Tuesday, July 26, 2005

What I'm Listening To

My taste in music is pretty eclectic, but my primary choices fall in the country, bluegrass and Americana range. Here's who I'm listening to these days:

Mindy Smith - ONE MOMENT MORE Contemporary acoustic Americana with a distinct indie edge. Love her haunting version of the Dolly Parton classic "Jolene." And speaking of Dolly...

Dolly Parton - LITTLE SPARROW The Queen of Country Bluegrass casts her spell on a mix of old fashioned folk songs and classic rock. Her bluegrass rendition of the Eagles' "Seven Bridges Road" is worth the cost of the CD, but there's a whole lot more worth listening to here.

Patty Loveless - MOUNTAIN SOUL Patty Loveless has one of the great voices in country music, and with this album, she visits her Kentucky bluegrass roots.

Big & Rich - HORSE OF A DIFFERENT COLOR This duo defies labels, although in their songs you can hear hints of country influences including the Bellamy Brothers and Montgomery Gentry. Their break-out song, "Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy" is a silly, irresistible romp. More than just a duo, they—and their Musik Mafia cohort—are the new outlaws on the country music scene.

Gabriel Yared, et al. - Soundtrack to COLD MOUNTAIN While the actual soundtrack cuts are lovely, I bought this CD for the two Alison Krauss cuts, "You will be my ain true love" and "The Scarlet Tide." Lucky for me, "Lady Margret," two Sacred Harp songs and Jack White's version of "Wayfaring Stranger" are delightful bonuses.

Old Crow Medicine Show - O.C.M.S. Hmm, how to describe this band? Depression era folk grass, I guess, with a decidedly modern edge. "Wagon Wheel" is my favorite cut.

And I don't have it yet, but when I get some cash to spare, these two are going on my "to buy" list:

Alison Krauss & Union Station - NEW FAVORITE and LONELY RUNS BOTH WAYS. Because you just can't go wrong with AK&US.

UPDATE:

Can't believe I forgot this one:

Nickel Creek - THIS SIDE I love this bands eclectic fusion of bluegrass, alt rock and acoustic folk. They have a distinctive sound that draws from many influences without mimicking any of them.

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