Author Archive: Kyle McCraw
Little Rock, AR I grew up listening to a lot of country music with my parents, but part of my rebellion was musical. After spending a lot of time in hard rock, metal, rap, indie rock, jazz and even an obsession with early-mid 70’s Stevie Wonder, I made my way back to country. Really there were always artists like Bill Mallonee and Neil Young that I was listening to in the interim, but it took a while to get back to guys like Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, and Lefty Frizzell. Today, my interests are primarily in the roots/americana/country/southern rock area of things. Favorite Band/Artist: Drive-by Truckers
Lynyrd Skynyrd “Live From Freedom Hall” Roadrunner
Last year Lynyrd Skynyrd lost keyboardist and founding member Billy Powell, as well as bassist Ean [...]
Jack Rose with D Charles Speer & the Helix “Ragged and Right” Thrill Jockey
In the spring of 2008, post-Takoma, American primitive guitarist Jack Rose set off on a tour with D [...]
John McEuen – “Workingman’s Banjo”
No doubt, John McEuen is a lot of things to a lot of people. He’s a multi-instrumentalist, [...]
“Twistable, Turnable Man: A Musical Tribute to the Songs Shel Silverstein” (Various Artists) Sugar Hill
You never know what to expect with a tribute album. They have a tendency to be very hit and [...]
Roland White “I Wasn’t Born to Rock ‘n Roll” Tompkins Square
It took thirty-four years for “I Wasn’t Born to Rock ‘n Roll” to be reissued on cd, and we [...]
Willie Nelson “Country Music” Rounder
“This is my definition of real country music.” That’s what Willie Nelson says about his new [...]
Great American Taxi “Reckless Habits” Thirty Tigers
Listening to the band’s second release, it is no wonder why Great American Taxi has become a [...]
James McMurtry Interview
“Rock & Roots or Roots & Roll, whatever you want to call it – we challenge you to find a [...]
Hank Williams “Revealed: The Unreleased Recordings” Time Life
This set is not for the uninitiated, looking for a primer on Hank Williams. This is not a balanced [...]
James McMurtry “Live in Europe” Lightning Rod
(Note: This review has been altered. For various reasons, the album was originally reviewed [...]
Drive-by Truckers w/ James McMurtry – Rev Room, Little Rock, AR – 10/24/09
This was the first time in five years that Drive-by Truckers have rolled into town, and fans [...]
Guy Clark “Someday The Song Writes You” – Review
Guy Clark is a name I feel like I should know better than I do, and looking at what he’s done, [...]
Willie Nelson “American Classic” Blue Note
There’s no mistaking Willie Nelson’s voice. It’s an old friend, and it’s a wonderful thing [...]
Ryan Bingham & the Dead Horses “Roadhouse Sun” Lost Highway
With the addition of his new backing band, Ryan Bingham’s new release has a much more full sound [...]
Elliott Brood “Mountain Meadows” Six Shooter Records
Death country, country noir or whatever other labels anyone wants to give them, the three guys that [...]
The Band of Heathens “One Foot in the Ether” BOH Records
How do you follow a debut album that hit No. 1 on both U.S. and Euro Americana radio? If you’re [...]
Drivin’ N’ Cryin’ “The Great American Bubble Factory” Vintage Earth/Thirty Tigers
From the title, it’s a little hard to know what to expect from Drivin’ N’ Cryin’s first [...]
J.B. Beverley and the Wayward Drifters “Watch America Roll By” Helltrain
The fact that “Virginia’s hardcore honky tonkers” reference Johnny Cash and Hank Williams (and [...]
Larry Jon Wilson “Larry Jon Wilson” Drag City
I’d never heard of Larry Jon Wilson before. I can’t comment on his four Monument releases from [...]
Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit w/ Justin Townes Earle – Sticky Fingerz, Little Rock, AR
The sign above the door just read “Wed – Jason Isbell,” but I gotta admit as much as I was [...]
