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1 month ago | 
americanahighways.org | John Apice |Gary Schwind |Bill Bentley |H. R. Gertner
C. Daniel Boling featuring Tom Paxton – It Matters
I’m at an age where ‘60s radical folk songs just sound out of place now. Despite today’s volatile environment, I’m relieved to listen to 2 veterans (Tom Paxton & C. Daniel Boling) who open with new music that’s more optimistic & fun. The rousing “Hidey-Ho” with its catchy “every day I wake up it’s a darn good day for me” is charming.
The duos blend their voices as slick & tasty as the flavor of dark chocolate & salty potato chips.
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1 month ago | 
americanahighways.org | Elise Cady |H. R. Gertner |Melissa Clarke |Americana Highways
Barbara Lynch where did you goBarbara Lynch grew up in small town in Southwestern Ontario which, if you’ve spent any time in the area you’ll know is as rural and rustic as it gets. On her new album, where did you go, Barbara Lynch shares stories and observations from that setting, which play out as songs that are the kind of back country music that the hearts of Americana music fans long for.
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2 months ago | 
americanahighways.org | Jeff Burger |H. R. Gertner |Tiffani Perkins |John Apice
The late Kinky Friedman, a cigar-smoking novelist, country-rock musician, and two-time Texas gubernatorial candidate, had a decidedly idiosyncratic personality. He cultivated that image starting with his first album, 1973’s Sold American, which he recorded with his group, the Texas Jewboys. Black humor, sarcasm, and downright silliness permeate that set.
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2 months ago | 
americanahighways.org | John Apice |Andrew Gulden |Andrew Blanton |H. R. Gertner
Mariachi Mestizo – XXV Anniversario
This starts quite differently from most albums with the sound of a train & then the heavenly voices of young singers. The music’s sprightly, pristine & woven like a quilt. “El Son De El Tren” is superb even if you don’t understand Spanish. It’s the music that captures your ear & enters the pores of your skin. Nothing but joy & happiness spills from these instruments & voices. The vocal duet with Nathaniel Rios & Pablo Tovar is excellently supported by the band.
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2 months ago | 
americanahighways.org | Elise Cady |H. R. Gertner
Christopher Wright – The Other SideTexas musician Christopher Wright is releasing a new album The Other Side, recorded at Dripping Springs studio and featuring Cody Braun on fiddle to ground it nice and firmly in an earthy Texas soundscape. When you first hit play on the album, you immediately notice it’s suffused with the natural sound that comes from the Texas air and buffalo grass that Christopher grew up in. But there’s something more going on in the songwriting.
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2 months ago | 
americanahighways.org | John Apice |H. R. Gertner
Sacred Vagabonds – All That Matters
This showcase that drops February 28th is a 6-song 23-minute EP with 3-part harmonies produced by musicians Ken Marvin (vocals/guitars/bass/percussion) & Brian Gentry (vocals/6 & 12 string acoustic guitars/electric guitars/harmonica). The showcase was recorded in Nashville as All That Matters (Sweet City Sound/Hemifran).
The set leads off with the satiny textured “Beyond Blue” that even projects a hint of the old China Crisis groove.
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Feb 12, 2025 | 
americanahighways.org | John Apice |H. R. Gertner
Jimmy Vivino – Gonna Be 2 of Those Days
For the most part, the blues is such an antique genre that to play it now would be purely a nostalgic run. Jimmy Vivino manages to inject rousing character & personality into his showcase & that alone brings forth a fresh aroma to an old recipe.
On “Blues In the 21st” with Joe Bonamassa (guitar) the beat plods heavy-shoed with standard bluesy diligence but the guitars dress the tune up in fine classy threads.
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Jan 22, 2025 | 
americanahighways.org | Mark J. Pelavin |H. R. Gertner
Neko Case – The Harder I Fight, The More I Love YouNeko Case’s harrowing new memoir, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You, is like her music — challenging, powerful, beautiful, sad, and ultimately uplifting. The stories she shares of her childhood are absolutely heartbreaking. Throughout the book, Case refers to herself as someone who was “feral,” left alone to raise herself in the wild. Many artists are given to hyperbole.
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Jan 21, 2025 | 
americanahighways.org | John Apice |H. R. Gertner
The Doohickeys – All Hat No Cattle
What’s interesting here is how the silly-named Glendale, CA duo The Doohickeys manages to do what many contemporary country artists don’t get. This city-folk duo creates songs that are catchy & you don’t need a net. They understand what radio-friendly songs can generate & they have found a motherlode.
There are 12 distinctive tunes rain barrel deep on All Hat No Cattle (Drops Jan. 24/Forty Below/40:58).
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Nov 17, 2024 | 
americanahighways.org | Jeff Burger |H. R. Gertner
Less than two years after the release of the excellent four-CD The Songs of Bacharach & Costello, Elvis Costello has unveiled another major box set. Called King of America & Other Realms, it features 97 tracks on six CDs. (Casual fans and those with tight budgets can opt for a two-disc edition.) The CDs are encased in a 60-page hardcover book that contains photos and lyrics to every song.
