Posts by Lee Zimmerman

[rating=8.00] California bred, Nashville based trio The Ettes have stirred up plenty of noise over the course of four albums, but it was their initial offering Shake the Dust, which established the tempestuous template for all that followed. The trio — Lindsay “Coco” Hames, Maria “Poni” Silver and Jeremy “Jem” Cohen — took their cues […]

Where to begin? The Americanafest can be described in many ways — entertaining, enlightening and — to be absolutely honest — exhausting. But mostly it’s amazing. Six days of shows, showcases, discussions, and seminars involving the brightest lights in Americana music, among them, both superstars (Emmylou Harris, Jim Lauderdale, Sam Bush, Rodney Crowell, Nitty Gritty […]

[rating-8.00] It’s not exactly a name that infers any sort of immediate connection, but the nom de plume of singer, songwriter and actor Alexander Wright does apparently have a nostalgic inference, at least for Wright himself. According to his bio, the original 2Ton Bridge was a road that connected the farm where he was raised in […]

[rating=8.00] Sadler Vaden’s new self titled solo outing is a reflection of lessons learned. The most obvious of those is, of course, his role as chief guitar slinger with Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit and, before that, as hired gun with Drivin N Cryin. Early on, he led his own power trio dubbed Leslie. […]

[rating=8.00] A core member of Broken Social Scene,  Brendan Canning takes an easy and unassuming approach to his third solo album titled Home Wrecking Years. It’s an album informed by seemingly spontaneous melodies and driven by the combined input of an ensemble that includes Broken Social Scene members Sam Goldberg and Justin Peroff, and The […]

[rating=7.00] Daniel Lanois is one of those multi-faceted artists who eery effort defies expectation. As a producer, artist, sideman and songwriter, he’s brought a distinctive sound to each of his projects, an approach that makes each project distinctly his own.  Those that he’s worked with — Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, Willie Nelson, Neil Young, U2, […]

[rating=9.00] Dolly Parton always  delights, so while there are some who consider her just a bit of a Pollyanna, there are plenty of others who happily offer her a “hello Dolly” any time she provides something new. While her big hair and, uh, other big attributes often make her comic fodder for late night TV, […]

[rating=8.00] As a modern rock phenomenon, Canada’s Arkells have earned some pretty impressive kudos in the nearly ten years since their founding. Last year’s JUNO Awards for Group of the Year and Rock Album of the Year (for their then-current effort, High Noon), only affirmed that positive impression. The nomination High Noon received for a […]

[rating=8.00] Blues and bluegrass, with a touch of ragtime, make interesting bedfellows in this obvious allegory that emphasizes the perils of getting high and the considerable consequences of taking it all to an extreme. This isn’t your granddad’s string band by any means, and while their approach appears to revel in the roots, their raucous, […]

[rating=8.00] The transoceanic union of guitar wiz Bill Kirchen and pub rock veteran and keyboard player Austin de Lone makes for an auspicious occasion, especially given these artists’ individual credits and the fact that they mine mutually compatible archival turf on their striking duo debut. And yet, the fact that the two men once mined […]

[rating=9.00] It’s certainly not easy to get a handle on Cass McCombs’ M.O. Over the last 15 years or so, McCombs has made a habit of shifting genres on an ongoing basis, playing out the role of a singer/songwriter who’s pulled in any number of different directions. While he’s fully capable of more orthodox intentions […]

[rating=8.00] The Album Leaf don’t make music of the Saturday night variety. Their’s is not the type of music that can get a crowd on its feet or keep them buzzing until the very wee hours. On the other hand, when it’s time chill down in morning after repose, it’s ideal, courtesy of soothing soundscapes […]

Being the new person in a band with as an extraordinary reputation as that of the Pixies can be a daunting experience. After all, here’s a group whose trajectory extends back 30 years and whose list of accomplishments — not the least of which is to establish a distinctive hardcore presence in a post punk […]

[rating=7.00] Bear’s Den makes their affinity for vintage ‘80s atmospheric pop all the more obvious on this sophomore set Red Earth & Pouring Rain, an able follow-up to their 2014 debut Islands, an album that established their indie ethos and found them in demand at various high profile festivals in their native U.K. and abroad. […]

[rating=7.00] Call him a revisionist or label him a revivalist; either way, the sound defined by Dale Watson harkens back to an earlier era when artists like Hank Williams, Johnny Cash and Ray Price pioneered a genre now commonly called Americana. It has little in common with today’s contemporary country, encouraging him to coin a term — […]

As most people can tell you, family life frequently suffers when both parents are working and the needs of a child have to be tended to as well. Amanda Shires found that out quickly when she and husband Jason Isbell gave birth to their first child last year. Both are highly acclaimed musicians of course. […]

[rating=8.00] Like The Head and The Heart, Lord Huron, Band of Horses and the Lumineers, Blind Pilot possess a keen sense of dynamics, not to mention the ability to create melodies that ebb and flow through an emotional sweep. Folk rockers in the most modern sense, they’re the kind of band that’s really easy to […]

[rating=8.00] Ah, the wonders of youth…take the case of Sarah Jarosz, a veritable wunderkind since her late teens. Now, at the ripe old age of 25, she not only boasts four critically lauded albums, but also a resume that includes collaborations with such widely regarded notables as Chris Thile, Darrell Scot, Stuart Duncan and Jerry […]

[rating=8.00] Given his prodigious output and continuing contributions to other artists’s songbooks, the title of Trent Dabbs’s latest effort seems wholly appropriate. Ten albums on, he continues to maintain his upward gaze, crafting songs that sail at a propulsive pace even when they’re at odds within his noir folkish sentiments. The Optimist boasts only eight songs, […]

[rating=8.00] If he never sang another note, Aaron Neville’s largess would still be assured. Along with his stint at the helm of New Orleans’ first family of song, the namesake Neville Brothers, he scored an immortal solo hit with the immediate soul standard “Tell It Like It Is.” It took him 20 years to return […]