Author: Ken Paulson

Thirty years on, Ellis Paul’s songs and stories delight audiences

 in Americana Music, Reviews, Songwriters

By Ken Paulson –

Singer-songwriters are plentiful these days. Have a guitar, smartphone and social media account? Suddenly you’re giving concerts.

There was a time, though, when anyone stepping on stage at a coffeehouse had to truly engage an audience with songs, stories and a sense of humor. If you wanted to work, you had to entertain.

Ellis Paul is old school in all the best ways. His Oct. 21 performance for the Americana Community Music Association had him demonstrating how an acoustic guitar can sub for drums and bass, explaining why he’ll be buried with that guitar and hopping off stage and into the audience for a touching encore of “Over the Rainbow.”

Ellis Paul photo
Ellis Paul at Americana Community Music Association in Fort Myers

Paul is on his 30th anniversary tour and he reflected on the evolution of his songs. Early on, young songwriters tend to focus on romance and relationships, but over time, you need to expand your perspective, Paul explained.

That explained his raucous “Kick Out the Lights,” an account of the Man in Black losing his temper on stage at the Grand Ole Opry, with its refrain “Johnny Cash, Johnny Cash.”

Paul’s reflection on dysfunctional families led to a memory of his own family’s worst day, a reunion documented in “Five Alarm Fire on the 4th of July.”

Paul, whose most recent album 55 was inspired by his birthday of that number, also offered up “You’ll Never Be This Young Again,” a buoyant song about never giving up on your dreams.

And so the evening went: wildly diverse songs, entertaining stories, the occasional singalong and an absolute rapport with the audience. Talent and experience make all the difference.

Opening up the show was Gene Martin, an 84-year-old retired radiologist, living the lyrics to Paul’s song about dream-chasing. Miller’s brief set was warm and fun and featured the evening’s most memorable song “Prep Day.”

Gene Martin

“That was the best song about a colonoscopy I’ve ever heard,” Paul proclaimed, beaming at his opening act sitting in the front row.

Kent Blazy Meets the Beatles

 in New releases, Reviews, Songwriters

By Ken Paulson –

It’s always a joy when an artist and songwriter is an unabashed music fan like the rest of us.

That’s certainly the case with Kent Blazy, whose new album From The Beatles to the Bluebird, is fueled by a love of John, Paul, George and Ringo.

Blazy, a 2020 inductee into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, has had an extraordinary track record, including writing “If Tomorrow Never Comes” with Garth Brooks, the Brooks hit “Ain’t Goin’ Down (‘Til the Sun Comes Up” and  Chris Young’s classic recording “Getting’ You Home The Black Dress Song)”

The new album isn’t about Blazy’s hits of the last 30 years. Instead, it’s a full-throated celebration of the Beatles, songwriting and living a vibrant life.

Album opener “February 9th, 1964,” chronicles the night the Beatles first appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show and inspired an entire generation to ask for guitars on their next birthdays. The song was co-written with Steve Allen, who also contributes vocals.

On the title track, Blazy draws a direct line from that night to his later success as a highly successful songwriter playing at the Bluebird Café, Nashville’s songwriting haven. On “Die Young,” Blazy tips his hat to Paul McCartney in his ‘80s, and offers these words of wisdom: “I want to die young at a very old age.” This should be the personal anthem for anyone with a senior discount.

The rest of the album is less Beatles-centric, but always fun and thoughtful. “Just Writing Songs” is a particularly upbeat song about how writing songs for the pleasure of it can sometimes bring unanticipated rewards.

Many successful songwriters reach a point where they set aside their art and just make regular trips to the mailbox for royalty checks, but there’s no slowing Blazy down. He still writes, performs and releases albums on a near-annual basis, still drawing on that magical night in February of 1964, as this new collection attests.

Time Traveler: Jason Wilber’s engaging musical journey

 in Reviews, Songwriters

By Ken Paulson —

Jason Wilber was among friends and family as he took the stage in Fort Myers, Florida on June 24. There was his wife Michelle in the second row. Sitting next to her was Jason’s father. On the left side of the room were friends from Bloomington, Indiana. And pretty much everywhere there were fans who loved his work as a member of John Prine’s band.

No matter, though. Even a room full of strangers would have been won over by Wilber’s engaging, low-key set.

Wilber opened with the upbeat and inviting “Time Traveler,” a song he says was partly inspired by the science-fiction classic novel “Time and Again.” It was a fitting start to a set that spanned decades of music.

The oldest song was also the most moving. “A Song For You” was written and recorded by Leon Russell in 1970, and was later covered by Ray Charles, Herbie Hancock, the Carpenters the Temptations, Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Willie Nelson and many others. Despite all of those other interpretations, Wilber’s stripped down version was absolutely striking. From the beginning, it was a song written by a road musician for the woman he loved. Wilber’s take sounded true.

Wilber didn’t disappoint those who came to see him because of the Prine connection, playing “Far From Me” from John’s first album and “Souvenirs” from the Sweet Revenge follow-up in 1972.

John Prine also came to mind when Wilber performed his own song “Quakertown Optimists Club,” which explores why an Optimists Club would call it quits. The song and story behind it were very entertaining.

Jason Wilber is an extraordinary guitarist and he offered up sometimes intricate and always impeccable playing throughout his set. From his cover of “Annie You Save Me” by Graffiti6 to his stirring closer “Ghost Light,” he packed a lot of variety and surprises into the evening.

Bruce Gallant opened the evening with an exuberant performance. It’s always a great sign when the artist is clearly having as good a time as his audience. We hadn’t seen Gallant before, but quickly recognized that his “Living in Paradise” is a local anthem:

“Living in Paradise, I ain’t got much, but it sure is nice. A ten by fifty mobile home, that sets on land that I don’t own”

There’s some Roger Miller in there – and that’s a good thing.

The concert was presented by the Americana Community Music Association, a remarkable organization of volunteers who bring great live music to Southwest Florida. Their base is the All Faiths Unitarian Church in Fort Myers. Picture a good house concert with top talent, comfortable chairs, good lines of sight and first-rate sound. These folks have built a vibrant music community out of a sheer love of Americana music. Highly recommended.

Ken Paulson is the editor of Americana One and the host of The Songwriters, seen on PBS affiliate TV stations nationwide.)

Steve Forbert is “Moving Through America” with stop in Nashville

 in Americana Music, Nashville music, New releases

By Ken Paulson –

Words never spoken after a Steve Forbert concert: “I’m just so tired of him playing the same set on every tour.”

Forbert, a former Nashville resident, returned to the town’s City Winery tonight with a performance that promoted his new album Moving Through America, but seemed to be largely fueled by whim.

I was just telling George we might do “Complications,” he said mid-show, nodding toward his guitarist, the affable and adept George Naha.

It was a set that included two compositions by his idol Jimmie Rodgers in the first half-dozen songs, and spanned more than four decades of his recorded music.

At one point, he emphasized the title of his album by recalling the cities he and George had already visited on the tour, briefly confusing Pascagoula with Pensacola. Still, the point was made. Forbert’s music has always had a travelogue quality, from songs like “Strange Names (North New Jersey Has ‘Em)” to his art exhibits.

Steve Forbert at the City WInery @copyright 2022 Ken Paulson

Highlights included the title song and “Fried Oysters” from the new album, plus audience favorites like “What Kinda Guy?”, “Sure Was Better Back Then” and “Romeo’s Tune,” plus a sampling of “Sunny Side of the Street” and the Beatles’ “Good Night.”

It was the kind of show we’ve come to anticipate from Steve Forbert, with energy, intelligence and idiosyncrasies wrapped up in a melodic package.

The Delevantes return

Opening the show was the Delevantes, playing songs from their new album A Thousand Turns.

Mike and Bob Delevante @copyright Ken Paulson 2022

The duo of brothers Mike and Bob Delevante emerged in the ’90s with two excellent albums, but A Thousand Turns is their first release together in more than 20 years. As they hit the stage at the City Winery tonight with “Little By Little. the harmonies made clear that the Delevantes truly were back.

The new album was produced with E-Streeter Garry Tallent and Dave Coleman of the Coalmen. Coleman also joined the Delevantes onstage, playing impeccable guitar throughout the show.

Dave Coleman waits patiently as a sound engineer sorts out an audio problem. @copyright 2022 Ken Paulson

Hank Williams Jr., Marty Stuart and Dean Dillon inducted into Country Music Hall of Fame

 in Country Music Hall of Fame

By Ken Paulson

Dean Dillon, Marty Stuart, Hank Williams Jr.
(All photos by Jason Kempin and Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum)
  • Tonight’s COVID-delayed Country Music Hall of Fame induction honored three free spirits  – Hank Williams Jr., Marty Stuart and songwriter Dean Dillon  – in a ceremony marked both by celebration of their special talents and gratitude that the country music community could finally convene to recognize the class of 2020.

Each of the honorees followed a unique path to success. Hank Williams Jr. began recording at age 14 covering his father’s hits, but didn’t have real success until he found his own raucous style. Stuart began with an apprenticeship with bluegrass legend Bill Monroe, found country commercial success in the late 1980s, and settled into a critically-applauded, creatively satisfying career this century. Dillon had a difficult and dispiriting childhood, but was drawn to songwriting at age 12. He came to Nashville with dreams of being a star, but found his future writing songs for others. That included 40 years of writing for George Strait, beginning with Strait’s first hit “Unwound.”

The highlights of a special evening, which included a surprising number of established and emerging Americana artists:

Marty Stuart: Emmylou Harris and Charlie Worsham teamed for a version of Stuart’s first big hit “Tempted,” followed by Ashley McBryde’s take on “Conversations of a Crow,” from his album The Pilgrim. Stuart’s wife and Hall of Fame member Connie Smith inducted her husband, citing his skill at connecting with people and noting “He loves music with all of his heart.”

Dean Dillon: George Strait praised Dillon’s contributions to his career before performing “The Chair.” Kenny Chesney performed “A Lot of Things Different,” a song written by Dillon with Bill Anderson, and a hit for Chesney. He recalled that Bruce Springsteen once asked him if he had written the song. Chesney said he gave credit where due.

Britney Spencer, an alum of Middle Tennessee State University, performed a riveting version of Dillon’s “Tennessee Whiskey,” a song memorably covered by Chris Stapleton. She began her performance acknowledging to the audience “you don’t know me,” but closed to a standing ovation.

Hank Williams Jr. kneels so that felllow Hall of Famer Brenda Lee can bestow his medallion.

Hank  Williams Jr. : Prior to performing Williams’ “The Blues Man,” Alan Jackson observed that Williams’ induction was “long overdue.” That may be the case. While Marty Stuart has tremendous goodwill with the country music world, that’s not the case with Williams. Some dismiss his “rough and rowdy” songs and Williams has been known to court controversy, including comparing President Obama to Hitler in 2011.

Still, there’s no denying his success, particularly in escaping his father’s legacy by establishing one of his own.

That really came home in Brenda Lee’s full-throated endorsement of Williams as a “good man” as she inducted him into the Hall of Fame. She said he was one of those rare people in the music business you could call for help when you had a flat tire in Alabama. “He might not come, but he’ll send his plane,” she joked.

Shooter Jennings – another artist with a famous father – performed “Feelin’ Better,” followed by Eric Church’s tailored take on “A Country Boy Will Survive.”

Williams had the predictably unpredictable last words as he accepted his induction.

“All my rowdy friend are coming over tonight. I was born to boogie,” he said, holding his award aloft, “And this is a family tradition”

Tonight from WMOT: Rodney Crowell, Carlene Carter and Shannon McNally

 in WMOT Roots Radio

By Ken Paulson

  • WMOT Roots Radio celebrates its 5th anniversary tonight with a fundraiser at the City Winery featuring Rodney Crowell, Carlene Carter and Shannon McNally. That’s quite the line-up, fitting for a still-young station that has emerged as one of America’s most influential Americana stations. Tickets are still available for tonight’s Nashville show. If you don’t live in Nashville, the show will be livestreamed.

Show 49 Dar Williams

 in Music Cruise News, Podcast

By Ken Paulson

I try never to walk into a record store without buying something, but I was stumped one day in the mid-’90s. I felt like I had already bought everything I wanted in the pop, rock, country and R&B bins.

Dar Williams on the Cayamo Cruise 2020

So I walked over to the often-neglected folk section and came across an album called Mortal City by a young artist named Dar Williams. It was one of those “I think I’ve heard good things about her” moments and I took it to the register.

Good decision. Mortal City was an incredible album, book-ended by the exuberant opener “As Cool As I Am” and the captivating title cut about a new relationship forming during the worst of storms. Stunning.

That album came early in Dar’s career, but its ambition, honesty and compelling melodies can be found throughout her body of work.

We were pleased to visit with her earlier this year. Here’s our wide-ranging conversation with Dar Williams:

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John Prine, Crystal Gayle, Charley Pride and Shawn Camp salute Cowboy Jack Clement at Country Music Hall of Fame

 in Country Music Hall of Fame
John Prine
John Prine at the Country Music Hall of Fame (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images for Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum)

The late Cowboy Jack Clement’s Gibson J-200 guitar was donated to the Country Music Hall of Fame today, and his old friends John Prine, Crystal Gayle, Charley Pride and Shawn Camp were on hand to sing some of Clement’s favorite songs.

The guitar, a constant companion in Clement’s career as a songwriter, producer and artist, was purchased in the early 1950s.

Camp kicked off the mini-concert with a performance of “Gone Girl” and Gayle did her hit version of “When I Dream,” a song Clement didn’t write, but loved. Pride performed “Just Between You and Me,” his breakthrough record produced by Clement, and John Prine, fresh off his “All the Best” Festival in the Dominican Republic, closed with Clement’s first hit as a songwriter, “Ballad of a Teenage Queen” while paying Clement’s guitar.

Cowboy Jack was inducted into the Country music Hall of Fame in 2013.

The donation of the guitar was made possible by a grant from the Willard and Pat Walker Charitable Foundation. – Ken Paulson

Show #39 Raul Malo on “The Mavericks Play the Hits”

 in Americana Music, Nashville music, New releases, Podcast

The Mavericks Play the Hits is to be taken literally. The band plays the hits. Other artists’ hits.

In this edition of the Americana One Podcast, Raul Malo tells us why the Mavericks decided to cover songs like Bruce Springsteen’s “Hungry Heart,” Elvis Presley’s “Don’t Be Cruel” and Freddy Fender’s “Before the Next Teardrop Falls” – all with new arrangements and in delightfully tacky packaging.

Mavericks

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Show 38 : Felice and Boudleaux Bryant honored at the Country Music Hall of Fame

 in Country Music Hall of Fame, Podcast, Songwriters

By Ken Paulson –

There’s a remarkable new exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville celebrating two of the most successful songwriters in the history of country music – or any genre for that matter – Felice and Boudleaux Bryant.

We Could: The Songwriting Artistry of Boudleaux and Felice Bryant chronicles the writing of such indisputable classics as ” All I Have to Do Is Dream,” “Devoted to You,” “Rocky Top,” “Love Hurts” and “Wake Up Little Susie.” The Everly Brothers alone recorded 29 of their songs.

The exhibit tells the couple’s story through a wide range of artifacts, but most impressive are the bound ledgers containing their hand-written songs. They’re a compelling reminder of how painstaking the process of writing truly great songs is.

In this edition of the Americana One podcast, we’re privileged to hear from Del Bryant, a longtime music industry executive and one of the Bryant’s two sons, and Dr. John Rumble, senior historian at the Country Music Hall of Fame.

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Sharon Vaughn to be honored at Country Hall of Fame

 in Music Cruise News, Nashville music

Americana Music News – Sharon Vaughn, a fine songwriter we interviewed last January on the Sandy Beaches Cruise, is being honored at the Country Music Hall of Fame at 2 p.m. August 8th. Here’s the Hall’s announcement, along with our conversation with Sharon:
Sharon Vaughn’s first songwriting hit was a career maker: “My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys.” It appeared in 1976 on country music’s first certified platinum album, Wanted! The Outlaws, sung by Waylon Jennings. Four years later, Willie Nelson’s version went to #1 when it was included in the soundtrack to the film The Electric Horseman. Vaughn hails from Orlando, Florida. She was discovered by fellow Floridian Mel Tillis and she moved to Nashville in 1969 to pursue a singing career. During the 1970s Vaughn released her own singles on several labels, including ABC/Dot, while juggling studio work as a vocalist. Vaughn’s songwriting credits include the Oak Ridge Boys’ breakthrough country hit, “Y’All Come Back Saloon,” Reba McEntire’s “I’m Not That Lonely Yet,” the Lorrie Morgan-Keith Whitley duet “’Til a Tear Becomes a Rose,” Patty Loveless’s “Lonely Too Long,” and Randy Travis’s “Out of My Bones.” Today, Vaughn splits time between Orlando and Stockholm, and she has had success writing for international pop stars. In 2009 her song “Release Me,” recorded by Swedish singer Agnes, reached #1 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play Chart. This interview and performance will be illustrated with vintage photos, film footage, and recordings.

This program takes place in the Museum’s Ford Theater.

After the program Vaughn will sign commemorative Hatch Show Print posters. Ford Theater. Included with museum admission.

The Deep Dark Woods: The Place I Left Behind

 in Reviews

By Ken Paulson

—It’s too easy to compare a Canadian band to The Band, but in the case of the Deep Dark Woods, it’s also inescapable.
The sonic resemblance is most apparent on murder saga “The Ballad of Frank Dupree,” but the Deep Dark Woods also mine The Band’s terrain of days long past, regrets and remembrances.
Listening to The Place I Left Behind is like stumbling across the scrapbook of a family in which things haven’t worked out so well. Haunting and sad ballads prevail, and they’re stirring.
Yet for all the melancholia, there are striking sounds and musicianship throughout the deftly-produced album, most notably on the title song, “Westside Street” and “Dear John.”
American audiences are catching on to this talented Saskatchewan band, on this, their fourth album. The U.S. release of The Place I Left Behind on Sugar Hill Records is in the top 20 of the Americana Music Association’s airplay chart, with almost 1,200 spins to date.
The Deep Dark Woods have a bright future.

Matthew Sweet at 30A Songwriters Festival

 in Reviews, Songwriters

Matthew Sweet opened the afternoon show at the 30A Songwriters Festival with a set that drew heavily from his breakthrough 1991 album Girlfriend. Sweet joked that the girlfriend was now 21 and old enough to drink.

It was a tough setting for Sweet. Most of the crowd had come to see the Bangles, and though there’s some stylistic common ground, he wasn’t big on pop radio.  Although Girlfriend is widely considered a classic, this was new material to much of the crowd and the response was somewhat subdued.

Sweet said he had been playing the album in its entirety on his current  tour, but was going to skip some songs “because we can.”

Highlights included Girlfriend tracks ““I’ve Been Waiting” and “Evangeline”   and the hard-driving closer ‘Sick of Myself,” from 100% Fun.

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30A Songwriters Festival releases schedule

 in Americana Music

The 30A Songwriters Festival in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, has just released its performance schedule for this weekend, Jan. 13-15.

You’ll find it in PDF form here.

Top draws on opening night will include the Psycho Sisters (former Continental Drifters Susan Cowsill and Vicki Peterson), David Olney, David Ryan Harris, Steve Forbert, Indigo Girl Amy Ray, John Oates, Corey Smith and a solo show by Bangle Susannah Hoffs, with a guest appearance by Matthew Sweet. Hoffman and Sweet recorded two volumes of Under the Covers together, both of which were terrific collections of classic rock and pop.

Rounder, New West, Lost Highway top Americana labels

 in Americana Music, Reviews

Among the joys of Americana music is the range of artists and labels. Indie labels often break through, leading to dark horses and pleasant surprises.

Yet this year’s Americana Music Association list of the top 100 albums from November 16, 2010 through November 14, 2011, serves as a reminder that the bigger labels still play a major role.

An analysis of both the number of charting albums and their relative position in the charts suggests that five labels are dominant, accounting for the top six releases of the year and more than a quarter of all charting albums:

1.Rounder is the top player in Americana music radio. The label placed a total of nine albums in the top 100, including two in the top 20 and 6 in the top 25, including Alison Krauss and Union Station’s Paper Airplane (4), Gregg Allman’s Low Country Blues (6) the Jayhawks’ Mocking Bird Time (12), Robert Plant’s Band of Joy (17) Abigail Washburn’s City of Refuge (24) and Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers’ Rare Bird Alert (25)

2. New West had six albums on the Americana music charts, with two in the top 10 and three in the top 20. They include Steve Earle’s I’ll Never Get Out of This World Alive (3), John Hiatt’s Dirty Jeans and Mudslide Hymns (8), Buddy Miller’s Majestic Silver Strings (13) and the Old 97s’ The  Grand Theatre (30.)

3. Lost Highway had four  albums on the Americana chart, including the top two slots, Hayes Carll’s KMAG YO-YO and Lucinda Williams’ Blessed. Their other charting albums were Robert Earl Keen’s Ready for Confetti (19) and 19 and Ryan Bingham and the Dead Horses’ Junky Star (40.)

4. Nonesuch was the fourth most influential label, with five albums in the top 100, including Emmylou Harris’ Hard Bargain (5) and Wanda Jackson’s Party Ain’t Over (Third Man/ Nonesuch) at 23.

5.Sugar Hill also fared well in the annual chart with five albums, including Sarah Jarosz’s Follow Me Down (20) and Kasey Chamber’s Little Bird (31)

Jody Miller on Epic: Remembering the “Queen of the House”

 in Reviews

“Answer” songs rarely launch careers.

These records — far more common in the ’60s than today — “answered” hit records of the day, responding to a current hit in theme and sound in hopes of riding the coattails of an established record.

Most of these novelty songs vanished quickly, but there were rare exceptions. Kitty Wells’ “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels” was an answer to Hank Thompson’s “The Wild Side of Life.”

In 1964 Roger Miller’s “King of the Road” was a monster record that cemented his reputation and career. Jody Miller answered with “Queen of the House,”  a domestic take on Roger Miller’s big hit. It broke into both the pop and country charts and established her career.

Due to be released next month is the Complete Epic Hits, a collection of ’70s recordings for that label. It’s a reminder of a time when artists actually had the time to record a body of work and when slightly countrified pop hits were staples of the genre. Her Epic hits included such top-five records as “He’s So Fine, “Baby I’m Yours” and “There’s A Party Goin’ On, plus covers of “House of the Rising Sun” and (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman.” This is a thorough retrospective illustrating Miller’s range and Billy Sherrill’s production skills. It also documents an era in which  country and pop began to meld.

Chuck Mead goes “Back to the Quonset Hut”

 in Reviews

One of the coolest sites in Nashville is rarely seen by the public. The legendary Quonset Hut was once the most prominent studio on Music Row, the home of such recordings as “King of the Road,” “Crazy” and “I Fall to Pieces.”

In the ‘80s, it was converted into office space, a disturbing fate for what was once a magical space. Thanks, though, to funding by Mike Curb, the studio has been refurbished and is now used to teach production skills to Belmont University students.

Chuck Mead, a solo artist and former member of BR5-49, revisits the studio’s storied past with his upcoming album Back at the Quonset Hut, due in early 2012. It’s a collection of classic country music with great musicians of multiple eras.

The line-up includes Quonset Hut studio veterans Harold Bradley, Hargus “Pig” Robbins, Bob Moore and Buddy Spicher, plus guest appearances by Bobby Bare, Old Crow Medicine Show and Elizabeth Cook.

Chuck Mead took a few minutes recently to talk about the project, which includes the album and documentary:

listen to ‘Chuck Mead’ on Audioboo

Kenny Vaughan on “V”

 in Interviews, Nashville music, Reviews

Kenny Vaughan on "Outlaw Country"

Kenny Vaughan, guitarist for Marty Stuart’s Fabulous Superlatives, had a nice run on the Americana music radio chart with V, his solo debut. He says Stuart encouraged him to record the album so he would have something to sell at shows. In this interview backstage at the very noisy Mercy Lounge in Nashville, Vaughan talks about how he put the album together and what a pleasure it is to work with Stuart:

listen to ‘Kenny Vaughan’ on Audioboo

New holiday albums you haven’t heard

 in Reviews

It’s just five days until Christmas, but thanks to digital delivery, there’s still time to buy a fresh batch of holiday music. Among recent releases of note:

– David Mead and Bill DeMain (of Swan Dive) have teamed up on Instant December, a five-song EP that is melodic, endearing and a little twisted. From the subtle sadness of “Christmas Eve 1942” to the slightly sinister “Black Friday Blues” and crazed “Happy Xmas Party,” Mead and DeMain give us the holidays we know, love and dread. Buy it here.

– Iggy Pop sings “Little Drummer Boy” on Michel Legrand’s new Noell! Noell! Noell!, which also features Rufus Wainwright and Teddy Thompson on “White Christmas.” The album is nowhere as strange as you might think – and that’s too bad.

– Victoria Shaw’s Fa La La is buoyant and fun, particularly “Pink Flamingos,” a co-write with Gary Burr. A bonus track features Shaw and daughters Ruby and Ava with a sweet cover of “The Chipmunk Song.” It’s available here.

Review: The Great Unknowns’ “Homefront”

 in Reviews

Sometimes you back into the meaning of an album.

I first heard the D.C.-based  “Great Unknowns’ Home Front after meeting Altay Guvench, bass player for the the band, at the Americana Music Festival. He gave me an early promotional copy, which meant no liner notes, lyrics or press release.

And so I listened. I heard a solid band, a tasteful blend of country and rock, and regrets. Lots and lots of regrets.

There was ” I Wish I Was the Girl I Was,” “Wrong” (“I was wrong. Things were better then”) and “Long Way Home” (“I was wrong and you were right.”)

Punctuating the regrets are flashes of anger: “You’ve got a way with words, but it’s a bad way.”

All of that sadness was put into context this week amid publicity for the album’s Jan. 10 release. From the band’s press release:

“During that time, singer and primary songwriter Becky Warren struggled with a marriage that had become troubled when her soldier husband returned from Iraq with PTSD. When the marriage ended in 2010, Warren realized she had a lot to say, and wrote furiously, penning 12 new songs about love, loss, and the life-altering effects of war.”

The narrative of Homefront had escaped me, but the emotions came through loud and clear. This is a powerful and honest album.