Matt North (from the album Bullies in the Backyard as a self-release) (by Bryant Liggett)
The pandemic was tough for everyone. But it also produced a lot of killer music. While session player and jack of all trades musician Matt North was making ends meet during quarantine working retail hardware, he was also banging out the wonderful Bullies In The Backyard, his second solo record that’s a solid collection of Indie Roots Rock, melodic as his band kicks ass, and slaying lyrically as the dude has a way with words that will make you both nod and smile, then laugh out loud the second, third and fourth time around.
The opener sounds like the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion unplugged, a solid drumbeat lifting up keys, slide guitar and punch horns as North sings about “The Last Angry Man”.
Those funny lyrics are ever present in “Hollywood Forever” as North sings about mayonnaise sandwiches and name drops a chair-throwing train wreck of a dude working as a basketball coach. 
He dips into groove in “Firing Squad,” a self-questioning cut where Matt North ponders what he should write about, “Stay on The Outside” has a lounge vibe, and “Top of The Fridge” is a fun invite for a singalong.
Matt North is both funny and clever while his band is aggressive and punchy; horn blasts are dropped in perfect places; the guitar work keeps every song moving and in control. Humor does belong in music, but it does not always have to be super silly and animated; Bullies in the Backyard scores with a balance that will keep your head nodding while you crack a sly smile.
Listen and buy the music of Matt North from Bandcamp
 
For more information, please visit the Matt North websit

Jamie McLean Band (from the album Paradise Found available on Harmonized Records)  (by Brian Rock)
 
Old school rockers Jamie McLean Band find their groove on their fifth release, Paradise Found. With a mixture of heartland Rock and power ballads, the band plays the kind of energetic and optimistic music that we’ve been missing for years.
The first track, “Gave My Life to Rock n Roll”, roars out of the gate with driving electric guitar, pounding drums, and barrelhouse piano. Recalling the 70’s bar rock sound of The Faces, they even mimic one of that band’s most memorable lyrics: ‘Stay with me. Stay till the fire’s low. You can lay with me, but I gave my life to rock’n’roll”. With a voice that evokes Chris Robinson of The Black Crowes, John Mellencamp, and just a touch of Bon Scott, Jamie McLean sings with the strut and swagger that befits the song’s title.
“This Is It” drops down a gear and adds Celtic undertones to celebrate the joy of living in the moment. “Ghost in You” has a midtempo, festival Rock feel. The band adds electric organ and soulful rhythms as McLean stretches his vocals to Steve Perry-territory to capture the jubilation of romance in “Something About Love”. ”Waiting on You” has the heartland sound of John Mellencamp. “Ransom” is a Bluesy take on Southern Rock. “Easy Rider” dives more fully into Blues soundscapes. The band drops down another gear, but still manages to sustain their energy level on the ballads, “Turn Around”, “Hotels and Cabarets”, and “Paradise Found.” The latter of which combines the feel of The Black Crowe’s “She Talks to Angels” with Led Zeppelin’s “Tangerine” to create a ballad of comfort and commitment. Realizing that the perfect life he seeks is right before him, Jamie McLean sings, ‘take a look around, lay your burden down. This could be all you’ve ever dreamed, now that paradise is found’. With songs that celebrate love and life, Paradise Found is the burst of sunshine we need after a seemingly endless dark night.  (by Brian Rock)
 
Listen and buy the music of the Jamie McLean Band from Bandcamp
 
For more information, please visit the Jamie McLean Band website
 
 
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Pretty Little Goat  (from the album Big storm available on Love is Love Island Ford Productions)  (by Bryant Liggett)
It’s all about tradition. Old time and Roots music should sound just that, old and rootsy, and Pretty Little Goat respect that tradition. A 2022 band pushing out a sound unidentifiable by time. Their latest in Big Storm hits on everything that would get filed under ‘old-time’ while also dropping a cut or two ripe for modern-roots music.
“Fishers Hornpipe” is a jig-ready reel, where the fiddle is solid in the drivers seat bucking over a bouncy rhythm, while a cut like “Big Storm”, with its plugged-in steel has an alternative country chug and a clawhammer rhythm delivered as a proper partnership.
“30 Mile Run”, with its percussive breaks is a fun hoe-down score, “Undone in Sorrow” lives right in the middle of Celtic and Bluegrass ballad, and “Running on the Beach” is an instrumental cut that’s ready for the new-grass crowd.
Beats per minute is a reason why Rock fans that follow bands unafraid to musically experiment eventually come around to the Bluegrass. “Home with the Cider” is one of those selling points, and upbeat cut with high gear tempos.  
Big Storm is a record with sounds both old and new; new as Pretty Little Goat are a 2022 festival ready band giving a history lesson for new, old-time fans, old as their lo-fi sound gives a look-back-in-time nod to the front-porch pick.  (by Bryant Liggett)
Listen and buy the music of Pretty Little Goat from their website
 
For more information, please visit the Pretty Little Goat website

Jason Erie (from the album Tiny Fires available on Wirebird Records/Erie St. Music)  (by Bryant Liggett)
Our world is far from perfect, and neither is Jason Erie and that’s something he’s not afraid to let us know. Pointing out personal and national public flaws with meaning and melodies, the New Jersey born, Nashville residing singer-songwriter uses a keen eye and descriptive language with references to the everyday, from items to ideas to call out those foibles. That use of language makes Tiny Fires a fun and tough listen, a record loaded with Erie created scenarios of harm, subtle hilarity and aha moments.
Amidst the fun Rock’n’Roll saxophone solo Jason Erie rattles off stream of conscious thoughts, calling out god for shopping on Amazon on the opener “Amazon”; a fun kick-off to Tiny Fires while reminding that no human nor being is above easy consumerism. Tiny Fires then drops the heavy ballad “Bathtub”, pondering death with breakfast as he’s ‘making his toast at the edge of the bathtub’.
Jason Erie is really all about knocking you down and picking you right back up with the heavy story, as he does on “Meadowlands Fair”. It’s a stripped-down narrative referencing most items you’ll find at every carnival stretched from East to West, from beat Gravitron rides to tough funnel cakes and side-show oddities.
Erie is a suburban Springsteen for 2022, dropping references to ‘America the ugly” in the title track. This is protest music without giving protest commands, instead using language that calls out issues that hopefully influences us all to make the best of a mess.
 
Listen and buy the music of Jason Erie from his website
 
For more information, please visit the Jason Erie website

Beth Hart (from A Tribute to Led Zeppelin on Provologue) (by Lee Zimmerman)
 
You have to credit Blues-belter Beth Hart with truth in advertising. A Tribute to Led Zeppelin is all it promises, down to every riff and wail delivered by the original foursome. While it’s hardly surprising that Hart, a woman known for her own assured sound, would choose to emulate/imitate the Zep, one does have to wonder what she hoped to accomplish by offering these note-by-note re-dos of such familiar fare.
 
Another take on “Stairway to Heaven?” Really?
 
Of course, Plant, Page, Bonham, and Jones have provided ongoing inspiration to any number of artists over the decade. They helped establish the template for what we now refer to as heavy metal after all. As recently as a few months ago, Vanilla Fudge paid their own tribute to Zeppelin via a series of singles that culled from their classic catalog. Then again, Vanilla Fudge was given ample credit by the foursome themselves for not only taking them along on tour in the States early on, but having a decided impact on their seminal sound. In the Fudge’s case, they were simply coming full circle.
 
Here however, Beth Hart reboots the nine songs that encompass this set and performs them with note for note precision with nary any altering of the original arrangements. Hart’s vocals replay every one of Plant’s namesake nuances, and while she shares a certain sassy style of her own, from the opening volley of “Whole Lotta Love” onwards, one really needs to lean in and listen to distinguish any real differential. The musicians share Hart’s dedication to the delivery by referencing the melodies to the same extent. The only exception comes with “The Grunge,” a track given a tangled tempo every bit as intriguing as the original.
 
Otherwise, the familiarity factor plays heavily with every offering — whether it’s “Kashmir”, the medleys that link “Dancing Days” and “When the Levee Breaks” and “No Quarter” with “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You” or Zep’s perennial stand-out “Good Times Bad Times”.
 
Ultimately, it’s a well-executed effort overall, and given the trepidation Beth Hart admits to in the liner notes, she deserves credit for rising to the challenge. It’s also clear that this was simply a personal indulgence on her part, an opportunity to offer homage to her heroes without altering her own trajectory. Whether one will prefer the originals or these remakes is never called into question. Consider this simply a dutiful diversion. (By Lee Zimmerman)
 
Listen and buy the music of Beth Hart from her website
For more information, please visit the Beth Hart website

​Lucinda Williams (from the album Lu’s Jukebox #6: You Are Cordially Invited…A Tribute to the Rolling Stones on Thirty Tigers) (By Lee Zimmerman)

The latest in a series of homegrown albums sharing salutes to her heroes (Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, Southern Soul, Country Classics etc.), Lu’s Jukebox Vol.6: You Are Cordially Invited finds Lucinda Williams turning her attention to the music of The Rolling Stones and doing so with her usual determined delivery. While any attempt to replicate the Stones’ sound inevitably brings a critical comparison, Williams’ crusty persona and gritty gravitas serves her well, and the end result finds her duly passionate and purposeful.
 
To her credit, Williams has always conveyed the image of an insurgent, a trait that finds her well suited to tackle these timeless tunes without fear or restraint. As Mick and company proved early on, attitude plays an important part when it comes to making music of any special significance. Likewise, Lucinda shares a similar reverence for her roots just as the Stones did early on, giving her a close connection to the material from the get-go. Consequently, this latest entry in the Lu’s Jukebox in Studio Concert Series shares adept interpretations of Stones songs that scan the band’s creative peak. Williams’ tattered vocals put a new spin on songs such as “The Last Time”, “Play with Fire”, “Get Off My Cloud”, “Time Waits for No One”, and “Paint It Black” adding a sense of dire desperation only hinted at in the originals. As a result, You Are Cordially Invited manages to avoid the usual pitfalls fostered by most tribute albums, that is to either troll so close to the seminal versions as to make them needless repeats or to digress to such an extent that they’re competing with the template and generally emerging as a poor comparison.
 
Happily, then, Williams needn’t worry. She puts her own signature stamp on each of these songs, while still managing to pay heed to the indelible melodies. “Dead Flowers”, “Sway”, “Moonlight Mile”, and “Salt of the Earth” provide a ragged repast shared with both an ache and moan, while “No Expectations” culls the mournful Blues at the root of the Stones’ initial impulse. So too, “Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)” takes on a new sense of urgency, just as “Satisfaction” and “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” shares a personal perspective that distinguishes these songs in new and remarkable ways while still holding to the spirit and ferocity that made them so spellbinding early on.
 
In that regard, Lucinda Williams ties past to present, making this arguably the best reboot of Stones songs ever offered anytime by anyone, and an able addition to Williams’ own catalog to boot. Consider this an invitation well worth heeding. (by Lee Zimmerman)
 
Listen and buy the music of Lucinda Williams from Amoeba Records
 
For more information, please visit the Lucinda Williams website
 
Lu’s Jukebox #6: You Are Cordially Invited: A Tribute to The Rolling Stones is not available on any streaming services. It is available on Lucinda Williams YouTube channel
 

​The Weeping Willows (from the album You Reap What You Sow available as a self-release) (by Bryant Liggett
Australian duo Weeping Willows get defined by the Folk and Country realm, which is fair. What should also be recognized is the pair’s chops as an acoustic Blues band as a handful of cuts on their latest You Reap What You Sow nail traditional American acoustic Blues just as much as The Weeping Willows embrace traditional American acoustic Folk. With Blues as a base for just about everything that may be easy ground to obtain, the duo spin a nice Blues dance on that ground on the records opener in “House of Sin”, where solid acoustic picking introduces a dark, devil-packed number. Blues doesn’t stop there, as “Wheels Don’t Roll” features more of that acoustic guitar and hearty harmonies, while “Singing the Blues” is self-explanatory, a gentle and slow Folk tune in sound with a drifting accordion.
​
“Black Crow” is a Marty Robbins inspired western number, “Fall Out Time” is reminiscent of an old-Europe ballad, where pedal steel does a delicate dance with accordion, where both instruments take turns leading. “Bells Are Ringing in the Churchyard” has a slow but aggressive vibe, and album closer, “North Wind”, is a beautiful, acapella cut, glorious and heavy in its simplicity.
This is the best of acoustic music, whether it be Folk or Country, Indie-Roots or Blues. Their simple instrumentation, heavy harmonies, and overall gothic vibe is a full and welcome Roots-music package. (by Bryant Liggett)
 
Listen and buy the music of The Weeping Willows from their website
 
For more information, please visit The Weeping Willows website

​Terry Klein (from the album Good Luck, Take Care available as a self-release) (by Bryant Liggett)
Terry Klein has a keen eye for America. He's the kind of songwriter you find a combination sad/funny in a story as you hang on his lines. He is one of those weathered voiced, a storyteller that will make you dip into your phone to dig out a lyric, and you'll soon be more knowledgeable about a random slot car driver or hockey player while glance at a map to find at a referenced town. On his latest in Good Luck, Take Care, Terry Klein takes you on a random trip, where you'll be kicking it with his family, drag racing around his hometown, and rooting on the sports stars of the Northeast U.S.
“60 in a 75” kicks the record off in a slow Blues mode, singing about being on the road and painting it for the unglamourous work it really is. “Does the Fish Feel the Knife” is Terry Klein singing about those golden questions coming from kids while also pondering needing a license to parent (a test many wouldn’t pass) as he gives the listener a chance to learn about Indie heroes circling tracks in “The Ballad of Dick Trickle”.
“Salinas” is a blue-collar love-ballad where Terry Klein plugs in, he slows things down for an ambient murder ballad in “Cheryl” and album closer in “What You Lose Along the Way” is a spoken word piece of pondering. There’s an ambient-Roots score to the music, and a heavy personal touch to the lyrics. Dreary, dry, and lonely, it’s all heavy and personal and even though these are his stories, replace the names as well as pronouns and the tales will be your own.  (by Bryant Liggett)
 
Listen and buy the music of Terry Klein from his website
 
For more information, please visit the Terry Klein website

​Landon Lloyd Miller (from the album Sweet Kind of Blue available on Twin Mesa Records/Soundly Music) (by Bryant Liggett)
If you view Americana as a vague term with regards to music description, then the diverse music of a dude like Landon Lloyd Miller will do nothing to help with your understanding. The Southern musician, whose latest Light Shines Through bounces from hip Roots to quirky Pop, cool and mellow Indie groovers to traditional Folk, expanding the term to serve as a catch-all for anything that has a gritty sound and remnants of any tunes pulled from rural America decades ago.
There’s wonderful upbeat Roots Pop in “Light Is Growing” with ballad-heavy heart tugs in “Bluebonnet” and “String My Love Down”, offering straight up Folk with “Landslide”, the melody based in the most traditional sense of the genre; a stripped-down guitar, a harmonica, and laid back, aching vocals.
Then there’s cuts that help Light Shines Through stand out. “Sunglasses” has subtle, psychedelic meanderings while “Feel It Again” is a bouncy, animated bout of fun, falling into the twang world with its dobro and mandolin. It’s the hit of the record.
“Only Dreaming” is a straightforward Roots Rocker, and the title track closer with its piano has a touch of Roots Gospel before the stringed instruments kick in giving it a classical, chamber music feel. It’s a beautiful ending. After years of fronting The Wall Chargers, this is Miller stepping out on his own. Light Shines Through is straightforward, accessible record; picturesque storytelling, solid stick-to-you melodies, Landon Lloyd Millers influences, and ability, are on full display. (by Bryant Liggett)
Listen and buy the music of Landon Lloyd Miller from Bandcamp
For more information, please visit the Landon Lloyd Miller website
 
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​Kieran Kane/Rayna Gellert (from The Flowers That Bloom in Spring on Dead Reckoning Records) (by Lee Zimmerman) 

Rayna Gellert and Kieran Kane are two artists that excel individually, but when paired in tandem they create a sound that’s both engaging and enlightening. The Flowers That Bloom in Spring takes listeners on a rollercoaster ride of varied emotions, from the upbeat exhortation of “Bailout Blues” and “I Thought You Were a Goat #1” through the more somber sentiments of “Please Help Me, I’m Falling”, the reflective deliberation of “The Only Thing Worth Savin’”, and the gentle repast of “Lonely Are the Brave”. Some songs strike a middle ground — “Ironwood (You’re Mine)” for one — but no matter what the tempo, each of these offerings strike a resounding chord that ensures an emphatic connection throughout.
 
Mostly co-compositions, the songs engage in ways that are quiet and compelling, results that are all the more impressive considering the fact that arrangements are never overwrought, relying instead on the duo’s shared harmonies and their deft instrumental skills. Kane is an astute guitarist while Gellert’s fiddle playing is equally inspired, evidenced by her contributions to albums by any number of other artists. So too, the duo’s interplay on the instrumental “The Golden Ticket” affirms the fact that their dexterity remains intact. The down-home dynamic of the song that follows, “Back Where We Belong”, the two quiet contemplative “Uncle Bill”, and easy loping title track demonstrate the fact that an emphatic impression can be made even when ease and restraint are the constant.
 
Granted, The Flowers That Bloom in Spring doesn’t necessarily change any dynamic as far as its traditional trappings are concerned. It could be categorized as a kind of archival effort, at least as far as its approach is concerned. That said, when it comes to sheer charm and enjoyment, these flowers bloom eternal. (By Lee Zimmerman) 
 
Listen and buy the music of Kieran Kane, Rayna Gellert from their website
 
For more information, please visit the Kieran Kane, Rayna Gellert website