"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

"Still Standing" - The Roys - A Single Review

 The Roy's are just about ready to release a new Album. This is a review of their first single from the CD ,named "Still Standing". On this song, they take on a new type of sound, not as processed and country as their last CD. This song is an upbeat song, which sounds very much bluegrass, reminds me a bit of Rhonda Vincent and The Rage. There is lots of fiddle and Dobro. Elaine does the lead vocals and seems very comfortable with this stripped down bluegrass sound.

   The song is about perseverance, talking about identity and getting on with life. I find myself a little bit with mixed feelings, because I do love bluegrass like this, but The Roy's last CD was so Lush sounding and such a great country album with bluegrass influence. This does make me wonder what the rest of the CD will be like. I can't help but think it will be good, musicians follow their heart or ears ,I really like this, I have some other new surprises that I got recently in the mail. Keep your ears out for this one!!  It's a Good song, different, but real good.

                                   www.theroysonline.com

The Wampler Ego Compressor Pedal - A Review

I have had 3 versions of this pedal by Brian Wampler. It is based on his design ,building a compressor for himself years ago, though he has tweaked the design. Very versatile,this compressor has 5 knobs to adjust your compression from full blown chicken pickin' to a much more subtle compression or to a separate clean boost channel.
    It is not parallel compression ,like The Barber Tone Press, It is more like 2 pedals in one, a clean boost and a Ross like compressor. Wampler uses only top grade parts in his compressor, and it is a very well built pedal. The blend knob gives you the choice of how much of each channel you want to use, boost or compression. The attack knob goes into action when the pedal has the blend knob on compression only, Honestly I have not found a setting of this compressor that I do not like. There is included in the compressor box, a very complete set of instructions.
    Finally, Wampler has a tone knob which can give you some bass to treble changes, going to clockwise. This was a request of customers, not the tone knob, it has been there, some customers wanted it's action to change in how it interacts with tone and presence and it is a little different than just a plain tone knob. All in all, it is a very good product at a fair price. I truly love it myself ,recently I turned on one of Philly's best guitarists, Jim Fogarty to it and He said it took his Pedalworx Squeeze Factor off his pedal board for the Wampler.  Listen to Brian's Demo on his website.                   www.wamplerpedals.com

The Grascals Sing The National Anthem

"Up Here In The Saddle" - Todd Fritsch - A Review

Todd Fritsch had a very bad accident roping horses at the family ranch  three years ago. So ,He had to get away from what he loved best and help out at the family business, though the music dream never left his heart.

  I have a theory that the best music comes from a musician who has been through the fires. In Todd's case, I really think that this is true. His vocals sound better and more focused than ever. His sound is more Nashville, but country Nashville, not pop Nashville.

  He really has the privilege of being able to use a very good song catalog here. He has some really good writers at his disposal here. His sound goes from Jason Aldean to George Strait. These songs are my favorites. Todd really puts alot of emotion into this project.

  Some of my favorites are the opener, which is very upbeat,"My Kind Of Crowd", a Jason Aldean type song written by Bryan Simpson. An awesome slow ballad is "Calls I Haven't Made", which might be the best song on the disc.

  "In a Song" by Doug Johnson is a slow song with lyrics that are brilliant and a song that Todd does so well.

  "Horses He Can't Ride Anymore" - This is a Dean Dillon song about a cowboy near the end of his trail, very moving. Dean Dillon does alot of writing with George Strait.

  "That Girls Got A Cowboys Heart", (Dean Dillon) - this is another great song, a bit more upbeat, These Dillon songs sound like A list songs, not throwaways or B list material. Dillon makes a significant contribution to the mood of the whole project.  This CD will be released on June 26, so enjoy.

                                       www.toddfritsch.com

"Up Here In The Saddle" - Todd Fritsch - A Review

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.

GraphTech - The Tusq Pick - A Review

I received a small package from Graph Tech about 10 days ago. It had the new Tusq picks I had requested to review. There are so many new cords, strings, pedals and picks out there today for the guitarist to shop for. The nice thing about picks is they are cheap, well unless you use The Blue Chip Pick which costs 35 bucks a pick ,but they are worth it. My most read review was on The Blue Chip Pick. They are a great pick, they are like synthetic tortoise. And they really improve your guitars tone.

    Well, that is the idea here and I think Tusq wins too. You remember when you first heard about Tusq, it was the saddle and nut on your new Taylor guitar. They are very good sounding, a very proprietary blend of some plastic like material. The Picks are cool, I am playing with my favorite right now. It is an ivory colored .88 pick. That one is best for me. The black  .68 didn't have enough mass for me though I could play with it fine. The medium sized Tusq pick is great. (Subjective here, for me it is great.) All sizes come in white,ivory and black. They cost a buck a pick, that really is not bad, They come in packets of 6 for 5.95. They are real stiff, so it is easy to strum or play lead, They are great for playing mandolin runs on a guitar. When you drop one , it has a musical ping to it. They look like they would last forever. I think they will be popular, they ought to be in your store pretty soon, if not, you can get them at Graphtech's website.

                              www.graphtech.com

The Roys On TV This Weekend - June 2

Brother/Sister Bluegrass Duo Guests On RFD-TV's Reno's Old Time Music Festival & PBS Special, Pa's Fiddle: Charles Ingalls, American Fiddler

Nashville, TN (May 30, 2012) -- Bluegrass stars THE ROYS make two national TV appearances on Saturday, June 2, as they are guests on both RFD-TV's Reno's Old Time Music Festival and the PBS Special, Pa's Fiddle: America's Music.

Reno's Old Time Music Festival, hosted by Bluegrass legend Ronnie Reno, features THE ROYS singing five songs from their current CD, LONESOME WHISTLE (Rural Rhythm Records): the album's title track; their current single, Trailblazer; their #1 hit, Coal Minin' Man; the driving up-tempo Nothin' I Can Do About It Now, and the contemplative, I Wonder What God's Thinkin'. The program, seen by nearly 20 million viewers each week, is one of the most dynamic, acoustic music programs on television. Each episode contains stunning performances, historical footage, in-depth interviews and a deep respect for the heritage of Bluegrass music. THE ROYS' segment airs Saturday, June 2 at 6 p.m. CDT/ 7 p.m. EDT. Viewers should check www.rfdtv.com for more specific local listings.

The PBS Special, Pa's Fiddle: Charles Ingalls, American Fiddler, is the brain-child of Dr. Dale Cockrell, director of MTSU's Center for Popular Music and scholar of the songs embedded in the LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE books. Lee and Elaine Roy perform songs unique to the project: Buffalo Guys and Gum Tree Canoe. In January they joined Randy Travis, Ronnie Milsap and numerous other stars for the taping of the Special, which raised the rafters of the Loveless Barn outside of Nashville. The show airs Saturday, June 2, at 7 p.m. CDT/ 8 p.m. EDT; fans can learn more about this unique tribute to the music of Laura Ingalls Wilder and the program HERE. Nashville airings on WNPT- TV include Sunday, June 3 at 7 p.m. CDT/ 8 EDT and Monday, June 4 at 11 p.m. CDT/ midnight EDT.


Fans can find all the news on Lee and Elaine at www.theroysonline.com

# # #
MEDIA CONTACT

Martha E. Moore / 615-746-3994

www.somuchMOOREmedia.com

somuchmoore@charter.net

Rural Rhythm Artists - Busy Summer Coming

Lonesome River Band

Rudy Fest hosted by Lonesome River Band @ Carter County Fairgrounds, Grayson, KY

Brand New Strings performing at the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame at the CD Release Party for LIVE AT BEAN BLOSSOM now available on Rural Rhythm Records. Photo by Anthony Ladd, Kneelindesign & AnthonySP.



Saturday, June 23, 2012

Lonesome River Band

Rudy Fest hosted by Lonesome River Band @ Carter County Fairgrounds, Grayson, KY



Brand New Strings

Greeneville Summer Music Fest, Greeneville, TN



Charlie Sizemore Band

Charlotte Bluegrass Festival, Charlotte, MI



Friday, June 29, 2012

Lonesome River Band

ROMP @ Yellow Creek Park, Owensboro, KY

 Pic: Nu-Blu performing at Silver Dollar City



Saturday, June 30, 2012



www.LonesomeRiver.Band

South Branch Valley Bluegrass Festival, Romney, WV



Blue Moon Rising

Everett Brothers Music Barn, Suwanee, GA

"Road To Surrender" - The Grascals

"My Side Of The Street" - Tommy Steele - A Single Review

I think every guy at one time or another falls in love with a gal that really is into a different lifestyle. That is what this song is about, He falls for an upper class chick who really is not into his biking ways. That is what "Why don't you come to my side of the street" means.

  This is a good sounding song with acoustic guitar and electric slide guitar in the forefront. This has the Nashville country type sound to it with an edge. It was released to radio on May 21, so maybe you ought to call your station and see if they can play it for you if you are a fan. The guy has a real nice website, You should go check out the video for this song and see what it does for you. The guy is into his music.

                www.tommysteeleband.com

                                      

Some Music News

Well, Hello Folks, hope everyone is doing well and has good health.  Just going to catch up on a couple of new music items,that I have come across recently. The first one is on my CD player right now. It is a new CD by the Group called The Boxcars. They are a form of a bluegrass supergroup with Adam Steffey and Ron Stewart who play mandolin and banjo respectively. They had been in Dan Tyminski's Band while AKUS was on sabbatical and Alison Krauss was singing with Robert Plant. They had enjoyed playing together with the others in the Band ,backing up Dan Tyminski.
   The CD is called "All In" and it has a very traditional type sound. Some great high lonesome harmonies and Bluegrass music. There are some really nice gospel songs too.

    Next up is the latest guitar effect pedal from Wampler's Pedals. He has a line of at least 15 pedals before this. His pedals are used by artists like Brad Paisley, Keith Urban, Johnny Hiland and me(LOL). This pedal has created alot of interest and attention on the internet and amongst guitarists. Brian Wampler has been working on this pedal for about a year. It is made to approximate the sound of the late 50s tweed amps made by Fender.  It is called the "Tweed 57", and it does give you that vibe, but more than that, the pedal is a great overdrive pedal on it's own merit.There are several tones and drive effects that you can do using this pedal besides just giving an imitation of the Fender Tweed amp. You can get sounds from ZZ Top to Joe Walsh to some incredible blues tones. A feature that I really like is you can clean up the tone with the guitar volume knobs. You can hear many videos of the pedal on youtube, by doing a search or just going to Brian's new website www.wamplerpedals.com .  I am happy for Brian, He has been doing this for a number of years and I am happy that his pedals are catching on very well. He also does a video himself which is very interesting, because He is a very skilled guitarist, He really brings out the sweet spots on the pedal and the type of songs that it sounds well with.

   Very happy to report that Carrie Hassler has made the Billboard Bluegrass Chart with the song "The Distance" from her latest CD. Well, hope to have some more for you soon. I do have a new CD just in.

                               Brian Wampler

"Wild Together" - Carter's Chord - A Review

  Carter's Chord is a group of three sisters,Johanna, Emily and Becky Robertson. Music was always a big part of their lives, as their parents were both members of  Waylon Jenning's backup band. They moved from California to Nashville as youngsters they became friends with Waylon, Jessi and Shooter, also hanging around and learning more about music.

  This six song EP was produced by Toby Keith and Mark Wright. It is a very heavily, full produced Nashville sounding recording. The recording is high quality, and it has some of Nashville's best musician's on it. The songs are all written by the girls, sometimes with the help of others. I like every song on here, they are songs that express alot of feeling and they harmonize so well together. The songs are well written and have very good hooks and melodies inside of them. They sound like a group that has been together for quite awhile and they have. 

  My two favorites are the title track "Wild Together" and a mid tempo song "A Little Less Comfortable." The song "Wild Together" is their tribute to the Jennings family, and it is an upbeat song that makes you want to get up and move. "A Little Less Comfortable" is a song that has this groove that just grabs me and I like the lyrics alot. Another song that I like alot is the last track "Love A Little Bigger". This song was written by Emily after they had been on a trip to Guatemala doing some charity work. It is a real tender ballad.

   All in all, If they stick with it, these girls have the goods. They are better than a lot of country acts on the Billboard charts in my opinion, time will tell, they really look like they enjoy their singing and that can make the difference.

                           www.carterschord.com
                                       

"Second Season" - Kristin Scott Benson - A review

                  
Kristen Scott Benson was making CDs before she joined the Grascals. This is her second recording, it is with Pinecastle Records. She produces it and has a lot of help on the disc with singing, instrument playing ,and inspiration. It is definitely traditional Bluegrass,  with the help of artists like Wayne Benson, Larry Cordle, Mickey Harris, Sally Jones, Cody Kilby (one of my favorite bluegrass flat pickers), Larry Stephenson, Jim Van Cleve , (fiddle player with Mountain Heart) and last,but not least , Josh Williams (previously with Rhonda Vincent's Rage.)

   Kristen  writes some of this material, some is other's songs and some is public domain. It is a very high quality recording and some tight versions of some great bluegrass music, You would not think it was a banjo players CD, she really does not put herself in the spotlight more than anyone else. I like that she writes a  little blurb about each song recorded. Lots of mandolin and fiddle on the CD and Cody Kilby plays his own style of bluegrass guitar. They do an Instrumental by Bill Emerson called "No Steering, No Brakes", which I like a lot, it is mellow, but upbeat and just a great Bluegrass song.


   "No Southern Comfort" - This is a sad ballad song, sung by Josh Williams. Very good delivery and plenty of bluegrass licks,and nice high lonesome harmonies.  "Far Enough Away" is a slow paced instrumental written by Kristen. It shows the quiet side of banjo playing which you do not really hear very much. Some nice licks by Cody Kilby too, love his guitar playing.  Jim Van Cleve plays some very musical fiddle. She has an incredible mix of musicians here.


   Well, I would like to leave some to your imagination, but if you like bluegrass music, I don't see how you you couldn't like this. When Kristen becomes a Grascal she turns it up a notch and her banjo playing is more treble sounding, like a bluegrass banjo usually sounds. She does a lot more Scruggs type pickin with The Grascals. This is very good though.



--
God Is Good
www.countryreviews.blogspot.com

Oak Ridge Boys To Play At CMA Music Festival

The Oak Ridge Boys among Star-Studded Lineup
 CMA Music Festival at LP Field
 
Jam Packed Week Also Includes Riverfront Show,
 Country Music Hall of Fame Event & Fan Fair Hall Signing

Nashville, TN (May 7, 2012) -- Grammy Award winning group, The Oak Ridge Boys, will deliver the National Anthem as part of the Nightly Concerts at LP Field during the CMA Music Festival on Friday, June 8, 2012 at 7:45 p.m.  Prominently known as "Singers of the Anthem," the country legends were proclaimed the official National Anthem Singers by the National Association of Music Educators National Anthem Project from 2005-2010.
“It is an honor to be invited by the CMA Music Festival to sing the National Anthem at LP Field.  The Boys are very active in the Festival this year, and have been part of every Festival and Fan Fair since the very first one,” says lead singer Duane Allen.
Oak Ridge Boys member Joe Bonsall adds, “The CMA Music Festival has not only become Nashville's biggest yearly event, but country music is now bigger and stronger than it has ever been. We feel like we have placed some stones on the mountain, but the artists of today have reached higher than ever before to take country music to amazing heights of artistry and performance. We are all thrilled to stand with them at CMA Music Fest once again.”
This year’s 4-day event will take place on Thursday, June 7th through Sunday, June 10th in Downtown Nashville. The powerhouse group will be featured at various performances, host a special signing at the Country Music Hall of Fame, and appear at Fan Fair Hall in celebration of the CMA Music Festival and the group’s current CD, It’s Only Natural, released through Cracker Barrel Old Country Store®.  These events follow the Opry members’ recent performance at the grand opening celebration of the Golden Nugget in Atlantic City which generated global headlines.
The Oak Ridge Boys are touring across the U.S. this year, including headlining additional casino shows in Las Vegas.  Fans should also be on the lookout for new CD releases such as the highly anticipated country/gospel album Back Home Again scheduled to launch on May 22nd as well as a Christmas project.
For more information on concerts and CMA Music Festival events featuring the Oaks, please visit: www.oakridgeboys.com       (Courtesy Of WebsterPR)

The Grascals On GAC

TUNE IN ALERT
Multi-award winning bluegrass artists, THE GRASCALS, appear on GAC-TVs Headline Country this week! The band recently celebrated the release of their latest CD, Life Finds A Way (Mountain Home Music) with a “blue carpet” event at the SiriusXM Music City Theater in Nashville.

Check http://www.gactv.com/gac/program_guide/ for complete listings.


HEADLINE COUNTRY on GAC
Thursday, 4/19  - 8 p.m. Central and Midnight
Friday, 4/20 - 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Central
Saturday 4/21 - 9:30 a.m. Central

Keep up with The Grascals at www.grascals.com



MEDIA CONTACT
claire ratliff
laughing penguin publicity
po box 140396 | nashville, tn 37214
615.476.3200
laughingpenguin@comcast.net
www.penguinpublicity.com

"The Distance" - Carrie Hassler - A Review

 Carrie is back with eight great new songs and all is well with the World. This is a lush recording, and it is really tastefully done with some great players  like Tim Stafford, guitar; Ron Stewart(banjo), Justin Moses, (fiddle), Mark Fain,(bass), Dale Ann Bradley,(background vocals), and the CD's producer Steve Gulley,(background and lead vocals).

  "Give My Love" is a gospel song that is just a great melody, with great instrumentation, some real pretty pedal steel. Carrie sings this so well, this recording sparkles, very well done. The disc starts out with "Luxury Liner", originally done by Emmy Lou Harris, Carrie does it a bit more bluegrass oriented. It moves real well. Sweet Fiddle and banjo, plus some sweet dobro.  Steve Gulley and Tim Stafford gave her a great song. It is called "All I Have to do is Breathe". Some really great lyrics for Carrie to delve into. "Get Me Over You" is another upbeat song about getting over someone, she once loved. It is written by a friend of Carrie's (Jennifer Strickland).

    The title track "The Distance" is a hit, in a real world, this would be a Billboard Hit. I just put my phones on and the stereo spread is awesome. Bradley's harmonie's come out the other side of the Headphone. "Eugene and Diane" by
(Carl Jackson) is another winner.  Steve Gulley sings the Male duet part of this. It is a ballad and love song that is another winner,it is so plain pretty. Steve's vocals are so natural for this. The guitar picking is so pretty. Carrie is so fortunate to have all these bluegrass greats help her out. It sure does show.

     "Keep Your Memory Warm" is a super, slow love song that was written by Steve Gulley. This is really great. Gulley is a great song writer(starter of Mountain Heart). I have been waitng for Something by Carrie for a while, Well here it is,and it is no disappointment. Why is it so easy to write a review of something you love and sometimes I have to push myself through a mediocre CD. No mediocracy here on this Disc. This will be released by Rural Rhythm Records on April 24,2012. The artwork on The CD is very well done, in a traditional jewel case. Carrie looks stunning. Now, I would love to hear a new CD by Melanie Cannon next.  Check this out.

     www.carriehassler.com
     www.RuralRhythm.com

"Calls I Haven't Made" - Todd Fritsch - A Single Review

  Todd has been singing and recording for awhile. I was never really that impressed with his early songs. He was involved in a serious accident in a roping incident, that put him out of commission for awhile. This song is the first Single He has released from a CD He is working on. It really is full of that X factor that makes a song Special. He sings with a new Command to his lyrics and the record is a great production that isn't overdone, but it backs this song good. The subject about calls He hasn't made is a song that I think We can all relate to. The lyrics are just excellent and I love the use of pedal steel in this song. His voice is the top thing in the mix, which it should be.

  I think that the tough times can make us better and I think Todd's experience with the School of hard Knocks has elevated his game, yeh, this is real good, It's a song that will stay in your head. This is as good or better than anything on the Country top 40.
                         www.Toddfritsch.com

Carrie Hassler Has New CD Coming, The Distance