CD-Charts Position 1
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All I Intended to Be

CD-Charts > Music > Alt.Country
by: Emmylou Harris

Release Date June 09, 2008
Takes a couple of listenings, but after that it just blows you away. Several standout songs, particularly "How she could sing The Wildwood flower" (which I took to be a reference to an earlier generation of the Carter Family rather than June Cater and Johnny Cash) "Gold" is just beautiful, but particularly the magnificent "Sailing Round the Room". Anybody remember the last poor, or even average, album Emmylou made?

CD-Charts Position 2
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Evil Urges

CD-Charts > Music > Alt.Country
by: My Morning Jacket

Release Date June 09, 2008
As a huge fan of My Morning Jacket, I was eagerly anticipating Evil Urges, having listened relentlessly to It Still Moves and Z and purchased all the earlier albums too. The reverb drenched vocals, existential lyrics, beautiful melodies balanced superbly with some heavy guitar work, have drawn comparisons with Neil Young, but despite the grand nature of their sound, a playful exuberance is never too far around the corner and its that ability not to take themselves too seriously, which has made them so listenable. I can pretty much put them on at any time of day in any mood and their music fits. That fine balance of intensity and playfulness has been tipped very firmly in the playfulness direction and that harmony they've achieved in the past, is not to ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 3
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Fire Songs

CD-Charts > Music > Alt.Country
by: Watson Twins

Release Date June 30, 2008
Two years on, I still don't know which one of the Watson Twins it was that I met properly. But in a way, that just makes it all the more "hilarious" doesn't it?

Anyway, now that Jenny Lewis has gone back to Rilo Kiley, it's finally time for the Twins to properly step into the spotlight, with Fire Songs, their debut album. Their collaboration with Lewis on Rabbit Fur Coat (an album which no less an authority than my father said was "morbid beyond belief") led to a certain amount of expectation for their full-length debut but it was also difficult to gauge just what an impact they could have on their own.

At first, the over-riding impression is one that they are better suited to backing singers than front women. For the first couple of songs, ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 4
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Lookout Mountain Lookout Sea

CD-Charts > Music > Alt.Country
by: Silver Jews

Release Date June 02, 2008
Hearing the Silver Jews have a new album out always leads to a short and dangerous drive to the nearest record shop for me. I can get from work to Avalanche records in Edinburgh in about 40 minutes if I push it: they close at 6...

I thought I had got passed this stuff now. Good God, my 'co-workers' give me funny looks as I try to tell them about David Berman's band - how funny and memorable his words are and how he puts them sleekly in such great tunes.
This is always going to be not so mainstream: unfair but true.

This one is pretty upbeat in comparison to the earlier records. David Berman is feeling better now. Whew!
:-)

CD-Charts Position 5
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Copperhead Road

CD-Charts > Music > Alt.Country
by: Steve Earle

Release Date March 20, 1999
Steve Earle music is best described as country-rock. The skull and cross bones that form the cover of Copperhead Road album warn of what is to come, a heavy mix of potent music shot through with the reflections of an wild young man who is older than his years. Inserts show a relaxed Earle, fag in mouth, black shades and dressed in denim.

A strong start with 'Copperhead Road' on which you can apparently 'smell the whisky burnin'; 'The Devil's Right Hand' refers to a pistol and though the song has a strange lyrical resonace it isn't until 'Johnny Come Lately' (on which the Pogues play) when the album begins to rock..

'Johnny Come Lately' tells the story of a soldier off to Vietnam who hopes to return to his girl in London and take her home to the ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 6
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Heavier Things

CD-Charts > Music > Alt.Country
by: John Mayer

Release Date October 13, 2003
"Heavier Things" is John Mayer's second studio album which was released on September 9th of 2003. The style on this album is soft-rock, as this comes from a period before he transitioned into blues. The album consists of 10 tracks, including the Grammy award winning "Daughters". The title of the album appears to be an answer for those who criticized Mayer's music as being too light.

The album opens with "Clarity", a song for which the meaning is not all that clear, but in general it seems to be about Mayer's self-perception. The second track is "Bigger than My Body" which is about the frustration of not being able to accomplish in reality what one wants to do in their mind, and in particular relates to John Mayer's desire to write more meaningful music. ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 7
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Anchors and Anvils

CD-Charts > Music > Alt.Country
by: Amy LaVere

Release Date July 07, 2008
"Heavier Things" is John Mayer's second studio album which was released on September 9th of 2003. The style on this album is soft-rock, as this comes from a period before he transitioned into blues. The album consists of 10 tracks, including the Grammy award winning "Daughters". The title of the album appears to be an answer for those who criticized Mayer's music as being too light.

The album opens with "Clarity", a song for which the meaning is not all that clear, but in general it seems to be about Mayer's self-perception. The second track is "Bigger than My Body" which is about the frustration of not being able to accomplish in reality what one wants to do in their mind, and in particular relates to John Mayer's desire to write more meaningful music. ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 8
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Hymns Of The 49th Parallel

CD-Charts > Music > Alt.Country
by: K.D. Lang

Release Date September 27, 2004
The warmth of KD Lang's voice combines with skilled musicians and first division songwriters to create one of the best albums you'll ever hear.

CD-Charts Position 9
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Car Wheels On A Gravel Road

CD-Charts > Music > Alt.Country
by: Lucinda Williams

Release Date December 15, 2000
I'm new to this genre and I have got into Miranda Lambert and Gretchen Wilson and although I don't buy his political persuasion, Toby Keith.
I bought West and wasn't impressed but Car Wheels is something else. Maybe because I'm new to this brand of music I'm suckered but I really think that this is such a stand out CD that it merits huge praise. I've heard that it was a perfectionist effort - hence the Pet Sounds analogy - and if so it works. Right in Time and Joy -two very different pices are addictive. Maybe this is a one-off in which case play it to death.

CD-Charts Position 10
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Transcendental Blues

CD-Charts > Music > Alt.Country
by: Steve Earle

Release Date April 19, 2004
Nick Hornby's 31 Songs mentions this album. Many of the other people I listen to refernece Steve Earle, so I bought it and listened and loved it. Why not 5 stars? Nobody is perfect but this is a thumping good album and a great introduction for me to Steve Earle - I will be buying more!