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About FTB |
 NADINE
Downtown, Saturday... (Undertow) | | Nadine
is a threesome from St. Louis, MO, the same neck of the woods from which Uncle
Tupelo emerged. Although they have a sonis style that is probably closer
to Wilco or Son Volt. Their first self-released album was quite popular in Europe
and with good reason...'cause they're a talented band. Lead vocalist Adam
Reichmann cites Neil Young as a major influence, and comparisons to his vocal
style are obvious, (hold the whine). Their lyrics are insightful and
literate while their sound goes from dense and atmospheric to simple and acoustic.
They rock out a little, but mostly it's mid-tempo roots-rock with
the tiniest bit o' twang. | | Best tracks: Closer, Out On A Limb, Shelter, Twilight, So That I
Don't Miss You, Ready To Go. The
band's site, nadinemusic.com,
has RA & MP3 samples, lyrics and tour info. The CD is on Glitterhouse in Europe. Order from Amazon. Released
Aug. '99, reviewed by Bill Frater. |
 NASHVILLE
STATION
Been Here Done This... (self-released) | |
Despite the band's neat name, the music on this CD has very little to do with
Nashville. Devoid of all of the "accepted" country touches, this music
sounds like more of an early '80s power pop sort of thing than anything the Nashville
country scene would turn out. Think more like a rustic Dwight Twilley or maybe
Marshall Crenshaw with more of a roots focus, even a Greg Kihn-type thing
with less speed and more swagger and you've got what this group is shooting for.
Plenty of melody, grinding guitars and excellent songs, but precious little of
the pedal steel and country twang most alt.country people are checking out. Use
this album to feed your power pop jones instead and don't be afraid to broaden
your horizons and check it out. It really is quite good. | |
Band bio and ordering info.
Reviewed by Scott Homewood . |
 NATHAN
Jimson Weed... (Nettwerk America) |
This remarkable band from Winnipeg, Canada, features music written and performed by Keri McTighe and Shelley Marshall as part of the core of the band Nathan. The plains of Winnipeg get cold in winter, encouraging lots of ‘round the hearth picking and writing and playing with friends, all of which has given us Nathan. I came at this CD completely cold and I didn't find a bad song on it. Plucky banjo, lovely harmonies, smart songwriting and surprising melodic twists kept my interest throughout. In addition to Mctighe and Marshall, the CD features Devin Latimer, bass, Daniel Roy, percussion and Burke Carroll, pedal steel and dobro. Hail Canada! |
| Nathan's homepage. Order from amazon. Released Sept. '04, reviewed by Kay Clements. |
 NATIONAL
DUST
Welcome to Utopia... (Western Famine) | |
Quick, someone check the water over in Canada. Must be something in it for all
of that country's roots bands to come up with so many strong songs. First Blue
Rodeo, and now a ton of them, including National Dust, all sounding as if they
studied melody with the Beatles and lyrical storytelling with Dylan. This CD kicks
off with the blistering "Tragedy Ann" and never stops kicking my butt
with their incisive, catchy, ragged and rollicking roots rock. Various guests
help the core band with pedal steel, B-3 and background vocals but this great
sophomore release is all about the fine work of National Dust. Note to future
roots rock wannabes: check out the Great White North - it's in the water! |
| Order the CD from amazon.
Reviewed by Scott Homewood |
| | |
Beaver is a young Austin-based singer-songwriter
with a gruff voice and an imaginative way with words. He claims that he
wrote many of these songs after attending Townes Van Zandt's funeral in early
'97. Musically, the CD is pretty rough and tumble with a sound that sometimes
reminds me of the Faces, (remember them). His voice is very |
| Best songs:
Company of Kings, Too Much Moonlight, Forget Thinking, Things Get Shaky 'Round
Midnight, All Over. Check out Freedom
Record's web site. Released Oct. '98, reviewed
by Bill Frater. |
 BEAVER
NELSON
Little Brother... (Louisiana Red Hot) | |
Beaver is pictured on the CD cover staring at the camera as if daring you to see
beyond his uncanny resemblance to the Doonsbury comic character Zonker. Musically,
he's one of the few Texas singer-songwriters not obviously influenced by Jerry
Jeff Walker, Joe Ely or Robert Earl Keen. I wish his great confessional songs
had a little more "twang" and a little less "modern rock"
elements to them. I loved his first CD but this one doesn't grab me the same way.
| | Release date:
Oct. '00. Order from Miles
of Music Beaver's
website. Reviewed by Bill
Frater. |
| | |
Danial Lanois' production sound is so distinctive,
it can even make Willie Nelson sound different, well sorta different. Willie is
still Willie, especially when he's doing some of his old songs. The difference
between this Lanois production and Emmylou Harris' Wrecking Ball is in
the song choices. There is some nice latin/samba stylings here that work nice.
Most of the CD is nice, especially with Ms. Harris singing harmony on almost every
song. I'm just not sure if the whole package really works. My first reaction is
Willie probably won't gain many new fans and he may alienate some of his old ones.
|
| Order from amazon. Released Sept. '98. Reviewed
by Bill Frater. |
NEON
CACTUS
Neon Cactus... (Birdman/Orchard) | |
Neon Cactus come from Pennsylvania and feature the strong and deep vocals of Ms.
Robin McNett. The album starts off reasonably enough with upbeat tunes, tasty
playing and good production. I'm starting to remember how much I love Emmylou
Harris' first three albums. That's a good musical reference to have but
the original is still much better then... Somewhere along the way the album
loses some of it's uniqueness and you realize this isn't much different then a
hundred other country bands in a hundred other cities. I tried lending it
to my resident "New Country" music fan and she liked it even less them
me. Nothing horrible here, just not very exciting. Pull out Emmylou's Elite
Hotel instead. | |
Neon Cactus site. Released June, '99, reviewed by Bill Frater. |
 MIKE
NESS
Cheating At Solitaire...(Time Bomb) | | Ness
is the leader of Social Distortion, a punk band that has always had roots respectability,
much like X or Morphine. On his first solo outing he embraces a much
more twangy sound while not letting go of his rock edge. For the most part
it works. He's a gifted songwriter with a very raspy yet compassionate voice.
He slips in a few well known cover songs to pay homage to people like Dylan, Cash
and Hank Sr. A highlight is the pedal steel work of Chris Lawrence from
Cisco's band. Fans of the Waco's or maybe Dave Alvin should check this out.
Just be forewarned, this not soft Folk music, it's Folk music that really
rocks and should be played with the volume cranked up accordingly. Here's
hoping this CD opens up the minds of a few punk fans to not be afraid of
the word Country. | | Best tracks: The Devil In Miss Jones, Don't Think Twice, Rest Of Our Lives, Cheating
At Solitaire, Ballad Of A Lonely Man, I'm In Love With My Car, Long Black Veil,
Send Her Back. There is a MikeNess.com,
which has tour info and a MP3 downloadable song, and the label Time
Bomb, has a site. Released April '99, reviewed by Bill Frater. |
 THE NEW HEATHENS
Heathens Like Me... (self released) |
| The New Heathens are a NYC based roots rock band making a splash on the east coast Americana scene, and they're one to watch. The first thing you notice is the first rate vocals from front man and main songwriter Nate Schweber. He's has a classic rootsy swagger, not unlike Graham Parker or Steve Marriott, but tastefully under plays his vocal gifts (as opposed to say the Black Crowes' Chris Robinson.) Many young bands have a few good songs to frontload on their debut, but the Heathens have more than that to offer and this disc unfolds nicely. Armed with a straight ahead rock attack (similar to Eric Ambel, whose studio the band recorded in) they also have songs with a classic country rock feel. “Doomed Generation”, inspired of course, by the late Hunter S. Thompson, has a nice psychedelic groove on. So seek this one out for simple rocking pleasure and you'll come back to it for the well written tunes. |
| The band's website, and My Space page has songs. Order from CD Baby. Released May, '06, reviewed by Michael Meehan. |
 THE
NEW MATICS 
Up Popped Pancho... (So Fish) | | While
I wasn't able to learn much about the New Matics other than what is listed on
their CD booklet, I have come to several conclusions about their music. One: I
am impressed by it. Despite their cobbling together this album from a batch of
original songs spanning over two decades the songs all sound fresh and the CD
holds up as a cohesive work. Nothing sounds out of place here or dated song or
sound-wise. Two: While each member of this four-piece band contributes at least
a song or two to the CD (save the drummer, who just drums his ass off) the obvious
standout and leader is Patterson Barrett who contributes five songs, sings, plays
just about every instrument known to man on the CD and produced it as well. Three:
Barrett's production is stellar. Not only sounding extremely radio-ready, the
squeaky-clean sound gives the music an unadorned, un-messed with honesty I've
always felt made country music sound best. Overall, this is a very good CD that
fans of pure country music will find appealing. | | Their
website. Order the CD for CD
Baby. Reviewed by Scott
Homewood |
 NICKEL
CREEK
Nickel Creek... (Sugar Hill) | |
Nickel Creek's debut CD will satisfy fans of both "hot pickin" and tasteful
progressive bluegrass. On the strength of this first release they emerge
as leading edge purveyors of the newgrass terrain established in recent years
by artists like the Cox Family, Tim O'Brien, and Alison Krause. Indeed, Alison
Krause serves as producer and musical mentor of sorts to this band comprised of
mostly young musicians. Krauses' impact is felt in the clean crisp production,
the material selection, even the breathy vocal stylings of the two primary vocalists,
Chris Thile and Sara Watkins. Chris Thile, with two previous solo CD's to
his credit and who is easily one of the most talented and graceful mandolin players
to come along in a long time, also emerges here as an impressive singer who conveys
a maturity that belies his mere nineteen years. Sara Watkins, also nineteen,
is already a powerful and affecting singer who also coaxes the sweetest tone out
of a fiddle that you are ever likely to hear. This CD has it all: gorgeous
instrumentals, beautiful and expressive vocals, sweet harmonies, mostly original
material with a few cover tunes, folk and pop music given a newgrass/bluegrass
treatment. Check this one out. It's a definite "YES". |
| Sugar
Hill has a nice website... Released March, 2000, reviewed by Kevin
Russell. |
 NITTY GRITTY DIRT BAND
Welcome To Woody Creek... (Dualtone) |
| Although once seen as outsiders and interlopers to the Nashville country music scene, the Dirt Band is actually more comfortable in the middle of the road. With positive message songs such as "It's Morning"," It's a New Day" and "Walking in Sunshine" this is a recording for polite company and friendly country radio programmers.
The instrumental prowess shown on the "Circle" series is present on this warm sounding recording produced in the Colorado Rockies. Highlights include a soulful cover of Gram Parson's "She" and a rollicking bluegrass take on the Beatles "Get Back' Fans of the band's softer take on country rock may find much to like here. But while the influence of the first Will The Circle Be Unbroken sessions (1971) can't be overstated, I've always found this band on their own less appealing.
I highly recommend Will the Circle Be Unbroken Volume III released last year which contains several very fine Dirt band originals as well as a strong showing of traditional and contemporary roots artists. |
| NittyGritty.com, Dualtone's site. Order from amazon. Released Sept. '04, reviewed by Michael Meehan. |
 MATT NOVAK
Ten Valley... (Wander)
|
Another product of the Pacific Northwest, Matt Novak is a singer/songwriter who is worthy of your attention. He's also a member of Quickdraw String Band, an acoustic outfit, and Ten Valley marks his solo debut. Three years in the making, it's an album of nine Novak originals, and “Hobo”, the words of Robert Service put to Novak's tune. It's a testament to his songwriting skills that the lines of Service, no slouch of a poet, do not stand out in contrast with the rest of the CD. The attention to artistic detail shows throughout this sparsely produced little solitaire, (no wonder it took a year to record), and the effort pays off in spades. There's just the right amount of stringed instruments to embellish, without overpowering, Novak's delivery, and there's some nice pairing with the vocals of Kati Claborn. This one sort of snuck up on me, and it was a very good snuck. |
| Check out Matt's site.Order from amazon Released November, 2004, reviewed by Don Grant. |
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