The Ann Wilson Thing: #1 Record
Ann Wilson opts to step out on her own and explore some terrain where Heart otherwise wouldn’t tread.
Lee Zimmerman
Lee Zimmerman is thrilled to be writing for PopMatters, one of the best in the biz. In addition, he also writes Blurt, Relix, M Music and Musicians, New Times, Bluegrass Situation, Country Standard Time, Goldmine, and maybe more that don't immediately come to mind. He's fond of editors (most of the time), publicists (esp. when they agree to send him music in physical form) and the brave souls that make the music and struggle to express their creativity and still make a living at it at the same time. Lee is obsessed with music - new, old, pop, rock, Americana, country, folk... all he desires is a great melody and an indelible refrain. Did he mention that he loves music? Did we say anything about obsession... Stop us if we've said it all already. By the way, Lee's also a fool for affirmation. Please keep that in mind whenever engaging in conversation...
Phil Cook: Southland Mission
Southland Mission arrives fully-formed and bearing all indications that Cook was completely dedicated to his purpose.
Downpilot: Radio Ghost
Radio Ghost is a thoughtful piece of music, not cheery in the least, but compelling in a strange sense regardless.
Patrick Sweany: Daytime Turned to Nighttime
On his new album Daytime Turned To Nighttime, Patrick Sweany shows he has an admirable way of conveying even the most downtrodden emotions, which turns his melancholy melodies into nothing less than a celebratory sound.
Ted Russell Kamp: The Low and Lonesome Sound
Ted Russell Kamp strips things back to the basics on his latest, relying primarily on bass and vocals to convey the conviction on these hardbitten, bluesy ballads.
Joe Jackson: Fast Forward
The fact that this album was recorded in four different cities gives the disc a conceptual feel, heightened by the consistency of Jackson’s eagerly effusive vocals and the songs’ sprawling tempos.
Darlingside: Birds Say
Gloriously striking and serene, Birds Say demands attention from the first notes on.
Angela Easterling: Common Law Wife
Easterling takes a tack that classic country songs have pursued practically since the beginning of time: the downtrodden heroine doggedly standing by her man.
Decemberists: Florasongs
Only five songs in length, Florasongs could easily best many long-players offered up by the competition.
Foxymorons: Fake Yoga
Fake Yoga goes to great lengths to confound its listeners with lots of noise and feedback that find static and songscompeting for attention.
Maia Sharp: The Dash Between the Dates
The fact that Sharp wrote this album during a period of extreme writer’s block makes it all the more remarkable.
Steve Martin and Edie Brickell: So Familiar
While Martin and Brickell enlist an A-list cast of musical supporters, the real accomplishment comes via the bond the two have established between themselves.