Posts by Lee Zimmerman

[rating=9.00] Coming on the heels of a pair of musical detours — Undercover, a set of songs that found them re-imaging some of their favorite cover tunes, and last year’s Ladies & Gentlemen, an album that featured several high profile guest singers of the female variety, Laws of Gravity finds the Infamous Stringdusters doing what […]

No one could ever accuse guitarist, vocalist, musical arranger and bandleader Warren Haynes of being a slacker. While his work with his signature band Gov’t mule and a steady solo career keep him occupied as his day job(s), his ongoing efforts with the Jerry Garcia Symphony Project and various other guitar duties. Haynes is currently […]

[rating=8.00] With their second album See It Through, The Youngest discover a fine line between the wistful and the resolute. The blend is not only impressive, but memorable as well, a divide that finds the band standing apart from their contemporaries with a sound that’s instantly accessible while boasting an unmistakeable allure all its own. […]

[rating=8.00] Canadian songstress Tami Neilson delivers a powerful blend of soul and sass on her sophomore LP, a combination that’s compelling enough to convince anyone who was heretofore unawares just how powerful her potential is within the realms of blues and soul. Despite having accumulated a substantial amount of kudos in New Zealand, her adopted […]

[rating=9.00] Anyone who’s ever heard a single note from Melissa Etheridge during her multi-decade career can attest to the fact that she’s not only a tenacious and tempestuous performer possessed with grit and sass, but also an artist that stands apart in terms of her credibility and conviction. That’s something to be relished in these […]

[rating=9.00] Purveyors of their own take on psychedelia, The Green Pajamas have been plying their singular style for the better part of the past 30 years. Having carved something of a legendary stature in their native Seattle, the band remains a cult favorite as far as the world at large is concerned, having been denied […]

 While his flowing silver locks and gnarly beard created his countenance and contributed to his image as a rock ‘n’ roll renegade, the fact remains that Leon Russell was one of modern music’s most talented and tenured journeyman. Russell was a valuable utility man in every sense, whether in the studio or on stage, easily […]

[rating=9.00] Becky Warren instills authenticity in every note she sings, and much like her formative efforts with her early band The Great Unknowns, she makes music that’s borne from a knowing point of view. That’s evident not only in the way she delivers these songs — be it the gruff, unapologetic attitude so prominent on […]

[rating=9.00] As one of the chief architects of insurgent Americana, Alejandro Escovedo has continued to further the cause by cutting a swatch across rock and roots with deliberate defiance of the norms. Sometimes strident, always unrepentant, he resides at the upper echelon of Austin’s elite, where he continues to make music that demands full attention and […]

[rating=9.00] By all indications, Aaron Lee Tasjan is a star to be reckoned with. His previous work — a debut EP called Crooked River Burning and last year’s full length debut, In the Blazes — were simply the set-ups for a new album that is clearly his crowning glory, one ground in tradition and yet […]

[rating=8.00] Although his solo output is considerably lesser known than his landmark work with the Moody Blues, Justin Hayward’s own efforts have continued to make a prominent impression on fans over the past 40 years, allowing him, at least temporarily, to thrive beyond the bounds of his day job. It’s significant then that All The […]

[rating=9.00] Nada Surf has always been an exceptional band. With eight studio albums under their collective belt, they continue to defy easy description. Suffice it to say they make a sound that boasts both beauty and ambition, a remarkable combination that finds them soaring on the strength of aural embellishment. It’s appropriate then that their […]

[rating=6.00] Todd Snider’s never been the easiest artist to understand. Part insurgent, often askew, he’s always been unpredictable even when he’s supposedly on track. Lately though, he appears to have derailed entirely, resurfacing in the form of an alter ego named Elmo Buzz, a wannabe musician who singled out Snider as his object of scorn. […]

[rating=8.00] Credit Conor Oberst with truth in advertising. Ruminations is all its title implies, a series of sad story songs that bring reflection and remorse to the fore. Oberst’s once bright eyes seem considerably dimmer at this point, forcing him to pull back on any energy and enthusiasm for the sake of a solitary stance. […]

[rating=8.00] While our poisoned politics might dissuade anyone from opting for an album by a group that calls itself The Congress, the music it provides is a far cry from the anguish and antagonism reaped by our elected officials. A listen to any of their earlier efforts — their two EPs (One self-titled, the other […]

[rating=7.00] David Bromberg’s fondness for the blues has been a single-minded concern throughout his storied career, one that’s found him working alongside any number of icons, folks like Bob Dylan and George Harrison included. Not surprisingly, The Blues, The Whole Blues and Nothing But The Blues is all its title claims to be, and if Bromberg […]

[rating=9.00] Pardon the pun, but for better or for worse, this new album of all star duets isn’t necessarily prime Prine. His other talents aside, he’s rightly hailed as one of Americana’s greatest living songwriters, and any effort that doesn’t include at least a couple of his compositions may lead some to consider it a […]

[rating=8.00] His thriving solo career aside, Glen Phillips has been involved in many diverse and dynamic enterprises, chief among them Toad the Wet Sprocket and the super group of sorts, WPA, as well as one-off projects Plover and Remote Tree Children. The constant remains Phillips ability to write and record songs that bear a cheerful […]

[rating=9.00] Shovels & Rope have made quite an imprint in wider circles since receiving honors as best new band from the Americana Music Association for their formal debut O’ Be Joyful in 2013. Not content to rest on those kudos, the duo — consisting of multi-instrumentalists Cary Ann Hearst and Michael Trent — have showed […]

[rating=9.00] Though it’s billed an authentic bluegrass album, Swimmin’ Pools, Movie Stars….Dwight Yoakam’s first foray into those hallowed realms isn’t as dramatic a change as his handlers might suggest. Yoakam’s always mined the rich heart of country music, and while his chief environs have been in Bakersfield, the further realms aren’t all that far apart. Yoakam’s […]