Robin Holcomb
Artist: Robin Holcomb

With a tremulous voice, poetic lyrics, and a fine band, Robin Holcomb put together an impressive debut album. A lot of credit for the distinctive sound of this record must be laid at the feet of organist (and Holcomb's husband) Wayne Horvitz and guitarist Bill Frisell, both alumni of John Zorn's Naked City. The playing of Horvitz and Frisell... Read More

Sings the Songs of Greg Brown
Artist: Prudence Johnson

This is a beautifully presented set of interpretations of the work of a fine Midwest songwriter. ~ Richard Meyer, All Music Guide Read More

Singles
Artist: The Smiths
Community Score: 7.86

The Best of the Smiths collections didn't work because they didn't have a sense of history and distorted the underlying sense of urgency that helped make the Smiths important. Singles simply collects all of the singles from one of the greatest singles bands since the Beatles. It's essential and influential guitar pop, presented in a way that... Read More

No Straight Line
Artist: David Lewis

Very folksy singer-songwriter co-produced by Scott Mathews and John Wesley Harding -- a team that provides a quirky aspect to the overall product. Lewis's songs are often of the jingle-jangle nature, sung in a very pleasant voice, with just enough rough edges scattered here and there to make it stick in the mental jukebox. Personable folk, with... Read More

Destination Anywhere
Artist: Brenda Kahn

If one were to strip Bob Dylan's 1966 classic Blonde on Blonde of its beautiful and surreal rants about relationships, the result would be Brenda Kahn's Destination Anywhere. In "Spoon," the narrator's boyfriend is addicted to drugs, while in "Yellow Sun," the female protagonist is a "walking hit and run." Kahn seems to feel that relationships... Read More

Strange Country
Artist: Billy Strange

Recorded in the 1960s (the liner notes do not specify the exact date), this was a sessionman supersession of sorts, also featuring Joe Maphis on banjo, Tommy Tedesco on second guitar, Jimmy Bond on bass, and Earl Palmer on drums. Strange offers fluid, crisp instrumental interpretations of a mixed bag of folk and pop tunes, including not only... Read More