Compact Capsules for August 5, 2009by Dan Ferguson Son VoltAmerican Central DustRounder Records Wilco(The Album)Nonesuch Records The Bottle RocketsLean ForwardBloodshot Records They were the poster bands for the early heyday of the No Depression movement. A dozen years later, Son …
 DAY 3: Nashville (6/29/09) Woke up & the BW room still smelled toe-ish. Anyway, we do try to get some exercise when on vacation. Took a run from the BW all the way downtown and over the Shelby Street …
Compact Capsules by Dan Ferguson Naomi Shelton & Gospel QueensWhat Have You Done, My Brother?Daptone Records Soul music in the gospel tradition is the M.O. on What Have You Done, My Brother? from Naomi Shelton & the Gospel Queens. Singing …
Compact Capsules for July 1, 2009by Dan Ferguson Slaid CleavesEverything You Love Will Be Taken AwayMusic Road Records Be it teardrop sad or happy go lucky, the songs of Austin-based Slaid Cleaves have always been marked by literate wordplay and …
INTRO So here we are, summer of 2009 and we decided to blow off the annual Austin trip for one based around visiting with our oldest in Indiana. We decided to make this huge loop that took us through some …
Compact Capsules for June 23, 2009by Dan Ferguson Scott H. BiramSomething’s Wrong/Lost ForeverBloodshot Records Scott H. Biram’s story is a nasty one with the centerpiece his head-on collision with an 18-wheeler in 2003 which he luckily survived. Just a month …
Compact Capsules for June 9, 2009by Dan Ferguson Jessica Lea MayfieldWith Blasphemy So HeartfeltPolymer Sounds Born into a family band, bluegrass was the first calling for Jessica Lea Mayfield. There’s nary a note of it on her debut With Blasphemy …
Compact Capsules for June 1, 2009by Dan Ferguson Various ArtistsMan of Somebody’s Dreams: A Tribute to Chris GaffneyYep Roc Records YEP-2198 Dave Alvin & The Guilty WomenLast Exit to HappylandYep Roc Records YEP-2155 The tragic passing of both his band …
Compact Capsules for May 19, 2009by Dan Ferguson Wayne HancockViper of MelodyBloodshot Records Stylistically speaking, Wayne “The Train” Hancock records may not vary much from album to album but you can always count on plenty of hot picking oft-times in …
Compact Capsulesby Dan Ferguson Sarah Borges & the Broken SinglesThe Stars Are OutSugar Hill Records While there were glimpses of it on her last release (Diamonds In the Dark, 2006), with the new The Stars Are Out, Bay State gal …