By Paul T. Mueller If you had any lingering doubts about how performers and audiences are feeling about the recent resumption of live performances, Rodney Crowell’s July 29 show at Houston’s Heights Theater would have put those doubts firmly to rest. Crowell and his excellent four-piece band, clearly thrilled to be back on the road, put on an energetic performance…
Category: Reviews
Review: James McMurtry’s “Blasted from the Past”
Blasted, which James McMurtry calls “whiskey-soaked cowpunk from a bygone era,” is an interesting time capsule from an earlier phase of his career.
Review: “Kiss of the Diamondback” by Gurf Morlix
By Paul T. Mueller –Gurf Morlix made good use of the early months of the COVID crisis, producing an album titled Kiss of the Diamondback. As might be expected in a time of isolation, most of the nine songs are written from a first-person perspective, dealing with themes including love, insecurity, life’s struggles, and the search for meaning. All are…
Review: Eliot Bronson’s “Empty Spaces”
Empty Spaces is one fine breakup album – written, as Eliot Bronson says, as therapy in the wake of painful breakup and a move to a new city.
Review: Eliza Gilkyson’s “2020”
Eliza Gilkyson unflinchingly depicts the anger and despair many are feeling, but also channels faith, sympathy and hope.
Review: Wheatfield’s “Some People”
Some People, the latest effort from folk-rock veterans Wheatfield, is as much a testament to enduring friendship as it is a musical document.
“Steve Goodman Live ’69:” A treasure
By Ken Paulson – I first saw John Prine onstage at Chicago’s Ravinia Festival in July of 1972. Prine was the main attraction, but the animated young man who shared the stage with him that night was a close second. You might know Steve Goodman as the writer of “City of New Orleans” or as a close friend and collaborator…
Review: Lucinda Williams’ “Good Souls Better Angels”
By Paul T. Mueller – Lucinda Williams’ latest release, Good Souls Better Angels, will probably be a big hit with fans who have embraced her late-career evolution into a kind of rock ‘n’ roll godmother. It may not prove so popular with those who fell in love with the introspective poetry of her earlier days as a folkie singer-songwriter. Williams…
Just released: New Riders of the Purple Sage Circa ’72
We’re basking in nostalgia this week, thanks to the recent release of the Omnivore CD capturing the New Riders of the Purple Sage at the Academy of Music in New York City on Nov. 23, 1972. Jerry Garcia was gone, but the classic line-up of John Dawson, David Nelson, Dave Torbert, Buddy Cage and Spencer Dryden is on hand on…
Allison Moorer’s courageous and inspiring “Blood”
By Paul T. Mueller – Singer-songwriter Allison Moorer gets a lot done on her newest album, Blood. In its 10 songs, Moorer addresses her troubling past, deals with her present, and finds hope for the future. Recorded as a companion piece to her memoir of the same title, Blood is a courageous and inspiring musical document. By way of background,…
12 special moments at John Prine’s inaugural “All the Best” Festival
12 great moments from John Prine’s All the Best Festival, with Brandi Carlile, Emmylou Harris, Iris Dement, Tyler Childers, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and many more.
Review: Dee White’s “Southern Gentleman”
By Ken Paulson – It wasn’t until about the fourth track on Dee White’s new album Southern Gentleman that I realized that something special was going on. “Crazy Man” is a highly melodic song about redemption and a revived relationship, and is representative of the sound that works so well on this new release. Produced by Dan Auerbach and David…
Review: Chuck Hawthorne’s “Fire Out of Stone”
By Paul T. Mueller – Austin-based singer-songwriter Chuck Hawthorne’s sophomore effort is an eclectic collection of nine originals and a cover, exploring themes as diverse as Native American lore, the struggles of growing up in the shadow of a famous father, the loss of comrades, and the hardships of life on the road. Hawthorne’s writing is personal but accessible, combining…
Concert review: Alejandro Escovedo at the Mucky Duck
By Paul T. Mueller – If this was really goodbye for Alejandro Escovedo, it was a nice way to go. The singer-songwriter seemed to be in the mood for introspection and retrospection as he took the stage at McGonigel’s Mucky Duck in Houston on Friday, July 19. He referred to his having recorded 15 albums (Wikipedia counts 16) and said…
Review: Rich Hopkins and Luminarios’ “Back to the Garden”
By Paul T. Mueller – Guitar fans could be forgiven for neglecting the lyrics on Back to the Garden, the new CD by Rich Hopkins and Luminarios. Such is the quality of the playing, both electric and acoustic. But the words are worth listening to as well. The two singer-songwriters at the heart of this band, Hopkins and his wife, Lisa…
At last: Buddy and Julie Miller return with memorable show
Julie Miller makes a rare concert appearance in Nashville.
Review: Matt Harlan’s “Best Beasts”
By Paul T. Mueller Best Beasts marks the return of Houston-based singer-songwriter Matt Harlan after a couple of years’ hiatus from writing. The subject matter of this fine collection seems drawn from recent events, on personal and public levels. Love gone wrong is explored in “K&W,” a dark country ballad narrated by two voices, Harlan’s and that of Kelley Mickwee…
Review: Houston Americana Women’s Fest
“Americana” is a pretty big tent, but a lot of the musical landscape that falls under that term was on display May 18 at the first Houston Americana Women’s Fest.
New: Tim Easton’s “Exposition”
By Paul T. Mueller — Nashville-based singer-songwriter Tim Easton takes his wandering troubadour persona pretty seriously. For his latest project, Exposition, he hit the road to record in several musically significant locations: the Okfuskee Historical Society in Okemah, Oklahoma,where Woody Guthrie was born; the Gunter Hotel in San Antonio, Texas, where Robert Johnson made his historic recordings back in 1936, and…
Review: Red Dirt Boys’ Cayamo Edition
By Paul T. Mueller Not every backing band can make an album that stands on its own, but the Red Dirt Boys are not just any backing band. Emmylou Harris’ touring outfit – guitarist/mandolinist Will Kimbrough, bassist Chris Donohue, drummer Bryan Owings and keyboardist/guitarist Phil Madeira, with all but Owings contributing vocals – are excellent musicians on their own. But they…