Thirty Tigers Tweets!
Hello friends! We'd just like everyone to know that we have broken down, given in, and become another little birdy in the Twittersphere. We'd be honored if you'd follow us at:
http://twitter.com/thirtytigers!
JUST US KIDS makes it on a wide variety of "Best of 2008" lists
James McMurtry's latest album showed up on a wide array of Best of 2008 lists. USA Today, Entertainment Weekly, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Blurt Online, and the Philadelphia Inquirer are some of the publications that laud Just Us Kids as one of the year's foremost releases. Here is a partial list of the reviews:
USA Today - #2 album of the year
Washington Post - #2 album of the year
Knoxville News Sentinel - #1 album of the year
Entertainment Weekly - Stephen King's #3 album of the year
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - #4 album of the year
Baltimore City Paper - Geoffrey Himes' #1 album of the year
Austin American Statesman - #2 album of the year
Atlanta Journal-Constitution - #4 album of the year
Blurt Online - #11 album of the year
Popmatters - #5 Americana Album of the year
Daily Mirror (London)
Philadelphia Inquirer
2008: A great year for our ears!
Below you will find the 2008 Top 10 lists of some of our staff....
David, The President:
1. Tallest Man On Earth-Shallow Grave
2. Jessica Lea Mayfield-Blasphemy So Heartfelt
3. Beyonce-I Am....Sasha Fierce
4. Fleet Foxes
5. Ben Sollee-Learning To Bend
6. Julie Lee-Will There Really Be A Morning
7. Kathy Mattea-Coal
8. Jason Boland & The Stragglers-Comal County Blue
9. Charlie Haden-Rambling Boy
10. Kate Rusby-Awkward Annie
Holly Lowman:
1. Dr. Dog - Fate
2. Lucinda Williams - Little Honey
3. Ben Sollee - Learning to Bend
4. the Duhks - Fast Paced World
5. Chatham County Line: IV
6. Q-Tip - The Renaissance
7.Nomo - Ghost Rock
8. Kathleen Edwards - Asking for Flowers
9. Little Joy - Little Joy
10. Robert Plant & Allison Krauss - Raising Sand
Wilson:
1. Benji Hughes A Love Extreme
2. Centro-matic Dual Hawks
3. The Duke Spirit Neptune
4. The Mars Volta The Bedlam in Goliath
5. The Old Believers Eight Golden Greats
6. Guns N’ Roses Chinese Democracy
7. Metallica Death Magnetic
8. The Raconteurs Consolers of the Lonely
9. One Day As A Lion Self-Titled
10. Black Keys Attack and Release
Katie Studley:
1. Dr. Dog- Fate
2. Little Joy – Little Joy
3. Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago
4. Justin Townes Earle- The Good Life
5. M83 – Saturdays= Youth
6. Pop Levi- Never Never Love
7. Raphael Saadiq- The Way I See It
8. Ben Sollee- Learning to Bend
9. Robert Plant & Alison Krauss – Raising Sand
10. El Perro del Mar – From the Valley to the Stars
Christian Roreau:
The Sword – Gods of the Earth
Baroness – The Red Album
The Duke Spirit – Neptune
Kings of Leon – Only By The Night
Black Crowes- Warpaint
Alison Krauss/Robert Plant – Raising Sand
Slayer – South of Heaven – I don’t care if its from 1988
Danzig – Volumes 1-4. Someone gave me them and I listen to them incessantly.
A bunch of misc reggae singles from Itunes
Dead Meadow – Old Growth
John "JT" Turner:
1. King Khan & the Shrines – The Supreme Genius Of...
2. Gentleman Jesse - Introducing
3. Little Joy – Little Joy
4. Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
5. Ben Sollee – Learning To Bend
6. M83 – Saturdays = Youth
7. Cool Kids – The Bake Sale
8. No Age - Nouns
9. Cat Power - Jukebox
10. Pop Levi – Never Never Love
Traci Thomas (Top 5):
1. Dr. Dog Fate
2. Ben Sollee Learning to Bend
3. My Morning Jacket Evil Urges
4. Bon Iver For Emma, Forever Ago
5. Hayes Carll Trouble in Mind
It's about ME
"A Few Honest Words" By Ben Sollee feat. DJ 2nd Nature from A Few Honest Words on Vimeo.
Thirty Tigers is All Over the AMA Festival... Take 2!
WEDNESDAY:
10 pm – the everybodyfields – The Basement
12 am – Mando Saenz, Kim Ritchey & Will Kimbrough – Mercy Lounge
THURSDAY:
7 pm – The Americana Honors & Awards – Ryman Auditorium
Elizabeth Cook Presenting
Justin Townes Earle performing
10 pm – ben sollee – Station Inn
FRIDAY:
THE BASEMENT (Indie Blog Showcase presented by Aquarium Drunkard, My Old Kentucky Blog & Thirty Tigers)
8 pm – Blair
9 pm – Those Darlins
10 pm – Jason Isbell
11 pm – O’Death
12 pm – Le Switch
8 pm – Chatham County Line – Station Inn
10 pm – Kathy Mattea – Station Inn
10 pm – Paul Thorn – Mercy Lounge
Saturday:
12:45 – Thirty Tigers & Sin City’s Closing Night Hootenanny Chicken & Waffles Party
– The Sin City All Stars, Chuck Mead, Those Darlins and Gram-knows-who.
Thirty Tigers Daytime Schedule
Thursday:
2 pm - ben Sollee – Listening lounge (Room 103-104)
3:30 pm – Kathy Mattea – Highlights from “An Inconvenient Truth” – (room 109)
Friday:
3:00 pm – Now I Wanna be On Your Blog (Room 102) JT & Katie Studley
Saturday:
2:00 pm – Global Perceptions of Americana (Room 102) David Macias & Elizabeth Cook
Matthew Perryman Jones featured on Ten out of Tenn Compilation and Tour
7/23/08
Matthew, whose third album, Swallow the Sea will be released 8/19, departed this morning on the Ten out of Tenn tour, which features a group of independent, Nashville-based musicians who have a lot more to offer than rhinestones and country-pop. The tour is sponsored by American Songwriter and partnered by MySpace and Paste Magazine. The tour stops in many eastern cities. For more information, see Matthew's MySpace Page.
JT elected to Americana Music Association's Board of Directors
1/10/08
Thirty Tigers is proud to announce that John Turner, our Director of Marketing, has been elected to the New Media category of the Americana Music Association's board of directors. Other newcomers include Avenue Bank's Van Tucker in the banking/finance category and Sin City's Shilah Morrow and industry veteran Tim Dubois in the At Large category.
Congratulations to all new and returning members! We are proud to have JT as part of our team.
The Avett Brothers Premiere New Video
1/7/08
The video for "Paranoia in Bb Major" by The Avett Brothers will premiere this Wednesday, January 9th on AOL Spinner.
Be sure to get there Wednesday to check out everyone's favorite Carolina darlings...
Thirty Tigers Welcomes Wilson!
12/14/08
Thirty Tigers is pleased to announce the addition of Wilson to our staff! Wilson left sunny L.A. to come be a part of our team as Director of Film/TV Music. In this position, he will be pitching music from Thirty Tigers releases for placement on the silver screen.
We plan to update the website next week, so check back soon to learn more about the sparks Wilson plans to make fly around here and other exciting developments taking place in the tiger den...
2 Thirty Tigers Releases Named in Esquire
Esquire Magazine music critic Andy Langer named two of our releases as part of "The 8 Best Songs You Didn't Hear This Year..."
Congrats to Andrew Bird and the folks behind Song of America for the mention of "How You Gonna Keep 'Em Down on the Farm," and to The Dynamites Featuring Charles Walker for the mention of "Can You Feel It" from Kaboom!
Bloodshot Records Signs Justin Townes Earle for Debut Album
Thirty Tigers management client Justin Townes Earle has been signed to Bloodshot Records for his debut full length The Good Life. As the son of legendary singer/songwriter Steve Earle, high expectations are the name of the game; but he's shown that he is up to the task, crafting stark portraits with elements of acoustic blues and folk. Thirty Tigers extends our congratulations to Justin!
Paste Names 3 Thirty Tigers Releases in Top 100 of 2007
#12, The Avett Brothers, Emotionalism
#43, The Everybodyfields, Nothing Is Okay
#73, Warm in The Wake, American Prehistoric
The Avett Brothers Take Home 2 Americana Music Awards
Everyone's favorite indie-roots trio took home the awards for Duo/Group of the Year and Emerging Artist of the Year! The Avetts performed "Shame" at the Awards Ceremony and headlined a sold-out after party at the hallowed Station Inn.
Still don't know what all the fuss is about? Check out the Bros. Website or MySpace page
The Dynamites Tour with Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings in a Return of Real Funk and Soul!
"New York City has the Dap-Kings, Nashville has the Dynamites." --NY Times
"Listening to Charles Walker & The Dynamites immediately whisked me back to Small's Paradise,1964. It's so wonderful to hear Charles' voice is as strong as ever." - Bettye LaVette
The Dynamites are on a fat European tour with Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, who have just released their album 100 Days 100 Nights. If you are digging on either the new Sharon Jones or Bettye LaVette albums, than you need to check out the Dynamites' Kaboom! for more classic soul and funk. US Dates:
1/08/2007 08:00 PM - The Library-Oxford, MS
, Oxford, Mississippi
11/09/2007 08:00 PM - Chelsea’s-Baton Rouge, LA
, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
11/10/2007 08:00 PM - BJCC w/ Widespread Panic
, Birmingham, Alabama
11/16/2007 08:00 PM - The Southgate House
, Cincinatti, Ohio
11/30/2007 08:00 PM - Tipitina’s-New Orleans, LA
, New Orleans, Louisiana -
Check out Harp’s account of the Dynamites part in the return of real funk and soul
Thirty Tigers is All Over the AMA Festival
thursday:
-AMA Awards Show featuring performances by The Avett Brothers, Elizabeth Cook, and Amy LaVere
-The Avett Brothers perform at the AMA Awards Show After Party (10pm, The Station Inn)
friday:
-Amy LaVere (11pm, the Basement)
saturday:
-Mike Farris (8pm, The Cannery Ballroom)
-Tommy Womack (11:30pm, The Basement)
-Elizabeth Cook (10pm, The Station Inn)
-Will Kimbrough (9:30pm, The Cannery Ballroom)
then... The Thirty Tigers and Sin City AllStars Annual Chicken and Waffles Party begins at Midnight at The Cannery Ballroom We hope to see you there!
the everybodyfields Gain Critical Acclaim
Paste Magazine gave the everybodyfields 4 stars in their November issue, calling it "divine."
Similarly, Harp magazine says, "the everybodyfields" exist where fall and winter meet... Elliot Smith draped in dark Southern gothic."
If you still have not checked out this release, be sure to see what you're missing at their MySpace page.
The Avett Brothers Return to Nashville
Thirty Tigers is elated that the world's favorite indie-roots princes are returning to Nashville tomorrow, October 11, to perform at the Cannery Ballroom at 9pm. Tickets are available at the door for $18. For more information about the truth-seeking, soul-rocking, sweet-singing boys, check out theavettbrothers.com or The Avett Brothers' MySpace
Global Stretch Benefit: Two Nights of Music for Eastern Uganda
On Thursday, September 13th and Friday, September 14th, The Global Stretch and Thirty Tigers will sponsor two nights of music to benefit IDAAC (Integrated Development and AIDS Concern), a community-based NGO in eastern Uganda whose central goal is to help people in this area affected by HIV/AIDS cope under extreme socio-economic challenges. Both nights of the benefit will be held at The Basement and begin at 8PM.
The Jack Silverman Ordeal, The Charles Treadway Organ Trio, and Julie Lee & Sarah Siskind will kick things off Thursday night (the 13th) w/Vanderbilt ethnomusicologist Gregory Barz speaking about the current situation in Eastern Uganda.
Stone Jack Jones, Funkwrench feat. Kenny Vaughn, and Reeves Gabrels & the new Contrarians will be rockin’ more psychedelic sets Friday evening, September 14th.
Minimum donation for each night is $5. Tickets are available now at Grimey's New and Preloved Music. See the Global Stretch MySpace Page for more information
Thirty Tigers hosts Showcase as part of Next Big Nashville
Come see Stone Jack Jones, Mando Saenz, Matthew Perryman Jones, Elizabeth Cook and Mike Farris at the Basement, September 8th at 8:30.
The Basement 1604 8th Ave South 615.254.8006
Warm in the Wake- New Album 8/28
Atlanta indie-rock outfit Warm in the Wake is poised to released their beautiful new album American Prehistoric with the help of Thirty Tigers Publicity, Marketing and Management.
"like dipping your favorite folk songs in Southern rock, then dragging them through a pile of glitter..."
Warm in the Wake's Myspace
warminthewake.com
Amy LaVere named Memphis' Most Eligible Bachelorette!
Thirty Tigers songstress Amy LaVere has been named Memphis' most eligible bachelorette in Forbes.com's annual ranking of "Best Cities for Singles." Congratulations to Thirty Tigers' triple-slappin' darling! She's always been our most eligible bachelorette... Click here to purchase Amy's latest album, Anchors and Anvils
Emotionalism Debuts at #1 on Billboard's Heatseekers Chart
The Avett Brothers also landed #134 on the Billboard Top 200 for their May 15th release. "Thirty Tigers has offered the Avett Brothers and me the best of both worlds by giving us a major label infrastructure while allowing us to keep our indie-roots intact. Their "BIG TEAM, little me" philosophy has instilled the confidence needed to compete in an industry that can be very intimidating for small independent labels." - Dolphus Ramseur of Ramseur Records.
Those Darlins, Those Darlins
Oh Wow Dang Records
...Though the official release is July 7th, the debut album from Murfreesboro's wild female garage-country trio is available on vinyl and at iTunes now! [artist site]
Patterson Hood, Murdering Oscar (and Other Love Songs)
Ruth St. Records
The second solo record from the leader of the Drive- By Truckers has been 15 years in the making. Most of his DBT band mates join him on the album as well as Don Chambers, Will Johnson and Scott Danbom from Centro-matic. This is also the first time Hood's father David Hood, famed Muscle Shoals bass player, joins him on a record. [artist site]
Sons of Bill, One Town Away
Gray Fox Records
With a sound that's all too familiar, yet somehow resists an easy definition, too edgy for Nashville, but too earnest for New York, Sons of Bill draw comparisons ranging from George Jones to the Gin Blossoms and are equal parts raucous and reflective. [artist site]
Charlie Mars, Like A Bird, Like A Plane
Rockingham Records
Those keeping score will mark this as Charlie Mars' fifth album, but Like A Bird, Like A Plane can best be described as a a new debut. Mars has sewn together tightly crafted songs with moods and melodies that pulse with sex, wonderment, and personal destruction - all themes that may clash on paper but in music, suggest mysteries that are organic to us all. [artist site]
Lynda Carter, At Last
Potomac Productions
We can't help but be thrilled by the chance to put out the latest vocal project by Lynda Carter (best known for personifying American icon, Wonder Woman). At Last is a classic collection of standards that will delight both old and new fans alike. [artist site]
Sarah Siskind, Say It Louder
Red Request Records
Siskind is a beloved talent in songwriting circles and steps to center stage with her new solo album Say It Louder. The album, which features Jerry Douglas, was recorded at the Sound Emporium with co-production by Jason Lehning (Lyle Lovett, Guster, Nickel Creek), and marks the tipping point of Sarah's journey as an artist to take the national stage. [artist site]
David Berkeley, Strange Light
Straw Man Music
The true uniqueness in David's music is his gift for melody and his poetic and philosophic lyric writing. Each song is an introspective and emotional telling of a tale, firmly rooted in time and space. Strange Light features Sara Watkins on background vocals and is Berkeley's most accessible and powerful work yet. [artist site]
Dexateens, Singlewide
Cornelius Chapel Records/ Skybucket
For the better part of the last decade, a band of Alabama garage rockers called the Dexateens have been serving up their self-styled "skillet rock." Singlewide is an album that signals the band's rise upward - out of the garage and onto the porch. It's a decidedly low-fi turn for the band, forfeiting some of the previous album's Skynyrd pomp in favor of good, old-fashioned songcraft. [artist site]
Roman Candle, Oh Tall Tree in the Ear
Carnival Records
Oh Tall Tree in the Ear capitalizes on Roman Candle's distinct melodic sensibilities and its earnest introspective lyrics. Skip, Timshel and Logan Matheny, the familial trio at the core of Roman Candle, remain a band dedicated to the power of a well-crafted song. [artist site]
Chuck Mead, Journeyman's Wager
Grassy Knoll Records
He's been known as the co-founder of the 3 time Grammy nominated BR549, the honky-tonk heroes that almost single-handedly lit and carried the blowtorch for the mid-90's alternative country explosion. With Journeyman's Wager, Chuck throws down the gauntlet with an album that defies all sonic expectations while redefining his position as one of the hardest-working artists in the business. [artist site]
The Belleville Outfit, Time To Stand
Belleville Records
Time To Stand, the new album from the Austin band that "captures the best of the hippie-friendly roots string band zeitgeist, without succumbing to it" (No Depression) is packed with Appalachian and bayou imagery and dynamically maintains the band's tradition of multi-genre music. [artist site]
Casey Driessen, Oog
Red Shoe Records
On his sophomore effort Oog, Grammy nominated fiddle radical Casey Driessen focuses his energy towards his talents as a composer and producer. Oog is an exploratory, experimental and progressive fiddle record, featuring genre-bending original compositions and three de'rrangements of others. [artist site]
Samantha Crain and the Midnight Shivers, Songs in the Night
Ramseur Records
Songs In the Night plays out to wander confidently in the badlands where abrasive, jangly indie rock and smooth, whispery folk meet. It chronicles the fear she saw in herself and those around her, that assumed embracing health and clarity would, in turn, destroy every particle of poetry and each grain of ingenuity dwelling within the artist. Crain's distinct voice presents each song with an unfeigned fervor as it rises and falls over the panorama painted by the Midnight Shivers and their roots-infused, fertile arrangements. [artist site]
Paleface, The Show Is On The Road
Ramseur Records
More than a decade since his last major label release, Paleface, a founding member of NYC's Anti-folk movement, is back with The Show Is On The Road . The album is an intimate, 11-song diary that transcends genres with its ingenuous lyrics and deceptively unassuming style. [artist site]
Michelle Malone, Debris
SBS Records
Michelle Malone has been making hard-edged albums that combine blues, folk, rock, and country music for more than 20 years, but still remains criminally underrated as an artist. With a few exceptions, Debris is a blues-rock outing delivered with her trademark gritty vocals, solid guitar work, and a handpicked band. [artist site]
Superdrag, Industry Giants
Superdrag Sound Laboraties
Industry Giants is more than just a reunion album, it is Superdrag's re-entry into the Rock & Roll community, with music and band intact. With SST-era punk energy and wall's of guitar fuzz, Superdrag clearly hasn't missed a beat. [artist site]
Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit,
Lighning Rod Records
Isbell's second solo record is a collaborative effort with the 400 Unit. The critically acclaimed album is effective and entrancing, both hard-edged and acoustic, and honest through and through. [artist site]
Jessica Lea Mayfield, With Blasphemy So Heartfelt
Polymer Sounds
Polymer Sounds is proud to release Jessica Lea Mayfield's first full-length album produced by Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys, who says of Jessica, "I think she's dark in moody in a good way. I'm just always really excited to make music with her." [artist site]
Jason Boland, Comal County Blue
Apex Nashville
It's been a decade since Jason Boland and the Stragglers formed their outlaw band, and they are now considered the stalwart leaders of the red dirt movement. Comal Country Blue, Boland's 5th release, is a welcome and decisive offering that is already stunning the charts. [artist site]
Matthew Perryman Jones, Swallow the Sea
MPJ Music
The new album from Nashville musician Matthew Perryman Jones Swallow the Sea features 10 new tracks and is the follow-up to Jones' acclaimed 2006 acclaimed album Throwing Punches in the Dark. Recorded in Nashville, the new album continues Jones' collaborative efforts with renowned producer and songwriter Neilson Hubbard. [artist site]
Blue Mountain, Midnight in Mississippi & Omnibus
http://www.bluemountainbandoxfordms.com/
On the heels of a successful 2007 reunion tour and 15 years after their first release, seminal Americana band Blue Mountain is set to release Midnight in Mississippi, their first studio album in eight years. Produced by Grammy winner Stuart Sikes (Cat Power, White Stripes, Loretta Lynn), the CD will be released in tandem with Omnibus, a collection of new recordings of their old material. They will also issue a double LP vinyl release of both new albums [artist site]
The Avett Brothers, The Second Gleam
Ramseur Records
The Avett Brothers release The Second Gleam; six new songs offered with the natural lyrical clarity and honest delivery that has become synonymous with their name. With this addition to their growing body of work, Scott and Seth Avett establish a series, while further separating their writing from the modern landscape of music, popular or otherwise. [artist site]
Samantha Crain and the Midnight Shivers, The Confiscation, A Musical Novella by Samantha Crain
Ramseur Records
Samantha hails from Oklahoma, though her folk tradition is as indebted to Radiohead asob Dylan, with a literary sense more in keep with Carson McCullers than her songwriting contemporaries. Crain is earthy and spiritual, able to convey hope yet unafraid to confront despair. Her sound is deeply rural and southern, itinerant and urban. Lyrics of disaster and dark times peacefully coexist with anthems of community and reconciliation. [artist site]
Ben Sollee, Learning to Bend
sonaBLAST!
The single most salient quality of Learning to Bend, besides Ben's distinctive cello technique and soulful voice, is his contagiously optimistic worldview. Ben is not just expressing his personal quest for flexibility, he is asking the entire country to learn to bend, learn to cry, learn how to see the sun rise... He is at the forefront of a movement that is happening right now: a zeitgeist in which a nation can face reality and empower itself to evolve and feel deeply and stand up for the power of hope. [artist site]
Tony Joe White, Deep Cuts
Swamp Records
Revered as one of the originators of swamp rock, Tony Joe White has recast a number of his classic songs on Deep Cuts, proving that time has no jurisdiction over funky. Cut with a rich palette of beats and loops, utilizing both digital and live drums, strings, organs, and the unmistakable timbre of his guitar, this release reveals that there is still plenty to be gleaned from his irresistible, timeless groove. [artist site]
Ben Sollee, If You're Gonna Lead My Country (digital EP)
sonaBLAST!
A message from Ben: "My new EP, If You're Going To Lead My Country, is now available at digital outlets. It features the A Side "A Change Is Gonna Come" and the B Side "A Few Honest Words. As for the choice in songs, I feel it's time...time for new leadership in this country. In my travels I've had conversations with all the demographics and they too, regardless of political affiliation, believe it's time for a change. My mind is consumed with the potential that is ahead of us all and this new EP is not meant to criticize, but rather inspire. One of my musical and personal heroes, Sam Cooke envisioned change for his race, and in my adaptation of his song 'A Change is Gonna Come' I envision it for our country and global community. I hope you enjoy the songs and maybe become inspire, too. ~ ben [artist site]
Jeremy McComb, My Side of Town
Parallel Records
Jeremy McComb's upbringing in a small town environment has been great inspiration to his unique ability to bring a song to life. His debut CD embodies his life, his thoughts, his words, his music... his side of town. [artist site]
Bombadil, A Buzz, a Buzz
Ramseur Records
The music of Bombadil, a band of North Carolinians who met by chance in Bolivia, draws on a unique melange of influences to create an infectious, unclassifiable sound. The songs on their first full-length album range from straightforward rock to Bolivian waltzes, from heartbreaking piano-driven laments to swashbuckling, raucous marches. Still, the core of Bombadil is their anthemic, concrete songwriting. [artist site]
James McMurtry, Just Us Kids
Lightning Rod Records
Acclaimed singer/songwriter James McMurtry returns with Just Us Kids, his ninth album and follow up to 2005's Americana Album of the Year winner, Childish Things. With songs like "Cheney's Toy" and "God Bless America," McMurtry picks up where he left off with his controversial anthem "We Can't Make It Here." [artist site]
Kathy Mattea, COAL
Captain Potato Records
Grammy winner and environmental activist Kathy Mattea has dreamed quietly about one day recording an album like Coal. Raised near Charleston, West Virginia, her childhood was steeped in the Appalachian culture and her mining heritage is thick. This albums is what Mattea calls a tribute to "my place and my people." [artist site]
Aaron Watson, Angels & Outlaws
BIG Label Records
After years of Texas chart hits and sold-out shows, Aaron Watson returns with his strongest offering yet, Angels and Outlaws, and his sights firmly set on the national stage. [artist site]
Paul Thorn, Long Way from Tupelo
Perpetual Obscurity Records
With his signature witty lyrics, brilliant irony and colorful true life stories, Paul Thorn returns singing about good times, bad times, and everything in between, artfully weaving in a slightly loopy Southern sense of the unexpected that draws you in and never lets go. [artist site]
various artists, Song of America
Thirty One Tigers, Split Rock Records
A Landmark, 50-SONG, 3-CD set tracing the history of our country through new versions of culturally significant songs interpreted by contemporary artists. Envisioned by Janet Reno, his set includes tracks performed by the likes of Andrew Bird, John Mellencamp, Devendra Banhart, Martha Wainwright, Bettye LaVette, Tim O'Brien, The Black Crowes, Danielson, Old Crow Medicine Show, Janis Ian, The Blind Boys of Alabama, The Wilders, Elizabeth Cook, The Del McCoury Band, and many, many more... [artist site]
Will Kimbrough, EP
Daphne
Essentially a folk record, EP showcases Kimbrough's slide, flattop guitar and banjo work, and most of all, his warm voice and literate songwriting. Recorded mostly at home, with floorboards creaking, birds singing, cars passing, and children sneaking by, EP is Will Kimbrough's most intimate work yet. [artist site]
the everybodyfields, nothing is okay
Ramseur Records
The everybodyfields, the Tennessee trio that is rapidly gaining a deserved reputation as front-runners of the newest generation of the alt-country movement. The everybodyfields offers melancholic interpretations of universal human stories set to achingly beautiful melodies and put to life with such instrumentation as lap steel, lead guitar, electric bass, and acoustic guitar. [artist site]
The Avett Brothers, Emotionalism
Ramseur Records
Emotionalism is a weakness. It is a presentation of a heart-lucid reality to those who do not seek it. It can be mocked. It can be ignored. This record and the group that executed it take part in a voice, singing to the guarded, the scared, the damaged, the emotionless. They will choose whether or not to listen. [artist site]
Elizabeth Cook, Balls
Thirty One Tigers
In contemporary country music, it's a rare performer who will dare to take on the industry on her own hogs-and-kisses terms. But for the artist whom Nanci Griffith has called "this generation's Loretta Lynn," it takes a certain tenacity to meld smart attitude with classic tradition, the credibility of a life lived with genuine hillbilly passion, and the integrity to write an acclaimed cache of uncommonly cool songs. This is a fiercely independent ride where shuffles, ballads, and even the occasional juice harp can soar alongside an exquisite cover of The Velvet Underground's "Sunday Morning." Balls is, quite simply, Elizabeth Cook's unabashed breakthrough. [artist site]
Amy LaVere, Anchors and Anvils
Archer Records
Two years, many gigs, and one big, busted love affair later, Amy LaVere went into the studio with Jim Dickinson to craft her dark and sexy second album, Anchors and Anvils. Jim Dickinson captured Amy and her band at his Zebra Ranch recording barn/'art project' in rural Mississippi. "As a producer, you take the artist out to the edge of the cliff, where they have to learn to trust you," Dickinson explains. "And of course, you push 'em off. A lot of them fall. But Amy has the wings to fly. In fact, I think it's one of the best records I've ever made." [artist site]
The Dynamites, Kaboom!
Outta Sight Records
Outta Sight Records is pleased to announce their first release with The Dynamites featuring Charles Walker on vocals. Kaboom! is a furious and unrelenting barrage of stripped-down, rhythmic R&B, funk, and swinging soul pouring out of Nashville's new 9-piece staple live outfit [artist site]
