Kate's site has CD ordering. Miles of Music has it too. Reviewed by Keith Robb.

Buy from amazon Preferred Tracks...Little Green Valley, The Old Account, Beauty of my Dreams, I've Endured. Sugar Hill's website has ordering  and tour info. Released Oct. '98, reviewed by Kay Clements.

I read somewhere an article that describes Washington, D.C.'s Mark McKay and company as having a ‘garage band' sound. Well, I sure wish that some of my old garage bands sounded half this good. If one defines ‘garage band' solely as one being built around a core of a couple of energetic guitars, bass, and drums, then I guess that description would fit, but, it damns Shimmer with faint praise indeed. This CD is driven in a large part by the guitar work of producer Eric "Roscoe" Ambel, who displays an unerring knack for deriving the maximum impact from his instruments, without a lot of superfluous clutter, in a style that's called, for lack of better words, simply nice and clean. This, McKay's third release, is entirely of his own creation, with the exception of his rendition of Lucinda's "Side of the Road". It ranges from rockers like the opener, “Rain”, and “Stay Around”, with some great guitarwah by McKay, to “Full Moon Eyes”, a slice of trenchant political observation that could have sprang from Steve Earle's pen. An added bonus is the appearance on the mournful "U-Eye" of Kris Delmhorst on cello and backing vocals, possibly the best track on the disc, but it's a difficult choice, there's lots of good stuff here.

Marks' website. Buy from amazon. Released Sept. '04, reviewed by Don Grant.

 Sugar Hill Released Aug. '98.  Reviewed by Bill Frater.

Ok, let me get this right: I get a bluegrass song about heroin, then one about the life of a party girl, then a Fleetwood Mac cover, a Rank & File cover, a Johnny Paycheck cover and a freaking Ronnie Milsap cover, all done with the virtuosity, sweet vocals, and Devil-may-care attitude of The Meat Purveyors? Simply put, I'm in heaven. The Meat Purveyors represent what the whole country-punk movement is about: fun, well-performed music, irreverence, and a complete lack of anything resembling shame. They don't resort to the sort of schtick that Split Lip Rayfield leans on, but instead throw all their effort into their songwriting and musicianship. These guys can absolutely blister the paint off the walls with the virtuoso mandolin and violin work of Peter Stiles and Darcie Deaville, or charm the socks off of a snake with Jo Cohen and Cherilyn DiMond. It's easy to compare The Meat Purveyors to other speedgrass or country-punk bands like Split Lip Rayfield, but the better comparison would be to The B-52's. The depth of their songwriting, choice of covers, and knowledge of how not to step over the line into novelty truly set The Meat Purveyors apart. The only complaint I could find is that the production is very dry, but even that is no real problem. By the time you could notice, they'll have moved onto the next song and you'll be either singing along or laughing out loud at their audacity. This CD goes on my Best of List for 2004.

MERLE JAGGER
Rancho Los Angeles... (Ranch Party)

A show case for the virtuosity of Mark Christian on guitars, banjo, and mandolin, Rancho Los Angeles is probably as good an instrumental CD as anything out there. The problem is that instrumental only recordings have an interest factor that can't be sustained over repeated playing. Not that it's impossible to carve out a respectable place in the music game strictly as musicians, Chet Atkins comes readily to mind, it's just such a damned rough row to hoe. Unless the players are right there in the flesh, the average listener's attention inevitably starts to wander where a fellow guitarist's probably wouldn't. It is suspected that the average listeners substantially outnumber the guitarists in this world. There has to be any number of aspiring vocalists out there in the Los Angeles area; give some of them a shot guys. Merle Jagger has hit upon a name with a great catch, they know their instruments, for sure; a little vocal icing would compliment the cake.

Audrey Auld had a respectable country-music career in her native Australia when she fell in love with a Yank, moved to America, and added Mezera to her name. In coming to the states, she had not only a new country and a new name to contend with, but a new career as well. But Audrey's a survivor, to be sure. After two recent CDs, one recorded in Austin and a live double disc with Nina Gerber, she's wisely returned to Australia to record with her old producer, Bill Chambers. Chambers seems to know how to bring out the best in Mezera's observational and sometimes comical songs, and when the song needs some help, he brings on the twang. Song themes range from quirky small towns (“Bolinas” and “Looking For Luckenbach”), to a lovely 9/11 tribute (“We Cry”), to the silly “Self-Help Helped Me”. This is Mezera's most solid, cohesive collection of songs yet.

Reckless' site. Buy from amazon. Released Feb. 07, reviewed by Bill Frater.

What does a fusion of country blues and soul have to do with the title of this disc? About as much as it did with the equally obtusely titled Shootout at the OK Chinese Restaurant , Midwood's first full-length release in 2002, but hey, would a rose by any other name… blah, blah, blah. Fans of The Band will particularly enjoy this one; it's got a Levon Helm-like Arkansas ring at times, as in “Ringmaster”, the first cut, and throughout the CD Midwood uses his instrumentation sparsely, another trademark of their style. Echoes of a rollicking Doug Sahm can be heard on “I Told You So”, while the smell of the Delta permeates “Withered Rose”. There has to be a dash of gospel for Southern authenticity, but the cynicism of “Jesus Is #1” would give the purists apoplexy: “All I want to do is lift weights and praise Jesus all day”. With a refrain like that, those titles start to make eclectic sense. There is an order behind what appears at first glance to be a chaos.

Midwood's web site. Buy from amazon. Released Nov. '06, reviewed by Don Grant.

Buddy's been touring with Emmylou Harris for over 10 years now, so he should be beyond the “who's that monster on the guitar” status. Still, it's bit of a bold move to come out with a so many bible references in the songs on his new CD. I've always heard that he and wife Julie were Christians but its never been something that they outwardly wrote or talked about. In many ways the songs here are more spiritual based and even comment on society's social ills. Think Bob Dylan's Slow Train Coming (he covers his “With God On Our Side” here) or the Staple Singers. In fact, I hear a lot of Pop Staples influence in Buddy's guitar and the excellent backup vocals of Regina and Ann McCrary on most of this CD calls to mind the Staples' vocals. He goes from slow and haunting to loud and fiercely rocking. The track that really grabs me is “Don't Wait” which opens with fiddle and banjo and then takes off with a powerful chorus and then drops on some “Southern preacher” testifying under the guitar vamps. Saved indeed! If the “J” word pushes your buttons, get over it and come on into the water. With so much uncertainty in the world today this album is a very poignant release and Buddy's best CD yet.

Best tracks: Muddy Water, I'll Take The Highway, Son Of The South.  Here's where to get it from Song Search. Released May, '98, reviewed by Bill Frater.

AllisonMoorer.com Buy from amazon.  Released June, '06. Reviewed by Bill Frater.

THE MORELLS
Think About It... (HighTone)

The Morells are not what one would call prolific in their output. This is their third release in twenty-three years, and it's an assemblage of five original tunes and seven covers. The Morell brand is old time country roots rock n'roll, which is OK, if nostalgia is your preference. Some of the cover choices are good, while others are questionable. Chuck Berry's “Nadine”, for instance, or the Delmore's “Girls Don't Worry My Mind” come off all right. Conversely, there are songs by Paul Revere, the Monkees (??), and “How Come My Dog Don't Bark”, which is downright silly. Duane Eddy's “Guitar Man” has been downgraded to practically a funeral dirge. This one is for the converted, die-hard fans only, I'm afraid.

I've grown up listening to Vans' soulful wail so I'm used to the way he'll take a word and soars with it while dipping down into a growl with the next. Still, I have to wonder what a hard-core country fan would think of his interpretations of these classic country songs. The CD is pretty uneven, some great and some bad. I suppose the good covers outweigh the ones with schmaltzy back-up chorus borders on parody. Then other tracks have fine arrangements with dobro and country piano and it fits the songs perfectly. He phones in some of the songs, like “Your Cheating Heart” but he successfully revives the old Lulu Barker blues “Don't You Make Me High” with great success. He wrote 3 of his own which aren't bad but covers 3 Webb Pierce hits that are all great. As I said, it's uneven, hit the button to advance to the next track. Most everything he covers here is way old with the exception the beautiful closer, Rodney Crowell's "'Til I Gain Control Again." If the Belfast cowboy decides to wander down the country road again I'd like to hear him with a producer who might push him like Buddy Miller or Dan Penn, and use some real Nashville back-up musicians next time. But I won't hold my breath; Van's much too stubborn to let someone else take the reins.