These artists are not listed in any sort of order so that you can pick and choose without being influenced by anything other than the amount of time you have to investigate, so start clicking!

           Here's a list of albums we're playing a lot of on the Bear 
                                     right now:

Antsy McClain and the Trailer Park Troubadours - New Good Old Days - The Blah Blah Song; The Bathroom Songwriter - www.unhitched.com - America's best unknown songwriter and performer is back with yet another twisted classic. Buy it now! 

Big House - Never Ending Train - The Highway Is My Home; I Know You Rider - www.bighouserecords.com  - Bakersfield group broke up after massive initial Top 40 country success 12 years ago - now they do it their way, without meddling suits and bean counters. Not surprisingly, their way is better...

Buddy and Julie Miller - Written in Chalk - One Step, Two Step - www.buddyandjuliemiller.com  - americana's sweethearts with another group of stunning tracks only they could compose. Essential... 

Yarn - Empty Pockets - Music's Only Outlaw - www.yarnmusic.net - they appeared live at Triangle Park in 2008 as part of the Lock Haven Summer Concert Series...now the promise shown on their first disc has been fulfilled...

Russell Smith and the Amazing Rhythm Aces - Midnight Communion - What I Was Born To Do - www.theacesforreal.com - years after reforming, these vets can still bring it - Russell Smith is an all-timer...

The Imus Ranch Record - Patty Loveless - Silver Springs - Don Imus is thinking future with this release - he wants the ranch he built for kids with cancer to exist long after he hangs up his headphones. To that end, here are 13 tracks from some of the musical friends he's made through the years..the Loveless, Delbert McClinton and Dwight Yoakam contributions are worth the ten bucks he charges online...

Mitch Webb & the Swindles - Lonely Kind -  Lonely Kind; Poison Bed - www.theswindles.com - a few years ago, Mitch became a Bear favorite with his song "Fourth of July" which included the unforgettable line "two strippers in the kitchen making two cherry pies". We still get requests for that one...now Uncle Mitchy and the boys are back with a really special disc - the energy on this one doesn'tt flag for a moment! Highly recommended...(watch the video!)...

Chip Taylor - New Songs of Freedom - Dance With Jesus - www.trainwreckrecords.com - he's been making exceptional music for over forty years, and this disc is no exception - essential...(watch the video!)...

Girls Guns and Glory - Inverted Valentine - Only One Thing; Suzie - www.girlsgunsandglory.com - take a front man who sings like Roy Orbison and instrumentalists who know how to rock, and you have an absolutely unique mix! One of our favorite new albums...(don't miss the video!)...

Reckless Kelly - Bulletproof - Ragged As The Road - www.recklesskelly.com - a wonderful album that should be a part of your collection - expect to hear this one for the next couple of years on the Bear! 

Charlie Shafter Band - 17th & Chicago - Jesus & James Dean - www.charlieshafterband.com - hear this tune once and it will stick with you - and the rest of the disc isn't bad, either...

Red Molly - Love and Other Tragedies - Beaumont Rest Stop; Wichita - the trio returns, with an album that is a quantum leap above their last live disc. There are thirteen songs here, each of them an exquisite, polished gem both instrumentally and vocally. You need to own this disc! ...(don't miss the video!) - www.redmolly.com

Lani Nash -I'm Only Here For the Music - You're Right - www.laninash.com - singer/songwriter who speaks from her heart - there are some real life lived lessons on this disc...

Bill Toms - Spirits, Chaos and a Troubadour Soul - (Give Me A Piece of) The Good Life - Pittsburgh's favorite son is back with his best effort yet...after years of work with Joe Grushecky and the Houserockers, Bill split to start a solo career...a few albums in, he's found his own voice!...(don't miss the video!) - www.billtoms.com

James Hunter - the hard way - Don't Do Me No Favours - if you ask me, the height of emotion is released when a plaintive voice wails above a seven or eight man band that includes hot lead guitar and a horn section - and that's what this amazing album proves. James has worked in England for the last twenty years, and was finally heard in the U.S. when the disc "People Gonna Talk" was released in 2006. This album fulfills the promise shown, and takes James' version of soul another step forward. This album is indespensible! - www.jameshuntermusic.com

Houston Marchman - Naked - Viet-Nashville - he's knocked around the music business for far too long without any widespread recognition (except from us - we've been fans for years!) Now Houston has taken a look back, stripping his tunes to their essence and putting them all on one disc that shows how powerful his words can be...www.houstonmarchman.com 

Eleven Hundred Springs - Country Jam - V-8 Ford Boogie - they've been one of the best bands in Texas for almost twenty years, and this is their best album (don't miss the video!)...www.elevenhundredsprings.com

Sean Hogan Conspiracy Radio - Conspiracy Radio - we played Sean's last Americana album "Rules By Mercury" several years ago, and he's picked up where he left off with this one...he's a Canadian artist who calls British Columbia home, but told me he wants to relocate to Nashville..www.seanhogan.net

The Mystix - Blue Morning - I'm A Love You; Rattled - take four of Boston's best musicians and put 'em together - this is incendiary stuff - don't miss the video! - www.themystix.com

Carlene Carter - Stronger - Bring Love - comeback of the year (so far!) - daughter of June Carter Cash, stepdaughter of Johnny, Carlene received acclaim in the '80's and '90's for her poppy country tunes and marriage to everyone's favorite roots bass player, Nick Lowe. Then she went off the rails, got arrested for heroin possession, watched her lover, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers bassist Howie Epstein, overdose and die, survived the death of her parents and sister, and kicked her own drug addiction before recording this triumph. She deserves every bit of the praise she's getting - and you should buy this disc! - www.yeproc.com

Eric Bibb - Get Onboard - Get Onboard - he's a troubadour, fulfilling the tradition of so many who have come before him - www.ericbibb.com

The Wrights - The Wrights - Do You Still - husband and wife duo (he's Alan Jackson's nephew) who write and sing old-style country with a modern beat - www.thewrightsmusic.com

Austin Collins - Roses Are Black - 11 Months - (watch the video!) - www.austincollins.net

The Waybacks - Loaded - Conjugal Visit - ten years on the road, a lot of live work with members of the Grateful Dead, including Bob Weir, has led up to this collection, balanced between the band's two songwriter/vocalists,James Nash and Warren Hood - www.waybacks.com

Mark Jungers and the Whistling Mules - Silos and Smokestacks - Nothing Matters; Silos and Smokestacks - based in Texas, Mark and his band have again produced music that makes you smile - www.markjungers.com

Carolyn Wonderland - Miss Understood - Trouble In The City - she's been working toward her big break since the early '90's - and this album marks a quantum leap in the quality of recording and the material - www.carolynwonderland.com

Randy Thompson - Further On - Leave The Light On - the star of Bear Bash 11 has returned with an album that is deeper and even more emotional than the excellent "That's Not Me"  (watch the video!) - www.randythompson.net

Paul Thorn - A Long Way From Tupelo - Crutches - a former middleweight boxer, he fought the great Roberto Duran and lived to start a  second musical career. His songs are heartfelt - and they reflect his deep southern roots (watch the video!) - www.paulthorn.com

Mando Saenz - Bucket - Pocket of Red - he writes wonderful vignettes - slices of real life. This track is co-written and features the vocal talents of Kim Richey - www.mandosaenz.com

The Doc Marshalls - Honest for Once - St. Dymphna - www.docmarshalls.com - based in New York City, the Doc Marshalls have built a strong fan base who love the groups' ability to synthesize cajun, folk and country influences. Led by Nick Beaudoing, this, the Doc Marshall's second album, is a keeper. 

Rodney Parker & Fifty Peso Reward - The Lonesome Dirge - 
Atlantic City - Texas band sings Springsteen - sounds good!  - www.rodneyparker.com 

The Waifs - SunDirtWater - Goodbye - www.thewaifs.com - after taking two years off, they're back! The Waifs have sold millions of discs worldwide, and this might just be the one to break them in America. With three strong singers and three very different approaches to songwriting, the group has expanded their pallet, creating a strong whole out of disparate parts. This is very impressive! (watch the video!)

Steve Poltz - Traveling - Street Fighter's Face - www.poltz.com - singer-songwriter whose new tune about those wounded in Iraq says it better than anyone else has (so far)...

Jame McMurtry - Just Us Kids - Cheney's Toy; Just Us Kids - www.jamesmcmurtry.com - he was right on track with "We Can't Make It Here" (watch the video!)- now he's moved one step further, condemning he who shall not be named....

Darryl Lee Rush - Live From the River Road Icehouse - Lot - www.darrylleerush.com - I loved his disc from 2006 (that featured "White Trash Paradise", still heard on the Bear) but this one's even better - a combination of studio and live cuts that lets us hear Darryl expand and jam a little...this is a fun disc!

Merle Haggard - The Bluegrass Sessions - What Happened? - www.merlehaggard.com - the master's late career resurance continues with this wonderful album, featuring instrumental work from Marty Stuart and vocals from Alison Krauss....speaking of:

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss - Raising Sand - Gone, Gone, Gone - www.robertplantalisonkrauss.com - this year's most bizarre collaboration actually works, and they'll even tour behind the disc - who knew?

Robert Hazard - Troubadour - I Still Believe In You;  Nobody But the Night - www.phillyrockers.com/robert_hazard - I interviewed him on WSQV in 1981 - he had just reaped the benefits of his co-write of the Cyndi Lauper song "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" and was out with his own punk band, the Heroes (their sort of big hit was "Escalator of Life") - so when I talked with Robert again in December, 2007, I had to ask - which of us looked worse? But he still sounds great on this disc, full of fables about a life lived and love lost...I like it! 

The Whipsaws - 60 Watt Avenue - High Tide - www.thewhipsaws.com - a combination of attitude and great songs, this band comes to us from Alaska - proving that roots music is truly universal...

Jimmy Baldwin - The Cowboy & the Mermaid - Let Your Light Shine Now - www.jimmybmusic.com - it's his second release, and this Texas-based singer songwriter has learned a lot in a short time - this is a lot better than the first effort, and that's saying something...

Shooter Jennings - The Wolf - Tangled Up Roses; Walk of Life -www.shooterjennings.com - Waylon's boy is still feeling his way along the thin line between Nashville acceptance and alternative credibility...this disc a LOT better than the last one... 

Eagles - Long Road Out of Eden - Busy Being Fabulous - www.eaglesband.com - it took over a dozen yars, but it was worth it. A great reminder of how much they meant to the country/rock movement, now available only at Wal-Mart! (watch the video for "How Long"!)

Dixie Bee-Liners - Ripe - Lord, Lay Down My Ball and Chain - www.dixiebeeliners.com - now with six members, these former New York city natives have moved south, and the transfer has only helped their folky sensibility....featuring the smokey vocals of Brandi Hart! 

Bill Kelly - Bread on the Waters - Seraphina - www.mramericana.com - based just outside of New York City, Kelly is the former leader of a band called "The House of Cards" - this is his first solo disc, and it's a gem.

Amanda Shaw - Pretty Runs Out - Pretty Runs Out - www.amandashaw.com - she's cute and barely legal, but she's been on her own for years. It's world-weary wisdom in a pint-size package...she plays a mean fiddle, too...

Bleu Edmondson - Lost Boy - Jesus is Crying - www.bleuedmondson.com - what a great disc, full of religious images and - oh, you're a little squeamish about that? Then just tap your foot, 'cause the tunes are in the pocket...

BoDeans - Still - Round Here Somewhere - www.bodeans.com - yeah, them - the guys who sang the "Party of Five" theme...investigate, though, and you find that the roots legitimacy of this duo is solid, as is this latest album...

Sara Cox - Crowded is the New Lonely - Hijacked Soul; Be My Man - www.saracox.net - originally from Nashville, this mom of three has both feet on the ground, creating songs full of life's universals - but with a sense of hope. Hey, it can't all be sunshine and buttercups, you know... 

Jackson Taylor - Dark Days - Drinkin' Alone - www.jacksontaylorband.com- a combination of great lyrics, strong melodies and Texas wallop....essential!

The Steeldrivers - The Steeldrivers - To Be With You Again - www.streeldrivers.com - bluegrass with a basis in rhythm and blues...purists may cringe, but I love it! 

John Fogerty - Revival - Don't You Wish It Was True; Creedence Song; Gunslinger  - www.johnfogerty.com - it's so joyous to hear this guy come to terms with his Creedence Clearwater Revival past...almost transforming, in an Obama kinda way. Good stuff! (watch the video!)

Roomful of Blues - Raisin' A Ruckus - Lower On your List of Priorities - www.roomful.com - one of the best blues aggregations EVER, now 30 some-odd years old. But new blood has brought new excitement - I think this is one of their best releases, bar none. Buy it!

Shawn Mullins - Honeydew - All In My Head - www.shawnmullins.com - loved his last disc, "Ninth Ward Pickin' Parlor"...this one is just as good... 

Darren Kozelsky - Let Your Mind Fly - Messed Up in Love - www.darrenkozelsky.com - singer-songwriter helped immensely by the production and writing expertise of our old friend Mike McClure (see many notations below)...a great album!

Lisa Hayes - Somewhere Deep in Texas - Find Me - www.lisahayesmusic.com - she visited us a year ago and promised her next album would be even better than her first (see below) - and she was right!

Walt Wilkins and the Mystiqueros - Diamonds In The Sun - The Shape I'm In; Just Like Hank; Trains I Missed -www.themystiqueros.com - a Texas supergroup that includes four singer-songwriters, all under the control of guru Walt Wilkins. Absolutely one of the three best roots albums of 2007...

Marcus Eldridge - bring on the night - Pretty Little Melinda Ann - www.marcuseldridge.com - and here is one of the aforementioned Mystiqueros, with a brand-new solo disc...

Tift Merritt - Another Country - Broken;  Something To Me - www.tiftmerritt.com - she went to Paris after years on the road, and this womderful album is the result. Essential! (watch the video!)

SEE YARN LIVE IN TRIANGLE PARK IN DOWNTOWN LOCK HAVEN, FRIDAY JUNE 20TH!

Jim Stanson - Heart Full of Fire - Had a Little Trouble - www.jimstanson.com  - this Philadelphia-area singer-songwriter has some awfully heavy help on this disc - like guitarists Gurf Morlix and Scrappy Jud Newcomb - it's a wonderful ride...

Tom Gillam - Never Look Back - Never Look Back - www.tomgillam.com - four heart attacks will wake up a guy, and it sure helped Gillam get on the straight and narrow...now based in Texas, this Jersey boy is revitalized and making great music...

Kevin Deal - Roll - What I'm Fighting For - www.kevindeal.com - this longtome Texas-based artist has written and recorded a song for everyone impacted by the war of choice in Iraq - "What I'm Fighting For" is a triumph, laying out in simple, understandable language why soldiers do what they do...and the rest of the disc is just as good... (watch the video!)

J. Blackwell - Like a Place I Haven't Seen - Like a Place I Haven't Seen; I'd Like to Fall In Love One More Time - www.jayblackwell.com - a contractor by day; musician by night. How does a man who provides for his family (including two little one) manage to make an first album this good?  He headlined this year's Bear Bash Labor Day Weekend... 

The Lucky Tomblin Band - Red Hot From Blue Rock - Honky T onk Song - www.luckytomblinband.com - seven, count 'em - seven of this generation's best practitioners of Texas swing music play their hearts out and keep the music alive on this wonderful disc, that also includes a full-length DVD chronicle of the recording sessions!

Kevin Fowler - Long Line of Losers - www.kevinfowler.com - the singer who brought us "Don't Touch My Willie" has another winner... 

Kelly Willis - Translated From Love - The More That I'm Around You - www.kellywillis.com - (she was there for the beginning of the alt-country movement, belting out a "Nashville-style" hit with hair straight out of "Flashdance". The years since have been ones of discovery - moving to Austin, Texas, marrying hometown boy Bruce Robison, creating and nurturing a bunch of kids - so this is her first new music in five years...and her updated sound is wonderful!)

Steve Forbert - Strange Names & New Sensations - Middle Age - www.steveforbert.com - (it's nice to welcome a road dog back to the radio...the author of "Romeo's Tune" [re-done on this release] has put together a wonderful selection of songs all built around the theme of getting older and what that means...it's really good stuff...) 

Elizabeth Cook - Balls - Sometimes It Takes Balls to Be a Woman; Sunday Morning - www.elizabeth-cook.com - (is this finally her time? - long known as one of Nashville's undiscovered treasures, Elizabeth has finally reached her potential with this collection...) 

Burrito Deluxe - Disciples of the Truth - On A Roll, Midnight at a Red Light, Disciples of the Truth - www.burritodeluxe.com - (originally established to showcase original Flying Burrito Brother Sneaky Pete Kleinow's steel guitar legacy, this group has evolved into one of the best in Americana...led by bluegrass stalwart Carlton Moody, this album is the first of the three the group has recorded to really cohere, as the rotating group of players has finally become solid with the final addition of Walter Egan (yeah, the "Magnet and Steel" guy)...unfortunately, Sneaky Pete became ill and died while this disc was being made. His final work is here, along with a group of top notch songs - this is one of the best albums of the year!) 

Kendal Carson - Rearview Mirror Tears - I Like Trucks, Run to the Middle of the Mornin', I Certainly Know Why -www.trainwreckrecords.com - (she was living her life in Northwestern Canada when she met Chip Taylor and Carrie Rodriguez at a music festival - a short time later, she was recording a full album of Chip tunes - this is really good...) 

Bruce Robison - It Came From San Antonio - Lifeline - www.brucerobison.com - (he's one of country's most successful songwriters, husband of the beauteous Kelly Willis and has a whole bunch of kids...yhis new-found domesticity finds him in top form on this seven song mini-release...there's a lot of good stuff here that will probably be covered by other artists - George Strait is the latest, making Bruce nice coin by singing his song "Wrapped"...)

Antsy McClain and the Trailer Park Toubadours - Trailercana - I Married Up - www.unhitched.com - (he's a true original - graphic artist by profession, songwriter by confession, Antsy combines true emotion with humor to get a totally unique blend - if you haven't dipped your toe into what he offers, this is the album to dive into!)

Sarah Borges and the Broken Singles - Diamonds in the Dark - The Day We Met - www.sarahborges.com - (known on the Americana circuit as "Sarah Gorgeous", she came out of Western Massachusetts as a fully-formed inferno, writing and singing her own stuff...on this, her second album, Sarah pays tribute to the early girl groups of rock and roll...) 

Dennis Brennan - Engagement - It Ain't What You Think It Is - www.dennisbrennan.com - (he's a New England legend, and you'll find out why with this half-studio, half-live 16-track disc, which explores the full range of what he does...above all, Dennis is an interpreter, crossing lines between country, pop, rock, blues and folk...this is intriguing stuff...)

Brandon Jenkins - VII - Call of the Road - www.brandonjenkins.com - (yet another singer-songwriter from Texas - this disc is much more cohesive than his past work...)

Jimmy LaFave - Cimarron Manifesto - Hideaway Girl - www.jimmylafave.com - (a homtwon Texas boy whose incredible voice has graced innumerable tracks over the last twenty years - known for his interpretation of Woody Guthrie songs, Jimmy shines on this release, which I consider one of his best...) 

Mike Aiken - Just Add Salt - Friend of the Devil - www.mikeaikenmusic.com - (he lives his life on a sailboat and travels the world making music...his breezy interpretation of this old Grateful Dead song just says summer to me...)

Britt Lloyd Band - Unlabeled - 7/4 (4th of July) - www.brittlloyd.com - (born in Sweetwater, Texas, Britt was affected by diverse musical influences - everything from Dwight Yoakam to Nirvana - and his songwriting reflects it..) 

Adrienne Young - Room to Grow - High Flyin' Dream; Room To Grow - www.addiebelle.com - (she has become a distinctive artist {with her other two albums listed below}...this is her best yet!)

Mary Chapin Carpenter - The Calling - On With the Song;  - www.marychapincarpenter.com - (it's been a long time since we've had new music from Chapin, and, true to her nature this is a bit of a change...she has stopped gazing at her own navel long enough to write songs about other issues that matter to her...to my ears, the change is long overdue...this is essential listening...)

Alison Krauss - A Hundred Miles or More - Simple Love - www.alisonkrauss.com - (an interesting collection of 16 "solo" efforts, considered "solo" even though the members of Union station help on jest about every one...lots of good stuff here, including this previously unreleased song...)

Son Volt - The Search - The Picture - www.sonvolt.net - (ever since the days of Uncle Tupelo [RIP], Jay Farrar has been folowwing his own muse, and occasionally the results have been more than listenable...with last year's Gob Iron release and now this terrific set, Jay may be starting another resurgence - horns on a Son Volt song? - Love it!)

Drew Kennedy - Dollar Theatre Movie - Tomorrow's Not Tonight - www.drewkennedymusic.com - (I really like the feel of this set of new songs from the now Texas-based singer-songwrite, following 2003's "Hillbilly Pilgrim"...it's another set of 13 songs all about finding truth in the dusty backwoods...)

Dan Crump - Truth Is - Truth Is; She Likes Shoes - www.dancrump.com - (Texas singer-songwriter's first effort is pleasant listening...)

Sons of Bill - A Far Cry From Freedom - Back to the Time -www.sonsofbill.com - (based in Virginia, this is not a Bill Monroe tribute band...instead, three brothers whose father is named - you got it - Bill - comprise the first wave of talent in this five-piece band - well-written, well-played...)

Danny Flowers - Tools For The Soul - At The Open Door -www.dannyflowers.com - (the "tools" the title of this disc refer to are the ways to stay sober - Flowers fought a long battle against booze and drus, even as he wrote the classic "Tulsa Time" - now off the stuff, he has written powerful testimony to the power of belief in a higher power as a way to stay straight...) 

Todd Snider - Peace, Love and Anarchy - Old Friend; Combover Blues - www.toddsnider.net - (a set of rarities and unreleased stuff that contains a couple gems, including several co-written and co-sung by Jack Ingram...)

David Serby - Another Sleepless Night - The Most Reckless Thing - www.davidserby.com - (California native Serby has put together a send set of smart, well-written stuff...a good choice if you're looking to expand your listening palette...)

here's some other newer music we're playing, not quite as much...

Jay Boy Adams -The Shoe Box - Moro Bay; The Shoe Box - www.jayboyadams.com - (imagine taking 25 years off, then finding success when you least expect it! - that's the story in a nutshell of Jay Boy Adams, once on the road opening for ZZ Top, now a loving husband and father who opened his soul and started to sing. This is a disc that belongs in every collection...)

Joan Osborne - Pretty Little Stranger - Who Divided; Pretty Little Stranger - www.joanosborne.com - (it's been a long time since "One of Us" made her the next hot thing, but Joan has remained busy - working with the remnants of the Grateful Dead, starring in the documentary "Standing in the Shadows of Motown" {her performance of "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" is AMAZING!), and now releasing her first "country" album. But this is Joan's version of country, and that means smart arrangements with great instrumentation and that incredible voice. Buy this today!) 

Michael Hall - The Song He Was Listening To When He Died - America - www.michaelhall.org / (this singer-songwriter doesn't come to praise the 70's band America, but to insult them as the lamest bunch of musicians next to Air Supply...so he does - all in three minutes and thirty-one seconds...)

Mindy Smith - Long Island Shores - Out Loud, What If The World Stopped Turning - www.mindysmith.net / (she has an ethereal voice - years of church singing has allowed her to develop great phrasing - and the songs she writes are pretty good, too - this is Mindy's second album, and it's as good as the first one (listed far below)...

Kasey Chambers - Carnival - Sign on the Door; Nothing At All - www.kaseychambers.com / (now preggers with her second child, Kasey still sings like a little girl - and that breathy style serves her well on this selection of a dozen of her latest compositions. If you've never spent an evening with the lights low listening to Kasey Chambers, do it! - now...)

Sunny Sweeney - Heartbreaker's Hall of Fame - Next Big Nothing; East Texas Pines - www.sunnysweeney.com /   (she was a member of a comedy improv troupe - until she opened her mouth and started singing...and she hasn't stopped since. This is her first album, and its' a good one...) 

The Hideaways - The Whiskey Tango Sessions - Don't Try to Love Me - www.thehideaways.com  / (five studio cats get a chance to shine - based in San Diego, they have a Gram Parsons feel on this, their first album...)

Red Molly - Never Been to Vegas - It's Goodbye and So Long To You; Long Ride Home - www.redmolly.com /(stringed instruments, tight three-part harmony - what's not to like? Their first full-length effort was recorded live and includes this incredibly powerful version of Patty Griffin's "Long Ride Home"...see Red Molly live as part of the lock Haven Summer Concert Series, playing on the floating stage in the Susquehanna on July 1st...)

Randy Weeks - Sugarfinger - Transistor Radio - www.randyweeks.com / (third solo record from the writer of Lucinda Williams' classic "Can't Let Go" is full of his melodic yet gritty true tales...)

Bryan Hayes and the Retrievers - Long Hard Road - Long Hard Road - www.bryanhayesmusic.com / (Bryan began his musical career as part of a Brownsville, Texas band called The Waiting, then moved to Memphis, where he created his own solo acoustic career and established his own recording facility, known as Hayestock. That's where this disc was recorded - it's Tom Petty meets Waylon Jennings - and there's something else that's undefinable, too...)

No Justice - No Justice - Don't Walk Away; Red Dress - www.nojustice.com / (yet another band from Stillwater, Oklahoma [home of Mike McClure, the Great Divide and Cross Canadian Ragweed]...great tunes, well played!) 

Michael ONeill - Who's Bad Now - Chance;  Dixie Chicken - www.michael-oneill.com / (a cult artist for many years who quit his first career before it took him over, ONeill took ten years off from the star-making machine before sticking his toe back in the water in 1999. Now he's as confident as ever and this release proves it!)

Mark Knopfler and Emmylou Harris - All the Roadrunning - This is Us - www.mark-knopfler.com  & www.emmylou.net / (a duets album that actually rises to the level of their respective accomplishments, with both Dire Straits (him) and extensive solo work (her). Essential...)

Brad Colerick - Cottonwood - Come What May - www.back9records.com / (he took eighteen yars off between albums to live a life - and now he has the experience necessary to touch universal feelings in all of us...)

Bruce Robison - Eleven Stories - Every Once in a While - www.brucerobison.com / (one of country music's most talented singer-songqwriters has again outdone himself with this terrific album...)

The Cornell Hurd Band - Texas By Night - There Are Strange Things Happening Everyday - www.cornellhurdband.com / (a true eccentric, Cornell Hurd has been playing his own brand of music since 1968, through many permutations and combinations including The Ragg Brothers, El Rancho Cowboys and The Original Mondo Hotpants Orchestra. Finally settled in Texas, Hurd and his group of up to eleven players have a standing gig at Jovita's in South Austin every Thursday. This track is an old Sister Rosetta Tharpe spiritual, featuring a jumpin' bass line and horns - it will make your liver quiver and your knees freeze! God Bless Cornell - we need more unique artists like him! Oh, and his website is a hoot...) 

Shawn Camp - Fireball - Tulsa Sounds Like Trouble to Me - www.shawncamp.com / (long one of Nashville's most valuable songwriters and instrumentalists, this latest solo effort finds Shawn consistently pushing himself to do more, and do it better. The disc includes Shawn's version of his song "Would You Go with Me", currently a hit for Josh Turner...)

Brigitte DeMeyer - Something After All - More Than I Can Do - www.brigittedemeyer.com / (born in the Midwest to parents who immigrated from Europe, Brigitte lived all over the country before moving to San Francisco, getting married and having a daughter. Her newly settled life makes this third effort her most cohesive - this Steve Earle track always begged for a remake, and the man himself plays harmonica...) 

Albert Lee - Road Runner - I'll Stop Loving You; (I'm a) Roadrunner - www.albertleeandhogansheros.com / (one of world's greatest guitarists has lately been spending a lot of time cementing his country legacy, and this album is just the latest proof that he is absolutely unique...)

Lisa Hayes - Sweet Forgiveness - Right Now - www.lisahayesmusic.com / (an Oregon native who relocated to Austin to follow her dream, Lisa has created a terrific effort that includes many musical colors - all of them accessible -this is pleasant listening...)

Jeffrey Foucault - Ghost Repeater - Ghost Repeater - www.jeffreyfoucault.com / (simply a superb album, engineered so that you feel like you're in the room with this ultra-talented singer-songwriter while he creates story songs that will touch your heart...)

Scott Miller and the Commonwealth - Citation - Wild Things - www.thescottmiller.com / (Carolina-based singer-songwriter who has managed to achieve a level of semi-fame as the bandleader for "Blue Collar TV". This is his third disc with the Commonwealth, and it is again full of literate tunes that you can tap your foor to...) 

Shawn Mullins - 9th Ward Pickin' Parlor - Beautiful Mess; Find Love - www.shawnmullins.com / (former pop hitmaker has returned to the music he grew up with - folk-based New Orleans country-fied atuff that sounds great. This album was recorded in New Orleans right before Katrina; the studio no longer exists...)

Rosanne Cash - Black Cadillac - Black Cadillac; Burn Down This Town - www.rosannecash.com / (Johnny's kid is back doing what she does best - making us think and feel - there's no one else like her!)

Bill Toms and Hard Rain - The West End Kid - Satan's on My Shoulder (Jesus Ain't Nowhere in Sight) - www.billtoms.com / (this Pittsburgh boy has paid his dues, spending 20 years as lead guitarist for Joe Grushecky and the Iron City House Rockers (called "the world's best bar band" in the Super Bowl edition of Sports Illustrated) before finally going out on his own with this very strong effort...it's Bill's fifth solo disc with his own band, and he is in command at all times...great, inspiring stuff!)

Brian Keane - i ain't even lonely - I Ain't Even Lonely - www.keanetunes.com / (Austin singer-songwriter-car mechanic with a great "I don't give a damn" lyric - good first try...)

Alastair Moock - Let it Go - When the Moon Comes Out Tonight; Love Me True - www.moock.com / (yet another talented alt-country artist from the great state of Massachusetts - I don't know what's in the water there, but every one of the Bay State artists write wonderfully literate stuff...)

BR549 - Dog Days - After the Hurricane, A1 on the Jukebox; Poison - www.br549.com / (now a four-piece, this is the best disc these survivors have ever released - essential...)

Delbert McClinton - Cost of Living - Midnight Confessions; Two Step Too; One of the Fortunate Few - www.delbert.com / (he's been a favorite of mine since his Delbert & Glen days in the late '60's - no one can create the roadhouse sound like Delbert...this is a great album, and he's singing better than ever at age 63 or so - buy it!) 

Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash - Mile Markers - Road to Bakersfield; Austin Night - www.bsojc.com / (only three albums released over the last ten years - and every one of them a gem...group leader Mark Stuart has recorded this disc with a bunch of studio musicians instead of his road band, but it doesn't matter - the Bastards sound as good as they ever have - and that means as good as any band in alt-country/americana/western beat(whatever that is)...

Dean Miller - Platinum - I've Been a Long Time Leaving - www.deanmiller.info / (Roger's kid just can't catch a break - after years of work, here he has a wonderful album that should boost his profile - and the record company that released (Koch) just went out of business...grab any remaining copies while you can - he's worth it...)

HoneyBrowne - Something To Believe In - I'm Here - www.honeybrowne.net / (young band from Texas - well-crafted first effort...)

Brian Capps - Walk Through Walls - Next Time - www.briancapps.net / (former leader of the Domino Kings (see below) is on his own with his first solo album that continues the original Dominos sound, even as they continue to evolve...at only 34 minutes long, it's short but sweet...) 

Ryan Adams & The Cardinals - Jacksonville City Nights - The Hardest Part - www.ryan-adams.com / (voted most likely to enter rehab, musical genius Ryan Adams has allowed his creative side to mute his self-destructive side long enough to bring us two noteworthy albums this year alone, with another due before Christmas...this is a stone country disc, with lots of old-time falsetto singing...)

Cory Morrow - Nothing Left to Hide - Beat of Your Heart; Good Intentions - www.corymorrow.com / (he attended Texas Tech at the same time as his buddy Pat Green, and now Cory is trying to shake the "Texas Music" label and break out nationwide with this effort...) 

The Woodys - Telluride to Tennessee - Lonesome City, Population 1 - www.thewoodysmusic.com / (the art of true duet singing is still alive, and this husband and wife team are among its' most accomplished pratitioners...more of a bluegrass effort than their last disc (see below), this is a fulfilling album that rewards repeated listening...) 

Radney Foster - And Then There's Me (The Back Porch Sessions) - Never Gonna Fly - www.purespunk.com / (he's one of the most revered songwriters in country music - yes, he wrote Sara Evans latest mega-hit "Real Fine Place to Start" - and as a performer of his own material, he is without peer. But Radney Foster HATES the business side of the music business, because he's been screwed by every record company he's ever been associated with...and that's why this album is only available on his website...it will cost you $20 with shipping - every copy is autographed...and the disc is so good, it's cheap at that price...)

Big Blue Hearts - here come those dreams again - Lovin' You - www.bigbluehearts.com / (there are ten tracks on this disc, and nine are unexceptional...ah, but the tenth is exquisite - "Lovin' You" is a lush ode that makes me get all squishy inside every time I hear it...)

Jeff Black - Tin Lily - These Days - www.jeffblack.com / (one of the most unique artists in the alt-country (whatever that is) stable is back with his fourth album, and it again is indescribable - a mix of solft ballads and tap-your-foot-on-the-floor rockers that hold universal truth within them...essential...)

John Coinman - Songs From the Modern West - Once This Was the Promise Land - www.johncoinman.com / (veteran singer-songwriter has discovered his voice - that of the afflicted - on this, his fifth solo disc...these songs are those of the people who populate them - and that means they're for all of us...)

Teeter Gray - Blue Love - Anne Louise - www.teetergray.com / (who knew a guy from Northern New Jersey could write and play great traditional country music? I'm as surprised as you are...)

Billy Joe Shaver - The Real Deal - Live Forever (with Big & Rich) - www.billyjoeshaver.com / (he's certainly been though the wringer - losing his mom, spouse and son within a short time frame, then suffering a massive heart attack himself, but Billy Joe has returned stronger than ever, with a disc that is a must-have...)

Rodney Crowell - The Outsider - Say You Love Me - www.rodneycrowell.com / (his songwriting is as sharp as ever, and now he's skewering those in power, big corporations and holier-than-thou politicians - although not all of this works, it's exhilerating to hear the passion he brings to his art...)

Delbert McClinton - Cost of Living - Two Step Too; One of the Fortunate Few - www.delbert.com / (he's been a favorite of mine since his Delbert & Glen days in the late '60's - no one can create the roadhoue sound like Delbert...this is a great album, and he's singing better than ever at age 62 or so - buy it!)

Two Tons of Steel - Vegas - Vegas; Drive You Home Tonite - www.twotons.com / (house band at the famous honky-tonk Gruene Hall for ten years, this group has taken its' time - but, judging from what this release sounds like, it's been time well spent. You'll love every track on this one!)

The Domino Kings - Some Kind of Sign - A Million Miles From Here; Lying Next To Me - www.dominokings.net / (they authored the first alt-country song we ever played on the Bear, "Will He Be", back in the year 2000...now the Kings are back with their third album, and it's chock full of their one-of-a-kind heartbreaking everyman emotional breakdowns - that rock. Essential...) 

Dwight Yoakam - Blame the Vain - Intentional Heartache; Blame the Vain; Watch Out - www.dwightyoakam.com / (breaking up with longtime guitarist and producer Pete Anderson has revitalizedDwight - he hasn't sounded this good in years! An absolutely fabulous album...

Adrienne Young and Little Sadie - The Art of Virtue - The Art of Virtue; My Love Will Keep - www.addiebelle.com / (she's incredibly talented, and a thoughful philosopher to boot - this beautifully designed album includes a copy of Benjamin Franklin's "The Thirteen Virtues" - a great set of American music...) 

Dallas Wayne - I'm Your Biggest Fan -Crank the Hank; You Can Count On Me - www.dallaswayne.com / (a veteran honky-tonker, Wayne has come up with a great set of songs that run the gamut from Texas two-steppin' to cry in your beer country - a great album!...)

Last Train Home - Bound Away -  Marlene; To Her Door; Flipping Quarters; Hendersonville - www.lasttrainhome.com / (he was a music critic at the Washington Post, but Eric Brace thought he had more to say - so he quit, and started touring with a group of like-minded musicians...now, years later, Last Train Home has released the album of their career (so far)...this is stunningly good, all the way through...)

Pork McElhinny - Long Way to the Top - Life is Good; Hardwood Floor - www.porkm.com / (singer-songwriter from near Clarion, PA - this second album just knocks me out...)

Fins, Chrome and the Open Road - A Tribute to the Cadillac - Jimmy Hall: Cadillac Tracks; Jim Lauderdale: One Piece At a Time - www.95northrecords.com / (21 tunes dedicated to everyone's favorite automobile - this is a long overdue re-make of a classic Johnny Cash performance - watch for the video, said to feature Cash's original Caddy!...)

Caitlin Cary & Thad Cockrell - Begonias - Second Option - www.yeproc.com / (two alt-country vets - Caitlin was Ryan Adams' cohort in the late, great Whiskeytown; Cockrell has put out several solo discs - get togehter for a set of heartfelt songs that features wonderful duet singing and excellent melodies - a keeper!...)

Kevin Fowler - Loose, Loud & Crazy - Don't Touch My Willie; Loose, Loud and Crazy - www.kevinfowler.com / (one of our favorite Texas artists is back on clint Black's boutique record label, Equity - which means this disc should be available just about anywhere...it's another uptempo romp through the heart of honky tonk, blues and country - a wonderful ride!) 

Sarah Borges - Silver City - Daniel Lee - www.sarahborges.com / (to look at her, you wouldn't believe she could sing with all of the power and intensity she manages to convey through this collection of 12 songs, 9 of which she wrote - it's a great first album...)

Greg Trooper - Make it Through This World - Green-Eyed Girl;This I'd Do; I Love it When She Lies - www.gregtrooper.com / (we've loved his tunes for years, but this is the best album he's ever made, due to the presence of an r&b legend behind the production board..Dan Penn, writer of "I'm Your Puppet" and "The Dark End of the Street", brings out the soul in Greg - you'll love this disc as much as we do!)

Shooter Jennings and the .357's - Put the O Back in Country - Manifesto #1; Lonesome Blues - www.shooterjennings.com / (he's his dad Waylon all over, from the voice to the attitude..after dabbling in rock for the last seven years, Shooter has returned to claim the outlaw crown, and this album is the result - whether he's singing about the lack of respect for country's past or telling us all about his bad habits, Shooter carries his dad's legacy forward...)

Patricia Vonne - Guitars and Castanets - Texas Burning; Joe's Gone Ridin' - www.patriciavonne.com / (she's Spanish to her core, and pulls off an amazing feat on her first disc - combining American roots and Mexican sensibilities for a set of ten songs that make me say ole!)...

Chip Taylor and Carrie Rodriguez - Red Dog Tracks - Oh Set a Light - www.trainwreckrecords.com / (they're back, and I frankly thought they couldn't do any better than their last effort, "the trouble with humans"...thankfully, I'm wrong - this is a quantum leap in tone, texture and depth..these two now stand as the one of the pre-eminent duos in country music history...buy this disc!) 

Jay Ruffin - Skeleton Key - No Big Deal - www.ringorecords.net / (he's a session player from Nashville, finally getting a chance to fully spread his wings with this release - it's not exactly country, not exactly soul, not exactly pop - in fact, it's alot easier to say what it isn't rather than what it is, except to say it's great...)

Robbie Fulks - Georgia Hard - Where There's A Road - www.robbiefulks.com / (one of alt-country's most talented iconoclasts is back with his first new work in several years - he's not just writing humorous-style songs anymore, and his maturity is more than welcome...)

Eric Heatherly - The Lower East Side of Life - Judging Beauty; Hang It On Your Heart - www.ericheatherly.com / (he was chewed up and spit out by the big record company machine after his left-field version of the old Statler Brothers song "Flowers on the Wall" was a hit three years ago - now Eric is back as a roots/Americana artist, and this disc is the result..it's generally pretty good!)

Alison Brown - Stolen Moments - Prayer Wheel (vocal from Mary Chapin Carpenter) ; Homeward Bound (vocal from Indigo Girls) - www.alisonbrown.com / (you may ask yourself why an instrumentalist, even one of the world's best banjo players, should receive top billing on a collection that features guest vocalists...I have no idea, but this disc is worth a listen, even if Alison's superb banjo playing is lower in the mix han it should be...) 

Shelby Lynne - Suit Yourself - Where Am I Now; Johnny Met June - www.shelbylynne.com / (Allison Moorer's big sister re-asserts herself as a terrific writer and soulful interpreter on this collection, which sounds raw and rough - exactly as it should...) 

John Prine - Fair & Square - The Glory of True Love - www.ohboy.com / (he's always known how to write, and now his voice has weathered enought to allow his words to gain even more gravity - this, his first disc of new material in six years, is a triumph...)

Bruce Springsteen - Devils & Dust - Devils & Dust - www.brucespringsteen.com / (the Boss is back with another of his contemplative discs - like "Nebraska" and "The Ghost of Tom Joad" - but this one carries the stigma of following his vocal support for a regime change in Washington last November - it's very political, and in my opinion, very brave...)

Elizabeth Cook - This Side of the Moon - Hard-Hearted - www.elizabeth-cook.com / (she's been knocked around pretty good by the record industry - in fact, this disc includes songs recorded with various bands and producers over the last four years, and she finally had to release it herself! But it holds together - she is a singular talent and should be more well-known - buy this disc and find out why...) 

Todd Thibaud - Northern Skies - Three Words - www.95northrecords.com / (I've asked the rhetorical question before - what's with all of the alt-country/roots/Americana artists from New England? Todd is yet another - but his country is more alt than most - peppy, poppy, great lyrics - you should own this album!)

Audrey Auld Mezera - Texas - Love You Like the Earth - www.recklessrecords.com / (she comes from down under, and her country music has a lot more world influences than most - it's a pleasing stew of folk, mex, tex, blues and special Audrey magic...) 

Eli Young Band - Level - When It Rains, Small Town Kid - www.eliyoung.net / (young four-piece from Texas - this is a great first effort!) 

Rhonda Vincent and the Rage - Ragin' Live - I've Forgotten You - www.rhondavincent.com / (the queen of the mandolin is back, and this disc qualifies as one of the better live albums released recently...Rhonda proves here that she doesn't need any studio "sweetening" to make her voice soar!)

Robert Earl Keen - What I Really Mean - What I Really Mean; Broken End of Love - www.robertearlkeen.com / (he's back, quirky as ever - who else would feature a sax and banjo as solo instruments - in the same song? REK's work is always essential...)

Ryan Adams - Cold Roses - Let It Ride - www.ryan-adams.com / (such a talent - such a brat...sometimes you just want to shake him until the good songs fall out...he's so prolific, and has such a lousy BS detector, that a double-disc set like this is a treasure...)

The Believers - crashyertown - Crashyertown - www.thebelieversUSA.com / (Craig Aspen and Cynthia Frazzini write and perform country duets like those you remember - George and Tammy; Porter and Dolly - updated for 2005...this is a solid second effort!)

Ray Wylie Hubbard - Delirium Tremolos - The Beauty Way - www.raywylie.com / (the writer of the country classic, "Up Against the Wall, Redneck Mother" is back with his well-worn voice and great writing skills intact...)

Kathleen Edwards - Back to Me - In State - www.kathleenedwards.com / (her first new disc since the debut in 2002, Kathleen's latest features more of her self-written country-rock and world-weary voice. This is great stuff that sounds better the more you hear it...)

Reckless Kelly - Wicked, Twisted Road - Wicked, Twisted Road; Stick Around - www.recklesskelly.com  / (the older Braun boy have released one of this year's best - it's a song cycle, and holds together as a full album, as opposed to a collection of random tunes. This is essential listening...)

The Duhks - The Duhks - You and I; Mists of Down Below - www.duhks.com  / (a five-piece band from Canada, their first album is admirable in its' restraint - they seem to WANT to rock out, yet don't...a good first effort..)

Clay Dubose - these days - Life of the Party; Street Sage - www.claydubose.com / (it's been too long since his last dsic, which featured a killer country version of the Doors "Love Me Two Times"...this disc is more Texan in sound and scope, and shows a greater maturity in focus and performance - it's essential stuff...)

Randy Rogers Band - RollerCoaster - Somebody Take Me Home - www.randyrogersband.com / (hard-workin' Texas roadhouse band has really put it together on this, their thrid album - produced by our fave Radney Foster! You'll ove this disc...)

Los Super 7 - Heard It On The X - Joe Ely: Let Her Dance - www.telarc.com / (it's the third collaboration between some of the best Tex-Mex artists still around, this time in tribute to the ultra-powerful AM radio stations, whose call letters started with "X" that beamed across the border from Mexico in the 40's, 50's and 60's... a lot of the musicians who appear on the disc grew up on the bizarre "X" formats - a combination of hillbilly-jesus country, blues and mariachi muzak supported by ads for amazing remedies for whatever ailed ya, fire and brimstone preachers and amazing dj's like Wolfman Jack..absolutely unique in form and focus...)

Jessi Alexander - Honeysuckle Sweet - Make Me Stay or Make Me Go; This World is Crazy - www.jessialexander.com / (she's written some Nashville Hits, but this first solo effort is anything but the usual "country" sound - Jessi has created a roots album, with the help of producer Gary Nicholson, a vet of Delbert McClinton's road band - this is really easy on the ears!) 

Hayes Carll - Little Rock - Good Friends, Hey Baby Where You Been - www.hayescarll.com / (this Texas singer-songwriter's second effort is a quantum leap upon his first, which we played the heck out of two years ago...Hayes has a way with a lyric, and is a joy to listen to...)

Buffalo Nickel - Noise and Conversation - Find Me A Crowd - www.honknroll.com / (second album from this group of Mississippi boys is more of what they call "honk n' roll" - alt-country played with authority! Dedicated to the late Emily Graham, a founding member of the band who died in a traffic accident...) 

Dave Insley - Call Me Lonesome - There's Gonna Be a Few Changes - www.daveinsley.com / (the former leader of the Trophy Husbands and long-time Phoenix musician steps out with ten songs that cement his position as "Roy Orbison's baritone half-brother"...I love his sense of humor!

Elizabeth McQueen - Happy Doing What We're Doing - When I Write the Book - www.elizabethmcqeen.com / (it shouldn't have worked - a bunch of Texas country players re-working some of the best songs from an almost ignored era - that of the British "pub-rock" boom of the mid-1970's, right before the advent of punk rock - Elizabeth and her band bash out great versions of songs from Ducks Deluxe, Brinsley Schwarz, Squeeze, Graham Parker, Dave Edmunds, Elvis Costello and Nick Lowe - it's a poppy journey to the past!) 

Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings - Just For A Thrill - Disappearing Nightly - www.billwyman.com / (more proof that old rockers don't fade away - they start releasing their new stuff to Americana stations like the Bear! After 31 years with the Rolling Stones, Wyman started the Kings ten years ago as an outlet for the music he wanted to play - the swing-based jazz-blues mix he grew up with. Working with a bunch of other old-timers, including Georgie Fame and Albert Lee, Wyman has created an album that just feels good...) 

The Skeeters - Easy for the takin' - Easy for the takin'; Dodgin' the Blues - www.theskeeters.com / (yeah, I know - they sound like Waylon. But The Skeeters are so much more - this four-piece bunch of uncompromising Alabama honky-tonkers are the best thing to hit the country scene in years, because they play honest, true-to-life "country" music - expect to hear tracks off of this disc and their first one (just called "The Skeeters") for a long, long time...)

Alison Krauss and Union Station - Lonely Runs Both Ways - Restless - www.alisonkrauss.com / (their new disc is a continuation of what we've come to expect from these folks - well-written songs, exquisitly perfomed, with Alison's incredible voice the highlight...essential!)

John Fogerty - Deja Vu All Over Again - Deja Vu All Over Again; I Will Walk With You - www.johnfogerty.com / (the genius behind Creedence Clearwater Revival has returned, with his best disc in many years...the title track bemoans the fact that our country is at war again, once again under false pretenses, just like Vietnam - John is nothing if not consistent (remember "Fortunate Son"?...) 

Kasey Chambers - Wayward Angel - Lost and Found - www.kaseychambers.com / (she still has that little-girl voice, still writes clever lyrics, still delivers great performances. Yes, she's married and a mom now, but Kasey is still the voice of independent women everywhere...this is the best and most consistent of her three albums to date...)

Charlie Robison - Good Times - New Year's Day; Love Means Never Having to Say You're Hungry; El Cerrito Place - www.charlierobison.com / (Bruce's brother and Nashville Star judge finally puts out superb the set he's been hinting at for years - this is a terrific batch of songs - seven of the eleven written by Charlie - that you need to own...)

Roomful of Blues - Standing Room Only - Boomerang - www.roomful.com / (this band has survived through years of grueling touring, losing members seemingly weekly...they're currently an eight-piece group that features cool horns and hot guitar - does it get any better than this? - I think not!)

Tom Gillam - Shake My Hand - Outside The Lines - www.tomgillam.com / (country-leaning rock from New Jersey - Tom plays a mean slide guitar, in evidence on this track...)

Jason Boland and the Stragglers - Somewhere in the Middle - "Hank" - www.thestragglers.com / (he appeared out of nowhere in 1999 as an untamed songwriter and performer who drew comparisons to wild country stars of the past - especially Waylon. Now Jason Boland, at the ripe old age of 31, has released his third studio album - and it is a significant step forward for him and his terrific band...)

The Melroys - The Melroys - I Don't Care (What They Say); Where The Good Ones Go; LaVerne - www.themelroys.com / (a four-piece band out of St. Louis, these guys can make guitar-based swing music - this is a great disc!...and, unfortunately, it is the last we'll hear of bandleader Randy Leiner, who died of natural causes, 2/19/05. RIP, big man...)

Maggie Brown - Maggie Brown - Used Cars, Full Moon - www.maggiebrown.net / (her bio tells a compelling story...about a little girl forced into singing to please her mentally-ill mother, and who gave up her career out of spite when Momma died...Maggie tried to be "normal", getting married, having a child, but the pull of the stage was too strong. So after close to thirty years of preparation, here is her first album - and it's a winner!)

Brenn Hill - Endangered - Buckaroo Tattoo - www.brennhill.com / (singer-songwriter from Texas who has released four albums to little acclaim finally puts it all togehter with this, his fifth effort...contains 55 minutes of great Texas-style country...)

Julie Lee - Stillhouse Road - Another You; Stillhouse Road - www.julielee.org / (first album from a Maryland native who has paid her dues as a creator of rusty junk sculptures. After years of teaching herself to play and write her own music, she has released a dozen of her soft, acoustic-based tunes upon an unsuspecting world. The disc features appearances by Alison Krauss and Vince Gill...) 

Jackson Browne with Bonnie Raitt, from the Warren Zevon tribute disc called "Enjoy Every Sandwich" - Poor, Poor Pitiful Me - www.warrenzevon.com / (has there been a better songwriter in the last twenty-five years? This loving tribute to Zevon features lots of singers who used to be considered "rock" who now fall into the Americana category, including Jackson and Bonnie...)

Trailer Park Troubadours - Way Cool World - Primer Grey Impala - www.unhitched.com / (Antsy and Flem - two trailer-type guys who write terrific songs and stand up for all of us who once lived in aluminum...)

Uncle Kracker - 72 & Sunny - Writing it Down - www.unclekracker.com / (some say he's a rapper....he's not; others call him a rocker...nope; this is a country song - and we love it!)

Melonie Cannon - Melonie Cannon - Tennessee Roads - www.meloniecannon.com / (you haven't heard OF her, but you've HEARD her - singing back-up for Kenny Chesney, Sammy Kershaw, John Michael Montgomery, George Jones, Chely Wright and Shania Twain. Now, after a stint in Army and real-world experience she calls "exhilarating", Melonie has recorded her first solo album - and its' a gem!) 

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band - Welcome to Woody Creek - Forever Don't Last - www.nittygritty.com / (they're been counted out inumerable times, with members leaving for solo careers, then rejoining, then leaving...now the original group has recorded what is perhaps their finest selection of songs ever - a classic album!...and it's so nice not having to play only "Fishing in the Dark" anymore...) 

Eleven Hundred Springs - Bandwagon - Why You Been Gone So Long; Can't Win for Losing - www.elevenhundredsprings.com / (as much as I hated their last disc is as much as I love this one!...these guys have surprised me by hitting a home run with this one - every track is at least listenable, and many are superb; the two listed above, plus "Hank Williams Wouldn't Make it Now in Nashville, Tennessee"; "Swerving"; and "Long Haired Tattooed Hippie Freaks" are standouts - superb stuff!)

John Mellencamp - Words & Music - Walk Tall - www.mellencamp.com / (punk kid is now punk adult, still speaking for all of us who feel disenfranchised - there's no place for John on today's pop radio, and classic rock doesn't want to hear anyhting new from John, Van, Petty or Bruce, so we'll be glad to provide a forum. "Walk Tall" is one of two new tracks on this new two-disc career retrospective...)

Mark Jungers and the Whistling Mules - One for the Crow - Just Can't Wait - www.markjungers.com / (hailing from Texas, Mark writes music that is universal in scope, with instrumentation that fits his songs perfectly - I love the fiddle and harmonica interplay! Essential listening...)

Burrito Deluxe - The Whole Enchilada - Rex Bob Lowenstein - www.burritodeluxe.com / (so how did this one-time tribute to original Burrito Sneaky Pete Kleinow become an alt-country supergroup? This is one of the best albums of this or any other year, as good as the original band that was the creation of alt-country pioneer Gram Parsons...with terrific musicianship from guys you've heard of besides Sneakey Pete (The Band's Garth Hudson has joined full-time) and haven't (Jeff "Stick" Davis of the Amazing Rhythm Aces, drummer Rick Lonow), plus a singer most bands would kill for (Carlton Moody...you'll want to own this disc!)

Kevin Montgomery - 2:30 am - Thank You Very Much - www.kevinmontgomery.com / (singer-songwriter in the Steve Earle/Bruce Springsteen mold...in fact, he covers Bruce's song "No Surrender" on this disc...)

Junior Brown - Down Home Chrome - Where Has All the Money Gone? / www.juniorbrown.com (the inventor of the guit-steel gets down with his bad self on this sate-of-the-art recording - it all just sounds so good...and doesn't the question he asks in this song resound for all of us?)

Steve Earle - The Revolution Starts...Now - I Though You Should Know; Home to Houston - www.steveearle.com / (I don't care whether you like his politics or not, Steve has the one component that I wish more musical artists would exhibit - passion! This anti-war, anti-government, anti-Bush effort has a lot to recommend it, including my "favorite song of the year that I can't play on the radio" called "F the CC"...I still haven't figured it out - Janet Jackson shows her gland on TV, and the government comes down hard on - radio! Someone give me a clue why...)

Kieran Kane and Kevin Welch - You Can't Save Everybody - Everybody's Working For the Man Again...; 'Til I'm Too Old to Die Young - www.deadreckoningrecords.com / (two favorites of mine - both great singers and superb songwriters - sit down with string player Fats Kaplin to make another of "their" kinda discs...in other words, literate music, exquisitely performed...essential...)

Avett Brothers - Mignonette - Swept Away - www.theavettbrothers.com / (a trio that plays old-time, foot stompin' front and back porch mountain music...this is a beautiful ballad that will continue their goal - to start an acoustic revolution...) 

The Warren Brothers - Well-Deserved Obscurity - Change; Sell A Lot of Beer - www.warrenbrothers.com / (yes, "Change" is the theme of their tv show ("Barely Famous with the Warren Brothers") on CMT, which is (along with "Countdown with Keith Olbermann") my favorite guilty pleasure right now...the first two seasons have run their ten-episode course; let's hope the grand poobahs at CMT bring it back for another run, because the Warrens are priceless! Find this album online at www.djangos.com or www.secondspin.com - it's worth the search!)

Tift Merritt - Tambourine - Good Hearted Man - www.tiftmerritt.com / (her first disc, Bramble Rose, hinted at her talent (remember "Virginia"?), but this one brings it all out - she's a soul sister, and this track even includes a horn section - I love it!)

Mitch Webb and the Swindles - Songs in the Key of "T" - 4th of July; Need You - www.theswindles.com / (they may be the next big thing to break out of Texas, a la Pat Green - this is just a fun song!)

Houston Marchman - Blue Cadillac - Not Tonight; Roadblock - www.houstonmarchman.com / (a Texas artist who deserves a wider audience...the difference between Houston and other singer-songwriters? It's the feeling his songs evoke - this is essential stuff!)

The Amazing Rhythm Aces - Nothin' But the Blues - One Tear at a Time - www.theaces4real.com / (a welcome return from one of my favorite bands...leader Russell Smith is a great writer, with a whole sheaf of hits including "Third Rate Romance", "Old School", "Don't Go to Strangers", and "The End is Not in Sight". The Aces came back together after an internet campaign by fans in the early '90's, and they are as powerful as ever...the music on this disc is timeless...) 

Touch My Heart - A Tribute to Johnny Paycheck - Someone to Give My Love To - www.sugarhillrecords.com / (a lot of tribute albums promise a lot, but fail to deliver - this one does! The song is performed by long-time NRBQ member and current Nashville songwriter Al Anderson, and he makes it his own...)

The Hoyle Brothers - Back to the Door - Call Heaven - www.thehoylebrothers.com / (it's their first album, but already they're calling themselves "the future of real country music"; based on this disc, they're right!)

The Notorious Cherry Bombs - The Notorious Cherry Bombs - Let it Roll, Let it Ride - www.thenotoriouscherrybombs.com / (it rarely happens - big stars put their egos aside to revisit their youth...but it has happened with this band, which at one time backed alt-country legend Rodney Crowell...Rodney's here, as is Vince Gill, and keyboardist Tony Brown, guitarist Richard Bennett, steel player Hank DeVito, and a host of others... they sound like they had fun playing together again, and you'll have fun listening to them...recommended...) 

Dwight Yoakam - Dwight's Used Records - I Said (Paradise Reprise) - www.dwightyoakam.com / (a set of odds and ends, some songs released on tribute cd's, some soundtrack work, some left over from other recording sessions..it's all Dwight, which means it's all great!)

Terri Hendrix - The Art of Removing Wallpaper - Breakdown - www.terrihendrix.com / (she studied opera on scholarship in college, then dropped out to milk goats...that paid for guitar lessons, and Terri spent lots of time traveling from one Texas open-mic night to another. She released her first self-produced disc in 1998 on her own label, Wilory Records, and there have been two others - but to my ears this latest effort is the most focused and polished work Terri has ever down...and I love track 6, "Monopoly" - quote from the chorus: "There ain't no clear channel, clear channel it's clear to see - One choice takes the voice, From individuality...There ain't no clear channel, clear channel it's clear to see - One choice takes the voice, Away from you and away from me...")

Randy Thompson - That's Not Me - That's Not Me; If That Wasn't Love - www.randythompson.net / (hailing from Northern Virginia, Randy believes in writing from life experience, as this searing album proves. The nine songs contained on the disc were all written as a reaction to the break-up of his marriage, and you can just hear the longing and regret in Randy's voice. The song "That's Not Me" features the piano contributions of Rick West...) 

Walt Wilkins - Mustang Island - If It Weren't For You; I Chose This Road - www.Hwy29Records.com / (one of Pat Green's right-hand men, Walt has written some amazing stuff through the years - this is his latest effort...and one of his best...)

And some other stuff you'll hear on the Bear... 

Tres Chicas - Sweetwater - Sweetwater - www.treschicas.com / (three women who lead their own bands come together to bring us angelic harmonies and terrific songs...aren't we lucky!) 

Jackie Greene - Sweet Somewhere Bound - About Cell Block #9 - www.jackiegreene.com / (he's young, but he is scarey talented - music just pours out of this kid, and I'm in awe of his ability - buy this disc and be prepared to be blown away...)

Rodney Hayden - Living the Good Life - Broke Down - www.rodneyhayden.com / (working his third album at age 24, Rodney has already learned how the music biz can jerk you around...the Bear played a ton of stuff from his debut, produced by Robert Earl Keen...the response was so good, Rodney was signed by a major label, Audium - which decided to drop him soon after the second disc was released. This new disc is an independent effort...and I can't understand why this kid's great voice hasn't made him a star...)

The Woodys - Teardrops and Diamonds - Sweeter Than Wine; Teardrops and Diamonds - www.thewoodysmusic.com / (married duo that is best described by a writer better than me - "they sound like the Everly Brothers in heaven"...)

Ed Burleson - the cold hard truth - Dead Skunk; Honky-Tonk Heart - www.edburleson.com / (respected enough to be mentored by the legendary Doug Sahm, Ed's career was dealt a blow when Sahm died in 1999...now he's back, and is still honky-tonkin' his butt off...in other words, he's too country for Nashville, but not for Texas - or the Bear...)

The Lees - The Lees - Don't Miss Me - www.thelees.com.au  / (a family band, who followed in the footsteps of the Dead Ringer Band - Kasey Chamber's family - see www.allenanddunwin.com - traveling thoroughout Australia, slowly building an audience and slowly honing their chops...no, they've landed in the U.S. - and this disc shows they're ready!)

Billy Ray Hatley and the Show Dogs - Cold Hard Truth - www.brhatley.com / (hard-workin' guy from Richmond, Virginia, who has been churning out a combination of blues and rockabilly for the last 20 years - great song from a great album!...)

Jeffrey Steele - Outlaw - 20 Years Ago - www.jeffreysteele.net / (he's a songwriting machine, penning hits for Montgomery Gentry, Tim McGraw and Mark Wills - but he says he saves his best stuff for himself...for anyone who grew up and left home angry (like me!), this track will make you cry...)

Cisco - 7740 Valmont Street. - Say A Prayer - www.theartistcisco.com / (if you need a musical collaborator, you can't get any better than guitarist/producer Pete Anderson...as he did with the Moot Davis disc (see below), Anderson has created a terrific atmosphere for this unique singer/songwriter's quirky words...Recommended!) 

Dave Gleason's Wasted Days - Midnight, California - The Only One - www.dave-gleason.com / (an absolutely unique sound - a throwback to the days of the Byrds, Gram Parsons and the Flying Burrito Brothers...)

Mary Chapin Carpenter - Between Here and Gone - What Would You Say to Me - www.marychapincarpenter.com / (a typical Chapin album...that is to say - beautifully written, immaculately recorded and exquisitely performed - what's not to like?)

Danny Santos - done gone got lucky - Baby Do Right By Me - www.dannysantosmusic.com / (born in Texas, son of a sharecropper, Danny is another Lone Star troubadour - and this, his third album, is great listening...)

Two Dollar Pistols - Hands Up! - It Doesn't Matter Much To Me - www.twodollarpistols.net  / (formed by the talented John Howie, the Pistols have finally put it together on this, their fifth release...)

Dave Blackledge - You Ain't Gettin' No Cherry - Double PMS Blues, I Blew Up My Date; I'm Not Fat, I'm Just Constipated - www.daveblackledge.com / (our favorite local humorist has made his best album to date...please go to his website and buy it!)

The WAiFS - Up All Night - Lighthouse - www.thewaifs.com.au / (another Australian export, sisters Donna and Vikki Simpson have been singing their own style of Americana for the last ten years, and are finally starting to receive some notice stateside...) 

Steve Forbert - Just Like There's Nothin' to It - There's Everybody Else (and Then There's You) - www.steveforbert.com / (in the early '80's, he was one of the artists jinxed by the "new Dylan" label (remember "Romeo's Tune"?), but he has survived and thrived, writing terrific songs that are true "slices of life"...featured in the latest "No Depression" magazine (subscribe @ www.nodepression.net ). This is Steve's first studio album of new material in four years...) 

Moot Davis - Moot Davis - Highway Kind; Nothin' - www.mootdavis.com / (this is the kind of country music you don't hear anymore - kind of a good-timin', honky-tonk feel, aided by string-bender Pete Anderson...I like it!)

Claude Diamond - Diamond Dust - Half My Doublewide - order at: vettsetmusic@aol.com / (so you retire - and start a new career? You do if you're Claude and you have a bunch of songs you've written hanging around the house - what's next? Book some studio time and put out a cd - at age 66...the amazing thing is that this is really good! Who knew?)

Loretta Lynn - Van Lear Rose - Family Tree - www.lorettalynn.com / (she sounds like a teenager - and this is a welcome return...strangely, the first album of all-new Loretta songs since 1962! Produced by Jack White of The White Stripes - essential...)

Allison Moorer - The Duel - One on the House - www.allisonmoorer.com / (she's back, and singing better than   ever. On her fourth studio disc, Allison again explores human emotion - the pain, the joy, the heartbreak. Every song on the disc was written by Allison and her husband, Butch Prim. Highly recommended!) 

Mike McClure Band - Everything Upside Down - Changes #1; Don't You Say Anything - www.mikemccluremusic.com / (he split with his long-time band The Great Divide to form this group, jokingly described as "twice as loud and half as popular"...currently touring Texas and Oklahoma, their first album is out now...and their website is terrific, with free music downloads and an "on the road" blog included...)

The Flatlanders - wheels of fortune - Baby Do You Love Me Still -www.theflatlanders.com / (it took thirty years, but it looks like the Flatlanders reunion is going to stick, because here's the follow-up to "Now Again"...with an important difference - last time, these unique songwriters tried to compose together, resulting in the muting of what makes them unique...this time, they sing each other's songs, old and new, and find added depth...wonderful!)

BR549 - Tangled in the Pines - That's What I Get; No Train to Memphis - www.br5-49.com / (two new members, a new record label, a new focus...these guys have been through the wringer in the last three years...the result is their strongest album ever...)

Graham Parker - Your Country - Sugaree - www.grahamparker.com / (as one of Britain's "last angry men" in the mid-1970's, Graham Parker released two magnificently raw records within a year...both "Howlin' Wind" and "Heat Treatment" were hailed by critics and dismissed by music fans too caught up in disco glitter to appreciate Parker's honest lyrics and heartfelt vocal performances. By the time "Stick to Me" came out, Elvis Costello was the new ascendent star, and Graham Parker became a cult figure. And he still is, 25 years later, with his first all-country disc...and, as always, the songs are beautifully written and sung with conviction...I was a fan then; I'm a fan now - because real is real...) 

The Corral - Feel the Burn - Free to Cry, Feel the Burn - www.corralband.com / (formed from the remnants of Neon Cactus (RIP), this four-piece based in the Susquehanna Valley has produced a great selection of songs that run the gamut from punk country ["Will He Be" from the Domino Kings] to bluegrass ["Fox on the Run"] to classic country ["North to Alaska"]...support local music - buy this disc!)

Norah Jones - feels like home - Creepin' In - www.norahjones.com / (Yeah, I know she sold millions of her first disc and she's been pigeonholed as a jazz artist...but listen to this album - it's a country record! Norah duets with Dolly Parton on this track...)

Mindy Smith - one moment more - Falling - www.mindysmith.net / (raised a preacher's daughter on Long Island, Mindy moved to Nashville at age 18, hoping to find someone to believe in her songs. It took over ten years, but this first album shows a lyrical depth and complexity that is impressive...)

Slaid Cleves - Wishbones - Wishbones - www.slaid.com / (how does a New England boy wind up in Texas? Because he wanted to be close to the source of his musical sensibility...it took seven years, but Slaid's breakthrough finally came with "Broke Down" several years ago...this new one features more of a band feel and shows his musical growth...Recommended!)

No Depression - What it Sounds Like - Volume 1 - Kasey Chambers - Dam - www.nodepression.net / (Australia's songbird sings the heck out of a Matthew Ryan composition as her contribution to this compilation of some of the best music you've never heard...No Depression magazine is trying to raise the profile of Americana/alt-country music with this specially priced 13-song disc that includes tracks from Johnny Cash, Allison Moorer, Buddy Miller and many more...)

Chip Taylor and Carrie Rodriguez - the trouble with humans - We Come Up Shining; Don't Talk in English; Oh Ireland; Curves and Things  - www.trainwreckrecords.com / (he's the writer behind "Wild Thing" and "Angel of the Morning"...she's the music school grad who never sang in public until a two years ago...together, they're dynamite!)

Pat Green - Wave on Wave - Wrapped; Eden's Gate - www.patgreen.com/ (Texas' favorite son is now famous nationwide, nominated for a Grammy for the second year in a row...of course, the Bear played his stuff long before his current success, and we continue to play the lesser-known tracks off of this latest disc...) 

Brian Burns - The Eagle & the Snake: Songs of the Texians - Evangelina; I've Been Everywhere (in Texas) - www.brianburnsmusic.com / (it's a musical exploration of the Lone Star state, from the Oklahoma border to the Rio Grande and back again. Sixteen tracks, all with a different slant toward one of our most diverse national treasures. It's real country!)

Doug Moreland - Everybody Knows My Name - I'll Never Be Homeless - www.dougmoreland.com / (Man, I can't get enough boogie-woogie piano, and this song is driven by it! Doug is a Texas artist who supports his music habit by crafting hand-made wood furniture and carving chain-saw statues. His website is full of pictures of his "wood art"...)

Trish Murphy - Girls Get in Free - Thelma and Louise - www.trishmurphy.com / (a ballsy blonde from Texas who writes, produces and records her own stuff on her own schedule in her own way...this is an album for those of us who believe in full equality - professuionally and personally. That said, it's also a lot of fun...and her website offers lip-smacking recipes, too!) 

Luke Olson - Uvalde - Just Holding You - www.lukeolson.com / (a Texas artist who has paid his dues, Luke's style can best be described as "relaxed, yet intense"...there isn't a bad cut on this disc, which features musical contributions from Pat Green and Lloyd Maines...) 

Lyle Lovett - My Baby Don't Tolerate - Cute As A Bug; My Baby Don't Tolerate; Working Too Hard - www.lylelovett.com / (for his first album of new material since 1996, the world's second-to-last ugly country star (the last is Willie) has dropped the horns from his Large Band in order to let the songs shine a little more...every Lyle disc has been an essential purchase, and this effort once again fits that category...) 

Bottle Rockets - Blue Sky - Lucky Break; I Don't Wanna Go Back - www.bottle-rockets.net / (a great band that probably does too many things well - country, rock, blues, ballads - and this album presents the group at their eclectic best...first new effort in many moons is arguably their best...)

Just Because I'm a Woman - Songs of Dolly Parton - Joan Osborne sings Do I Ever Cross Your Mind?; Mindy Smith sings "Jolene" - www.sugarhillrecords.com / (there are a lot of tribute albums out there, and this is one of the best...because the source material is so good. Dolly's va-va-voom appearance hides how good a songwriter she is...artists featured include Allison Moorer, Norah Jones, Kasey Chambers, Emmylou Harris and Dolly herself...but in my opinion, Joan's contribution tops them all - seems like yesterday she used to rock the night away at Franco's in Williamsport...)

Larry Cordle and Lonesome Standard Time - Lonesome Skynyrd Time - I Know a Little - www.lonesomestandardtime.com / (note-for-note re-creations of Skynyrd classics, on acounstic instruments? Leave it to the guy who co-wrote "Murder on Music Row" to make it happen - this is an album you'll listen to again and again...)

Mike Lewis - Umbrellas in the Sun - One Step Away - www.mikelewis.com / (local TV news anchor has donated all proceeds from this album to the Boys and Girls Clubs...it's very well-produced, and not bad for a first effort...)

Rick Shea/Patty Booker - Our Shangri-LA - The House That We Once Lived In; You - www.ourshangri-LA.com / (she's the country queen of the Santa Monica Basin; he's the guitarist for former-Blasters frontman Dave Alvin's band "The Guilty Men"; together, they're a formidable duo...this is country the way country should be...)

Merle Haggard - Haggard Like I've Never Been Before - That's the News; Haggard Like Never Before; Philadelphia Lawyer (with Willie Nelson) - www.merlehaggard.com / (along with Willie, Buck and Billy Joe, he's the only one left - and he's still feisty! This song questions how we're handling the "peace" in Iraq - Merle has always spoken the truth (as he sees it), and this track is no exception...) 

Adrienne Young - Plow to the End of the Row - Home Remedy; Sadie's Song - www.adrienneyoung.com / (we receive so many discs to review here at the Bear that I sometimes short-cut the process, listening to one or two tracks, then putting that album aside. I should have advanced to the third song on this effort, because Adrienne and guitarist/singer/songwriter Will Kimbrough hit a home run with "Home Remedy"...the other 16 songs are a mix of traditional country and folk, all featuring her beautiful voice and exquisite licks. A great addition to anyone's music collection...and packaged with class, too!) 

Rodney Crowell - Fate's Right Hand - Still Learning How to Fly; Earthbound - www.rodneycrowell.com / (he's on the far side of fifty now, but Johnny Cash's ex-son-in-law still can turn a mean phrase, like "...I've got a past like a broken wing; But you ain't seen anything; I'm still learning how to fly..." amazing...)

Ken Mellons - Shine - Paint Me a Birmingham - www.kenmellons.com / (finally, a song that shows how good this guy really is! If you know his name, it's for his first hit, a song that has been played over a million times on country radio, the infamous "Jukebox Junkie". But Ken is a whole lot more than that novelty song, and this new track proves it...unfortunately, Tracy Lawrence is about to release another version of the same song, with major record label support...can't ol' Ken get a break?)

Leland Martin - Simply Traditional - Stone Cold Fingers; Simply Traditional - www.LelandMartin.com / (he was a trucker, and this is a song for his long-haul brethren...)

The Mavericks - The Mavericks - I Want to Know; In My Dreams - www.mavericksmusic.com / (country's best band is back, with their most cohesive album ever, finally balancing the esoteric (most of "Trampoline") with the (dare I say) commercial. The disc includes a neat remake of the Hollies "The Air That I Breathe" that shouldn't work, but does. A triumph in every respect...)

Renee Austin - Sweet Talk - Pretend We Never Met - www.reneeaustin.com / (a voice you have to hear - and she can hold her own with the "king of the roadhouse", Delbert McClinton, her duet partner on this smokin' track. The album contains another ten  of country-influenced blues...great stuff!)

Marty Stuart - Country Music - Fool For Love; Satisfied Mind - www.martyparty.com / (on the road since age 12, Marty Stuart has always been an enigma - how come a guy steeped in country tradition kept pandering to the industry, following every trend instead of writing and singing from his heart? Marty finally made the album that was always in him, 1999's "The Pilgrim". It tanked miserably, and Marty went off the rails - only a DUI in 2002 brought him back to earth. Since then, he's decided the music he loves will be the music he plays - record sales be damned. So now here's the new disc, the best work he's ever done...)

Chris Knight - The Jealous Kind - The Border; The Jealous Kind; A Train Not Running; Bangin' Away - www.chrisknight.net / (he writes and sings "story songs" - like Steve Earle used to before he veered into a more political direction (not that there's anything wrong with that)...Chris's characters are flawed, addicted to violence, alcohol or sex (or all three!)...I love this disc, the best of his three releases...)

Robert Earl Keen - The Party Never Ends (Songs You Know From the Times You Can't Remember) - The Five Pound Bass - www.robertearlkeen.com / (once upon a time, Robert Earl Keen was a college student who spent most of his days on his front porch, singing songs and swapping stories with a fellow student named Lyle Lovett. Both wound up following different paths to a peculiar level of success (see Lyle below). Robert's latest disc is called "Farm Fresh Onions", but I couldn't resist playing this older track, appearing for the first time on cd as part of this collection - the best of REK's first three cassette-only releases. This is essential stuff...)

Emmylou Harris - stumble into grace - Strong Hand - www.emmylou.net / (she was there - working with Gram Parsons when the music we now call "country" was first formulated in the early 1970's. Now she's finally writing her own stuff instead of interpreting other songwriters - and the result is breathtaking...) 

Scott Gibson - Make Ready - I Believe - www.scottgibsonmusic.com / (he's a long-time back-up musician who took five years to make this debut disc, and the attention to detail is obvious...) 

The Lucky Tomblin Band - The Lucky Tomblin Band - Ain't No Piece of Cake / (a group of Texas music all-stars get together for a swingin' good time...no website, but if you want to hear more, call Texas World Records @ (512) 615-2412...here's a link to read a review of the disc - www.slipcue.com ...you need to page down about halfway...)

Dave Isaacs - Prodigal Son - Isabella - www.daveisaacs.com / (a classically-trained guitarist who writes country-flavored stuff? Believe it! Dave has had a group called Jackalope Junction for several years, and they're terrific. He recently graced our studio and sang two songs live on the Bear! Dave is the acknowleged "bard of Long Island", which, considering the lack of country music on the radio in the New York area, is akin to being the "emperor of Greenland". This is his first solo disc...)

Dave Blackledge - Funny Crap - Your Butt's Too Big to Dance Like That - www.daveblackledge.com / (Dave appeared at Bear Bash 10 and made us all laugh during a difficult, weather-related afternoon. He's funny, so buy his stuff...by clicking on his web address above - you won't regret it!)

Over the Rhine - Ohio - Show Me - www.overtherhine.com / (they met in college, and now Linford Detweiler and Karin Bergquist share their lives and music. This is Over the Rhine's 10th album release and first double-disc set...there are 20 thought-provoking tracks here...)

The Cruzeros - El Nino - Tangled Up in You - www.cruzeros.com / (so who would have thought that this mix of Texas shuffle, country-blues, bluegrass and Tex-Mex would come from a group of guys from British Columbia? This disc is terrific...)

Wayne "The Train" Hancock - Swing Time - Louisiana Blues - www.waynehancock.com / (he does it his way - and you have to love the result! Wayne Hancock stands as the embodiment of what country can be - he will not compromise his vision of the way his music should be written, recorded and presented; this live recording shows why he knows himself better than anyone else...essential listening!)

John Eddie - Who the Hell is John Eddie? - Jesus is Coming; If You're Here When I Get Back; Everything - www.johneddie.com / (I'll tell you who he is - a singer/songwriter who was once compared to Springsteen [the kiss of death in the 1980's] who has surfaced fifteen years later with a disc that looks back on those days fondly while dealing with the reality of trying to realize your dreams while simultaneously getting older. This is great stuff...read a great interview with John here) 

Anthony Michael James - Old Friends... - Flesh and Bone; Old Friends - www.anthonymichaeljames.com / (a fireman from Bethlehem, Anthony has a rabid following (55 of his fans chartered a bus to see him at Bear Bash 10!). On this first disc, Tony co-wrote seven of the eleven tracks, and all of them showcase his strong voice...)

Ben Atkins - Mabelle - The Same - www.hightone.com / (he's 24, from Henrietta, Texas, and writes what he knows...small town life. This is a very impressive debut - produced by Kasey Chambers' ex-guitar player, Kym Warner...)

Allison Moorer - Show - Is Heaven Good Enough For You? - www.allisonmoorer.com / (one of country music's most neglected voices shines again - but will anyone notice? This is a limited-edition cd and dvd package documenting Allison's show this past January 4th in Nashville, and it features a couple of new songs and two duets with estranged sister Shelby Lynne. For those who don't know the Moorer family history, twenty years ago, when Allison was 10 and Shelby 13, their father shot their mother during an argument, then turned the gun on himself - while both girls watched. You can understand the pain that both still carry, and you can hear it in their voices as they sing a song dedicated to their late mom...everyone should own this package...)

Mike Dekle - Sketches - No Trash in My Trailer - www.mikedekle.com (longtime songwriter to many stars sings his won songs his own way...this tune was a sort-of hit for Gene Watson earlier this year, but I prefer Mike's version...)

Dwight Yoakam - Population: Me - The Back of Your Hand; I'd Avoid Me Too; The Late, Great Golden State - www.dwightyoakam.com / (he's on his own...after fifteen years of major record label support, Dwight has formed his own imprint, Electrodisc, and the music reflects the change...no more freakin' top 40 covers (like the horrible "I Want You To Want Me" or that stupid Queen song); instead, Dwight does what he does best - speak for all of us in his own voice. Essential listening...)

Joe Ely - Streets of Sin - I'm On the Run Again; Fightin' For My Life - www.joeely.com / (after the success of The Flatlanders, Joe again walks alone with this quiet, acoustic-based effort that features some of his strongest songwriting in years...)

Gillian Welch - Soul Journey - Wayside/Back in Time - www.gillianwelch.com / (she goes her own way - after the incredible success of "Oh, Brother" brought her to the masses, Gillian has retreated to her own living room for this disc; along with life-partner David Rawlings, she has created another winner...)

Troy Campbell - American Breakdown - Sad Truth; Sorrytown - www.troycampbell.com / (singer for the Austin band Lonesome Strangers (R.I.P.) strikes out on his own - a fine first solo effort...)

T. Graham Brown - The Next Right Thing - Which Way to Pray - www.tgrahambrown.com / (he appeared here live last summer, and was very proud of his new album, which he thought would come out "soon"...eleven months later, here it is - and it's the best disc he has ever recorded! Buy it now...)

Last Train Home - time and water - All Gone Now - www.lasttrainhome.com / (Eric Brace is a music critic for the Washington Post...after years of reviewing musical acts, he decided to start a group himself. Last Train Home is a multi-talented band, and this is a great first album...)

The Mickeys - finding our way - Still Haunts Me; Smoke and Mirrors; Dry Eyes; All I Ever Wanted Was You - www.themickeys.net / (a pair of very pretty identical twins, they've done it their way - their own songs, their own record label, their own publishing - it's the way things need to be done in the current music environment. But my admiration for them would end there if this wasn't one of the best discs I've had the pleasure to hear in a long time...)

Smokin' Joe and the Wild Horse Band - Time Will Tell - Wanted Man - www.smokinjoeband.com / (based in Dubois, this local group is moving toward becoming well-known regionally...this is their second album...see them at an outdoor festival or county fair near you!)

Scott Miller and the Commonwealth - Upside/Downside - Amtrak Crescent; My Way  - http://thescottmiller.com / (former head of the wonderful V-Roys [r.i.p], Miller walks the line between rock and country...this is his best release yet!)

Russell Smith - The End is Not in Sight - The King is in His Castle; We're Gettin' Outta Here - www.muscleshoalsrecords.com / (he was and is the Voice of the Amazing Rhythm Aces...but Russell Smith has also made his own mark as the writer of hit songs for T. Graham Brown, Ricky Van Shelton, John Conlee and a lot more. He collects the best of his songwriting on this disc, and it is a "must own.")

Kentucky Headhunters - Soul - Last Night I Met Carl Perkins; Everyday People  - www.kentuckyheadhunters.com / (country's bad boys are back with their most compelling collection in years...)

Reckless Kelly - Under the Table and Above the Sun - Let's Just Fall; Everybody - www.recklesskelly.com / (they named themselves after a semi-famous outlaw of the 1800's, and the music lives up to the image...well-written and performed, this is exhilarating stuff...)

Kevin Deal - The Lawless - The Lawless - www.kevindeal.com / (a stone mason for over ten years, Kevin finally decided to roll the dice on his dream to be a musician...now, three albums later, he's one of Texas' favorite sons...and how is Texas country different from Nashville country? Kevin says: "the Texas sound is closer to the bone...Nashville music is more pop-oriented; they're trying to appeal to the masses. Texas music is rough and raw - hell, some songs might actually offend somebody...)

Rhonda Vincent - One Step Ahead - Caught in the Crossfire; You Can't Take it With You When You Go - www.rhondavincent.com / (expanding slowly from her bluegrass base, Rhonda has delivered her most fully-realized disc yet, probably because she has written most of the songs presented here...)

Hal Ketchum - The King of Love - Everytime I Look in Your Eyes; King Of Love; As Long As You Love Me; King of Love - www.halketchum.com / (after years of misbehavior, Hal seemingly has it together. I can't remember a better Hal album...)

Rosanne Cash - Rules of Travel - Hope Against Hope - www.rosannecash.com / (so she took ten years off - who's counting? Actually, Rosanne's last new release was in 1996...but they were demos from three years before. In the intervening decade, Rosanne got married again, had a baby - and lost her voice. After three years of effort, her pipes sound better than ever...)

Jack Ingram - Extra Volts - A Little Bit - www.jackingram.net / (he's the oldest of the "young bucks" in Texas music, and he's had a rough time with major record companies...in fact, this four-song disc is being marketed by Jack himself...it contains some "extra tracks" from the Electric sessions, thus the name - it's a nice introduction to Jack's unique style...)

John Hiatt & the Goners - Beneath This Gruff Exterior - My Baby Blue - www.johnhiatt.com / (The songwriter's songwriter finally has released a new disc, and it's wonderful...)

Charlie Robison - Live - Walter - www.charlierobison.com / (Mr. Dixie Chick is back with a live record of one of his incredible shows...and the disc includes this studio track that Charlie didn't write but should have...)

Randy Burk and the Prisoners - When Jesus Drinks Coffee - www.randyburkandtheprisoners.com / (hard-working band from Iowa...this disc contains seven tracks, and they're all really good...)

I. Mihana - Rust on the Moon - Hula - www.hulasource.com / (every year we receive, on average, about 1500 cds to listen to and evaluate. This one was accompanied by a dashboard hula girl. That caught my attention...and this song is catching yours...)

The Great Divide - Remain - Fly On; Lost in the Night - www.thegreatdivide.com / (ten years together, they're still making fine, fine music...formerly led by singer/songwriter Mike McClure {see below}, The Great Divide is a band that deserves much more attention. But in these days of "cross-marketing", where musicians can't just be musicians, but have to want to act, and make movies, and tv shows to be ultra-successful, a group like these guys become marginalized. Hey, we'll take 'em...)

Texas Outlaws - Mike McClure and his song "Outlaw's Prayer" - www.compadrerecords.com / (Compadre, a Texas label known for only releasing quality stuff, has hit the jackpot with two previous compilation discs, Brewed in Texas and Texas Road Trip. This is the third in the series, and features artists like Cory Morrow, Pat Green, Jack Ingram, Billy Joe Shaver and Willie Nelson. Mike McClure's song is the best of 'em...)

James LeBlanc -Muscle Shoals City Limits -She's Out There; I Remember - www.muscleshoalsrecords.com / (he spent years working onstage at the casinos outside of his hometown of Shrevesport, Louisiana...then co-wrote a tune called "Modern Day Bonnie and Clyde" - now he's in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, the cradle of soul music; and this tune reflects his style. It's not yet available commercially - just another one of the unique tracks you hear on the Bear...)

The Derailers - Genuine - Alone With You; Genuine - www.derailers.com / (keeping the Bakersfield sound alive, Tony Villanueva and Brian Hofeldt have released a terrific collection of tunes they wrote [9 of the 12 on the disc] or feel very close to [the Buck Owens track "The Happy-Go-Lucky Guitar".] Required listening...)

The Be Good Tanyas - Chinatown - It's Not Happening - www.begoodtanyas.com / (trio from British Columbia, Canada scores with this, their second album. Great Townes Van Zandt cover - "Waitin' to Die"...)

Marty Raybon - Full Circle - Summertown Road - www.martyraybon.com / (lead singer for Shenandoah until '99, Marty has one of the most identifiable voices in country music. This is a return to his first love, bluegrass...)

Clay Dubose - Rewriting History - This Ain't Funny Anymore; It Don't Get Any Better Than That - www.claydubose.com / (an Army brat, born in Europe, lives all over the world and then settles in Texas at the height of Willie/Waylon mania. Of course he became a country singer/songwriter! This is Clay's first album, and his upbeat melodies and creative wordplay make it a winner...)

Jayhawks - Rainy Day Music - Save it for A Rainy Day; Tailspin - www.americanrecordings.com/jayhawks / (their album "Hollywood Town Hall"  stands as one of the greatest alt-country discs ever; eighteen years later, they're still creating music you have to listen to...)

Jeff Black - B-Sides and Confessions, Volume 1 - Same Old River; To Be With You - www.jeffblack.com / confessions, yes, but b-sides? no way! These are top-shelf snapshots of everyday life, pictures we can all relate to...) 

Monty and the Pythons - Real Thing - I Can't Get Over You; Boys of '44 - www.montyandthepythons.com / (these guys are vets, a lot like the old Tractors were, and they're just as good, too. This song is an old one by Lefty Frizzell, but the album also includes some great originals...)

The Ranchhands - The Ranchhands - Everybody Says; All the Wrong Places  - www.theranchhands.com /(two guys from the New York metro area(!) with a real feel for honky tonk country. Real big in Europe, just released here...) 

Houston Marchman - Desperate Man - $2 Pistol; Desperate Man - www.houstonmarchman.com / (a veteran finally ready to break out of his Texas cult status, Marchman is similar to Robert Earl Keen in his straightforward songwriting, and has the added benefit of a terrific vocal style. Every song on this disc is a winner...)

Chris Wall - Just Another Place - Hank Williams' Cadillac - www.chriswallmusic.com / (he lives in a one-bar town in Montana, and will not compromise his musical vision. That's why Chris Wall has turned down inummerable offers to move to Nashville, to work for a publishing compnay, to record for a major label. This disc is available only from Chris; recorded the way he wanted and released on his own label, and on his own timetable (it took six years!). And it is great...)

Burrito Deluxe - Georgia Peach - Call it Love - www.burritodeluxe.com / (a look back at the career of unsung steel guitarist Sneaky Pete Kleinow, now pushing 70. Sneak has been a part of just about every country-rock, alt-country, western beat group since the beginning of the Byrds in the early '60's. Best known for his work with the Flying Burrito Brothers, Kleinow has gathered various members of that group to take a mostly acoustic look back at his career. This music is well worth your time...)

Jackie Greene - Gone Wanderin' - Gone Wanderin' - www.digmusiccd.com / (I've been asked, "Hey, when did you guys start playing Dylan?" We haven't - but the comparison is unmistakable. Jackie Greene was discovered playing at a bar in Sacramento, California. To quote from his first-ever newspaper review: "I saw Greene play acoustic and electric guitar, harmonica and piano, and with each instrument he is completely and utterly comfortable, like his worn jeans or ruffled porkpie hat...But the crown of creation that rests on this talented young man's head is his exceptional songwriting...The only complaint I had (about) the weekend performances were that they ended." Oh, and did I mention that Jackie Greene is barely 21?) 

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band - Will the Circle Be Unbroken, Volume III - Some Dark Holler w/ Dwight Yoakam - www.capitolnashville.com / (I can't believe it's been 30 years since the first "Circle"'; immature and very young at the time, I sneered at what I viewed as "hillbilly music". Now, older but not necessarily any more mature, I can appreciate what the Dirt Band has accomplished in trying to create an oral history of country music with some of its'  original practitioners...)

Ronnie Bowman - Starting Over - Rise Above - www.sugarhillrecords.com / (third solo disc from the former lead singer and bassist for the Lonesome River Band is a love letter to his wife, Garnet...)

Cheryl Wheeler - Different Stripe - Gandhi/Buddha -www.cherylwheeler.com / (she has been flying under the radar of most people in the business for years, but this ultra-talented singer-songwriter deserves everybody's attention. She has released seven albums in the last twenty years, and this "best-of" disc is the cream of the crop. Two new songs are included; Gandhi/Buddha is one of them. If you love music that touches your emotions, buy this disc...)

Kid Rock and Allison Moorer - Picture - www.universalsouth.com / (the Kid's pop sales have gone down, so why not follow his muse and record a country tune? And you can't go wrong when you get Allison to sing with you. Now, if he'd just dump that dishrag Pamela Anderson, I might take him seriously...)

Vince Leggett - The Bottom Line - The Bottom Line / www.vinceleggett.com / (fine first effort from a singer-songwriter with a ton of potential. This song has a lyric line I particularly like - "I'm just tryin' to keep a distance between the good book - and the bottom line...")

Big John Mills and the Texas Road Dawgs - Honky-Tonks & Neon Lights - Jim Beam & Jack Daniels (Wrote my Favorite Songs); Today Ain't Your Day / www.bigjohnmills.com / (big guy, big voice - and the kind of country music you can't hear on the radio anymore - terrific first album!)

Walt Wilkins - Rivertown - One of Those Moments; Hey, Tomorrow / www.westernbeat.com / (he writes lyrics that tell stories that we can all relate to - and surrounds them with rhythms that compel you to listen. One of the best albums of 2002...) 

Alison Krauss + Union Station - Live - Baby, Now That I Found You / New Favorite / www.alisonkrauss.com / (is there a better instrumental group on the planet? I think not, and this album proves it. Recorded in Louisville, Alison and company have never sounded better....) 

John Christopher Knight - Way Down Inside - Don't Listen / www.johnchristopherknight.com / (quick - go to the website and read the story of why this record exists - wow! Even without the added true-life angst, this is striking music that makes you feel dirt between your toes. Knight is a new millenium Woody Guthrie.....)

Chip Taylor and Carrie Rodriguez - Let's Leave This Town - Sweet Tequila Blues / www.trainwreckrecords.com (one of the most amazing songwriters to ever pick up a pencil, Chip Taylor is finally receiving some of the acclaim he has deserved for a long time. Chip has written some of the most enduring songs of the last forty years, including "Angel of the Morning", "Wild Thing" and "Try (Just a Little Harder)". This new album features Chip's knowing voice and great writing, plus the debut of Carrie Rodriguez, a Berklee College of Music grad who is one hell of a fiddler and singer) 

Billy Joe Shaver - Freedom's Child - Freedom's Child / www.billyjoeshaver.com (he's one of the last of the original "outlaws" - he wrote "Honky Tonk Heroes", "Live Forever", "Georgia on a Fast Train".....and few country fans have heard of him. This is the kind of artist that the Bear is proud to expose - he writes incredibly real songs, and you know he's lived every bit of them....)

Sean Hogan - Ruled By Mercury - Sure Fire Love; Angeline; Ruled by Mercury; I'd Rather Have You / www.canadianrootsrock.com (we get lots of e-mails from singer-songwriters...most of the stuff they send us is a waste of plastic. But this disc is sensational - the best set of songs I've heard in six months! Expect to hear a lot more from this Canadian import!!!)

Cross Canadian Ragweed - Purple - Brooklyn Kid; 17; Constantly / www.crosscanadianragweed.com (a terrific Panhandle band that can't be easily catagorized - are they country? rock? - who cares when the songs are this good!)

Chuck Pyle - Affected By the Moon - Affected By the Moon/ www.chuckpyle.com (he's into zen...he writes poetry, then adds acoustic instrumentation. The result is riveting....)

Pinmonkey - Pinmonkey - I Drove All Night; Falling Out of Love With Me / www.pinmonkey.net (young band that impressed with their independent album (see below) now has a major label release - good stuff....

Kieran Kane - Shadows on the Ground - Better When You Take it Slow / www.deadreckoners.com (another gem from one of my favorites, who honored us by appearing at Bear Bash 10, Labor Day weekend, 2003)

Stan Martin - cigarettes and cheap whiskey - (Walking on) The Wild Side of Life / www.stanmartin.net (wonderful first disc out of nowhere - Martin is a longtime New England resident who gets a tone out of his guitar that is unique - great songwriting, great singing, great band...this disc is (you'll pardon the redundancy) great!) 

Dale Watson - Live in London...England! - Nashville Rash / www.dalewatson.com (country's reigning honky-tonker knows what's wrong with today's music - "the songs we heard in the '70's is the same as the country s- - t today" - and he believes it)

Kerri Powers - You, Me and A Redhead -Battle Row / www.kerripowers.com (she writes smart, tough little songs that focus on relationships; lovers lost and found - and she's from New England! She was at Bear Bash 10, too...)

Buddy Miller - Midnight and Lonesome - Water When the Well is Dry / www.hightone.com (how is it possible that this guy can do such consistent work? Great guitarist, married to Julie (who guests on back-up vocals here), he just gets better and better)

Ryan Adams - Demolition - Hallelujah / www.ryan-adams.com (he's amazing - after his terrific work with Whiskeytown (r.i.p), I was underwhelmed with his first solo disc. Since then, he's released Gold (mentioned below), and now this collection of tracks from the five other projects he's been working on! He can do just about anything - and he's only 27.....)

Rex Hobart and the Misery Boys - Your Favorite Fool - Your Favorite Fool / www.bloodshotrecords.com (it's about time we get back to what made country music great - songs about drinkin', cheatin' and lyin' - and this disc is full of them)

Alison Moorer - Miss Fortune - Let Go; Up This High; Tumblin' Down / www.alisonmoorer.com(let me put it this way - if the angels I believe in could sing, they would sound like this. Absolutely sensational vocals, great songs, wonderful musicianship - you have to own this disc!)

Aaron Watson - shutupanddance - I Don't Want You to Go (But I Need You To Leave) / www.aaronwatson.com (yet another new, young Texas artist - must be something in the water!)

Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash - Distance Between - 1970 Coupe DeVille; Distance Between; Burn Down / www.bsojc.com (the boys are back....this is one of the most impressive new bands I've heard in a long time - we'll be playing this disc for a loooooong time!!!)

Delbert McClinton - Room to Breathe - Same Kind of Crazy; Everything I Know About the Blues; Don't Want to Love You / www.delbert.com (the king of roadhouse blues and boogie returns with another spectacular album that reinforces his position as the greatest uncategorizable [is he country? rock? rhythm & blues?] artist working today. Understand, this is the guy who taught John Lennon how to play harmonica so the Beatles could record "Love Me Do" - he's been around for all of it, from Elvis and Jerry Lee to today's pop tarts, yet he sounds better than ever!!!)

Peter Wolf - Sleepless - Growin' Pain / www.peterwolf.com (yeah, i know he's more known as the leader of the J. Geils Band; but freakin' Gram Parsons recorded one of his songs! This disc (and especially this song) is very country-flavored - there's even a duet with Steve Earle - update: this album was named one of the 500 best ever made in the December, 2003 edition of "Rolling Stone" magazine...)

Jubal Foster - Jubal Foster - Reason to Cry; The Girl I Used to Know;  Stranger Things Have Happened / www.westernbeat.com (think Pinmonkey sounds great - you should hear these guys!)

Jill Block - Tang the Hump - Don't Pity Me / www.westernbeat.com (great singer - great songs)

Steve Earle - Jerusalem - Shadowland; Jerusalem / www.steveearle.com (it's a very political piece of work, including "John Walker's Blues"...I love his music!)

Kim Richey- Rise - This Love / www.kimrichey.com (she sounds a lot tougher than she ever has on this new single; the critics are raving about the album...)

Nickel Creek - This Side - This Side / www.nickelcreek.com (they call the new album "experimental" - and, boy, is it ever...hard to believe these three are under 23 years old...)

Kelly Willis - Easy - If I Left You / www.kellywillis.com (her most satisfying album yet...)

Kevin Fowler - High on the Hog - She Ain't Bad, But She Ain't You; There's a Fool Born Everyday / www.kevinfowler.com (believe it or not, he used to be a punk rocker - we're lucky he saw the error of his ways!) 

Radney Foster - Another Way To Go - Everyday Angel; Sweet Old World / www.purespunk.com (one of the best of the songs inspired by 9-11; Radney's latest album is more country-fied than the last one...) 

Kevin Welch - Millionaire - Killing Myself; Millionaire; Glorious Bounties / www.kevinwelch.com (always unique, Kevin recorded this disc with some musicians he met in Denmark - they bring an entirely different flavor to Kevin's songs...) 

Kathy Mattea - Roses - They Are the Roses / www.kathymattea.com (she's dropped out of the Nashville atmosphere and moved to softer, and to my ears, more satisfying music) 

Roger Wallace - The Lowdown - What Did I Do (The Teardrop Song) / www.rogerwallace.com (one of the best of the Texas exports - he's real "down-home" country...)

Billy Don Burns - Train Called Lonesome - Lonesome 77203 / www.billydonburns.com / (he's worked with some of the best, including Hank Cochran, but his star has always stayed only partially lit because of his bouts with substance abuse...finally clean, this disc is a revelation...) 

Hayes Carll - Flowers and Liquor - Live Free or Die / www.HayesCarll.com 

Mike McClure (leader of The Great Divide) - Twelve Pieces - Hotel Band; In My Ears; Haunt Me No More / www.mikemccluremusic.com

The Domino Kings - The Back of Your Mind - The Back of Your Mind; In Case You Didn't Know / www.slewfootrecords.com

Patty Griffin - 1000 Kisses - Long Ride Home / www.pattygriffin.com

Heather Myles - Sweet Talk and Good Lies - Nashville's Gone Hollywood / Big Cars www.heathermyles.com

Cooder Graw - Shifting Gears - Better Days / www.coodergraw.com 

Merle Haggard - The Peer Sessions - If It's Wrong to Love You / www.kochentertainment.com

Trader-Price - Trader-Price - Texas Girl; One Reason to Stay /  www.trader-price.com / www.rodeoex.com 

Jenai - Cool Me Down - Be A Woman / www.jenaionline.com

Jack Ingram - Electric - Fool; One Thing / www.jackingram.net

Flatlanders- Now Again - Now it's Now Again; Wavin' My Heart Goodbye; Going Away / www.newwestrecords.com

Cory Morrow and Pat Green- Songs We Wish We'd Written - Are You Sure Hank Really Done it This Way?; Stuck in the Middle With You / www.patandcory.com

Pat Green - Three Days - Carry On; Three Days / www.patgreen.com

Kacey Jones - Never Wear Panties to a Party - I Thought He Was Mr. Right, But He Left / www.KaceyJones.com

Cory Morrow - Outside the Lines - Straight to Hell / www.corymorrow.com 

Rodney Hayden - The Real Thing - Black Rose; The Real Thing / www.rodneyhayden.com

Lonesome Bob - Things Change - Heather's All Bummed Out; I Get Smarter Every Drink / www.lonesomebob.com 

Wade Bowen & West 84 - ...Try Not to Listen - Things I Could Do / www.wadebowen.com

Django Walker - Down the Road - Texas Blacktop Highway; The Road You Choose / www.djangowalker.com

Star Room Boys - This World Just Won't Leave You Alone - I'll Play Angel; White Lies, Blue Tears / www.slewfootrecords.com 

Owen Temple - Right Here and Now - Accidentially Break My Heart; No Daring is Fatal / www.owentemple.com

James Talley - Touchstones - Tryin' Like the Devil / www.jamestalley.com

Mike Ireland & Holler - Welcome Back / www.ashmontrecords.com

Twangbangers - Live - Truck Drivin'  Man; Rock Bottom / www.hightone.com

Hal Ketchum - Lucky Man - Dreams of Martina; She's Still in Dallas / www.halketchum.com

Tribute to ZZ Top -Dwight Yoakam - I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide / www.tribute2zz.com

Leslie Satcher - Love Letters - Slow Way Home / www.lesliesatcher.com

Buddy and Julie Miller - Keep Your Distance; That's Just How She Cries / www.hightone.com

Sonny Burgess - When in Texas - It Must Have Been Something I Said / www.sonnyburgess.com

Danni Leigh - Divide and Conquer - Somebody Oughta Do Something / www.dannileigh.com

Jeffrey Steele - Something in the Water - The Whole Idea; Something in the Water/ www.jeffreysteele.net

Hank Williams III - Lovesick, Broke and Driftin' - Mississippi Mud ; 7 Months, 39 Days / www.hankthree.com

Tribute to Webb Pierce - Robbie Fulks and Joy Lynn White: Tupelo County Jail / www.kochentertainment.com

Bruce Robison - Country Sunshine - What Would Willie Do?; Can't Get There From Here / www.brucerobison.com

Delbert McClinton - Nothing Personal - When Rita Leaves; Don't Leave Home Without It; Squeeze Me In / www.delbert.com 

Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash - Walk Alone - Texas Sun; 440 Horses; Trains Gonna Roll; Nowhere Town / www.bsojc.com 

Charlie Robison - Step Right In - I Want You Bad; It Comes to Me Naturally / www.charlierobison.com 

Kasey Chambers - Barricades and Brickwalls - Not Pretty Enough; If I Were You; On A Bad Day/ www.kaseychambers.com

Irene Kelly - Simple Plan - It Wasn't Me; Not So Different After All / www.irenekelly.com 

The Derailers - Here Come the Derailers - More of Your Love; Bar Exam; I See My Baby / www.derailers.com 

The Great Divide - Afterglow - Days Go; Out of Here Tonight; Wild Horses / www.thegreatdivide.com 

The Domino Kings - Life + 20 - Will He Be / www.slewfootrecords.com 

Bill Kirchen - Tied to the Wheel - Roll, Truck, Roll; Hillbilly Trucker / www.hightone.com 

Greg Trooper - Straight Down Rain  - Nothin' But You; Real Like That / www.gregtrooper.com 

Lee Roy Parnell - Tell the Truth - Right Where it Hurts; Love's Been Rough on Me / www.leeroyparnell.com 

Trent Summar and the New Road Mob - New Money / www.trentsummar.com

Rodney Crowell - The Houston Kid - Telephone Road; I Walk the Line (Revisited) www.rodneycrowell.com 

Chris Knight - A Pretty Good Guy - Becky's Bible; Highway Junkie; Send A Boat; Oil Patch Town / www.chrisknight.net

Dallas Wayne - Here I Am in Dallas - Bouncin' Beer Cans Off the Jukebox;  Here I Am in Dallas; I Hit the Road (and the Road Hit Back) /  www.hightone.com

Ignitors - Speedway Sounds - Hollow Moon / www.haydensferry.com

Ryan Adams - Gold - New York, New York; Stars Go Blue; Firecracker; Answering Bell / www.ryan-adams.com

Tift Merritt - Bramble Rose - Virginia, No One Can Warn You / www.losthighway.com

Hadacol - All in Your Head - Another Day / www.slewfootrecords.com

Mike Blakely - In The Dust - In the Dust / www.mikeblakely.com

Kevin Fowler - Beer, Bait and Ammo - If These Old Walls Could Talk; Speak of the Devil; Read Between the Lines; Beer, Bait and Ammo / www.kevinfowler.com

Radney Foster - Are You Ready For the Big Show? - Texas in 1880; Trouble / www.purespunk.com

Alison Krauss and Union Station - New Favorite - Let Me Touch You For a While; The Lucky One / www.rounder.com

Deryl Dodd - Pearl Snaps - Where the River Flows; Pearl Snaps; Cows /www.sonynashville.com

Jeff Orrin - Just Me - The You in Me / www.jefforrin.com

Charlene Carole - Fine On My Own - Where Do I Go From Here? / www.charlenecarole.com

John Sines, Jr. - (self-titled) - All She Left Was Alone; Black #3 /www.johnsinesjr.com

Yeah, I know Turner's a nut - but he did build an independent media empire, and he opines about the way big government and big media now have too chummy a relationship...I found it fascinating, especially coming from a guy who could afford to just sit back and contemplate his navel for the next thirty years...

+

So horrormeister Stephen King has a pop-culture column in "Entertainment Weekly", and in the 4/23/04 edition, he raves about the music he's hearing on XM Satellite Radio, especially one channel called "X Country"...artists like The Flatlanders, BR5-49 and Graham Parker ...Stephen also reveals that he owns a "classic rock" station in Bangor, Maine, but that you can only listen to Aerosmith so many times before you yearn to hear something else...

Now, am I just an idiot (don't answer that!), or does something not add up...Stephen King OWNS A RADIO STATION, yet he has to pay a monthly fee to hear the music he likes? Uhhhh, Steve - WHY DON'T YOU CHANGE THE FORMAT OF YOUR STATION?

No, here's the reason why - because commercial radio stations have pigeonholed the wonderful music released independently by the artists themselves or on independent record labels as "unpromotable." Radio stations don't believe in playing the best music anymore - they're too busy collecting payola (in the form of trips or concert tickets or "promotional fees") from the major record companies to bother with challenging their listeners...and THAT'S the reason WQBR/BearCountry is the ONLY COMMERCIAL RADIO STATION IN PENNSYLVANIA that plays Americana music (including all of Stephen's favorites above) on a regular basis...if you are a listener who wants more than the lowest common denominator out of a radio station -