Real Animal Alejandro Escovedo Alejandro Escovedo has been in the rock and roll business for 30 years now, but Real Animal, his first major-label release, is...
Music
Learning to Bend Ben Sollee Singer-songwriter-cellist Ben Sollee, 24, is at the beginning of what promises to be a very interesting American roots music career...
Life Death Love and Freedom, John Mellencamp (Hear Music, 2008) For almost 30 years John Mellencamp has used the foundation of ’60s garage band rock to...
Carrie Newcomer (Rounder, 2008) Back when I used to sort my CDs into categories (back when I still bought CDs), one section was devoted to inspirational female...
Kathy Mattea (R.E.D. Distribution, 2008) Kathy Mattea has always been an odd country music star. She's an environmental activist in a genre that often...
Steve Earle (New West, 2007) Steve Earle is, without question, the most overtly political artist in American popular culture. For a long time his activism (and...
Drive-By Truckers (New West, 2008) As a thoroughly hip Southern rock band in the 21st century, the Drive-By Truckers are either an oxymoron or a paradox. Start...
