-Tara

Austin’s Big State - James Brinkman (lead vocals, guitar), Tim Brown (drums, vocals) added Patrick Conreaux (bass, vocals), and Aaron Seymour (lead guitar, vocals) -  bring swagger and stomp on their first full-length, Sure Thing. Released June 9, the thirteen-track outing, recorded at Teenie Sound Studios and mastered by Matthew Agoglia of The Ranch in Beacon, New York, combines new songs as well as remixed and remastered songs from their two EPs, and finds the band on firm footing with rollicking alt-country, roots rockers. Kicking off with the irreverent, “Oh, Cordelia” where he asks said gal, “Do you wanna fool around?”, Sure Thing calls to mind the Old 97’s from the high-energy “Ballad Of Davy Crockett, Part 2” to the bar room sing along, “Heck Yeah, Dang Right.” The album also includes the raucous, lighthearted “Make America Shake Again” (“One day in November sets the course for 4 more years one side weeps while the other drinks their tears”), the humorous story of “Lynette” and a meeting in a drunk tank, and the tale of “Christine,” the older woman who took advantage of a younger man and “blew his heart to smithereens.” Brinkman and Co. ponder the mystery lights of “Marfa,” a missing male (“Where Is Robert”), and city folk who invade the country (“Upstater”) on a record filled with interesting story songs, humor, and hooks that lives up to its title. 

In advance of the Fall release of his new EP, Every Way But Easy, Kent Eugene Goolsby is releasing the first single from the project, "Throwin' Stones" on July 31st. Penned by Goolsby, the mid-tempo track, led by electric guitar and Goolsby's smoky vocals (recalling Kip Moore), finds him expressing regret and remorse over words said and a desire to regain what a couple once had.


"We’ve done our share of fighting
And I know that I was wrong
So won't you take me by the hand
And lead me back to where we belong
What good are words
When love should be just shown?
I'm done using all these
Sticks and stones
So let's go back"

​For more information visit HERE

-Tara

A fixture on the Texas scene, Brandon Rhyder returns after a self-imposed hiatus with his first new album in four years on July 14th. The project, produced by friend and mentor Walt Wilkins, finds Rhyder firmly focused on life's centerpieces: interpersonal relationships, family, and love.

​The ten-track eponymous collection begins with Michael Hearn’s “Evergreen,” a gentle poetic proclamation to let go of the little things, "I don't mind things that don't matter these days/Time I spend on worry never pays," and continues with “The Way They Need Each Other,” a collaboration written and performed with singer-songwriter Lori McKenna, that is a touching ode to Rhyder’s wife and more universally to commitment and partnership. Brimming with honesty and emotion, the album also includes the insightful “Shake,” the island-flavored, dreamy and romantic “Let’s Blow Off Monday,” and the introspective steel-laden ballad “No Time For That” which focuses on not the importance of self-worth. Rhyder recounts the traditions of his youth (and continuing them with his children) on the fiddle-accented, bluesy “The Huntin’ Song” and exudes a positivity on “Good Morning Sunshine" before rounding things out with the charming “Half The Time I’m Crazy” (on which Rhyder teams once again with McKenna), “I Hate This Town” (co-written with Keith Gattis) and closer “C’mon Baby Hold On” a tune about being present for your significant other that features Bri Bagwell. 

Rhyder's latest is a melodically serene, yet uplifting portrait of a man who, through experience and maturity, finds himself grateful, accepting, and blessed. A good spot to be in indeed.

-Harriett

Tennessee native Will Hoge has amassed an impressive catalog of county-edged roots rock beginning with the 2001 release of Carousel through 2015’s Small Town Dreams.  His gritty, powerful vocals and honest, poignant lyrics have made him one of the most respected singer-songwriters in the business. With the release of his tenth full length studio album Anchors (expected August 11th) Hoge employs every weapon in his vast musical arsenal to deliver what may be his finest work yet.

The aptly titled release is a relationship album with emotional anchors as the overlying theme in each of the eleven tracks; the anchors that keep you from drifting away from a good relationship as well as the ones that render you unable or unwilling to move away from a bad one. Anchors pulls you in right away with the first song, “The Reckoning” with its slow, deliberate percussion and guitar mimicking the process of coming to terms with the inevitable. “This Grand Charade” is a heartbreaking account of a couple, whose marriage is essentially over, keeping up appearances for the sake of their kids. “Cold Night In Santa Fe” is a smoldering, piano-driven track about the pain of watching a once happy relationship slip away while “Angels Wings” hits all the right country notes sonically and lyrically as it gives voice to anyone trying to rise above the personal shortcomings and flaws that can sabotage every attempt at lasting love. The title track delves into the baggage we carry from the darker periods of our nation’s past that influence the current discourse. 

The lighter tracks on the record are no less well-written and relatable. “Little Bit of Rust”, a strong duet that features Sheryl Crow, talks of love worth holding on to through the rough patches while “This Ain’t An Original Sin” is a playful rocker giving a wink and a nod to giving in to the occasional casual fling. Hoge deftly channels Van Morrison and takes us back to younger days and first loves in “17”.    
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If you’re unfamiliar with Hoge’s music, Anchors will be a perfect introduction. The album is available for pre-order on Amazon and iTunes and while you’re there, check out his other releases.  Visit his website at www.willhoge.com to learn more about this artist and find out when he’ll be touring near you.           

-Tara

​“Songs about girls and driving and making terrible decisions, just like all the best songs. Three-part harmonies, jangly guitars & pounding drums. Songs to dance to, drink to and cry to. Sounds like the radio, in a parallel universe where the radio sounds amazing.”

They pretty much nailed it with that description. Hailing from Austin, Texas, the Golden Lights strong eleven-song set, Ghosts Along The Way, is fueled by jangly guitars, a steady drumbeat, and lyrics that draw the listener in. Roots rocker "Eventually" kicks things off and perfectly captures the album, setting the tone for what's to come. "Stuck In The Cheap Seats" is as reflective as it is infectious, "Sunshine, You're Dead To Me" is a piano-tinged shuffler and the radio-ready "Fake Friends" tells of a reality we've all encountered. The energy is amped up on the rollicking "The Fighting Kind," the jaunty, colorful "Alcohol Thins The Blood," and the mid-tempo tale of getting over a love, "Someone Else." Then it's taken back down on the melancholy "Fell By The Wayside" which captures the insightful line "I never thought I'd ever lose you/It was always my intent to chose you, but then I failed to decide," and the somber "Bittersweet Vibrations" before closing out with the "Last One Of The Losers."
 
If you like The Replacements, Wilco, or The Old 97’s, then the Golden Lights will be right up your musical alley. Give them a listen.

-Harriett

The Nashville-based duo Steelism - Jeremy Fetzer (guitar) and Spencer Cullum (pedal steel) - garnered critical praise and gained a national audience with the release of their 2014 instrumental album, 615 to FAME. These talented artists deliver another praise-worthy project with their second full-length album, ism, co-produced by Fetzer and Cullum. Released via Thirty Tigers June 23rd, ism mixes the sounds of harmonica, guitars, keys, and pedal steel with a string quartet into a re-imagined musical journey through rock, blues, techno, and country - putting forth a stylistic flair that will appeal to both music and cinema enthusiasts.

The album fittingly kicks off with “Re-member”, a roots rock instrumental laced with twang and orchestral flourishes. “Eno Nothing” has a funky groove and guitars aplenty while “Chartreuse” brings a bluesy, Clapton-esque feel.  “Anthem” begins with a slow, deliberate piano before rocking into a sound that would be at home in the soundtrack to a Quentin Tarantino movie.

“Shake Your Heel” blends a little techno with ethereal vocals from Tristen in a song about coping with the stresses and anxieties we have from living with the noise of endless news cycles. Ruby Amanfu lends her sultry vocals to “Roulette” while Andrew Combs and Jessie Baylin combine their voices on the lovely Americana duet “Lonely Game.”

For the lyric-driven listener, the prospect of being attentive to a mostly instrumental offering may not be your idea of Option A, but I find there is something to be said for focusing on the beauty of the music and letting your mind create the story. 

To find out more about Steelism, visit their website at www.steelismmusic.com where you can also purchase their music.         

Two authorities of the steel guitar, Andy Hall of The Infamous Stringdusters and Roosevelt Collier of the Lee Boys, join forces to let the steel shine on their excellent instrumental album, Let The Steel Play, which was released June 16. “This album is the perfect example of something you do strictly for the joy of the music. We shared songs that highlight our slide guitar history, but we also wrote some super cool modern tunes together,” says Andy.

If Hall and Collier did it simply for the joy of music, it’s the listener who is the beneficiary of that joy. From their take on traditional tunes like the opener, “This Little Light Of Mine” and “Power In The Blood” to The Dead’s “Crazy Fingers,” one only needs a brief second to hear the masterful dexterity and versatility, as well as musical passion, the two share. Bridging their musical backgrounds - Hall comes from the world of Bluegrass, while Collier was born into the Sacred Steel sound, learning lap and pedal steel at a young age directly under his uncles and grandfather -  the two put forth an enjoyable album with songs that are dynamic and fresh, yet comfortable. Listen to "Remington" HERE and purchase the album HERE.