Hellwood is a gothic roots-rock group featuring Jim White, Johnny Dowd and drummer Willie B.(Neko Case, Sally Timms). Recorded in a cabin in central New York, in a room with walls covered in newspaper clippings of musician obituaries, Hellwood’s “Chainsaw of Life” beings the minimalist approach of Johhny Dowd, the honky-tonk trip-hop of Jim White and the intricate percussion of Willie B. Hellwood wrapped up a Europeon tour late last year and the band is planning a tour of America this year.

I want to take a moment on this first day of 2007 to add some other great releases that slipped my 2006 list:

Kris Kristofferson, - This Old Road
Tom Russell - Love & Fear
Dale Watson - Whiskey or God
James McMurtry - Childish Things
Loomer - Wild West Island
Elvis Costello & Allen Toussaint - The River In Reverse
James Hunter - People Gonna Talk
Hem - Funnel Cloud
Bruce Springsteen - We Shall Overcome: Seeger Sessions
Guy Clark - Workbench Songs