For the second Lost Highway release Texas’ singer/songwriter Ryan Bingham, and his crack band the Dead Horses, again hiredMarc Ford (ex-Black Crowes guitarist) to produce. Ford and the band carry through many of the elements that made his last album, Mescalito, an excellent release but they also added elements that make you wonder what the hell they were smoking (literally.)

Day Is Done is the song out of the gate and it’s a winner. Melodic twang mixes it up with swaggering rock and results in a cut reminiscent of the handful of really great cuts that Shooter Jennings released before he became bored and checked out.

Bingham uses his gravely howl to show a hint of a more political stripe more fully shown later on the album. Tell My Mother I Miss Her So is an excellent mandolin-driven porch-stomp wanderlust tale that extends on a wonderful first impression.

Bluebird and Wishing Well are a pair nice electrified blyes-rock cuts that could fit easily in an album Marc Ford performed on, The Black Crowes second album The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion. Snake Eyes and Rollin’ Highway Blues are both beautiful acoustic songs that also use rambling as a theme.

Endless Ways is where Bingham channels his inner Steve Earle. It’s an rocking anthemic anti-war song that sites “blood from a foreign land” that seems to have been partly based on Copperhead Road (one of Earle’s less political songs.) Hey Hey Hurray is a Crazy Horse meets Dylan (or perhaps more precisely Todd Sinder) mix of political and social commentary with unfortunate hippy platitudes that occasionally clunk an otherwise great song. But whatever, in these days where anyone with a cowboy hat must be a Republican I’m sure these songs are going to confuse John Rich fans.

Speaking of unfortunate, Dylan’s Hard Rain and Change Is are two cuts that suffer from 60s stoner ridiculousness.The former channels the Byrds jangly-guitar style that Gram Parsons new well enough to restrain when he led the band into the cosmic-America music direction.

The album Roadhouse Blues is a greasy Sticky Fingers-style honky-tonk rave-up that tops the album off in fine fashion.

Hats off to Bingham  and his great band for coming out with a mostly perfect sophomore big label release and credit even for the stinkers for branching out and trying new directions.

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The Canadian late night talk show the Hour has a great interview with Steve Earle.  Earle talks abut making his career and his newest release Townes, a tribute to his mentor Townes Van Zandt and recounts some great stories with his time with Townes. The snake wrangler story is worth the watch!

Jim Fusilli at the Wall Street Journal (wsj.com) reviews the Steve Martin Concert at the Rubin Museum of Art in New York City. Martin, Supported by the Steep Canyon Rangers, performed work from his latest bluegrass release “The Crow—New Songs for the Five-String Banjo” (Rounder)

John Jurgensen, also of the Wall Street Journal,  covers the upcoming Elvis Costello twang-tinged release Secret, Profane & Sugarcane, Costello’s varied career and his thoughts on the current state of the record industry. The album was cut in three day in Nashville and is produced by Americana-roots journeyman T-Bone Burnett (who Costello collaberted with on 1986’s King of America) and featured Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Jim Lauderdale.

Whitney Self  at the CMT.com blog reviews the recent Jamey Johnson show at Nashville’s legendary Ryman Auditorium and and states is the rowdiest (and drunkest)  he’s ever seen at the venue.

AamericanaRoots.com give sa listeds to the new Scott H. Biram Bloodshot release Something’s Wrong/Lost Forever.

Kevin Ransom at Ann Arbor’s Mlive.com interviews Austin’s guit-steel master Junior Brown.

• The wonder that is Juli Thaki posts a nice review over on the Washington Post site (the big time!) of Wayne Hancock’s show Tuesday night at Arlington, Virginia’s IOTA club.

• NineBullets.net has some good things to say about the new Scott H Biram’s Blooshot Records release Something’s Wrong / Lost Forever.

• HearYa.com celibrates the memory of ex-Wilco member Jay Bennett.

• Kelly Dearmore at Twangville.com (no relation) praises the new The Dexateens release Singlewide.

• A new Magnolia Electric co. album josephine will be released by secretly canadian on july 21st, 2009. Get a free mp3 of the title track over in the Magnolia Electric co.web site. In support the record they’ll head out july 10th on a month long tour crossing the U.S followed by a few weeks of full-band touring in Europe.

• An benefit album to help Evan Phillips, – the principle songwriter for acclaimed Alaskan alt.country rock band The Whipsaws – pay medical costs associated with a debilitating chronic injury he sustained 7 years ago climbing is tentatively scheduled to release in Alaska and online on June 15. The album features acclaimed roots and alt.country artists like T, Nile, Matt Hopper, Aaron Lee Tasjan, The Devil Whales, Marty Jones and more all covering Phillips songs. Check the official MySpace site for more information and to listen to cuts from featured artists.

Jay Bennett, the former Wilco multi-instrumentalist, passed away in his sleep on early Sunday morning (May 24) due to unknown causes. He was 45.

Bennett was best known for his work with Wilco, the group for which he wrote and recorded on 1996’s “Being There,” 1999’s “Summerteeth” and 2002’s “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot,” as well as the band’s Woody Guthrie themed albums with Billy Bragg, “Mermaid Avenue” and “Mermaid Avenue, Volume 2.” He was currently living in Urbana, Illinois and working on his fifth album, “Kicking at the Perfumed Air.”

Bennett’s turbulant departure from Wilco was well-documented andplayed out in the public eye. Earlier this month, Bennett filed suit against Wilco leader (and founder of Uncle Tupelo) Jeff Tweedy for “breach of contract” for alleged non-compensation for his appearance in the 2002 Wilco documentary, “I Am Trying To Break Your Heart,” as well as “unpaid royalties” for work throughout his tenure with the band. The suit was said to be for at least $50,000.

There is speculation that a working musician like Bennett is always at risk, like a majority of Americans, because they lack adequite health insurance.

Remember those that gave all.

This follow up to T. Nile’s (the T is for Tamara )  ‘06 debut At My Table showcases this young BC, Canadian’s maturity as a songwriter and her ability to work outside genre but still come away with something uniquely her own. It also continues my well documented infatuation with Canadian roots music.

T. Nile’s handles her blend of country, folk, world and electronica music adroitly on this 7 song EP and it’s not an easy task for anyone little alone someone of her years.

The opening title song is a  lone-prairie shuffle gathering of familial recollections and French lullabies all with Burke Carrol’s pedal steel yawning underneath. Genres change stylistically with Reverie, a soulful dub number reminiscent of New York’s Si-Se, but thanks to T. Nile’s tastefully plucked banjo and warm vocals it’s a smooth transition.

Canadian geese honk the opening of Lake Irene an expansive instrumental that you could imagine being recorded on the bank of said lake and the other instrumental Boats Against a Dock sounds more like a mountain stomp than anything coastal. Pass the ’shine cousin.

Rock Whatcha Got is a a smooth slice of roots-funk confection that could be a dream collaboration of the Be Good Tanyas and Luscious Jackson.

Sunrises uses spare electronica textures to frame T. Nile’s soulful croon, and at it’s best it reminds me of French composer DJ and producer Solal’s Nashville-based Moonshine Sessions. But where Solal uses beats sparingly in lieu of traditional instruments, here you are very aware of the tech and unfortunately results in a garden variety trip hop cut a la Delerium or latter day Everything But The Girl.

Leather Shoes continues the icy tech theme from Sunrises but is saved from being completely without a pulse by T. Nile warm vocals and the beautiful string arrangements of Jessie Zubot.

I hope T. Nile sticks with more traditional instruments ands uses the tech sparingly in her next daring adventure, but you can’t accuse her of being boring.

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The Americana Music Association announced the nominees for the trade organization’s 2009 Honors and Awards ceremony today at its annual celebration at BMI Nashville. The show, in its eighth year, will be held Thursday, September 17 at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee.

I’ve attended the conference and showcase for the last three years and it’s always an amazing time. I don’t agree with all the nominees, and as a member of the organization I voted accordingly. But one thing is for certain, every nominee kicks the shit out of 99% of the CMA Awards.

The 2009 Americana Music Association Honors and Awards Nominees are:

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

Real Animal, by Alejandro Escovedo
Written in Chalk, by Buddy & Julie Miller
Jason Isbell & The 40 Unit, by Jason Isbell & The 40 Unit
Midnight At The Movies, by Justin Townes Earle

ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Alejandro Escovedo
Buddy Miller
Justin Townes Earle
Raul Malo

INSTRUMENTALIST OF THE YEAR

Buddy Miller
Gurf Morlix
Jerry Douglas
Sam Bush

NEW & EMERGING ARTIST

Band of Heathens
Belleville Outfit
Justin Townes Earle
Sarah Borges

SONG OF THE YEAR

“Chalk,” written by Julie Miller, performed by Buddy Miller & Patty Griffin
“Country Love” by the Gourds
“Homeland Refugee,” by Joe Ely, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, and Butch Hancock, performed by the Flatlanders
“Rattlin’ Bones” by Kasey Chambers & Shane Nicholson, performed by Kasey Chambers & Shane Nicholson
“Sex And Gasoline,” by Rodney Crowell, performed by Rodney Crowell

DUO GROUP OF THE YEAR

Buddy & Julie Miller
Flatlanders
Kasey Chambers & Shane Nicholson
Reckless Kelly

• Ray Charles’ classic country masterpieces Modern Sounds in Country & Western Music, VOL 1 & 2 to be Reissued by Concord Records – JUNE 2. The two albums, which featured the hits  “I Can’t Stop Loving You,” “Take These Chains From My Heart” and “You Don’t Know Me,” will be reissued together in an expanded reissue.  New liner notes by musicologist Bill Dahl are included along with  original notes by Rick Ward and Charles’ longtime recording supervisor Sid Feller.

• The new Bloodshot release by Scott H. Biram, “Something’s Wrong/Lost Forever,” drops today.

• Here’s an EPK for Levon Helm’s upcoming release Electric Dirt (Dirt Farmer Music/Vanguard Records)

• Steve Earle made a cameo on the 30 Rock season finale’. He takes part in a benefit , with Elvis Costello, Mary J. Blige, Sheryl Crowe and others, to get Alan Alda’s character a kidney.

• Speaking of Earle, he was in San Francisco’s Amoeba Records last Thursday to support his new release Townes, a 15-song cover album of songs written by Earle’s friend and mentor, the late Texas singer-songwriter, Townes Van Zandt. Earle will end up the brief promo tour on Wednesday live on WFUV-FM at 12:00 PM ET and will follow with a Summer tour.

• The Duke and the King’s Nothing Gold Can Stay will be released by Ramseur Records on Aaugust 4th. The Duke and the King is Simone Felice of The Felice Brothers (The Duke) and Robert Chicken Burke  (The King.)

• Jim Lauderdale and Buddy Miller will return in key roles at the 2009 Americana Honors and Awards show on Sept. 17 at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. Lauderdale will host the eighth annual program, and Miller will again serve as the bandleader. The event takes place during the 10th annual Americana Music Festival and Conference scheduled for Sept. 16-19 at the Nashville Convention Center. This year’s nominees will be announced Wednesday

These are tough times for America. Wall Street and board room crooks, unnecessary wars, mounting national and personal debt, massive unemployment, terrorists threats.. These are not the toughest times we’ve faced in our history,I think the fisr depression and the civil war were much tougher, but they are hard relative to the lives most people have lived today.

The silver lining is that from hard times comes great music, and country music taps into the populist zeitgeist better than any other genre beside blues. Much has been made about John Rich’s Shuttin’ Detroit Down and Hank William Jr’s Red White and Pink Slip Blues but it’s hard for me to buy populist empathy from a guy that parades around  in mink coats and a guy that puts hotel employees in a choke hold and demands a kiss.

Here is a list of songs that I believe exhibit the best of what it sounds like to live through the worst.

Ryan Bingham - Hard Times – A new artist with an old voice . The name says it all.

The Drive By Truckers - Puttin’  People on the Moon - A stiff shot of old-school Southern rock chased withed populist rage.

Jimmie Rodgers  – Muleskinner Blues – A classic of down-on-your-luck and lookin’ for work poetry.

Johnny Cash - Busted – Harlan Howard’s 1962 penned song of working man’s woe was aa hit for Johnny Cash in 1962 on his classic At Folsom Prison live album and was an even bigger hit for Ray Charles the following year.

Merle Haggard – Workin’ Man Blues – Classic Bakersfield rocks this ode to the laborer.

Frankie Miller – Blackland Farmer – A paen to the 1958 farmers that were just starting to get a glipmpse of the industrial farms that were to change thier professions and lives forever.

Levon Helm – Poor Old Dirt Farmer -  Helm, the only American in the Americana/rock group The Band, tells the story of his Dad’s farm inTurkey Scratch, a hamlet west of Helena, Arkansas.

Johnny Paycheck – Take This Job and Shove It – it’s not all hand-wringing and woe is me in country music. Paycheck’s cover of  David Allan Coe’s song was a huge 70’s hit and a raised finger to The Man.