Recorded in Nashville with session musicians whose credits include Taylor Swift and Alan Jackson, Travis Collins’ sixth album shows the Aussie singer as comfortable traversing anthemic, arena country-rock (“Road Warriors”) as he is polished ballads (“Days With You”). Among familiar themes of heartbreak (the reflective “High Horse”) and good times (the grinding, bluesy strut of “Church of Rock N Roll”), Collins celebrates human spirit, with special praise reserved for volunteers (“Who We Are”) and those who go the extra mile to help others. “They’re teaching after hours so no kid gets left behind,” he sings in the heartfelt “Unsung.”

Willie Nelson never has been known for his consistency, either in style or quality, yet his stint at Lost Highway Records may be his most schizophrenic collection of recordings ever. Signed to the alt country label at the turn of the decade, Nelson proceeded to cut a muddled mainstream crossover, pitched himself at Lost Highway's typical Americana audience with an album produced by Ryan Adams, pander to his forgotten mainstream country audience with an album produced by Kenny Chesney, salute the stoners with a reggae album, and tip his hat to the main lady of Western swing with a tremendous tribute album to songwriter Cindy Walker.

“The Canary & The Cage” = A sense of disappointment with the outcome of life, despair at the inability to construct a workable life in a period of collapsed definitions as to what makes for a meaningful existence. The best way I think of it is a quote by Nietzsche, “To live is to suffer, to survive is to find some meaning in the suffering.” When one no longer finds meaning in their suffering is overall theme of “The Canary & The Cage.”

Taking The Long Way is the 2006 album buy country trio the Dixie Chicks. Released by Open Wide/Columbia, the Rick Rubin-produced 7th album for the group was released on 23 May, 2006. This is the Best Buy edition which features an exclusive track.

Luke Bryans sunny and nostalgic new single, the latest from the wonderfully eccentric Paul Cauthen and Jackie Lees personal comeback track are among the best country and Americana songs you need to hear right now. Jake Owen travels back in time with two lovers on I Was Jack You Were Diane. Be Careful is a song recorded by rapper Cardi B. As the third single from her debut studio album Invasion of Privacy. Jarad Higgins, better known by his stage name Juice Wrld, is an American rapper, singer and songwriter from Chicago, Illinois. Everyone from Nicki Minaj and Quavo, to T-Pain and Dave East have offered up their remixes of the song. Its a hit, and everyone wants a piece. Now, the British singer has followed up the DJ Mustard-produced banger with her new song, Trip.

Robbie Fulks is a recording artist, instrumentalist, & songwriter living in Chicago. His most recent release, Upland Stories, earned wide-spread recognition & 2 Grammy® nominations. His early work helped define the 90s "alt-country" movement while his newer work extends that tradition with old-time rambles, reflections on love, & the troubles the people.

Joe is the 1970 soundtrack to the film by director John G. Avildsen. It features the title track by Jerry Butler plus songs by Bobby Scott, Dean Michaels, and Exuma. a nice diverse seleection of music that represents the era of cinematic history. Also historic: Mercury Records.

In April 1988, Beck entered the studio in Los Angeles to record an album with producer Nigel Godrich. The album, Mutations, was originally intended to be released as a "parenthetical" album on indie label Bong Load Custom Recordings. Beck later decided to release it on DGC Records.

Deadweight is the 1997 single by Beck Hansen, known under the mononym Beck. It features the hit song plus two non-LP tracks. The song is taken from the soundtrack to A Life Less Ordinary. Geffen funded the checks.

With the success of Odelay to look at, Beck was now asked to do music for films. "Deadweight" is a song taken from the Odelay recording sessions, and would be a brief pit stop between the Odelay experience and the forthcoming Mutations.

Froggatt's debut album was a bland singer/songwriter effort, mixing in parts of troubadour folk and late-'60s middle-of-the-road British pop/rock. At times, particularly on some of the more bittersweet tunes, it's a little reminiscent of the softer aspects of the early Bee Gees (check "Lonely Old World" for a dose of that). Some of the more hale pop-folk-rock cuts might vaguely bring Donovan's more mainstream work to mind, although Donovan was miles better. Occasional tracks like the traditional "Corinna Corrina" and the guitar instrumental "Sonnet by Hartley Cain" tread close to contemporary folk. But others deploy hokily dated and at times unbearably cutesy orchestration, such as "Red Balloon (Callow-La-Vita)" (covered for a British hit by the Dave Clark Five) and the oompah-horn-laden "Roly." It's a peculiar endeavor that seems unsure of whether to aim for a frivolous pop audience or a more serious folky one, but the lack of focus is less of a problem than the mediocrity of the music. [The 2004 CD reissue on Repertoire adds a dozen bonus tracks from 1968-1969 singles, though three of these are just the single mixes of songs from the album.]

Why they kept these 19 recordings locked up in some vault for 40 years is beyond comprehension. A chunk of the Live at Sugar Hill material – recorded at a club in the Bay Area – was issued by Fantasy as Boogie Chillun on LP in 1972. It is available on CD minus one track under the same title. As good as that material was, these tracks from the very same gig are hands down some of the sexiest, deepest blues John Lee Hooker ever recorded – and that's saying something. Accompanied only by his hollow-bodied electric guitar and his foot on the floor, Hooker takes listeners through a performance so intimate that you wonder if there was an audience present – there is clapping, but not much. Versions of "Crawling King Snake," "Bottle Up and Go," "Let's Get It," "Jelly Jelly," "What's the Matter Baby," "You Don't Miss Your Water," "I Can't Hold On," and others get perhaps their definitive versions here. The opening track, "You Torture My Soul," is one of Hooker's most poignant moments, full of venom and vulnerability. In addition to the stellar performances, Hooker's guitar playing here is perhaps the finest of his career

Valley of Rain was Tucson’s Giant Sand’s debut album recorded in 1983, and eventually released by 1985. It included Howe Gelb on vocals, guitar and Winston Watson on drums for most of it, Tommy Larkins on drums for some of it and Scott Garber on fretless bass for all of it.

Meet Me At The River is Landes’ self-described “Nashville record,” and she has assured its pedigree by enlisting the production skills of Fred Foster, the Country Music Hall of Fame member who played a pivotal role in the careers of Dolly Parton, Roy Orbison, and Kris Kristofferson. Two years ago, Landes reached out to Foster, and a four-hour visit to his Nashville home convinced both they were musical kindred spirits. With roots in both Louisville, Kentucky, and Branson, Missouri, Landes has been attracting ardent fans and critical acclaim since entering New York’s music scene in 2000. Along the way, she has collaborated with such contemporaries as Sufjan Stevens, Justin Townes Earle, and Norah Jones, creating music for albums, movies, and television that crosses folk, rock, and alternative genres.

Once More It's Roy Acuff/King Of Country Music is a 2004 compilation CD by Roy Acuff. Released by Ace Records in the UK, this CD gathers two different albums by Acuff, 1959's Once More - It's Roy Acuff and 1962's King Of Country Music, both originally released on the Hickory label. The CD was remastered by Duncan Cowell.

Shooter Jennings unveils his latest album, the eponymous Shooter, on August 10th. Seated at a piano, Jennings pounds out the song, a moody, hypnotic ballad about a strong-willed woman who eats up the town every Saturday night. Like much of Shooter, it evokes Hank Williams Jr. – in this case Bocephus’ defiant “Outlaw Women.”