Recommendations!

Just to throw a few out there:

16 Horsepower - dark Americana... their sound bounces around quite a bit, often sounding fairly Appalachian. The singer sounds like Nick Cave at times. I love the songs 'Praying Arm Lane' and 'Wayfaring Stranger.'

Damien Jurado - By all means not the most talented singer or songwriter, but he's one of the most honest artists I've ever come across. And he writes some amazingly catchy and depressing songs. 'Rehearsals for Departure' is probably the most accessible album, but I tend to pick and choose from amongst his recordings (he has at least 200 songs out there.) I love the songs 'Tonight I Will Retire,' 'Ohio,' 'Wedding Cake,' 'Castles,' 'Parking Lot,' and pretty much everything else. I urge you to find a lot of his songs. He's what I listen to when I want some non-imposing sing along kind of music.


Scout Niblett - Just the song 'Trudy Dies' (a Palace or BPB or whatever cover.) I like about 5 of her songs, but this song blows me away. It was on the comp put out by the guy that made and used to run the Songs: Ohia fan site. I like it much more than the original. You'll probably love it or hate it.

Jim and Jennie and the Pinetops - Traditional appalachian bluegrass by a bunch of punk rockers. Very traditional sounding, but somehow with a modern twist. I loved their second album... still haven't listened to the one that came out last year very much.

Blind Willie McTell - a hill-country style storytelling blues musician... one of the greats, as far as I'm concerned. His style predates what we think of as blues nowadays... it's suprising how close it is to country music from around those times. 'It Must be Love' and 'The Dyin' Crapshooter's Blues' are must-haves.

Hank Williams - 'I Saw the Light' can't beat it. It was one of Jason Molina's big inspirations for 'What Comes After the Blues.' Hank Williams III is also fun, but he's a terrible lyricist. Jr. is a sucker.

Trouble Funk - best funk band of all time. Hit 'em with the supergrit!

Yeah, on each album, I love a handfull of songs, and find the others good, but not really memorable. If I had to start over getting into him, I'd have no idea where to start.

I've seen Scout twice now... the first time was in Athens,GA in the worst club of all time. She left the stage after 4 songs, crying. It was heartbreaking, but she became much more real to me then. Still can't really tolerate the albums, though.

Check out Mojave 3 specifically the album Spoon and Rafter. I've been digging the track Between the Bars lately (not an Elliot Smith cover). The pedal steel and harmonica call out like coyotes in a desert replete with neon tumbleweeds. ;)

I recently discovered Drunken Prayer after visiting my Louisville neighbor Catherine Irwin's (Freakwater), Myspace music page. If you have not experienced Morgan Geer and Miss Audra, git on over there. You can also find Morgan here on Last.fm: www.last.fm/user/drunkenpreacher/.

the late, great Chris Whitley is highly recommended for lovers of pure roots Americana. the creator of a unique, original folk blues sound. Chris's debut album, Living With the Law, released in 1992, is a classic. the sounds and lyrics evoke images of dusty, desert scenes, complete with rusting ruins and trapped lives.
Living With the Law