Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives (from the album Altitude available on Superlative Creative Group, LLC/Snakefarm Records) (by Lee Zimmerman)

With five decades devoted to defining Country music for a modern era, Marty Stuart can easily draw on his early efforts playing behind Lester Flatt and Johnny Cash when it comes to his role furthering the progression of quintessential American music. His five Grammys, induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame and an AMA Lifetime Achievement Award attest to his status as a highly revered artist.  
 
Over the years, Stuart has earned specific distinction as a singer, songwriter, and bandleader who’s fully in sync with today’s current crop of Americana musicians. That said, it’s been more than six years since his last release, 2017’s Way Out West, an album that brought him renewed recognition. His recent release, Altitude, however, draws on a connection to Cosmic Country, as inspired by Marty Stuart and His Superlatives’ supporting role as the backing band for the 2018 tour that celebrated the 50-year anniversary of the immensely influential album Sweetheart of the Rodeo. Playing alongside two original Byrds, Roger McGuinn and Chris Hillman, Marty helped bring the past into the present while gleaning his own inspiration in the process.
 
The lingering effects of that music are not only evident here, but generally pervasive as well. The three-part “Lost Byrd Space Train” makes that connection clear, as does several of the titles that appear directly tied to his Byrdsian bond. The autobiographical rocker “Country Star” updates “So You Want to Be a Rock ’n' Roll Star”, albeit with a Nashville nuance. Likewise, “Sitting Alone” replicates McGuinn’s trademark12-string while the driving “A Friend of Mine” references the name of an early Byrds classic, “He Was a Friend of Mine”. “Space” recalls the Byrds’ raga Rock Psychedelic era in more than name alone. An even more explicit connection comes with “Vegas”, a rousing sequel of sorts to latter-day Byrd Gram Parson’s signature song “Ooh Las Vegas” that actually quotes the title in the chorus. 

Nevertheless, the combination of down-home picking and pedal steel doesn’t begin in earnest until six songs in, courtesy of the infectious title track. However, another Psychedelic sojourn, “The Sun Is Quietly Sleeping”, along with the steady stomp of “Nightriding” and the raucous Rocker decidedly dubbed “Tomahawk” put any trace of down-home designs on a proverbial back burner. (by Lee Zimmerman)

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Leftover Salmon (from the album Grass Roots available on Leftover Salmon/Compass Records) (by Bryant Liggett)
Leftover Salmon have explored multiple genres of music over there 30-plus year career. Godfathers of the JamGrass scene, they’ve dipped into Bluegrass, Americana, Roots, Folk, and Funk without ever being labeled solely with one style, instead using them all as exploratory avenues. Leftover Salmon have also remained a stellar live act, and their latest in Grass Roots reflects that live sound both in song selection and energy, an album tipping its hat to songs that have crept into the band’s setlists. The tribute is done oh-so well.
There’s a Country bounce in The Delmore Brothers’ “Blue Railroad Train” while “Riding on the L&N” is a Bluegrass cut delivered fast and furious. Bob Dylan’s “Simple Twist of Fate” is covered somber and straight, there’s a Little Feat inspired Roots-Funk in Link Wray’s “Fire & Brimstone” and David Bromberg’s “New Lee Highway Blues” leans fiddle heavy.
Always unafraid to take their own liberties, they turn the Grateful Dead’s “Black Peter” into a train rhythmed NuGrass cut. Leftover Salmon is a stacked band of instrumentalists, Surrounding themselves with equally proficient players. Grass Roots is no different, welcoming Billy Strings, Oliver Wood, and Darol Anger to add sweet touches. Without guests, Leftover Salmon are a powerhouse, the younger Andy Thorn and Jay Starling slaying banjo and dobro, while the rhythm section of Alwyn Robinson and Greg Garrison are major support to the tenured Drew Emmitt and Vince Herman. Grass Roots just proof that you’re as good as the company you keep. Like these songs, they’re all aging with grace and goodness.  (by Bryant Liggett)
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The Tallest Man On Earth (from the album Henry St. available on Gardener Songs/Anti-) (by Lee Zimmerman)
 
To date, Sweden’s Kristian Matsson has produced nine albums under the banner of The Tallest Man on Earth, and in the process, he’s established a branding for a sound that’s both irresistible and intriguing by the same measure. While his muse is mostly his own, his new album, Henry St., finds him working with a musical ensemble fully capable of supporting his aims and ambitions. That collective currently consists of producer Nick Sunburn, guitarist, ukulele, and lap steel player Ryan Gustafson, drummer TJ Maiani, Adam Schatz on sax, keyboardist Phil Cook, Bon Iver’s CJ Camerieri on trumpet and French horn, and Bon Iver’s Rob Moose arranging the strings.
 
Nevertheless, despite the additional accompaniment, Henry St. retains the classic calm and sedate settings Matsson’s earlier albums all achieved. The enhanced arrangements add interest, but never overpower the proceedings to any great degree.
 
As a result, songs such as “Bless You” and “Looking for Love” share a generally peaceful vibe, a mindset well in keeping with the album overall. The gentle lilt of “Slowly Rivers Turn”, the mellow mood of “Goodbye”, the sedate sentiments of “New Religion”, and the inviting title track itself all affirm Matsson’s contemplative approach.  It allows Matsson to fully vet his mediative mindset in ways that effectively underscore his immediate intent. While he makes it a point to muse on topics that are both personal and profound, The Tallest Man On Earth also manages to lure his listeners through a quiet caress while effectively enhancing the appeal.
 
Although Henry St. may be too subtle and subdued as far as making any inroads into the musical mainstream, there’s an obvious allure that’s all but impossible to ignore. Granted, Matsson may refer to himself as The Tallest Man On Earth, but he creates a sound that’s rarely out of reach. (by Lee Zimmerman)
 
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Aloud (from Apollo 6 available on Lemon Merchant Records) (by Lee Zimmerman)
 
Like many artists and ensembles, the pandemic put the brakes on the L.A.-based outfit Aloud. It was particularly discouraging considering the fact it came on the heels of 2020's Sprezzatura, an ambitious effort that channeled the classic Muscles Shoals sound. Happily, though, the two people at the helm — Jen de la Osa and Henry Beguiristain — made good use of the time spent in lockdown and utilized various home studios to obtain the sound they were striving for.
 
As a result, their new album, Apollo 6 comes across as a decidedly intriguing effort, a veritable smorgasbord of psychedelic sounds, heavy duty hooks, and relentless Rock’n’Roll, all tempered by an imaginative array of tones and textures.

It’s a decidedly bold effort to be sure, and the opening track “Somewhere to Be” makes that quite clear. It, like the rest of the set, makes a most emphatic impression. There’s messaging with the music, given that Beguiristain and de la Osa consistently convey their views on topics that range from the need for daily meditation, to the downside of social media, and ways to cope with the fact that division and desperation have become the way of the world. These are troubling times after all, but as their handle suggests, Aloud is clearly ready to make themselves heard. Theirs is an emphatic sound that commands immediate attention. To that end, they make a big noise, expressed by intuitive arrangements and steady, insistent rhythms that propel the proceedings accordingly.
 
“Meditation for the Homebound”, “Big Blue”, “Stranger in the Alps”, “The Comeback Kid” serve as the best examples, although here are a handful of songs that veer from an otherwise turbulent template. “Morning Moon” starts off at a subdued pace until it too morphs into a solid stomp. Closing track “Stone Ape” is as odd as the name implies, further proof that Aloud is unafraid of expressing their originality.
 
Post-pandemic Aloud continues to soar. Apollo 6 provides a perfect lift-off.
(by Lee Zimmerman)
 
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Nicholas Jamerson (from the album Peace Mountain available on The Bingo Shack Records) (by Bryant Liggett)
Peace Mountain is a record that plays out like an audio documentary. With just enough short, verbal blasts giving the listener some history on person and place, Nicholas Jamerson’s latest is a dose of Southern Gothic Americana. A visual caption, and stream of conscious story, that’s part rocking chair tale and part front porch picking party. Peace Mountain is mellow and melancholic, tasty, touching, and trippy.
There’s a seven-minute admission, dubbed “Intro”, that kicks off the record before giving way to the Indie-Gospel of “Bad Imagination” and the quiet “Billy Graham Parkway”, the latter a heavy look at place and loyalty as Jamerson notices ‘the reason we die for that flag in the sky keeps getting further away’. It sure does. “Lexington” is a bit of Country and Bluegrass while “Wild Nights, Weird Mornings Intro” plays like a loose demo before making way for the full track of “Wild Nights, Weird Mornings”, an early morning, hazy memories story. With just enough weirdness to add to those ‘wild nights, weird mornings’ where Jamerson laments ‘I don’t know If I’m ever doing this again’. The track is a song of regret with narrated actions likely on repeat.
“This Ain’t Supposed to Happen in Our Town” reflects the all too common and now daily occurrence of gun violence, titled with a phrase we all say like a surprise but know its more action just around the corner. This is a heavy record; loaded, with weighty reality. Peace Mountain reads like a Southern Gothic novel soundtracked with a equal sound to mimic the words, with Nicholas Jamerson nailing the time and place visual via 16 chapters.
 
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Doug Levitt (from the album Edge of Everywhere available as a self-release) (by Bryant Liggett)
Logging 120 miles on a bus ride would be misery for some folks. Musician Doug Levitt did 1,000 times that much, travels that resulted in his debut Edge of Everywhere. It’s a solid way to see the country, a solid way to tour and a solid way to bang out a record of road Folk and Roots Gospel, a sure-fire way to get to the heart of America and write an Americana record. The result is a genuine vision of the USA.
Doug Levitt’s lets you know how he’s feeling with no fear, opening Edge of Everywhere with the claim that he ‘woke up on the wrong side of myself’ in “Cold Comfort”. It begins the cycle of dumping out feelings for all to dig into. There’s a Folky Blues feel with a hint of Gospel in “L.A. River” and that salvation vibe rolls across “40 West” as Leavitt recalls a jaunt with the military to see more of this world. “Run it All Back” has a Leonard Cohen vibe, “Disaster Can Wait” is a closing time, last call cut, and “Turn Myself In” is a rich and vivid tale of making a fast buck.
Edge of Everywhere is a storyteller’s album, and Doug Levitt tells a tale with a wealth of diverse experience. He’s a military person or criminal, a country criss-crosser and broken-down parent, plus he’s put the everyday experience of the aforementioned into song. With little dash and no need for bells and whistles, Doug Levitt gives us real perspective via real music. (by Bryant Liggett)
 
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Parker Millsap (from the album Wilderness Within You available on Okrahoma Records/Thirty Tigers) (by Bryant Liggett
Parker Millsap has a cool, Indie Rock Folk thing going in his music. He’s a dude digging into a lot, playing Blues and singer-songwriter Folk, all in a singular package that is doing its own thing. His latest release in, Wilderness Within You, is a concise package of the aforementioned styles, a collection of vast influences with Millsap claiming each as his own. It is killer record.
He dips into dreamy Psych-Folk in album opener “By and By” before laying down gentle and totally catchy Folk for “Finding Out”, a cut whose beauty lies in its overall simplicity.  He dips into some plucky Blues in “Front Porchin’ ’” which is an anthemic score for any front porch hang as he sings ‘I got a marijuana cigarette, and a can of beer’. The front porch is sometimes where the real party is at.
“Keeping the Love Alive” is beautiful and dramatic, “Running On Time” has wonderful picking, “So Far Apart” is wonderful in its weird and catchy pulse, and the closer goes straight to the heart of Americana, with Gillian Welch guesting on “Wilderness Within You”. Oklahoma’s always had cool musical things happening, and Millsap live right up to its cool, under the radar indie reputation. Blues, subtle twang and casual Pop is all on the menu on his latest. (by Bryant Liggett)
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Robert Ellis (from the album Yesterday’s News available on Niles City Records) (by Danny McCloskey)
Robert Ellis polishes his songs with a subtle simplicity for the delivery of Yesterday’s News, his recent release. Album opener “Gene” is intimate, the listener overhearing a deep personal conversation. Robert Ellis’ voice is strong, driven by a whisper and propelled with the passion of a true believer. Yesterday’s News is a sonic sibling to a previous release from Robert, The Lights from the Chemical Plant (2014). Both albums musically soundtrack an acoustic instrumentation that features Jazz chords and bass lines accented with guitar work that blends Blues, Latin, and late-night Jazz wandering riffs. The title track is a reverie while Yesterday’s News steps lightly over a tangle of notes in “Out of the Woods”, urges “Wait” on a mournful melody, and follows a dreamlike tinkle of chimes that wrap advice in a lullaby in “Close Your Eyes”.
 
Not needing a RIYL like claim with for Robert Ellis’ branded musicality, Yesterday’s News, nonetheless, has an equal in Joni Mitchell’s album Blue. Both present songs as studies in mood and emotion, the playing sparse, the few instruments providing a sound that engulfs without overwhelming, becoming one with the story line to raise the quiet power of its tracks. World weary strums trudge into “Better Tomorrow” as Robert Ellis seeks escape from troubles in sleep while notes sparkle on a dark swirl highway song for “On the Run”. (by Danny McCloskey)
 
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Samantha Fish and Jesse Dayton (from the album Death Wish Blues available on Rounder Records)  (by Danny McCloskey)
The first signal received is a mighty beat of “Deathwise” strutting into Death Wish Blues on gnarly groove. The album is the recent co-release from Samantha Fish and Jesse Dayton. Both artists bring the best of their individual solo work into Death Wish Blues, Samantha Fish packing her renowned Blues powerhouse prowess as Jesse Dayton plugs in and plays fire-breathing guitar licks. The vocals are shared when “Down in the Mud” looks for love while a solid OG Soul backbeat builds a frame for “Trauma” as “Riders” bids ‘good morning New York City’ when the tour bus takes Samantha Fish and Jesse Dayton to your town with a road song.
Produced by Jon Spencer (Jon Spencer’s Blues Explosion), the visions of the artists and the man behind the board synched perfectly. The musical source is Blues however the sonics of Death Wish Blues incorporate Rock’n’Roll, Soul, Country, and Punk while Samantha Fish and Jesse Dayton add a ‘smooth swagger’, one that they use to issue a warning in “Dangerous People”. The rhythms rotate around “Rippin’ and Runnin” as Death Wish Blues makes “No Apology” on a Rock’n’Roll rhythm and fills the dance floor with the super groove of “Supadupabad” as Samantha Fish and Jesse Dayton ride a metronome tick across “Settle for Less” and cruise the heavy current of “Flooded Love” on a thick groove. (by Danny McCloskey)
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Brad Byrd (from the album The Bright Lights Fade Away available on Elusive Tiger Entertainment) (by Bryant Liggett)
Brad Byrd kicks his latest record off by owning up to his imperfections. Found on his latest release, The Bright Lights Fade Away, the line ‘No, I’m not the perfect man’ from album opener “Go” sets a somber honest tone. That description wraps around as Brad Byrd as he voices admissions and reveals emotions.
A driving harmonica pushes “I Don’t Know (What to Believe In)” where Byrd questions faith after making the smart claim of ‘your god is dead’. You realize, two songs in, that Brad Byrd isn’t afraid of opening up and questioning those around. He sings of pain in “I Walk the Same Line As You”,  non-stop life changes in “No One Knows”, and drops a sad, ambient, airy cut in the hushed “State Line”.
The thumping “The Bright Lights (Fade Away)” is an ambient road cut with a subtle charge, and album closer, “Your Love”, sings of the kind of love that never seems to go away. Lyrically, this is a record that plays like the journal of someone unafraid to bear it all. Brad Byrd is reading from his personal belief book, and he’s booked a hip, Indie Roots band to play the score. (by Bryant Liggett)
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