06/18 /10

Hot and fresh for 6/22...

Mark Chestnutt - "Outlaw" - Saguaro Road Records covers of some of Mark's favorite artists and personal heros like Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Billy Joe Shaver, and Kris Kristoffersoon...produced by Pete Anderson.

Bearfoot - 'Follow Me' - Compass Records - a reissue of their '08 release, these former camp councelors won the Telluride Bluegrass Band Championship, an honor shared with the Dixie Chicks and Nickel Creek. Goot stompin' fun!

Clint Eastwood - 'Rawhide's Clint Eastwood sing Cowboy Favorites' - Collector's Choice Records. -Yup, that Clint Eastwood! reissue of his classic 1963 country record.

PS: there's also a new Roots album coming out tuesday but I'll leave that for someone else's blurb...

06/11 /10

Due for release 6/15...

Elvin Bishop - 'Red Dog Speaks' - Delta Groove Prod. Grammy Nominated Elvin Bishop is back with eleven new tracks featuring his 1959 Gibson ES-345 guitar he calls 'Red Dog'. Guest stars on this album include John Nesmeth, Tommy Castro, Ronnie Baker Grooks, Roy Gaines, Kid Anderson, and Buckwheat Zydeco - check it out!

Also, if you ever get the chance to see the local blues band the Butanes, DO IT! great stuff!

05/28/10

YEEHAW!!!

Not the HUGEST release week for roots music, but a couple noteworthy country releases I can Plug... coming out June 1st we have...

Cherryholmes - "Cherryholms IV Common Threads - Skaggs Family Records. Actually their seventh album, 'Common Threads' pushes the boundries of modern bluegrass.

Tift Merritt - 'See You On the Moon' - Fantasy Records. Recorded in her native turf of North Carolina, 'See You on the Moon' is Tift Merritt's effort toward a deeper, simpler, more powerful album.

05/20/10

Coming Releases 5/25

Peter Wolf Crier 'Inter-Be' - Jagjaguwar Records expecting big things for this indy/folk duo based on customer inquires alone! Being based out of Minneapolis, these guys are sure to be a hot commodity.

John Prine 'In Person & on Stage' - Oh Boy Records 72 minute collection of John Prines' finest onstage performances featuring collaborations with Emmy Lou Harris, Josh Ritter, Sara Watkins, Iris Dement, & Kane Welch Kaplin.

Hank Williams III 'Rebel Within' - Curb Records Hank IIIs' fourth and final(?) album for Curb...

Smokin Joe Kubek/Bnois King - 'Have Blues, Will Travel' - Alligator Records

and so much more...

05/14/10

05/7/10

Coming to a Cheapo near YOU!

Elizabeth Cook 'Welder' - Thirty One Tigers Records. Country cutie Elizabeth Cook is back with her latest release, 'Welder,' another album of 'Pure Country' produced by Con Was. Often compared to Dolly Parton and Kelly Willis, I expect this Florida native to sell well locally, as she played the Minnesota State Fair a few years back.

Buddy Guy - 'Broken Heared Blues' - Blues Boulevard Records. Containing some of the vintage Chess recordings, this is a great addition for Buddy Guy fans out there.

Muddy Waters - 'Blow Blues Blow' - Blues Boulevard Records. 16 more tracks of Muddy classics coming your way with hits like 'I'm your Hoochi Coochie Man' and 'Howlin' Wolf'...

Ya'll come back now...

04/30/10

RHUTZ

Not a huge release week for fans of country, Blues, or Folk... but there are a couple releases worth mentioning...

Chely Wright - 'Lifted Off the Ground' on Vanguard Records, Chely's seventh album.

Dolly Parton - 'Letter to Heaven: Songs of Faith & Inspiration,' a collection of hymns and gospel favorites on RCA.

Zac Brown Band - 'Pass the Jar: Live from the Fabulous Fox Theatre in Atlanta' - a 2 CD/1 DVD live set recorded at the Fox Theater in Atlanta Oct 30th 2009. Guests include Kid Rock, Little Big Town, Shawn Mullins, Joey & Rory, & Angie Aparo.

until next week...

04/23/10

Better than a Root Canal

Greetings again from the Northtown Cheapo!

Last week, I missed a release that was noteworthy to blues enthusiasts... Johny Lang - 'Live at Ryman,' a live CD recorded at the famed Nashville theater.

coming April 27th...

Lonestar puts out their 10th album entitled 'Party Heard Around the World' on Saguaro Records.

Mary Chapin Carpenter steps away from her pop-country legacy with the more personal and introspective 'Age of Miracles' on Zoe Records.

And Jo Dee Messina puts out part one of her 'Unmistakable' 3 CD series entitled 'Unmistakable Love.' Each of the 3 CDs will have its own theme, new music, and bonus acoustic tracks of previous hits. The 2nd and 3rd discs are due out this summer and fall.

Have a great week!

04/16/10

Coming this week in the world of roots:

Willie Nelson - 'Country Music,' a collection of new verssions of country classics oon the Rounder label.

Merle Haggard - 'I Am What I Am,' Merle's debut album on Vanguard Records.

Shelby Lynne - 'Tears, Lies & Alibis' on her own Everso label.

Joe Maphis - 'Fire on the Strings' on T-Bird Records

and last but not least...

Patsy Cline - 'Sweet Dreams: Her Complete Decca Masters (1960-1963) on the Hip-O Select label.

Happy Record Store Day!

from Kelly & the staff at Cheapo Northtown

03/26/10

"Lost In Translation"

Coming this Tuesday to a Cheapo near you...Living Sisters - 'Love to Live'. Living Sisteres is a new folk supergroup composed of Inara Geaorge (The Bird and the Bee), Becky Stark (Lavender Diamond), and Eleni Mandell. A blend of country, folk, jazz, soul, and gospel sounds, I expect it to draw the attention of a diverse audience. Another interesting release will be the new Holly Go Lightly and the Brokeoffs entitled 'Medicine Country'.

On the more traditional side, Alan Jackson's 18th album 'Freight Train' is coming out on the 29th of March featuring his radio hit 'It's just that way', and a Vern Gosdin tribute duet with Lee Ann Womack of 'Till the End' (originally a Vern Gosdin/Jamie Fricke duet).

If that weren't enough, Gretchen Wilson launches her new label Redneck Records with the release of 'I Got Your Country Right Here', featuring the hit single 'Work Hard, Play Harder'.

Buy 'em Up!

03/19/10

Greetings once again from the Northtown Cheapo! Another week with strong releases in the Blues dept. March 23rd Joe Bonanmassa releases his latest efort 'BLACKROCK' (not to be confused with the Black Key's hip hop infused spin-off 'Blacroc'). Seems like Joe has been coming out with a new CD every six months or so, and we say 'KEEP 'EM COMING'.

One of the hottest selling artists at our shop, he must be doing something right because 'Black Rock' features B.B. King as a guest on guitar. Joe's known for his heavy blues-rock riffs and this album stays true to his past with covers of Jeff Beck's 'Spanish Blues', OTIS RUSH's 'Three times a Fool'; but also explores a more diverse and folky sound with covers of John Hiatt's 'I Know a Place', Leanard Cohen's 'Bird on a Wire', Willie Nelson's 'Night Life' and Blind Boy Fuller's "Baby, You Gotta Change Your Mind'. Rounded out by now original, this is sure to be in heavy rotation for fans of electric blues.

Also due out March 23rd, John Lee Hooker Jr's 'Live from Istanbul, Turkey 'CD/DVD & four remastered albums by Hank Williams Jr. ('Habits Old and New', 'The Pressure is On', 'Whiskey Bent and Hellbound', and 'Family Tradition') making this a great time to replace the copies you lent to that jerk that never returned them.

03/12/10

Not a lot going on in the world of roots music this week, aside from a couple of interesting blues offerings from the Blind Pig label. "The Fight is On" by NYC based electric bluesman Popa Chubby features hard-rocking guitar work for fans of both rock and blues. A 'must hear' for fans of Clapton, Hendrix, and the Rolling Stones.

Also due out this coming Tuesday is Peter Karp and Sue Foley's latest effort, "He Said She Said". Called a masterpiece by Blues Revue magazine, 'He Said She Said' started off as emails and letters between the two talented artists and evolved into songs and a live show which has been well received by fans across Canada and the United States. Expect big things from this release and for these two working together in the future.

03/05/10

Just out this week is Guitar Shorty’s ‘Bare Knuckle.’  This will be his first release since his ’06 W.C. Handy Award winning ‘We the People.’  For those who don’t know, Guitar Shorty is a 71 year old electric blues wildman known for performing gymnastic feats while delivering the goods on guitar.  Influenced early on by fellow bluesmen BB King, T-Bone Walker, Guitar Slim and others…guided early on in his recordings by Willie Dixon… and having been Jimi Hendrix’s Brother-in-law, Guitar Shorty has a blues pedigree as solid as any.

02/26/10

All typos aside… (who’s Gene Watson, Jerry Reed, etc, etc)

This week we tip our hats to Founder Records as they celebrate the CD release for their 40th Anniversary Concert which was held at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville last October.  Started in 1959, Rounder has come a long way from its humble beginnings to album of the year at the 2008 Grammy’s for Alison Kraus & Robert Plant’s ‘Raising Sand.’  The CD features Irma Thomas, Madelene Peyroux, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Bela Fleck, Steve Martin, Jerry Douglas, Nathan & the Zydeco Cha Chas, Alison Kraus & Union Station, Robert Plant, and Minnie Driver, who also hosts the event.  The cond should be airing on PBS sometime this March.  Congrats Rounder!  Here’s to the next 40!!

02/19/10

We're sorry Taylor Swift, but...

Hello from Northtown Cheapo! Roots music is alive and well!
          We're getting lots of customer inquiries about the new Johnny Cash - American Recording's VI - "Ain't No Grave" that's due out 2/23. The new Lady Antebellon CD "Need you now" has been selling primarily due to the title track getting plenty of airplay. Zac Brown's "The Foundation" is still selling strong after being out since 11/08. Opening for artists such as the Allman Brothers, Sugarland, Etta James, Willie Nelson, BB King, Lynyrd Skynyrd, & ZZ Top never hurts! Seems he's attracting new fans with each tour.
          Last week saw the release of Shannon Crifman's "What You're Getting Into." Should be a big hit for fans of electric blues. This is her 3rd album since being signed at age 15 while still residing in Fargo, ND. Now based in Minneapolis, expect to hear a lot from this young singer/songwriter. Also at local interest, Willie Murphy (of Willie & the Bees fame) has a new release in major label distribution called "A Shot of Love in a Time of Need. It's been getting a lot of local press and has started selling for us at our location.
          All this new music is good and all, but what's REALLY been moving for us is the old-timey country artists like Hank Williams (she's Volume 3 of the unreleased recordings is now long overdue), Grace Watson, Don Gibson, Jerry, Bob Wills, Ray Stevens, Vern Gosdin, Bobby Bare, Charlie Pride, Ronnie Milsap, Hank Snow, Louvin Brothers, Ernest Tubb, Chet Atkins, John Conlee, Emmy Lou Harris, Johnny Paycheck, and others continue to outsell Carrie Underwood, Taylor Swift, & the rest of the new breed of pop-country artists at our particular location. We also just loaded up on hundreds of used country CDs from our warehouse to increase our offerings to you.

8/3/09

5/15/09

            Steve Earle is back this month with his tribute to the late, great Townes Van Zandt, his close friend and inspiration who died in 1997.  Earle’s album, Townes (available as a single or double disc set), contains fifteen Van Zandt gems done with love like only a friend of 25 years can.  Standout tracks include “Pancho and Lefty,” “Loretta,” “Delta Momma Blues” and  “To Live Is To Fly.”  Another great song, “Mr. Mudd and Mr. Gold,” gives us Earle trading verses with his son Justin Townes Earle. 
            The two-disc limited edition contains a disc of stripped down demo-type versions of eleven songs entitled The Basics.  Townes has so far sold well.  No surprise after Earle’s last album, Washington Square Serenade, won a Grammy Award. 
            Earle has firmly established himself as a torch bearer for solid, authentic Americana music and with Townes he cements the link from the past (Van Zandt) to the future (his son Justin).  Earle plays the Pantages Theatre in Minneapolis July 23rd.

5/08/09

 
America's greatest living folk singer, Pete Seeger, turned 90 on May 3rd.  Let's take another look at four essential Seeger compact discs. 

If I Had a Hammer: Songs of Hope and Struggle, 1998, Smithsonian Folkways
    
    Twenty-six tracks including "If I Had a Hammer," "Casey Jones," "We Shall Overcome" and "Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is A Season)."  Divided into segments four segments: peace, civil rights, unions and labor, and hope.

Pete Seeger's Greatest Hits, 2002, Sony

    Fans of the television show Weeds will recognize "Little Boxes," and we all sang along to "This Land is Your Land."  Also "Guantanamera" and "Turn! Turn! Turn!".

Birds, Beasts, Bugs and Fishes (Little & Big), 1998, Smithsonian Folkways

    Combination of two LPs, Birds, Beasts, Bugs and Little Fishes and Birds, Beasts, Bugs and Bigger Fishes.  Twenty-eight wonderful songs about animals for children young and old!

The Weavers, Best of the Decca Years, 1996 MCA

    Seeger's band from 1948-1952.  Best known for their version of "Goodnight Irene," also features "On Top of Old Smokey" and "Tzena, Tzena, Tzena."

5/01/09

4/10/09

When one thinks about country music, one doesn’t necessarily see the obvious link to soul music, but according to legendary promoter, manager and label executive Alan Walden, “ Soul music and country music were basically the same thing.  Every song was a hard-luck story or a love story-each song had a message in it. 
Soul musician William Bell agrees, “there’s not much difference between country and western and r&b.  Not when you really analyze it and break it down lyrically to what it is really saying.”  Why the separation, then?  Well, both styles developed in the South, a place where segregation of the races was a priority.  This segregation not only meant separate schools and shops but also separate entertainment as well.  White artists recorded and performed music for white audiences and black artists recorded for performed for black audiences.  Other than the occasional jazz musician, artists usually stayed on their side of the racial divide. 
            That changed in Memphis in the 1960s when Stax Records hired four kids (two white, two black) to become the house band.  Led by Booker T. Jones on keys, and featuring Steve Cropper on guitar, Duck Dunn on bass and Al Jackson, Jr. on drums, this racially mixed group played on almost every Stax hit throughout the decade.  “What made it work,” according to Otis Redding’s brother Rodgers, “was black and white together, working as a team.” 
            Otis Redding himself might have been a country singer if not for the color of his skin.  Born in tiny Dawson, Georgia and raised in Macon, Redding’s early life was not that much different from any number of country music stars, take Johnny Cash for example.  Thankfully, Redding’s talent allowed him to break through the color barrier, first in Europe then at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival, catapulting him to super-stardom for a brief time before his tragic death.
            I apologize if this week’s blog doesn’t cover enough roots music for you.  Having just completed Peter Guralnick’s wonderful book Sweet Soul Music, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to talk about soul music, and on the very last page of Guralnick’s book I was inspired by the quotes from Alden and Bell.  Thanks, guys.

3/27/09