DISClaimer Single Reviews (12/14/11)

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Let’s close out the year with some holiday tunes, shall we?

This week, we’re looking at some of the more high-profile ones in our community. Next week, we’ll check out the indie artists’ Yuletide offerings.

In the spirit of the season, R.K.O. is spreading the love today, giving out Disc of the Day awards in categories, just like the CMA does. Our Male Vocalist is Tim McGraw. Enduringly great Tanya Tucker wins the Female Vocalist prize. Our Group honor goes to Eli Young Band. The Duo du jour is unquestionably Joey + Rory. And our Vocal Collaboration prize goes to TobyMac & Leigh Nash.

Is everybody happy?

JULIE ROBERTS/Who Needs Mistletoe
Writer: Julie Roberts/Jason Collum; Producer: Jason Collum & Julie Roberts; Publisher: none listed; Aint Skeered (track) (www.julieroberts.com)
—Julie’s seven-song Yule EP is all standards, except for its title tune, which is deep-indigo bluesy and oh-so sexy. Highly listenable.

JOEY + RORY/Remember Me
Writer: Tim Johnson/Rory Feek; Producer: Gary Paczosa; Publisher: Hot Rod 98/Golden Axle/Songs of TJ/Super 98/Milk Barn, SESAC/BMI; Sugar Hill (track) (www.joeyandrory.com)
—Joey + Rory’s A Farmhouse Christmas is full of cool, original holiday tunes. This one’s a sweet, gentle, acoustic ballad that asks us to remember the reason for the season.

TOBYMAC & LEIGH NASH/Christmas This Year
Writer: Toby McKeehan/Cory Barlowe/Jesse Frasure; Producer: Christopher Stevens & Toby McKeehan; Publisher: Achtober/EMI CMG/Castles Bound/Rio Bravo, BMI/SESAC; Word/Provident/EMI (track)
—This occurs on the 32-track CCM compilation Wow Christmas, as well as on TobyMac’s Christmas in Diversecity album. It’s a catchy little ditty with plenty of danceable bounce and bop. Toby sounds totally endearing, while Sixpence None the Richer’s Leigh adds a wafting, soaring soprano counterpoint. Extremely well produced pop.

RICKY SKAGGS/Christmas Time’s A-Comin’
Writer: Tex Logan; Producer: Ricky Skaggs; Publisher: Unichappell, BMI; Skaggs Family (track) (www.skaggsfamilyrecords.com)
—A Skaggs Family Christmas 2 is a CD/DVD set that captures performances by Skaggs, his children and members of the White clan. It kicks off with a revival of Bill Monroe’s Christmas classic. It’s sprightly and merry, but lacks the drive and edge that Daddy Bluegrass gave it.

PHIL VASSAR/Santa’s Gone Hollywood
Writer: Phil Vassar/Tim Nichols/Jeff Outlaw; Producer: Phil Vassar & Dane Bryant; Publisher: Phylvester/Warner-Tamerlane/Made For This/Contentment, ASCAP/BMI; Rodeowave (track)
—Phil’s holiday offering, Noel, is about half standards and half originals. Among the latter is this wildly witty ditty about Santa hitting the PowerBall jackpot and living it up in LaLa Land. Among the lines: “Mrs. Claus is lookin’ hot, she’s even got a new rack/She’s been nip-tucked, lipo-sucked and tightened up good.” As for Santa, he has, “little blue pills” as well as court-side seats at all the Lakers games. Thoroughly entertaining.

MATT WERTZ/Snow Globe
Writer: Chad Cates/Tony Wood/Matt Wertz; Producer: Ben Shive; Publisher: Sony-ATV Timber/Glory Town/Sony-ATV Cross Keys/Songs From Exit 7/My Associate Cornelius, SESAC/ASCAP; Handwritten/Provident (track) (www.mattwertz.com)
—CCM star Wertz has released his first Christmas CD. Its title tune is a frothy pop confection that swirls like the thingy it celebrates. His breathy, feathery tenor vocal even sounds like wintertime. Pleasant, if lightweight.

ANDY GIBSON/The Christmas Song
Writer: Robert Wells/Mel Torme; Producer: James Stroud; Publisher: Sony-ATV Tunes/Edwin H. Morris/MPL, ASCAP; DMP/R&J (www.randjrecords.com)
—I have liked this newcomer’s work in the past. His rendition of this standard is workmanlike, but no kind of reinvention or reinterpretation. The studio instrumentalists are more creative on their jazzy breaks than he is vocally.

ELI YOUNG BAND/Wonderful Christmastime
Writer: Paul McCartney; Producer: Keith Davis; Publisher: MPL, no performance rights listed; Big Machine (track)
—The Country Christmas Collection is Big Machine’s nine-tune compilation for the Colonial Candle company. Eli Young Band is borrowed from the Republic roster for the set. These guys are bound to have a merry Christmas, since they are coming off their first No. 1 record. By keeping things simple, the group transforms Sir Paul’s tune into a jaunty country carol.

TIM McGRAW/Christmas All Over The World

Writer: none listed; Producer: none listed; Publisher: none listed; Red Light Management (download)
—This rocks splendidly with a big, beefy production that pounds and chimes in all the right places. Tim’s voice has never sounded more confident and assured. Absolutely joyous.

TANYA TUCKER/Merry Christmas Wherever You Are
Writer: none listed; Producer: none listed; Publisher: none listed; Mighty Loud (download)
—Tender and emotional, this one’s for folks who can’t be together at Christmas time. It’s the perfect song gem for anyone missing a loved one who is deployed overseas. Tanya gives the ballad everything she’s got. And that’s plenty from a vocalist this potent. Heart-tugging.

DISClaimer Single Reviews (12/7/11)

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Nashville’s country scene seems eerily quiet these days, but the city’s pop/rock community is making plenty of noise.

I have made no secret of my affection for the music of Mat Kearney. Once again, he did not disappoint. He would have totally owned the Disc of the Day award had it not been for the Grammy nominated Keb Mo. Both men’s music belong in your life, so they’re sharing the prize this week.

Gabe Dixon has been making music in The Gabe Dixon Band for a solid decade and three albums worth. Now he’s a solo artist and a Nashvillian, so I don’t care how long he’s been around: He deserves a DisCovery Award for reinventing himself.

STEPHEN SIMMONS/Spark
Writer: Stephen Simmons; Producer: Stephen Simmons; Publisher: Shiny Geode, SESAC; Locke Creek (track) (www.stephensimmonsmusic.com)
—This CD, The Big Show, is the Woodbury, TN native’s sixth album. Its emphasis track is a rootsy country-rocker with a gentle rumble and a plaintive, love-struck vocal. Americana programmers take note.

KYLE ANDREWS/Lazer Tag With Imaginary Friends
Writer: Kyle Andrews/Greg Burgess; Producer: Kyle Andrews, Chris Grainger & Greg Burgess; Publisher: none listed; Elephant Lady (track) (www.kyleandews.com)
—Kyle Andrews makes electro pop with weird audio squiggles, jumpy beats, goofy noises and frequent tempo shifts. This quirky track comes from his new Robot Learn Love collection. It’s kind of arty and over my head, but there’s no mistaking his talent.

MAT KEARNEY/Hey Mama
Writer: Mat Kearney/Jason Lehning; Producer: Richard Marvin & Jason Lehning; Publisher: EMI Blackwood/Facade Aside/Tastes Like Chicken, BMI; Aware/Universal Republic (track) (www.matkearney.com)
—If there’s any justice at all, Mat Kearney will be the next pop-rocker to break big out of Music City. This hand-clapping single from his Young Love album is so ridiculously catchy and irresistible it ought to have a warning label about possible addiction. It makes you want to skip around the room wearing a silly grin.

STEPHAN DUDASH/Paradise
Writer: Stephan Dudash; Producer: Stephan Dudash & Chris Rhyne ; Publisher: Gypsyquest Muzik, BMI; Gypsyquest (track) (www.stephandudash.com)
—Dudash’s current Gypsy Quest CD contains this utterly lovely violin instrumental that wafts like blossoms in a spring breeze. The rest of the collection draws on Latin, swing, folk, pop and jazz idioms. He has played or toured with a wide variety of talents—Shania Twain, Olivia Newton-John, BadaBing BadaBoom, Janie Fricke and Lee Greenwood among them. This virtuoso can also be heard playing thrilling gypsy jazz with guitarist John Jorgenson’s Quintet. For more audio samples, check out his website.

KEB MO/The Whole Enchilada
Writer: Kevin Moore/John Lewis Parker; Producer: Keb Mo; Publisher: Kebnote/Wixen/Parker’s Pen, BMI; Yolabelle/Ryko (track)
—This Nashvillian is nominated for a Blues Grammy Award for his current CD The Reflection. But although this single from it sounds appropriately laid back and funky, Keb Mo is more than just a “blues” artist. Elsewhere on the collection, you’ll find echoes of pop and folk as well. Whatever the genre, he’s an essential listening experience.

GLOSSARY/A Shoulder To Cry On
Writer: Joey Kneiser; Producer: Glossary & Mikey Allred; Publisher: Lytle Street Kitchen, BMI; Last Chance (track) (www.glossary.us)
—Long Live All of Us is the seventh album by this Murfreesboro rock quintet. With its bright horn bursts and neo-soul vibe, this track typifies its rump-shaking new sonic approach. Mighty fine, mighty fine.

GABE DIXON/My Favorite
Writer: Gabe Dixon/Dan Wilson; Producer: Marshall Altman; Publisher: Five R/G and L/Sugar Lake/Chrysalis, BMI/ASCAP; Fantasy/Concord (track) (www.gabedixon.com)
—This guy has it all—a cooly soulful tenor singing voice, outstanding piano chops, a talent for pop tune crafting and propulsive energy. This track from his new One Spark CD is a slab of audio joy from start to finish. This is  definitely the month to become a Gabe fave. He’s WRLT Lightning 100’s “Artist in Residence” throughout December and will be appearing and/or performing at various venues to boost donations to Second Harvest Food Bank and Toys for Tots. He’ll be singing at Whole Foods on Friday (12/9) and at Zumi Sushi next Wednesday (12/14), among several other gigs. If you see/hear him just once, I promise you’ll walk away a fan.

JAY PATTEN/Crystal Nights
Writer: Jay Patten; Producer: Cristos/Ric Lonow & Jay Patten; Publisher: Standard Blue, BMI; Flamingo (track) (www.jaypatten.com)
—Smooth saxophone stylist Jay Patten has been Crystal Gayle’s bandleader for many years, so he dedicates his latest CD to her. Its title tune is a toe-tapping, jazz-inflected instrumental bopper that perfectly captures the horn man’s style. The 13-track collection includes six vocals, one of which is a duet with Crystal on “Memories Are Made of This.”

BARRY WALSH/Marathon Motorworks
Writer: Barry Walsh; Producer: Barry Walsh; Publisher: Barry Walsh, ASCAP; Scarlet Letter (track) (www.barrywalshmusic.com)
—Walsh is the keyboard accompanist and husband to singer-songwriter Gretchen Peters. His mostly instrumental Paradiso CD is performed on concert grand piano. Here, he’s joined by Dobro master Rob Ickes and cellist David Henry. The piano collection never feels predictable, partly because of the variety of his compositions and partly because electric guitar, accordion and synthesizer sounds pop up at various times.

BILL MILLER/Birds Of Prey
Writer: none listed; Producer: Bill Miller & Michael Von Muchow; Publisher: none listed; Cool Springs (track) (www.billmillerarts.com)
—One of our most distinctive musical residents is Native American singer, songwriter and flautist Bill Miller. His Spirit Wind North CD won last year’s Grammy in the Native American category, which was his third such trophy. The category has been discontinued this year. Nevertheless, he’s still an outstanding artist, as illustrated by  the haunting tones of his flute on this gorgeous instrumental embellished with bird calls. The sound of purity.

DISClaimer Single Reviews (11/30/11)

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It’s all stars, no waiting, this week as everyone from Princess Taylor Swift to King George Strait and his fellow Hall of Famers Bill Anderson and Dolly Parton are on deck.

Because everyone here is a known quantity, there is no DisCovery Award this week.

One of the most difficult things about this gig is that you’re always comparing apples to oranges. For that reason, there are two Disc of the Day prizes. Craig Campbell is dealing with humor, so he gets the apple. Brantley Gilbert is dealing with heartache, so he gets the orange.

CHRIS CAGLE/Got My Country On
Writer: Kelly Archer/Justin Weaver/Danny Myrick; Producer: Keith Stegall; Publisher: Internal Combustion/Southside Independent/Year9/Music of Stage Three/Songs of Cornman/BMG Chyrsalis/Root 49/Danny Myrick, BMI; Bigger Picture
—Hasn’t this song been written, like, a hundred times during the past few years?

TAYLOR SWIFT/Ours
Writer: none listed; Producer: none listed; Publisher: none listed; Big Machine (track)
—The lyric is one of her better efforts, but the melody isn’t all that memorable. Still, we could use a ballad on our playlists these days.

BILL ANDERSON & DOLLY PARTON/If It’s All The Same To You
Writer: Bill Anderson; Producer: Bill Anderson; Publisher: none listed; Bear Family (track)
—This ultra rare 1963 demo featuring these two Hall of Famers can only be had by getting Bill’s new, deluxe, four-CD boxed set covering the first decade of his stellar career. The then-unknown Dolly sings a duet harmony part that is mixed as hot as Bill’s lead, and the result is pretty dang cool. The song later surfaced as a 1970 chart-topper for Bill and his real duet partner, Jan Howard.

STEVE HOLY/Until The Rain Stops
Writer: Matt Ramsey/Trevor Rosen/Matt Jenkins; Producer: Lee Miller; Publisher: Music of RPM/Sonic Geo/Unfair Entertainment/Songs of BMP/Kobalt, ASCAP; Curb
—Languid and sensuous, with a nifty guitar groove. The production is a little bottom-heavy, but this is a winner.

CRAIG CAMPBELL/When I Get It
Writer: Craig Campbell/Jason Matthews/Jim McCormick; Producer: Keith Stegall; Publisher: Melodies of Bigger Picture/Acoustic Peanut/Steel Wheels/Big Loud Bucks/Matthews Millions/Warner-Tamerlane/Jim McCormick, SESAC/BMI; Bigger Picture
—His answer to the bill collector is, “When I get it, you’ll get it.” His answer to his ex-wife’s demand for money is the same. When he tries to collect a $50 bet from a buddy, the tables are turned. An extremely likable, hard-times, sing-along tune.

GEORGE STRAIT/Love’s Gonna Make It Alright
Writer: Al Anderson/Chris Stapleton; Producer: Tony Brown & George Strait; Publisher: International Dog/Big Yellow Dog/Bucked Up/House of Sea Gayle/Small Fish, BMI/ASCAP; MCA (CDX)
—This lopes along with a steady, gently swaying pace. His burnished baritone is answered by steel licks that pop up throughout the track. In a word, classy.

THE OAK RIDGE BOYS/What’cha Gonna Do
Writer: Steven J. Williams/Will Nance/Sherrie Austin; Producer: Michael Sykes & Duane Allen; Publisher: Magic Mustang/Big Loud Bucks/Smokin’ Grapes/Bilangray/Lil’ Geezer/Rockin’ the Delta/Starboard Left, BMI/SESAC; ORB (CDX)
—Bass man Richard Sterban’s stuttering delivery of the title lines of this bopper is priceless. The rest of the boys are still harmonizing flawlessly. The song is as catchy as all get out.

.38 SPECIAL/Help Somebody
Writer: Kip Raines/Jeffrey Steele; Producer: Danny Chauncey; Publisher: 3 Ring Circus/Songs of Windswept Pacific, ASCAP; .38 Special (CDX)
—These veteran Southern rockers have a true blue-collar lyric here. Despite that and the mid-tempo rhythm, there’s no getting around the “rock” attitude in the performance.

JASON MICHAEL CARROLL/Meet Me In The Barn
Writer: Jason Michael Carroll/Dallas Davidson/Patrick Davis; Producer: Patrick Davis Music; Publisher: Universal-Careers/More Than Rhymes/EMI Blackwood/String Stretcher, BMI; Stray (CDX)
—The cute country girl sure knows how to get his attention when she whispers sweet nothings in his ear. Especially when it’s the title of this romper that she’s whispering.

BRANTLEY GILBERT/You Don’t Know Her Like I Do
Writer: Brantley Gilbert/Jim McCormick; Producer: Dann Huff; Publisher: Warner-Tamerlane/Indiana Angel/Jim McCormick, BMI; Valory (track)
—Sung with pained sincerity, this is easily his most powerful performance to date. Plus, the songwriting and production are both first rate. Hang on for the hushed, anguished vocal passage near the finale.

DISClaimer Single Reviews (11/23/11)

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Hillbilly humor, philosophy in song, classic country, bopping pop and ballads with heart, this stack of platters had it all.

Two of our three contenders for the DisCovery Award got there via the humor route. Kris Gordon is jaunty and easy-going, but both Zach Paxson and The Cleverlys are chuckling and grinning all the way. The Cleverlys are funnier. They get the prize.

The philosophical song is the excellent new effort by Ty Herndon. Willie Nelson provides the classic country tune.

I don’t give a Comeback of the Day award, but if I did, it would most assuredly go to Sherrie Austin. Her Circus Girl is a wonderful winner.

In a surprise development, Josh Thompson wins his first Disc of the Day award from this column.

KRIS GORDON/The Up Side Of Down
Writer: Tony Ramey/Michael White; Producer: Dean Miller; Publisher: Songs of Cherry Lane Ventures/Fast Horse/Big Picture/Cherry River, BMI/ASCAP; Frio (track) (www.krisgordon.net)
—It has a very cool, loping groove and some charming guitar and steel licks. His jaunty, relaxed vocal performance matches the song’s upbeat mood perfectly. Playable in the extreme.

JOSH THOMPSON/Comin’ Around
Writer: none listed; Producer: none listed; Publisher: none listed; RCA
—Easily his strongest effort to date. He delivers the lyric of personal evolution in a warm, honest drawl while a banjo ripples notes and a Telecaster twangs in support. It’s ultra melodic and made even more so by some highly effective harmony vocals.

SHERRY LYNN/Breakin’ Up Song
Writer: Steve Dean/Blake Gray/Will Nance; Producer: Ted Hewitt; Publisher: Brentwood Benson/Blue Guitar/Smokin’ Grapes/Bilangray/Lil’ Geezer, BMI; Quarterback (www.sherrylynnmusic.com)
—It is exactly what the title says it is, and well-written at that. Her singing of it is adequate, if unexceptional.

TY HERNDON/Stones
Writer: Hinson/Michaels/Tribble; Producer: none listed; Publisher: American Romance/Beechtree/Check Please/Jumping Cholla/WB, no performance rights listed; Flying Island/Funl
—From a birth stone to a childhood pebble to a wedding ring to a grave marker “our lives are paved with stones.” It’s a powerful ballad, and this guy has the vocal chops to nail its every emotion. A-plus.

SHAWNA RUSSELL/Waitin’ On Sunrise
Writer: Shawna Russell/Keith Russell/Tim Russell; Producer: Julian King, Clif Doyal & Tim Russell; Publisher: Blue Buckaroo, BMI; Way Out West (615-319-1863)
—Previously noted for rocking out, this time the lady is moody and contemplative. The mid-tempo, echoey arrangement frames her performance with a solid, steady groove highlighted by a dandy electric guitar solo and some sighing organ notes.

SHERRIE AUSTIN/Circus Girl
Writer: Sherrie Austin/Charity Daw/Will Rambeaux; Producer: Will Rambeaux & Sherrie Austin; Publisher: Magic Mustang/Write ‘Em Cowgirl/Ram Writers Group/Bayou Boy/Charity Daw, BMI; Circus Girl (track) (www.sherrieaustinmusic.com)
—It has been way too long since we’ve heard from “the saucy Aussie.” She wrote or co-wrote all 13 songs on her comeback CD. This title tune has delightfully quirky metaphors, a dynamite and pop-inflected production, a thumping backbeat, an enchanting melody and a throaty vocal performance that is positively enthralling. I remain a totally devoted fan.

BRYAN FONTENOT/Who I Ain’t
Writer: Jamie Paulin/Justin Lantz; Producer: Bryan Fontenot; Publisher: none listed, BMI; BF (www.bryanfontenot.com)
—It’s a way-serious ballad that’s a tad on the preachy side. The upward modulation on the last chorus only rubs it in.

THE CLEVERLYS/I Gotta Feelin’
Writer: none listed; Producer: Paul Harris, Chris Connor & Matthew Dyer; Publisher: none listed; Stabbin Cabin (track) (www.thecleverlys.com)
—If you caught these spoofing yokels at CMA Music Fest last summer, you’re probably already grinning. Yes, it’s the Black Eyed Peas song done with hillbilly drawl and bluegrass instrumentation. On their eponymous debut CD, The Cleverlys do the same with The Bangles’ “Walk Like an Egyptian,” Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine” and, unforgettably, Beyonce’s “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It).” Plus, you get originals like “Girl with No Pantyline.” The rube spoken-word passages are as riotous as the ditties are. Essential.

ZACH PAXSON/Good Luck With That
Writer: Zachary J. Paxson; Producer: Larry Beaird & Zach Paxson; Publisher: none listed; ZP (track) (www.zachpaxson.com)
—Paxson solo wrote all 12 tracks on his album, so hats off for that. The twinkling, witty, up-tempo title tune shows off some hearty hillbilly humor that would sound simply splendid on country radio. If he doesn’t have a hit with this, somebody should.

WILLIE NELSON/Remember Me
Writer: Stuart Hamblen; Producer: James Stroud; Publisher: Chappell, ASCAP; R & J (track) (www.willienelson.com)
—Willie’s new CD is a stroll through 14 of his favorite country oldies. Its title tune is lilting, hopeful song of steadfast love. “Remember Me (I’m the One Who Loves You)” was initially a 1950 hit for its composer as well as for Ernest Tubb. Dean Martin picked it up in 1965; Jerry Lee Lewis recorded in 1975 and Willie, himself, previously had a hit with it in 1976. The difference here is the twin-fiddle production by Stroud. In addition to sparkling tracks, he has the 78-year-old superstar sounding simply spectacular vocally throughout the collection.

DISClaimer Single Reviews (11/16/11)

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Since this is awards season, let’s chop the DisClaimer honors into categories this week.

Our Vocal Collaboration Award goes to Matt Nathanson & Sugarland. Drop what you’re doing and go out and buy his Modern Love pop CD right now.

Our Female Vocalist Award is a no-brainer. Faith Hill rules. The Male Vocalist Award goes to an artist of a completely darker stripe, the wicked good Greg Garing.

The Vocal Group prize is a toss-up between Sawyer Brown and Stealing Angels, with the gals grabbing the bouquet.

DANIEL WARREN/Brent Creek
Writer: Daniel Warren; Producer: Al Hurschman & Daniel Warren; Publisher: Chaprielle, BMI; Quarterback (www.danielwarrenband.com)
—The track is breezy and wafting with sighing organ and deftly plucked guitars. His song is nicely written, but his voice is quite thin and lacks authority.

JASON CASSIDY/What If
Writer: Cassidy/Stockton/Diggs; Producer: Doug Deforest, Jody Booth & Jason Cassidy; Publisher: none listed; Blake-A (www.jasoncassidymusic.com)
—I have liked this fine country vocalist in the past, and this single is another in a string of solid efforts by him. The ballad is extremely well constructed, and his resonant singing has ache and longing in all the right places. A winner.

FAITH HILL/Come Home
Writer: Ryan Tedder; Producer: Byron Gallimore & Faith Hill; Publisher: Sony-ATV Tunes/Velvet Hammer/Midnight Miracle, ASCAP; Warner Bros.
—Introduced on last week’s CMA Awards telecast, this ballad of lovers separated by war has timely emotional heft. Faith sings it in her upper soprano range, which brings out the pain of loneliness.

THE KENNETH BRIAN BAND/Welcome to Alabama
Writer: Kenneth Brian; Producer: Johnny Sandlin; Publisher: none listed, BMI; Southern Shift (track) (www.kennethbrian.com)
—This bluesy Southern-rock outfit has connections. Its CD features such notable guests as David Hood, Jason Isbell, Bonnie Bramlett, Charlie Hayward and James Pennebaker, not to mention Allman Brothers producer Johnny Sandlin. This title tune is strikingly reminiscent of classic-era Charlie Daniels.

GREG GARING/My Time for Leaving
Writer: Greg Garing; Producer: Todd Perlmutter; Publisher: none listed; L.E.S. (track)
—The greatest of all the neo honky-tonk performers on Lower Broadway is back with a collection titled, simply, Greg Garing. It kicks off with this doom-y, echoey ballad punctuated by squalling saxophone. His singing remains hair raising in its intensity. Spooky, scary and thoroughly hypnotizing.

LAUREN ALAINA/Georgia Peaches
Writer: Mallary Hope/Blair Daly/Rachel Proctor; Producer: Byron Gallimore; Publisher: none listed; Mercury/19 (CDX)
—The American Idol runner-up’s second single is a bright rocker celebrating the fairer sex of the state of Georgia. She gives shout-outs to the state’s Alan Jackson and Jason Aldean along the way. I still say this teen sings better than winner Scotty McCreery does.

STEALING ANGELS/Little Blue Sky
Writer: Caroline Cutbirth/Tayla Lynn/Jennifer Wayne/Keith Follese/Adrienne Follese; Producer: Paul Worley; Publisher: Shaw Enuff/Red Leo/Multisongs/How Bout That Skyline/BMG Chrysalis/Songwriters of Platinum Pen/Little Dutchess/The Family Business/3 In the Key, BMI/ASCAP/SESAC; Skyville (CDX) (615-320-7052)
—I was crazy about this group’s debut single, and this follow-up is just as good. I know it’s confusing with so many female trios out there right now, but this is the one to keep your ears on. Superb melody, heartbeat percussion, stunning production and celestial vocals, this has it all. Stay tuned for the passage where all three voices weave together like an audio tapestry.

SAWYER BROWN/Travelin’ Band
Writer: Mark A. Miller; Producer: Mark A. Miller; Publisher: Travelin’ Zoo, ASCAP; Beach Street (CDX) (615-799-2229)
—Miller reflects nostalgically back on the glory days of his band. Strikingly autobiographical, it specifically mentions having hits like “Some Girls Do” and “Used to Blue,” touring with Kenny Rogers, wearing ‘80s haircuts and identifying various band members by name. Undeniably wistful and quite moving.

DANNY CLICK/I Feel Good Today
Writer: Danny Click; Producer: none listed; Publisher: One Bullet, no performance rights listed; DC (1-800-584-5524)
—He sings in an earnest, sincere tenor. The production is rather dull, and the bopping song with its downbeat lyric is just so-so.

MATT NATHANSON & SUGARLAND/Run
Writer: Matt Nathan/Jennifer Nettles/Kristian Bush; Producer: Kristian Bush, Matt Nathanson, Jennifer Nettles & Mark Weinberg; Publisher: Little Victories/Stage Three/BMG Chrysalis/Jennifer Nettles/Dirkpit, ASCAP/BMI; Vanguard (track) (www.mattnathanson.com)
—I was so smitten with this when they performed it on the CMA show that I bought Matt’s Modern Love sophomore CD just so I could hear it again. It is just as throbbing and sexy and melodic as I remembered it. Maybe even more so. This guy is a major, major talent.

DISClaimer Single Reviews (11/9/11)

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Considering that this is Country Music Week, you’d think some big-time stars would be shooting across the sky with new music.

Instead, it’s the indie community that is bringing its A-game. Canadians Aaron Lines, Deric Ruttan and Charlie Major are all here with dandy, up-tempo tunes.

Nashville’s own Kelly Lang & T.G. Sheppard are even better. Drawn from Kelly’s new 11:11 CD, their powerful duet is the Disc of the Day.

There are two promising newcomers to report to you. Barry Michael and Jared Ashley both bow in the column this week. Jared Ashley wins the DisCovery Award. Someone in Becky Harris’s office sent his CD to me, and I always like what Chris Young’s mom likes.

BARRY MICHAEL/Uncountrify Me
Writer: Barry Michael/Corey Barker; Producer: Kimo Forrest; Publisher: BS Works/Corey Lee/Myohana, ASCAP/BMI; Stockbridge (www.stockbridgerecords.com)
—He sings with clarity and sincerity. Kimo’s production, as usual, is exemplary. The song is listenable and decent enough, but is hardly undeniable. Find a hit.

KATIE ARMIGER/Scream
Writer: Katie Armiger/Sarah Buxton/Blair Daly; Producer: Blair Daly; Publisher: Purple Monkeys/We’re Going to Maui/Internal Combustion/Southside Independent/Kickin Grids, SESAC/BMI; Cold River
—She keeps it together in public, but when she’s alone, she lets it all out. Katie is in peak form vocally on this range-y power ballad. Solid work.

JARED ASHLEY/Stained
Writer: Jared Ashley/Nick Sturms; Producer: Bobby Terry & Jared Ashley; Publisher: none listed; 615 Entertainment (track) (www.jaredashley.com)
—Jared is a Georgia boy who has evidently garnered a good following in his home state. His disc debut features this moody mid-tempo outing. She feels like damaged goods, but he assures her that she is stained beautifully, like a church window. His performance is nicely shaded, varying from almost whispered passages to near shouts of passion.

GLEN CAMPBELL/Ghost On The Canvas
Writer: Paul Westerberg; Producer: Julian Raymond & Howard Willing; Publisher: Dry Wood/Bug, ASCAP; Surfdog (track) (www.glencampbellmusic.com)
—Glen’s new video is for the title tune of his superb finale as a recording artist. Like his classic hits, the song has a soaring, catchy melody and an instantly memorable chorus embellished with sky-high strings and prominent guitar. Awesome stuff. Did I mention that I am a lifelong fan?

JULIE ROBERTS/NASCAR Party
Writer: Julie Roberts/Thom Hardwell/Nick Trevisick; Producer: none listed; Publisher: Aint Skeerd/Sweet Ruby Reid/Lilolam, SESAC/ASCAP; JR (track) (www.julieroberts.com)
—Julie’s new Alive CD concludes with this rousing stomper. Do I hear a national sports anthem, here? Heck, she even name-checks all the tracks.

JULIE INGRAM/Thank God
Writer: Julie Ingram/Frances Wainwright; Producer: Jay Vern & Julie Ingram; Publisher: Summit Partners/INXS, BMI/ASCAP; LongShot (track) (www.julieingram.com)
—The rest of the title is, or should be, “for Mom and Dad.” It’s a slo-o-o-w piano ballad about all the good advice she got from her parents. I nodded off.

KELLY LANG & T.G. SHEPPARD/Dead Girl Walking
Writer: Kelly Lang; Producer: Kelly Lang; Publisher: Kelly Lang, BMI; Leopard Entertainment (track) (www.kellylang.net)
—Considering the cancer battle Kelly and husband T.G. have been through, the title is a little unnerving. But the lyric is about romantic abandonment, not her physical condition. Kelly’s melody for it is absolutely sumptuous, and both of them sing the fire out of this swirling, fevered festival of emotion. Hang on for the bridge, when the production really starts to build. Heart gripping.

CHARLIE MAJOR/Keep On Livin’
Writer: none listed; Producer: none listed; Publisher: none listed; MDM (ERG)
—Charlie is a big star in Canada. I don’t see any reason why this friendly, upbeat, good-advice rocker couldn’t translate to audiences south of the border.

AARON LINES/Sunday Afternoon
Writer: none listed; Producer: none listed; Publisher: none listed; On Ramp (ERG)
—Aaron returns with this smile-a-minute, romantic bopper performed with hearty positivity. I like his slips up into falsetto notes on the choruses and urgent breathiness in the verses. Loaded with hooks.

DERIC RUTTAN /She’s Like A Song
Writer: none listed; Producer: none listed; Publisher: none listed; Black T (ERG)
—Ruttan is a successful Music Row songwriter who dips his toes into the artists’ pond once again with this well-produced romper. I like the thumping percussion and the guitar riffs. His voice isn’t all that memorable, but he sells this just fine.

DISClaimer Single Reviews (11/2/11)

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Who ARE all you people?

The woods are crawling with indies this week. Some of them are downright scary. But others are delightful surprises.

Love and Theft, Mark Cooke and Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out all made a run for the Disc of the Day prize. But the good folks at Carnival have the winner. It’s Alabama native Adam Hood. I guarantee that you will fall in love with his record. He’s wicked good.

A Michigan fellow named John Maison is here with his debut single. He wins this week’s DisCovery Award.

MARK COOKE/Any Way The Wind Blows
Writer: Marty Dodson/Jennifer Hanson/Mark Nesler; Producer: J. Gary Smith & John Smith; Publisher: Nashvistaville/Nez/I Hope Momma’s Listenin/Black to Black/Ole/Sony-ATV, BMI; CVR (track)
—The track is superbly breezy, and he sings with earnest baritone authority. The song has a sing-along quality that sweeps you right up into the middle of it. In short, if this isn’t radio-ready, I’ve never heard it.

JOHN MAISON/Fast Enough
Writer: Kyle Jacobs/Joe Leathers/Kris Bergsnes; Producer: Ray Barnette; Publisher: Curb/Jacobsong/Fortune Favors the Bold/Song Garden, ASCAP/BMI; Big High Five
—The track is a rumbling, gripping, open-road rocker with a lot of “bottom” in the production. The song is cool, too. The mix almost overwhelms his vocal, so you have to listen extra hard to hear that he has the goods.

LOVE AND THEFT/Angel Eyes
Writer: Jeff Coplan/Eric Guderson/Eric Paslay; Producer: Josh Leo; Publisher: EMI April/Sunboy/Rockapop/Hate and Purchase/Cal IV, ASCAP; RCA
—She’s a flirty sinner on Saturday night, and a choir girl on Sunday morning in this merry bopper. The team’s Everly-style harmonies are totally excellent. Love and Theft was formerly a trio on Lyric Street’s Carolwood imprint. Now it is down to the duo of Stephen Barker Lyles and Eric Gunderson and moved to RCA.

JOHNNY SOLINGER/Livin’ Out A Country Song
Writer: Atkins/Stover/Maher; Producer: none listed; Publisher: EMI Blackwood/EMI April/Song of Country Wood/Red Stripe Plane, ASCAP; Red Dirt (www.reddirtmusiccompany.com)
—It’s another one of those songs that strings along redneck cliches. This time, the vocal bellowing is more irritating than usual.

CODY ROWE/Little White Lies
Writer: C. Rowe; Producer: Randy Miller & Eric Anonsen; Publisher: none listed, BMI; CR (www.codyrowe.com)
—He stays on pitch, barely. The track is so plodding it is like wading through molasses.

RUSSELL MOORE & IIIRD TYME OUT/If Your Heart Should Ever Roll This Way Again
Writer: Mark Irwin Abramson/Paul Austin Cunningham; Producer: Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out; Publisher: Ten Ten/Universal, ASCAP; Rural Rhythm (track) (www.iiirdtymeout.com)
—Formerly a 1989 single for Jo-El Sonnier, this ultra melodic song is now a lilting bluegrass single with a high-lonesome lead vocal, slippery fiddle work, mandolin and guitar ripples, cool vocal harmonies and a banjo that skips along throughout. Delightful. The CD is titled Prime Tyme. If you dig bluegrass, you can’t do much better.

KIMBERLY DUNN/I’d Rather
Writer: none listed; Producer: none listed; Publisher: none listed; Up & Out (track) (www.kimberlydunnmusic.com)
—No wonder there are no credits. She’s a vocal catastrophe.

ADAM HOOD/Flame And Gasoline
Writer: none listed; Producer: Matthew Miller & Oran Thornton; Publisher: none listed; Carnival (track) (www.adamhood.com)
—The Shape of Things is Hood’s just-released third album. This track showcases the pent-up energy in his delivery, the punchy production work and the excellent song craftsmanship that is evident throughout it. I have given this guy favorable marks in the past, and I remain a fan of his fiery style. If you haven’t lent him your ears before, do so now. Essential listening.

T.J. BROSCOFF/Wrong Side Of The Tracks
Writer: T.J. Broscoff; Producer: Bill Green; Publisher: Bill Green, BMI; BGM  (www.tjbroscoff.com)
—The meandering song could use some tightening up, but he delivers it with raspy conviction. Worth a listen.

ANDY VELO/Southern Thing
Writer: Andy Velo; Producer: none listed; Publisher: Suwanee Creek, BMI; Red Dirt (www.reddirtmusiccompany.com)
—Guess what? He’s a true-blue country boy on a dirt road in a truck, blasting Southern rock with beer and a babe. Wow. What a novel idea for a song!

DISClaimer Single Reviews (10/26/11)

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Toby, Trace, Blake, Dolly, Merle and more—it’s all stars and no waiting in this week’s column.

Our Female Vocalist Disc of the Day goes to the indomitable Dolly Parton. Long may she sing. Trace Adkins, Toby Keith, Merle Haggard and our surprise winner, Billy Currington, vied for the Male Disc of the Day. Billy was the one who was smart enough to dip into the catalog of the late, great Harley Allen for his new single.

Owing to the glut of big-name record makers, there was, alas, no room for any worthy DisCovery Award.

TOBY KEITH/Red Solo Cup
Writer: Jim Beavers/Brett Beavers/Brad Warren/Brett Warren; Producer: Toby Keith; Publisher: Sony-ATV Tree/Beavertime/BMG/Chestnut Barn/Chrysalis One/EMI Blackwood/StyleSonic, BMI; Show Dog (track)
—It’s sing-along drinking song with a spare banjo-guitar accompaniment. The recording sounds strikingly “live” and un-produced, and is therefore quite refreshing.

RODNEY ATKINS/He’s Mine
Writer: Casey Beathard/Phil O’Donnell/Tim James; Producer: Ted Hewitt & Rodney Atkins; Publisher: Sony-ATV Acuff-Rose/Sixteen Stars/Immokalee/Hodges House of Songwriters/Warner-Tamerlane/T-Bird’s, BMI; Curb (track)
—This, on the other hand, is totally compressed, auto-tuned and electro-produced within an inch of its life. The lyric has the Dad showing pride in his boy no matter what happens, good or bad.

KEITH URBAN/You Gonna Fly
Writer: Jaren Johnston/Chris Lucas/Preston Brust; Producer: Dann Huff & Keith Urban; Publisher: Sony-ATV Harmony/Texa Rae/Sony-ATV Cross Keys/Sony-ATV Tree, ASCAP/BMI; Capitol Nashville (track)
—The fourth single from Keith’s Get Closer collection is an upbeat, uplifting ode to escape and hope. His singing is super convincing, and the guitar solo blisters.

DOLLY PARTON/The Sacrifice
Writer: Dolly Parton; Producer: Kent Wells; Publisher: Velvet Apple, BMI; Dolly/Warner (track) (www.dollypartonmusic.net)
—The woman’s ongoing creativity is one of the wonders of our time. Five decades into her career, she is still writing and singing as powerfully as ever. This pulse-quickening little rocker is an autobiographical tale of how she willed herself to be a winner. And, boy, did she.

BILLY CURRINGTON/Like My Dog
Writer: Scotty Emerick/Harley Allen; Producer: Carson Chamberlain & Billy Currington; Publisher: Florida Room/BPJ/Coburn/Harley Allen, BMI; Mercury Nashville (track)
—For locating great songs, Currington has some of the best ears in Music City. This wickedly clever ditty praises the affections of a pooch, as compared to the judgmental attitudes of his gal. I grinned. So will you.

MERLE HAGGARD/Working In Tennessee
Writer: Merle Haggard; Producer: Merle Haggard & Lou Bradley; Publisher: Merle Haggard, BMI; Hag/Vanguard (track) (www.merlehaggard.com)
—The title tune to the Hag’s new CD is a quick-step western swinger. Guitarist Reggie Young, pianist Doug Colosio and fiddler Scott Joss all get in some hot licks while the vocalist offers some light-hearted, bluesy digs at Tune Town.

TRACE ADKINS/Million Dollar View
Writer: David Lee Murphy/George Teren; Producer: Kenny Beard & Mark Wright; Publisher: Old Desperados/Carol Vincent & Associates/EMI Blackwood/Terenator/Done and Dusted, ASCAP/BMI; Show Dog Universal
—As you might expect, the finest view isn’t from a beach, a mountaintop, a high rise or a vacation spot. It’s gazing at his baby in their humble, little living room. The band cooks with gas on this mid-tempo bopper, and Trace totally owns it, vocally.

HAYES CARLL/Stomp And Holler
Writer: Hayes Carll; Producer: Brad Jones; Publisher: Highway 87/Bug, SESAC; Lost Highway
—Perennial Americana fave Carll wails the bad-boy lyric like a wounded honky-tonk survivor. Guitars crash and scream all around this catchy rocker.

BLAKE SHELTON/Footloose
Writer: none listed; Producer: none listed; Publisher: none listed; Warner Bros. (track)
—I have said it before, many times: There is absolutely no point to remaking an oldie unless you’re going to put your own stamp on it and reinvent it. This merely apes the 1984 Kenny Loggins arrangement, right down to the grinding guitar licks.

CLAY DUSTIN/I’ll Take That Job
Writer: David Chamberlain/Mark Sherrill; Producer: David Chamberlain; Publisher: Handle It/Key/Mark, SESAC; PureHeart (track)
—The full title is “I’ll Take That Job That Johnny Paycheck Shoved.” His singing isn’t particularly distinctive, but Dustin is country right down to his boots.

DISClaimer Single Reviews (10/19/11)

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Look beyond our famous stars like Kings of Leon, Paramore, Sheryl Crow, Ke$ha, Ben Folds, Kim Carnes, Michael McDonald, Steve Cropper, Leon Russell, Donna Summer, Keb’ Mo’ and The Black Keys, and you’ll find that they are just the tip of a very, very large pop/rock iceberg in Music City.

The community is incredibly diverse, so that made choosing award winners especially tough this week. There are two DisCovery Award artists. One, Shane Dwight, comes from the R&B column. The other, Nashville newcomer Parachute, is a straight-ahead rock band.

Similarly, the two Disc of the Day winners come from different genres. Legendary singer-songwriter John Hiatt is a rocker at heart. The McCrary Sisters have a disc that showcases their gospel roots.

TONY BENNETT & FAITH HILL/The Way You Look Tonight
Writer: Jerome Kern/Dorothy Fields; Producer: Phil Ramone & Dae Bennett; Publisher: Universal PolyGram/Shapiro Bernstein/Aldi, ASCAP; Columbia (track)
—I am told that Faith is finally finishing a new album (her last was a Christmas album three years ago). Meanwhile, fans needing a Faith fix will have to make do with her Sunday football tunes and this track from Tony’s Duets II collection. Performed with a light jazz combo and sighing strings, this has a lushly romantic vibe. Tony sounds terrific at 85, and Faith proves to be a solid saloon stylist and harmony vocalist. Other Nashville-oriented folks on this justly celebrated set include Carrie Underwood, Sheryl Crow and Willie Nelson.

J.D. SOUTHER/I’ll Be Here At Closing Time
Writer: John David Souther; Producer: Fred Mollin; Publisher: none listed; Entertainment One (track)
—The last outing by this former country-rocker was a surprisingly jazzy affair. On his new Natural History CD, he revisits his distinguished catalog, reworking “Faithless Love,” “New Kid in Town,” “You’re Only Lonely,” “Prisoner of Love,” “Best of My Love” and the like. And, let’s face it, song writing doesn’t come much better than those classics. This finale ballad is a sweet, wistful pledge of devotion sung in an intimate whisper with a gentle, simple piano/guitar accompanying track. It’s as lovely a ballad as he’s ever done, and he reportedly killed with it at a recent showcase at The Basement.

THE FEATURES /Rambo
Writer: Matthew Pelham/The Features; Producer: Brian Carter & The Features; Publisher: Bug/Bughouse/Silent But Violent/This Is Daiglenetics/Ghost Riding, BMI/ASCAP; Bug Music (track) (www.thefeatures.com)
—This durable Nashville rock institution is back with a collection titled Wilderness. Its calling-card single is a rattling, jangling stomper with a passionate, sky-high, lead vocal that rides above super guitar work and a ferocious rhythm track. These four guys can still deliver a mighty big sound.

JACK WHITE/You Know That I Know
Writer: Hank Williams/Jack White; Producer: Jack White III; Publisher: Sony-ATV Acuff-Rose/Third String, BMI; Columbia (track)
—The Lost Notebooks CD has today’s stars writing melodies and/or finishing lyrics left behind nearly 60 years ago by the late Hank Williams. The restlessly creative Jack White seems to always have a Raconteurs, Third Man or other project in the works. Here, he channels Hank both vocally and instrumentally. I’m serious: He sounds surprisingly like the country icon, and Donnie Heron’s steel guitar tingles just like a Drifting Cowboy should. Other participants on this extraordinary record include Sheryl Crow, Merle Haggard, Lucinda Williams,  Vince Gill & Rodney Crowell, Alan Jackson, Patty Loveless and granddaughter Holly Williams, not to mention Bob Dylan.

PARACHUTE /Something To Believe In
Writer: Will Anderson; Producer: John Fields; Publisher: How It Should Be/Warner Chappell, BMI; Mercury (track)
—This five-piece band has recently moved to Music City from Charlottsville, VA. You say you’re sick of dance-pop, hip-hop, emo and “alternative” anything? Step right up, because these guys are old-school pop-rock with real melodies, throbbing electric guitars and pumping rhythm. This track from its The Way It Was CD has a big, U2-ish sound, multi-voiced choral singing on the choruses and a honking sax to top it off. Catchy and uplifting, to say the least.

DAVID MEAD /Twenty Girls Ago
Writer: Bill DeMain/David Mead; Producer: Brad Jones; Publisher: Tin Panda/Bug/Da Wei Phonetic, ASCAP/BMI; Cheap Lullaby (track)
—Mike Grimes at Grimey’s says this is his very favorite pop song today. That’s a good enough endorsement for me, so I spun it. As a long-time David Mead fan, I expected to be delighted and was. It’s a sweetly melodic ballad sung in his trademark tenor with rippling acoustic guitar, fluttering mandolin, sighing clarinet and tinkling piano backing. Romantic regret is set to a deliciously quirky and complex tune. The description that comes to mind is “chamber pop.” It is on last year’s Almost and Always CD, but it’s never too late to buy any Mead music. I remain a completely smitten fan.

THE McCRARY SISTERS/Give Him My All
Writer: Bob Dylan/Regina McCrary; Producer: Tommy Sims; Publisher: none listed; McC (track)
—Regina McCrary has sung on three Dylan CDs and toured with him as well, hence the unusual songwriting credit. The four sisters front a funk track with stately horn blasts and a bass line that pulses righteously. Alfreda, Ann, Deborah and Regina are arguably Nashville’s greatest soul sisters. Just ask Stevie Wonder, Bobby Jones, Wynonna, Ray Stevens (that’s them on “Everything Is Beautiful”), Buddy Miller, Patty Griffin, Mike Farris or the late Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley, all of whom have recorded with them. The new McCrary CD is titled Our Journey. Buy it the moment it drops next Tuesday.

JOHN HIATT/Damn This Town
Writer: John Hiatt; Producer: Kevin Shirley; Publisher: Warner-Tamerlane/Oral Track Tunes, BMI; New West (track) (www.johnhiatt.com)
—This enduring Music City treasure kicks off his Dirty Jeans and Mudslide Hymns CD with this doom-soaked, bluesy rocker. The track rumbles and cries in deep mystery while he wails to the heavens of trials and tribulations. Absolutely addictive and undeniably great.

TOM HAMBRIDGE/I Keep Things
Writer: Tom Hambridge; Producer: Tom Hambridge; Publisher: Tom Hambridge, ASCAP; Superstar (track) (www.tomhambridge.com)
—Tom produced Buddy Guy’s 2010 Grammy winning blues CD and co-wrote Gretchen Wilson’s “I Got Your Country Right Here” his version of which is included on his new Boom! album. The disc begins with this rollicking rocker, sung with a gutsy, drawling rasp and featuring stinging guitar. Tom is a drummer, so you know the “bottom” of the sound is solid.

SHANE DWIGHT/A Hundred White Lies
Writer: Shane Dwight; Producer: Kevin McKendree & Shane Dwight; Publisher: Robert Vincent Zolezzi, ASCAP; R-Tist (track) (www.shanedwight.com)
—This R&B guitar slinger and songwriter has been a Nashvillian since 2008. The title track of his new CD is a bluesy meditation with a serious stomp attack. The McCrarys moan mournfully in the background while Dwight’s guitar underscores every line of broken-home misery. Cool in the extreme.

DISClaimer Single Reviews (10/12/11)

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Top-tier country radio stars, the triumphant return of a veteran and a stunning debut album are all ingredients in this week’s audio recipe.

The radio stars in question include Brad Paisley, Craig Morgan, Lee Brice and our Disc of the Day winner, Dierks Bentley.

The comeback belongs to K.D. Lang & The Sis Boom Bang. Their Nashville-recorded Sing It Loud album sizzles with excellence.

The Damn Quails have one of the finest freshman collections I’ve heard all year. It is titled Down the Hatch. The debut single is out now, and the rest of the disc drops on Oct. 25. Brand new band. Brand new label. Brand new sound. The core of the group is a pair of singer-songwriters, Gabriel Marshall and Bryon White. Give those boys a DisCovery Award.

CRAIG MORGAN/This Ole Boy
Writer: none listed; Producer: none listed; Publisher: none listed; Black River (ERG)
—Sunny, romantic and utterly optimistic. Plus, he still sings his face off.

DIERKS BENTLEY/Home
Writer: Dan Wilson/Brett Beavers/Dierks Bentley; Producer: Brett Beavers & Luke Wooten; Publisher: Chrysalis/Sugar Lake/BMG Rights Management/Chestnut Barn/Big White Tracks, ASCAP/IMRO/BMI; Capitol Nashville (CDX)
—Stirring and uplifting. This manages the tricky task of being patriotic without being jingoistic. In addition to being well written, it is brilliantly produced, with a rumbling, drumming undertow and subtle, judiciously placed chimes.

THE DAMN QUAILS/Fools Gold
Writer: Bryon White; Producer: Mike McClure & Joe Hardy; Publisher: C.P. Sparkman, BMI; 598 (track)
—Refreshing, with a splash of harmonica, a dash of dobro, an acoustic-guitar solo, lightly crunchy rhythm and jaunty, folkie vocals. Oklahoma strikes again.

LEE BRICE/A Woman Like You
Writer: Johnny Buford/Phil Barton/Jon Stone; Producer: Jon Stone & Lee Brice; Publisher: Warner-Tamerlane/3JB/Sixteen Stars/How Bout That Skyline/Songs From Ferry Street/BMG Chrysalis, BMI; Curb
—Charming. She asks him what he’d be like if he hadn’t met her. He rattles off a list that includes poker, fishing, football, golf, poor dietary choices and more. But the payoff is that he’d also be looking for her.

WADE BOWEN/Saturday Night
Writer: Wade Bowen/Lee Thomas Miller; Producer: Justin Niebank; Publisher: House of Sea Gayle/Sparks to Strings/Itchy Baby, ASCAP/BMI; Sea Gayle/BNA
—Very cool. He sings with a lot of heart, and the track is cooking with gas. Best of all, the song is superbly written: He’s alone, out on the town and miserable, so why is everybody in love with Saturday night?

BRAD PAISLEY/Camouflage
Writer: Brad Paisley/Chris DuBois/Kelley Lovelace; Producer: Frank Rogers; Publisher: House of Sea Gayle/Words & Music/EMI April/Didn’t  Have To Be, ASCAP; Arista
—I generally dislike records with crowd cheering/shouting in the track.

COREY WAGAR/I Hate My Boyfriend
Writer: P. Brust/C. Brown/C. Wagar; Producer: Kent Wells; Publisher: none listed; GTR (track)
—It rocks with plenty of percussion and screaming guitars. She wants to go out and party with her friends, but he doesn’t like that, hence the title.

KID ROCK & ANGALEENA PRESLEY/Care
Writer: R.J. Ritchie/M. Young/H. Boone/C. Harris; Producer: none listed; Publisher: RJR/Kobalt/Jo Ray Dean/Sony ATV/Family Three/Universal/Crown Club/Warner-Tamerlane, BMI/ASCAP; Atlantic/Top Dog/Quaterback
—Alas, all the time he’s spent in Nashville has not made him a country songwriter.

ANSON CARTER/One Of Those Days
Writer: Arlis Albritten/Mickey Jack Cones/ Chad Hudson; Producer: Michael Bowen & Anson Carter; Publisher: none listed; Black Gold (track) (www.ansoncartermusic.com)
—It’s a little thin sounding, but he gets the job done vocally.

K.D. LANG & THE SIS BOOM BANG/I Confess
Writer: K.D. Lang/Daniel Clarke/Joshua Grange; Producer: K.D. Lang & Joe Pisapia; Publisher: Bromelain/It All Works/De La Grange, ASCAP; Nonesuch (track) (www.kdlang.com)
—Lang returned to Music City to craft her new Sing It Loud CD, and her new Sis Boom Bang band is comprised of East Nashvillians. The album’s lead-off single has an Orbison-bolero vibe that simmers with sensuous heat. Essential listening.