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DISClaimer Single Reviews (10/27/10)

Better late than never, they say. As She’s Walking Away” is already in the top-10, but I’m just now getting around to it. That’s because I had to go out and buy the Zac Brown Band album that it is on.

DISClaimer Single Reviews (10/20/10)

I always like a listening session with plenty of newcomers. After all, the thrill of discovery is what every critic lives for. This week sees column debuts by Chet O’Keefe, Corinne Chapman, The Jeremy Miller Band, James Lann and Daniel Warren.

DISClaimer Single Reviews (10/13/10)

Variety is the spice of life, they say. It’s certainly true in this week’s stack of platters. We have an electronic dance record, a comedy disc from a Country Music Hall of Famer, a pop/folk outing by a Russian country performer, a homespun ditty from a husband-and-wife team, a group re-naming, an Oz man’s cowbell-backed guitar rocker and a Texan with singer-songwriter grit to spare.

DISClaimer Single Reviews (10/6/10)

This is a column full of old favorites of mine. Chris Hillman and Herb Pedersen are back, sounding as hale and hearty as ever. Dale Watson returns as well, and he is still a country singer’s country singer. The evergreen Bellamy Brothers remain the groove masters they have always been.

DISClaimer Single Reviews (9/29/10)

As we head into the fall, the stars are beginning to come out. This week, we have new music by honcho Toby Keith, as well as from Billy Currington and Lee Brice, both of whom are coming off career highs. It appears that Capitol/EMI rules the roost, label-wise, since it is presenting fine new tunes from both Troy Olsen and newcomer Walker Hayes.

DISClaimer Single Reviews (9/22/10)

What is past is present. This week, The Judds and Ken Mellons are returning with records that reinvent their respective sounds. Loretta Lynn, Sheryl Crow & Miranda Lambert revisit a country classic and earn a Disc of the Day honor in the bargain.

DISClaimer Pop/Rock Single Reviews (9/20/10)

It’s high time we checked up on Nashville’s ever-expanding pop/rock community. There’s a little big of everything to sample, from the hard rock of November to the singer-songwriter vibe of Alyssa Bonagura, from the over-the-top personality of Joanna Cotten to the introspective-and-hooky Dave Barnes, from the soul sisters of Kentucky Thunder to the new-wavey Jeff the Brotherhood.

DISClaimer Single Reviews (9/15/10)

This is apparently Country Ballads Week. Almost all of the class acts in this stack of platters are making their marks with slower tempi fare. James Otto, Lorrie Morgan, John Mellencamp, Charlie Louvin, the LoCash Cowboys, Jerrod Niemann and Teea Goans ain’t about rockin’ the house. They have generally thoughtful things to say.

DISClaimer Single Reviews (9/8/10)

The competition is at a really high level this week. I can’t remember when there were so many really fine songs going head to head during one listening session. “I Make a Difference,” “Bad Angel,” “Raymond” and “Who Are You When I’m Not Around” all tugged at my emotions in different ways. It’s also a really good sign when there are so many worthy newcomers making noise.

DISClaimer Single Reviews (9/1/10)

You say you want some tempo tunes? Well, step right up. This week’s stack of platters contains a bevy of boppers. Marty Stuart, The McClymonts, Blaine Larsen, Mason Douglas and Eric Heatherly are all tapping their toes. Margaret Durante and Jewel are both breezy, too.

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