​Cory Branan (from the album You’ll Live available from Blue Elan Records) (by Bryant Liggett)
Cory Branan lives in the sweet spot, musical world of aggro-Folk, Alt Country Punk, and Power Pop. Over numerous records he’s been in that center, and we’re all better for it. In addition to what he sounds like, the way that dude has with words is something most songwriters bow down to. His latest release, You’ll Live, is more clever wordplay and picturesque detail from this songwriter from the South.
Folky punk with a touch of Cheap Trick kick the record off with the Pop punch of “Teeny Says” (complete with bouncy keyboard riffs), the single, “Ricochet”, is a big bouncy hook that nods to the Dando world, while “Cold-blooded Love” shows Branan can throw out a cocktail Jazz croon with the best of just about anyone. Songwriters keep great company and “Steppin’ Outside” finds Cory Branan joined by Tyler Childers for a rootsy Pop cut where the slight accordion brings forth hints of a Tex-Mex vibe. Album closer, “The Wreck of the Sultana”, reveals Branan’s ties to the Mississippi as he tells the story of a doomed riverboat.
Cory Branan is a fun storyteller, a serious Folkie, and could even bang out show tunes if he wanted to, heard in “Me and Your Mom and You”. It’s like every song is a story sung to you by your best friend.(by Bryant Liggett)
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Visit the Cory Branan website for more information
 

​Bandits on the Run (from the album Rough Magic available on Bandits on the Run/Many Hats Distribution) (by Danny McCloskey)
 
Like many of us, Bandits on the Run are humans in 2026; living in times where information, both facts and lies, are lopped at us that is it difficult to find a path forward. We have our true beliefs, but the incoming details about life on Earth cause static. Rather than standing on a stage, or behind a microphone at a podium, Bandit on the Run clearly describe the case, possible effects, and the path they have chosen on Rough Magic, their recent release. Breathy vocals beckon seductively into the title track as Bandits on the Run look to younger days to write the story for “lostlostlost” while a heartbeat thump and toy piano create a background for the sing-song delivery in “Song for Jon”.
 
Clearly showing the links between themselves and an around the world community that draws breath, the connection is reflected in “Am I Your Mirror”, BOTR member Regina Strayhorn says of the track that ‘as Bandits, we’re really interested in the space that exists between people who really love each other. So much is possible in that space- it’s fluid and infinitely creative. At its worst, that space can feel like a hall of mirrors. A disconcerting maze full of false selves that makes relating feel like a nightmare. But at its best, that space is a window into what some would call the divine- a place to marvel at the dance souls can have with each other when they’re not trying to wear the same shoes and step on each other's feet. ‘Am I Your Mirror?’ is about that dance’. 
 
To underline the tough love promises in the Rough Magic album title, ambient tones and textures accent its songs. Meeting while busking in subway stations, Regina Strayhorn, Adrian Blake Enscoe, and Sydney Shepherd formed Bandits on the Run with a dedication to the delicacy of music and a firm belief in its power to change the world… one song at a time. The current that courses underneath “Love Pass Through” carries its story on dark waters as the band shout out the story of “Tilted Universe” on a frenetic groove. Bandits on the Run hush the playing to shine a light on the tale in “The Bell Rang” as a heavenly choir of voices shine a little glow on the midnight walk through “White Chapel, Red Light”. Night sounds mingle with the harmonics that spin a story in “Woods Alone at Night” as Rough Magic tenderly opens its truths in “Like a Clam”.  (by Danny McCloskey)
 
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For more information head on over to the Bandits on the Run website
 

​Uncle Lucius (from the album Open Eyes, Broken Heart available on Boo Clap Records) (by Danny McCloskey)
 
The meaning of “The Bruxist” is not necessarily clear, but its intention is captured in the dual attack of its rhythms and lyrics as Uncle Lucius begin with the track on their recent release, Open Eyes, Broken Heart. The history of the band falls in line with many of their musical peers. The difference lies in how Uncle Lucius chose to navigate the muddy waters of the music business. They established their own imprint for their 2015 release, The Light. Now a quartet, Open Eyes, Broken Heart is the sound of a band whose beliefs have become intrinsically attached to their songs. 
 
Explaining the backstory for Open Eyes, Broken Heart, frontman Kevin Galloway shares his own perception of the album stating ‘this recording is the closest we’ve ever come to a concept album.  It was made to be listened to from beginning to end. It’s loosely an exploration of the human journey through suffering, revelation, and the choices made in the light of it. On the road to redemption, a good place to start is with open eyes and a broken heart’.
 
A slow-paced bass line leads the way into “As Above, So Below” when the sky mirrors the ground underneath its rage while determined chords mark the rhythms that open “Divided by Nothing” as hesitant acoustic finger-picked guitar begins the walk across “I Too Have Raged”. The story of “Mariano” is a percolating beat that offers hints of Tex-Mex sound effects to tell the story of a man on a mission as “I See Myself in You” underscores the open-heart confessions in the story with a hushed intensity. A funky groove defines the mood and rhythms of “Coming Down (Again)” as Open Eyes, Broken Hearts gives an opinion on the ‘irony of knowledge’ predicting a demise of the current conditions in “Scraps and Pieces as Uncle Lucius walk on slowly determined steps to request “Say There Sunshine” before closing out the album on the strums that lead the band through an ancient landscape on a cover of Talking Head “City of Dreams”. (by Danny McCloskey)
 
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For more information head on over to the Uncle Lucius website
 

​Buffalo Traffic Jam (from the album Pictures of You available on Arista Records) (by Danny McCloskey)
 
Outside of the insular Americana landscape, Buffalo Traffic Jam has constructed albums and songs that are cornerstones for the genre. The production of Pictures of You claims a studio model that accents essential parts while carefully curating the stage-sound of the band. There is a DIY-guide offered in the high volage backbeat of “How to Breathe” as the story creates a division between the letter writer and the end reader. “Just a Dream” asks questions that are close to answers as observations dig deep into “Graves”. Slow strums offer solace to the characters in “Older” offers their own observations about life.
 
The western regions, and the great expanse of open land, gave birth to the free-range ideals of Buffalo Traffic Jam. A hyper-active rhythm propels the acoustic strums that mine “Fool’s Gold” as the band peals away the rationale and reasons for their own tendency to use substances to exhibit facts without reaching proof for actions. Slowly unraveling guitar notes and hesitant beats are the foundation for the truths that seek solace in “Still Alone”. Tentative strums are supported by handclap rhythms that urge “Afraid to Fall in Love Again” to find a way forward as a hammering beat demands attention for the week-long search for answers that an ‘anxious brain’ sets out to explore in the vast expanse of a ‘Rocky Mountain High’ in “Luckiest Man Alive”. Ambient sounds wrap an exit around the opening of the spoken word declarations that begin the story in “Lonesome Memories” while the repetitious groove in “Buyin’ Dirt” spins through seasons as the Pictures of You title track hears Buffalo Traffic Jam spit out a story that carries them through a night that balances actions with results. (by Danny McCloskey)
 
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For more information head on over to the Buffalo Traffic Jam website
 

​Tom Ciurczak (from the album Antarctica available as a self-release) (by Danny McCloskey)
 
Storytelling is the main gig for Tom Ciurczak on Antarctica, his recent release. He introduces the main character, then offers the storyline tale of “Blackout Jack” that follows the decisions involved in a life, and the results (good and bad) of the endeavors. A Rock’n’Roll romp provides the support to enter the love-gone-wrong dialogue that identifies the ghosts wandering through “Haunted House”. Tom Ciurczak is the current king of Rock in the heartlands. Much like peers such as Bob Seger, John Mellncamp, and Iron City Houserockers, his music speaks to the mindset of the men and women living in the middle.
 
The grown-up dreams of breaking free are the muse for adult-longings of “Looking for a Place” while the softly delivered rhythms of “Losing You” dig deep in the psyche of a man traversing the divide between career and relationships. A life that never veers from its downward spiral sings the story of “Creature from the Blues” as the creaking sounds of a ship at sea begin the title track tale of Antarctica as a rambunctious Rock’n’Roll beat confidently supports the life choices that make up the promises of “Going Down in Flames”. Tom Ciurczak hears a soldier relate his life as the “Invisible Man” while Antarctica slowly unravels the visions of “We Are Immortal”. Tom Cuirczak basks in the bright guitar jangle the envisions the futuristic worldview of a nuclear landscape in “Atom Glow”. (by Danny McCloskey)
 
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For more information head on over to the Tom Ciurczak website
 

​Outback Cadillac (from the album Ain’t So Bad available on Outback Cadillac/Daybed Records) (by Danny McCloskey)
 
A sluggishly strong Indie Rock rhythm opens Ain’t So Bad, the recent release from Outback Cadillac. The soundtrack for Ain’t So Bad mirrors music from the entire Rock era without bowing down to one particular sound or delivery, the band curating Grunge guitar sounds and Paisley Underground jangle in their own material. 
 
Rock’n’Roll story lines course like a mighty current across Ain’t So Bad. The seductive rhythms and sad story of “Friend of Mine” threaten to draw you in and under the spell of Outback Cadillac. A heart-throb beat hears the story line “Walk On” while an echoey tambourine leads the persistent grooves of “Factory Hands”. The pace slowly moves forward when Ain’t So Bad begins its march before the rhythms bust a move forward on double-time with “Joe Ghost” as the ambient sound of thunder offers an invitation into the “Powerlines”. Outback Cadillac bid “Good Morning” on a caffeine amped-up groove before exiting the album on the dreamscape textures of “In the End”, the band partnering the beat with a guitar jangle that sparkles when pressed up against the authoritative groove of the cut. 
(by Danny McCloskey)
 
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For more information head on over to Outback Cadillac website
 

​Mary Gauthier (from the album Reckoning available on In the Black Records/Soundly Music) (by Bryant Liggett)  
We’ve all had those moments where we’ve felt like a character in a Mary Gauthier song. Distant from the rest of the world, displaying a slight guilt over certain decisions, Gauthier lays out hard and heavy tales about people just trying to make their way through life. Her latest release, Reckoning, has those aforementioned characters on full display; people wrestling with expectations while pursuing things larger than themselves.
Add the opener to Mary Gauthier’s long line of tunes dedicated to American outsiders when “Alcohol and Adderall” tells a tale of an outlier in a world few fellow humans understand. “Heaven”, “Judgement Day”, and the Reckoning title track are one, two, three punches of wonder, the tunes joined together in the act of facing a power that may not be higher, only tougher as they face past decisions. A Roots Folk album would be nothing without a train song and “Some Times” finds Gauthier singing about their demise of locomotives while also addressing the good and bad of a changing world.
Dig into Mary Gauthier’s checkered-past upbringing and you’ll see where the fodder comes from for the song, as we watch characters that have given a lot in the lives that they deal in her stories. No musical theatrics, just heavy tales in a stripped-down setting that result in songs that are both burly and beautiful. (by Bryant Liggett)
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For more information head on over to the Mary Gauthier website
 

​Eli ‘Paperboy’ Reed (from the album Getting There available on Yep Roc Records) (by Danny McCloskey)
 
Bowing down to no particular genre, Eli ‘Paperboy’ Reed blends R&B, Americana, Soul, Rock’n’Roll, and Blues into a brand with his recent release, Getting There. Produced by legendary musician, Swamp Dogg, the album uses grown-up love for a muse as its songs watch relationship ride a roller coaster of emotions that take two people through the good times and the bad. 
 
Opening the album with his patented take on Rock’n’Soul, Eli ‘Paperboy’ Reed delivers a smooth vocal accented with horn bursts and a solid backbeat for “Every Once in a While”. A pedal steel guitar gracefully leads the way as Getting There asks “The Questions” while assured steps walk across personal assessments that see “Everyone Else” as doing better. 
 
Producer Swamp Dogg shares the microphone for the observations of “One Man’s Trash (Is Another Man’s Treasure)” as Eli ‘Paperboy’ Reed sings an ode to “Hardworking People” while Country twang wraps around “Asking for a Friend”. The Getting There title track spins a tale that heads back to younger days for advice as rhythms define the pace in “I Can’t Walk (Without You Holding My Hand)” as a caffeinated groove carries Eli ‘Paperboy’ Reed downtown to reignite old times with “Like We Used To” while “Knock Knock Memories” keep him up at night and promises are made in “Love You More”. (by Danny McCloskey)
 
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For more information head on over to Eli ‘Paperboy’ Reed website
 

​Noel McKay (from the album Songs About Bad People available on McKay Records) (by Bryant Liggett)
 
Noel McKay’s brand of Roots Rock is ripe for the dive bar crowd. Starting with death and rolling through adultery, excessive greed, and ego, his stories are delivered without much guilt. His latest release, Songs About Bad People, is a dark, Roots-noir at its finest, a package of musical seediness with likings to Hoyt Axton or Charles Bukowski.
 
A mission to make everything art is something we all should pursue, done so by Billy White in the opener “Artist of Death”. Noel McKey introduces a killer approved by the state, dropping his woes as the man behind issuing death on Death Row. “Pink Chandelier” is Classic Country thanks to a rolling piano; a cheating song that sounds like 1976. The tales tells of an inability to keep from wandering, and it is a forever trait, and there are pink chandeliers everywhere.
 
Vanity is recognized in “Terrifically Vain” while McKay nails Cuco Sanchez’s “Fallaste Corazon” as he paints a picture of a despicable human as he chases 1980’s glory for “The Midas Touch”, “Hit Man” finds Noel McKay giving a solid nod to the band Morphine, where subtle saxophone drifts in a cut that’s pitch dark, while the closer, “When the Nights is as Black as a Coffin”, is a cheating tale that turns the tables.
Timeless questionable, guilty behavior remains a lyrical thread, and Noel McKay doles out those tales in a minimalist package. The music is cool, laying back enough to put his picturesque cast front and center in the songs. (by Bryant Liggett)
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For more information head on over to the Noel McKay website
 

​Katie Knipp (from the album Live at Theatre 5150 available as a self-release) (by Danny McCloskey)
 
Staying close to her homebase in Sacramento, California, Katie Kipp ventured to a suburb of the Golden State capital for her recent release, Live at Theatre 5150. Located in the Northern California city of Carmichael, Theatre 5150 offers an intimate house concert series for the metropolitan Sacramento area. After an introduction that defines Katie Knipp as a ‘world-class talent and a local treasure’, Katie steps up to the microphone issuing an hello before launching into “Santa Cruz Blues”. Rather than tentatively moving into her live album, Katie Knipp peals the paint from the venue, setting the standard for the recording on the first track. Based in the Blues, Live at Theatre 5150 hears Katie Knipp reshape the borders of the genre with her songs.
Her soulful cry rises above the island beats and full-throttle arrangement that backs her commentary of current life with “Stillness”. Quieting the mood with the piano ramble that opens “I Don’t Sing for You”, Katie Knipp accents her piano-playing with sky-seeking vocals that beckon in the rhythms that support the song as they push the piano into overdrive and welcome in frenetic organ riffs. She tributes Justin Townes Earle with a cover of his tune “If I Was the Devil” and proudly displays fan love for Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska album when she introduces her take on the recording’s cut “State Trooper”.
Her performance on Live at Theatre 5150 showcases Katie Knipp’s skills on vocals, piano, guitar, and harmonica), her own talent backed with an A-list band that features Pancho Tomaselli (bass), Steve Utstein (Hammond B3, Wurlitzer), Neil Campisano (drums), and Quinn Hedges (lead guitar). Late night Blues noir infects the original track “Gone to Town” as Katie Knipp addresses addiction (“The Devil’s Armchair”), takes a look at love coming on strong (“Bullet Train”), dances on a skittery groove (“Chamomile and Cocaine”), and makes demands on late-night visions (“Get Outta My Dream”). Katie Knipp doesn’t simply play the Blues; she shapeshifts the style, molding songs that incorporate traditions while taking successful bold steps into the future for the music. Live at Theatre 5150 boards the train swaying on playful rhythms with “Metro in Paris”, travels to the Old West to introduce Tom Bell, a stagecoach robber who goes by the moniker “Outlaw Doc” as Katie Knipp strips “John the Revelator” down to raw rhythms before exiting the album on the rolling groove of traditional Blues with “Mud”. (by Danny McCloskey)
Listen and buy the music of Katie Knipp from AMAZON
For more information head on over to Katie Knipp website