanny harmonies which only siblings can produce. Something special about family members singing together. They have written almost every song on this album. They just sing on this disc and leave the music to studio musicians Mark Fain, Bass/Dan Electro, Justin Moses, banjo, Randy Kohrs, Dobro, Cody Kilby, acoustic guitars, Steve Brewster, drums and Andy Leftwich, mandolin, fiddle and bouzouki.




Lee and Elaine must be excellent players also as they have some very good sponsors for guitars, mandolin, and strings.



"Coal Minin' Man", The first single from the CD, tells the story of a coal minin' man, a song about one of America's oldest and most dangerous professions. I really like this song as it is up beat and has a really good melody with those great bluegrass harmonies.



My favorite song off of the CD is "I Wonder What God's Thinking?". This song is very inspirational and some nice smooth Dobro. Once again, their harmonies are emotional as they really put themselves into the songs they present.



Their first Rural Rhythm CD features eleven modern sounding, refreshing songs, built on a traditional blend of acoustic, bluegrass instrumentation.



http://www.theroysonline.com/

Interview with Susan Gibson, singer-songwriter (wrote Wide Open Spaces for Dixie Chicks)

Search Amazon.com for Susan Gibson

Susan Gibson has a new CD out or will be out in a few days, it is called "Tightrope", I highly recommend it to anyone who likes acoustic music, This is the best sounding CD that I have heard this year, the sound quality is stunning, plus she has a set of ten very well written and performed songs. She is a great guitarist also and her vocals and lyrics have continued to grow since her hit with Chicks "Wide Open Spaces" .


1. Susan, "Tightrope" is a brilliant acoustic album that really has great sound quality, sparse , yet it is real warm and I love the guitar work. Tell me a little about the recording process and whether it is a digital or analog recording, it is so warm it sounds like it could be reel to reel.

(Susan's reponse)
It’s a digital recording using ProTools, and I would attribute the warmth of the album to the producer, Gabe Rhodes. But maybe it was the stained glass windows in the studio!


2. What kind of guitars were you and Gabe playing? The tone is so nice on the CD. Also, what kind of strings were you using?, I find that interesting, the tone is really unique. Do you have a collection of many guitars? Your guitar playing is excellent , and Gabe's bass and lead parts are also very good.


I play a Gibson Blues King Electro on the record and we mic-ed it. I use D’Addario medium gauge strings. Gabe does have a collection of instruments…he uses a 1919 Martin Parlor and a 1958 Gibson LG-1.


3. I am sorry to hear about your accident. i just read that the CD was finished before the accident. I am guessing that you are glad about that, it is such a fine set of songs. "The wood wouldn't burn" is a great song. Is that a true story?


Yes, the guitar in that story belongs to my friend Roger Marin, a singer-songwriter from Ontario, Canada. It was given to him by the wife of a fan who died in the house fire.


4. Really like the CD artwork, so effective and different, just black and white, Love how you open it up and the "Tightrope" turns into a guitar. Is that a town in the soundhole?


Yes, it’s a fictional town…It’s every town! The artwork was done by my friend Jess Rios from Dallas. http://www.jessrios.com/


5. This CD does not have a bad song on it, my favorites are "it's rainin' outside today, hooray!" , (Love Gabe's guitar licks), "Tightrope" , "oil and water", and all of the others. Do you have a favorite? You sort of remind me of a cross between Terri Hendrix and Carole King.


I love all the songs…but I love the chorus in Hope Diamond and I get chills every time I play The Wood Wouldn’t Burn.



6. OK, the obvious question, you wrote "Wide Open Spaces" for the Dixie Chicks which really took them off to super popularity, Both as the name of Album and as the song on the CD. How did this affect your career? When you wrote that song, did you have any idea how popular it was going to be, did you have a good feel about it? Did your friends like it? This was my favorite CD for like four years, I still like it alot.


When I wrote the song, I didn’t have any idea how popular it would be. I didn’t have any idea how the music business worked with people writing songs for other people. It’s my first original song I had written that was requested by someone I didn’t know at one of my gigs in Montana…and I remember that happening. It changed my career in the opportunities I have had since writing that song, whether it’s getting to go to a national award show or writing with other people that maybe wouldn’t have otherwise heard of me, or having an automatic handlebar for people to grab on to and remember about me. I have been Susan “The Girl Who Wrote Wide Open Spaces For the Dixie Chicks” Gibson for over a decade, and I love it!
 
http://www.susangibson.com/