Way back in the early-80's a Canadian performance artist with a strong voice discovered Patsy Cline and decided to combine the two passions. Poor old Nashville didn't know what to make of her wild get-ups and edgy high-energy version of country music. She put out four interesting albums including Angel With A Lariat produced by Dave Edmonds and Shadowland produced by Owen Bradley. She peaked with ‘89's Absolute Torch And Twang and by '92 she came out of the closet and released Ingenue, which led to her greater success as a pop crooner singing with the likes of Roy Orbison and Tony Bennett. Rhino has nicely packaged this 20-song compilation of songs from these albums including k.d.'s comments on each of the tracks. I suppose her “punk country”, (as it was called then) is not for everybody, but 20 years later it still sounds good to me.

Talk about your man for all seasons: Jim Lauderdale has gone in two different directions simultaneously with a pair of September releases, Country Super Hits Vol. 1, and this one, his aptly titled foray into Bluegrass territory. Not as traditional or conservative as some purists would probably prefer, Lauderdale has written, or co-wrote, all of the thirteen accessible tracks contained herein. Being a North Carolina son, he's got the authentic pipes for this project, and his backing musicians have all got good handles on their craft. If bluegrass music has never been your particular cup of tea before, this one isn't a half bad introduction to it. Call it a sort of Bluegrass-Lite, for those who haven't yet acquired the taste to take their ‘shine straight up.

Yep Roc's Jim page. Buy from Amazon. Released Sept. '06. Reviewed by Don Grant.

Don't let the name fool you; this band is closer to Ireland or the Maritimes than they are to Mexico, but Boston is home base. They've been described as Jewish-Celtic Folk Pop, and that works for me. Their unique gumbo is spiced with some zydeco and klezmer sound, emanating chiefly from the use of accordion, button box, fiddle, and banjo. All of the music is original, with the exception of “Newry Highwayman”, which is an old traditional. Personal experience in Nova Scotia with the performances that bands such as this put on gives rise to the caution that, if you should have the good fortune to attend one, be prepared to consume copious amounts of wobbly pop; it's part of the ambiance. This is real life music that takes the listener through the highs and the lows of this trip called life and makes it endurable. I've yet to meet anyone who can't get off on this one.

This is good American music, pulling on blues, pulling on gothic country, pulling on your sleeve just a little, too. Mark Lemhouse plays a variety of guitars, some banjo, lap steel. He can sound dangerous when he wants to, running the knife's edge like he's been poking around in the ashes of Jr. Kimbrough's jukejoint. He can get up on the porch, too, and draw the whole world in close and lull it by. The players he's got with him punch in nicely. In Scarlet , one of ten Lemhouse originals here (a few co-written with Charlie Normal), Lemhouse sings “I feel my body fadin' / growin' old too fast to know / this boot's takin' on water / and I'm getting' too tired to row.” Given the kind of touring this artist undertakes, it could just as well be blood fillin' that boot. Tapped roots stand this music upright, and with The Great American Yard Sale, Mark Lemhouse reaches up and out with branches all his own.

KORBY LENKER
Bellingham ... (Singular)

Blue Highway follows John Lilly and Ralph Blizzard as they traveled the country in the early nineties,taking a break from the New Southern Ramblers, Ralph's band at the time. Ralph Blizzard, who passed in 2004, was one of the most respected old-time fiddle players in the country and you can clearly hear why on this CD. His melodic longbow fiddle is the perfect accompaniment to John Lilly, a fine guitarist, and one of the truest country singers and yodelers I've had the fortune to hear. Like any close duet, Blizzard's fiddle and Lilly's voice call out to each other to make listening pure pleasure. The first half of the CD features Ralph's playing and John Lilly singing. In the bonus tracks, we get to hear Ralph introduce and sing a few, with John providing guitar and harmony, allowing us not only the opportunity to listen to two talented artists who loved playing together, but a rare recording of Ralph Blizzard live in West Virginia. The original recordings have been re-mixed and re-mastered and as one who happened to be in the audience back then, I can assure you that they retain their aliveness.

The story behind this album is a bunch of New York musicians got together and discovered their common fondness for country music, esp. the 70's era “progressive” country artists like Willie Nelson, Townes Van Zandt and Gram Parsons. Most people will hear about the band because of Norah Jones' involvement. Those of you who liken her to Kenny G, because of her success, need to open your mind and ears a little. She's not only into this band and the music, but she sounds playful and relaxed, not having to be the cener point of the band. Richard Julian shares lead and harmony vocals throughout the disc and his rough voice blends nicely with Jones' sweet one. He also wrote a few nice tunes amongst the many covers. You also have the amazing lead fingers of Jim Campalongo, from San Francisco, who's as adept at jazz as he is at country. The CD jumps off with the bouncy Bob Wills classic “Roly Poly” which has a mischievous I-dare-you-not-to-like bounce to it. They also grab Nelson's (the original Willie, that is) "Night Life" and "Gotta Get Drunk". They cover “Tennessee Stud” a song that I first heard on the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's classic Will The Circle Be Unbroken. That LP had a big influence on me way back in the 1972 and I learned to love Doc Watson and Jimmy Martin and Mother Maybelle Carter. Here's hoping it opens the doors to a few new music fans to look beyond "NashVegas". This is fun stuff, country and some swing with a big smile. "Lou Reed", the closing tune, is a fun fantasy that just reminds you that they're here to have fun.

Amy is a talented songwriter who's had a bruised heart that she's not shy to write about. Her voice is sweet with shades of Stacey Earle or perhaps Kim Richey. I imagine that if you saw her perform solo she would sound like your average “folkie”. The big difference here is addition of the great Will Kimbrough (Rodney Crowell, Adrienne Young) who not only produced the album but also adds his always-tasteful musical skills, whether on banjo, dobro, piano or twangy electric guitar. Will has produced other artists before but here he seems to have really put his heart into this one. He even co-wrote and shares lead vocals on the excellent “Work To Do”. The CD's title alludes to her nice arrangement of the Clash's “Straight To Hell”. Loftus manages to find optimism through her heartaches and brings a little spirituality into her songs too. Her brutally honest songs dressed in Kimbrough's talented hands makes for a winning combination.

BRIGITTE LONDON
Like a Phoenix... (self-released)

By the time you read this, London will have released her fourth CD, Thunder . It's tough at times to stay ahead of the releases, but, ‘nuff said about that. Phoenix starts off with a gospel sounding blues belter reminiscent of Mahalia Jackson, “Way I Loved You”. Next up is the source of the CD's title, with a bluegrassy mandolin line, followed by the melancholic “Nothing To Say”. Covering a few musical bases here are we? Stay close: London hits lots of them here, and she's shooting lots of bull's-eyes. Some of the better ones include “Nothing But Dust”, and “On My Lips”, a nice pair of country rockers. She seems to perform best on her up tempo numbers, the sultry “No Other Woman” for example. Rounding out the list is a Jennings/Shaver tune, “You Ask Me To”, further proof that calling Brigitte London versatile is a bit of an understatement.

HOLLY LONG
Leaving Kansas... (Skim Milk)

This CD sounds like a magnificent combo plate of food at the best Mexican restaurant just over the Rio Grande. Los Super Seven is a loose collection of Tex-Mex musicians who get together once in awhile. This time they have a binding theme, celebrating the “X” border radio stations from the 30's through the 60's that because of their non-regulated high power their signal could be heard nationwide. The stations also were very eclectic in their programming, playing everything from blues, mariachi, R&B, western swing and wild religious broadcasts. This collection does a great job capturing the wide range of musical styles heard on the “X” stations. So here goes… Lyle Lovett does a nice jazzy version of Bob Wills' “My Window Faces The South”. Joe Ely checks in with Bobby Fuller's “Let Her Dance” and Freddy Fender does “Cupido”. The late Doug Sahm gets 2 nods with John Hiatt nailing “I'm Not That Kat Anymore” and the obscure “Song of Everything” is re-kindled by Raul Malo. Delbert McClinton's greeezy, roadhouse run-through of “I Live The Life I Love” is nothing short of amazing with that distorted cheap microphone sound. Whew, it smokes, and it's the best thing Delbert's done in years! I believe the secret ingredient is co-producer Charlie Sexton who spices up every track with his impeccable fretwork while Calexico fills out the backing band duties. Nice packaging and excellent liner notes about the history of the border radio phenomenon complete this excellent release. I could go on about nearly every track but take my word for it this is a great CD!

Gary's MySpace page. NPR's World Cafe has an interview with Louris. Buy from Amazon. Released Feb. 2008. Reviewed by Bill Frater

Best songs: Bears, Step Inside This House, Teach Me About Love, Sleepwalking,  More Pretty Girls Than One, Flying Shoes, Babes In The Woods, Lonely In Love. MCA's Lyle Lovett site, including latest tour info. And I found a pretty nice fan site that includes lyrics and more. Buy from Amazon.  Released Sept. '98. Reviewed by Bill Frater.

Lund and his fellow Albertans waste no time kicking up the dust on the title-cut opener, then blow right into talking blues double-speak on "The Truck Got Stuck". By track five, a western Canadian 18-wheeler road-trip romper called "Hurtin' Albertan", they have hired you as their swamper. Ian Tyson and Ramblin' Jack Ellliott turn in guest spots, but it's on their own that Lund and company are at their gut-stomping best, throwing down a dance floor wherever you stand. This is country music with a big beat and a wide-nostril smile. Had I received this earlier it would've gotten consideration for my 2005 Freight Train Boogie list of favorites. A few yodels, too!