SaraBeth recently released her new EP Full Speed Ahead which raced to the top of the Country iTunes charts debuting at #1 in the UK and #11 in the U.S. The five track project contains four original songs, all of which were co-written by SaraBeth alongside such songwriters as Glen Mitchell and Tim Morgan, as well as an affecting rendition of the Backstreet Boys mega-hit “I Want It That Way.” The singer-songwriter kicks things off with the rocker “Somebody Who Is” where she displays a woman who is confident, asserting that she’s not willing to “stick(ing) around for him to tear her down” when she can find a man who will appreciate her. That’s followed by the infectious “Keep On Keepin’ On” which will have your hands clapping and toes tapping as you sing along to the positive affirmations in the lyrics. The EP is rounded out with the sweet “Song About You” and the funky horn-laden closer, “Windshield/Rearview” an ode to her supportive family that also describes her journey as an artist, “Full speed ahead with no regrets, cause if you wanna see your dreams come true look through the windshield, not in the rearview.” It’s a philosophy that is serving her well, as her career continues its upward trajectory with an EP that you should definitely give a listen.
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Country newcomer and Georgia native Joe Hall recently released his new album, girlfriend (acoustic versions). Kicking off with the driving, dare-you-not-to-tap-your-toes, “I Want Her Bad”, the all acoustic album revolves around - as the title suggests - relationships. The other nine songs, co-written with Derek George, Jimmie Lee Sloas, and Rod Allred among others, range from sweetly romantic ballads (“We Kiss” & “Love Like This”) to songs of heartache (“Hungover You” & the folk tinged “I Don’t Need You Around”). The album is rounded out with the immensely likeable, radio ready “Too Deep,” and the mid-tempo “Wake Up Next To You” before closing with the relatable “Encore.” With Hall’s amiable vocals and contemporary lyrics and melodies, girlfriend would sound good on the playlist of any fan of modern country radio. -Tara Hailing from Gainesville, FL, the trio of Big Shoals – Lance Howell (guitar/vocals), Jacob Riley (bass) and Michael Claytor (drums) released their well-received debut album Still Go On in 2014 and on July 15th, the band will follow that up with their sophomore effort, Hard Lessons. Named one of the "50 Most Anticipated Albums of 2016" by The Revue, Hard Lessons certainly does not disappoint. Beginning with the flowing cadence of the rootsy “Only Queen,” the collection includes nine other well-crafted tracks that seamlessly blend Folk, Americana and Roots Rock. The driving (and irresistible…hello, harmonica!) “You Ain’t Nothing Like The Girls” tells of a gal he wants to “sell his soul to” while the double negatives on “The Fall” relate the hard hitting demise of a relationship. Following one’s dreams becomes the central theme on “Love, Fortune or Fame” and on the solemn “Losing Hand” which, with its extended instrumental, cannot help but be thought provoking “It’s a hard lesson learning that dreams are just dreams.” The threesome dive into the life for a man in his mid-twenties with “Only God Knows” where themes of living, losing, facing failures and wondering what tomorrow brings surface, as well as on the rockin’ “Happy For A While” where a man who has felt the highs and rode the lows, yearns to have a little joy and on closer “The Way It Goes” a reflective, somewhat sad, yet ultimately accepting song of how life events and growing up changes a male friendship over time. “I guess maybe I’m afraid the guy I used to know won’t be around/I know time will change you, hell its changing me too, back then it used to move so slow/I see our glory days fading out of view/I guess that’s the way it goes.” In addition to songs of love, heartbreak and broken dreams, the album is rounded out by two uniquely told narratives, “Union Son” the tale of Confederate soldiers and the Civil War and “Amelia” about the heartbroken man the famed aviation pioneer left behind. With Hard Lessons, you get the sense that Howell, Riley and Claytor have experienced their own share of life’s highs and lows; gaining maturity and insight from lessons learned alongside a realistic view of life and love that is at the forefront of an album that eludes any sophomore slump - and makes Big Shoals a band you should definitely have on your radar. “There is a special connection between American folk music and the railroad that has no parallel elsewhere in the world. Rail lines stitch together the sprawling fabric of American song. As writers of Americana music, our goal is to draw on the deep, recurring sources of American folk culture, giving them new shape.” - The Grahams’ Alyssa Graham In the summer of 2014, husband and wife duo, The Grahams crisscrossed the country via train on such lines as the Adirondack, the Texas Eagle, the Heartland Flyer, the Sunset Limited, and the famed City of New Orleans. Their three-month journey was documented by Cody Dickinson (North Mississippi Allstars) for their recently released short documentary, Rattle The Hocks. The film, inspired by the train riding adventures of Guthrie and Lead Belly, is many things: history lesson, musical adventure, and a journey of love and friendship. Alyssa and Doug, who narrate the film, revisit the path of their predecessors in order to seek the “modern evolution of older sounds” and in doing so draw the viewer in both visually and sonically. Just like the railroads stitch together the fabric of songs, the Grahams do as well, giving us brief glimpses into the “veins and arteries” that pump the musical life into places such as New Orleans, the Mississippi Delta and the Gulf while interspersing their own music via live performances at places such as Sun Studio and a remote cabin. It’s a short introduction to both The Grahams music and mindset as well as areas rich in history that, for any music junkie, will leave them wanting to learn, and hear, more. Rattle The Hocks has already screened as an Official Selection at several highly respected U.S. and International film festivals including Napa Valley Film Festival, Chagrin Falls Film Festival and the London Raindance Film Festival where it was nominated for Best Short Film. The documentary also earned the 2016 Lagniappe Award for Short Documentary at the Mississippi Crossroads Film Festival. The Grahams have been touring in support of their latest CD, a deluxe version of their 2015 album Glory Bound produced by Wes Sharon. This CD, released in March 2016, features five newly recorded, David Garza-produced tracks and was recorded at Austin’s Church House studio with the help of several musical friends including Sara & Sean Watkins, John Fullbright, and Milk Carton Kids’ Kenneth Pattengale. http://www.thegrahamsmusic.net/ https://twitter.com/TheGrahamsMusic https://www.facebook.com/TheGrahamsMusic/ https://www.youtube.com/user/TheGrahamsMusic http://www.rattlethehocks.com/#rattlethehocks Originally from Iowa but now calling California home after years of traveling the country performing, singer-songwriter Kate Brown’s recent EP, Water From Ashes, will introduce many to this unique voice that is all at once formidable, seasoned, gritty and honest. The six song EP begins with a mission on the roots rocker, “Cartwheel” where she sings (recalling Bonnie Raitt mixed with Kim Carnes), “I kill myself with the day to day to prove to you I’m here to stay.” There’s the push and pull of a relationship that may or not be in her best interests on the fiddle-laden “6 Shots," - “I love you but I’m sick of this and I don’t wanna live my life in chains...I don’t wanna change you babe but I want you to change.” - and a gentle thoughtfulness on both “Damned Ol Jesus” and “Troubled Man” which describes a relationship that, like a radio station, “don’t come in no more." The album is rounded out with the laid back gospel-blues vibe of "Come On" and the emotional "Weepin'" where her voice soars as she states a universal truth, “lovin’ ain’t for the faint of heart.” Expansive melodies, intriguing lyricism and an undeniable energy combine to make Water From Ashes an EP that grows more pleasing with each successive listen. Check it out. -Tara As one of music’s most sought after songwriters, Sean McConnell has penned tunes that have been recorded by artists such as Wade Bowen, Randy Rogers, Buddy Miller, and Martina McBride (among a multitude of others); with his latest release, the accomplished tunesmith is poised to make his mark as an artist in his own right. Released on Rounder Records, the self-titled, ten-song collection - immaculately produced by Ian Fithuk and Jason Lehning – immerses the listener in McConnell’s honest, emotional songwriting and understated, flawless vocals from the first track to the last. Beginning with “Holy Days,” which looks back fondly on those sacred days now passed, McConnell’s songs are often autobiographical yet told in a universally identifiable manner that resonates with the listener. From the simply delightful “Hey Mary,” a breezy love song that will make your heart happy, the joyous “Best We’ve Ever Been,” which tells of a relationship that keeps getting better with the years, and “Queen of Saint Mary’s Choir,” about McConnell’s parents and upbringing, he weaves themes of love, family and nostalgia through songs that are emotional, insightful and passionate. Sincerity and romance are found on the ballad, “One Acre of Land,” encouragement on the irresistible folk-tinged, “Bottom of The Sea” (“So hold your nose, cannonball, someone let me through”), and thoughtful reflection - and a huge heaping of swell-in-your-chest emotion - on the peaceful, acoustic “Beautiful Rose” which finds him looking back on a life that might be different from what he thought it would be, but realizing he wouldn’t change a thing. “Baby this ain’t Neverland, yeah maybe life’s not what I thought it be/It’s nothing like my childhood fantasies/It’s harder than I could’ve known, but higher than my hopes could float and better than I ever could have dreamed/More villains and sad endings I suppose, but I’ll take this thorns for this beautiful rose.” In addition to those sentiments, McConnell doesn’t shy away from interspersing varied religious references throughout the album, particularly on “Running Under Water” which becomes almost hymn-like in the chorus and closer “Babylon” which compares the end of a relationship the to the ancient city. “Did you turn around and watch it crumble/Do you ever go through the rubble trying to find out where the hell it went wrong?” On an album replete with poignant lyrics and unforgettable melodies, there is also a palpable sense of McConnell’s gratefulness for the past, happiness with the present and anticipation for the future....one that undeniably holds great promise. On July 15th, California-based singer-songwriter Tom Rhodes will release his fifth full-length album Who You Were. The thirteen track collection is brimming with stories and reflections that are insightful, poignant and wisdom-filled. Rhodes’ voice delivers his words with a raspy-soulfulness (that at times recalls Jack Johnson) that exudes experience and tenderness. Whether he’s telling a young man to pick himself up after heartbreak on opening track “Crumbling Road” or instilling confidence in a child leaving home for the first time on the infectious and inspiring “Roll On”, (“Walk tall my love and keep eyes pointed to the sky, walk tall my love and you will see that you can be all that’s on your mind”), Rhodes sings with encouragement and a welcome optimism. Those sentiments continue on the stirring album standout “Lay It Down,” as well as “Every Damn Day," while the breezy “New Aphrodite” and lively “Mission Queen” find him in love. Rhodes balances those feelings with songs about moving on including the gritty “Backroad,” and the banjo-laden, often poetic “Rye and Wrong” before closing with the title track, a stirring ode of gratitude to his father who passed in 2015: “I’m holding onto memories as if they were gold. And I know that I’m the man I am thanks to the man you were.” Who You Were looks truthfully, fondly - and soulfully - at life, love, and family, emphasizing the positive while understanding that things can often be difficult. As Rhodes advises on "Gotta Get': "don't sweat the small stuff." It's sage advice to remember to embrace moments, who you were...and even who you're going to be. Since his 2005 debut, Shane Alexander has toured extensively supporting such artists as Bon Iver, John Hiatt, and Yes while developing his loyal international fan base. On July 8th, Alexander will release his sixth album, Bliss. The self-produced album contains ten tracks all written or co-written by Alexander including the gentle and inviting opener “Evergreen.” That’s followed by the dreamy, romantic “Something Never Dies,” the reflective “In The High” and the dark, “I Will Die Alone” where Alexander’s crystal clear vocals deliver every word with intention. Incredibly bright and immensely catchy, "Heart of California," featuring Jesse Siebenberg on lap steel, is an ode to the west coast, while the exquisite, sweeping melodies of “Hold Me Helpless,” “Nobody Home” and “Angel’s Share” will captivate. The album is rounded out by the relationship-minded “Meet Me Halfway” and the title track, which with its themes of forgiveness and moving forward, is peaceful - and the perfect closer to an album that can simply be described as…blissful |
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October 2018
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