N EW RELEASES

Hallman song, Big Tra in, the narrator their alt/rock pedigree through these & Rain Perry reveals:'l was born with a suitcase in my tracks and others such as Shotgun, a guitar- u MEN hand' subsequently expresses the hope:'l powered country story song reminiscent of T Precipitous Records want to wake up with a smile on my face, Slobberbone, while somewhat gentler rock { *** Knowing what it is to love a place'and sounds can be heard on HodToGiveThat g A folk-pop concoction concludes with the celebratory:'Big train, UpToo, Goodbye Lonely, and the chirping u that is Perry's third roll on through, I've got no more use for harp of Trouble Knows My Name. rl consecutive Congress you.'ArthurWood And what of country? Well, lf I Had E House recording www.rainperry.com An oth e r H eart demonstrates adm irably ln her liner notes Perry relates how that Rogers can sing as well as shout, lt male acquaintances and friends inspired and features a nice guitar break from a her latest song lyrics. As with 2008's The Randy Rogers Hill, but the welltrad Flash Flood,withits ri CINDERBLOCK BOOKSHELVES and 201 O,s Band trademark steel guitar, fiddle and guitar T INTERNAL COMBUSTION, this was album TROUBLE picking accompaniment, while echoing TI recorded at Congress House Studio in Humphead HUMP43 the Eagles at times, is about as country as € Austin, principal the contributors being *** it gets. lt's one of my two album favourites, q Perry (vocals) producerAtudio and album TheTexos quartet's honourable mention also going to the owner Mark Hallman (vocals, guitars, seventh olbum blends other standout here, Never Got Around mandola, piano. banjo, bass, keyboards, rock and country influences from Merle Io, a soaring love ballad boasting Rogers' accordion, drums, percussion, clarinet), Hoggard and Radney Foster to Free ond alternately grating and sweet vocals, solid s with guest appearances by 'locals'Julie Pearl Jam to produce their unique sound organ lines, vibrato guitar licks and Blackt l Chistensen, Matt The Electrician, Andrew The Randy Rogers Band recorded its omnipresent fiddle. 5 Hardin, Sara Hickman, Scrappy Jud fiTst album LIVE AT cHEATHAM STREET So, a great energetic set from the Texas J Newcomb, Brian Standefer and more. WAREHOUSE at a music hall of the same combo that mixing fairly standard but solid I lncluded are covers of Robert Earl Keent name in 5an Marcos, Texas, shortly southern rock with some heavier alt thrash G culinary Then Came Lo Mein and closes with after getting together in the town of and just a sprinkling oftraditional country. an ear-splittingly loud electric rendition of Cleburne. That'i appropriate, as they're A bit on the heavy rock side for me, but on Chuck Prophet's Let's Do Something Wrong- Texas through and through. Since then the whole I like it. Available as a download 'Well, I once loved a boy, He wouldn't they have played extensively, sharing the or as an import CD..Ieremy lsoac love me.' PerrylHallman are the credited stage with Willie Nelson and the Eagles, www.randyrogersband.com coniiiosers of five songs, with the remaining charted seven singles on Billboard's Hot trio credited solely to California-based Rain. Country Songs Charts, released a further Propelled by an insistent and pounding six albums (their third set, ROLLERCOASTER, Roadhouse backbeat one of the latter, Gefln The Car, a was co-produced by fellow Texan Radney GODSA getaway song-'Leave the coffee cups in the Foster and featured the track Somebody HIGHWAYSSOLD sink'-opens her fourth album. Co-written, Take Me Home, also recorded by Kenny GUITARS the ensuing Done is underpinned by a Chesney and penned by Rogers and Krossborder KBR20131 gently loping melody, while the title of Foster) while One More Sod Song, the first **** gastronomic the concoction lJmami, also single from their new album TROUBLE, Roots at its best with co-written, is a Japanese word that translates has already charted in Billboard's Top 40. morethan o touch of rock as 'pleasant savory taste.' TROUBLE opens on the plodding Fuzzy, Ahh, who could not love an album that Penned by PerrylHallman, performed a lumbering rock workout featuring the manages to come up with a mystical mix as a duet with Matt The Electrician and menacing minor chords of Geoffrey Hill's like that like that in its title, echoing the prominently featuring Hallman's mandola, grating electric guitar (watch out for this spirit of Neil Gaiman's novel American One Of These Days reflects that we can't one-on the promo disc, at least, it's listed Gods. And this is Roadhouse, Britain's expect every day to be perfect, while the as track two, while the stated opener, finest and most enigmatic roots rockers. now-mature narrator of Rain's Happily Ever Goodbye Lonely, is actually the closer here- The music doesn't fit any category but Affer reflects: 'lf this were a movie it would although Amazon lists it as track l). Despite somehow manages to be a dark coming end after I gave my heart, But how you a haunting intro featuring understated together of country-rock and blues in a keep giving it and giving it, Oh, they never keyboards and Brady Black's gentle fiddle, way that no one else manages. Main man show part.'With that a deal of urgency, SpeakOf The DeyrT maintains the southern Gary Boner is still there penning lyrics Rain's Photonegotive Of Love narrator rock mood with its meshed guitars and about everything in the title and he and repeats and repeats:'This isn't love,' organ, while the single One More Sod co-guitarist Danny Gwiliym switch between and with a running a time smidgen over Song follows suit, its measured, fiddle- lead and rhythm in a jangling, throbbing six-and-a-half minutes the semi-spoken accompanied verses giving way to heavy rocking barrage. Sometimes there's a slide collaboration Arlas ponders what might guitar-laden choruses from the soulful- guitar moan, sometimes full on rock. occur if: 'The Titan Atlas set the world voiced Rogers, and Don't DeserveYou also Where Roadhouse really differ is that down, And the world just kept spinning.' rocks it up to Les Lawless's belting drum they have three female singers-Mandie At the outset of the fifth and final Perry/ rhythm. These guys have amply stated G, Sarah Harvey-Smart and Suzie D-who

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