Epiphany in Brooklyn
Artist: Brenda Kahn

Brenda Kahn's Epiphany in Brooklyn takes the same approach to lyrical content as Jack Kerouac's novel On the Road, in that her songs paint portraits of characters from all over the landscape of the United States. Her main setting is New York City, which is captured appropriately in the caffeine buzz of the first track, "I Don't Sleep, I Drink... Read More

Gypsy Cadillac
Artist: Sylvia Tyson

Here's a new vehicle for fans to ride in. ~ Mike Fleischer, All Music Guide Read More

Everywhere
Artist: Greg Trooper
Community Score: 6.00

Songwriter Greg Trooper's independent CD with his band the Flatirons contains great examples of his thoughtful commercial style, which is not so much folk as folk-rock, with its ringing guitars and catchy hooks. Key tracks here are: the title cut, a haunting World War II memoir co-written by Sid Griffin; the rollicking, country-tinged "Ireland"... Read More

Heart on a Sleeve - EDSEL
Artist: Tom Russell
At Town Hall
Artist: Carolyn Hester

This recording is probably the best existing representation of Hester's work, capturing her voice in all of its natural vibrancy, in a setting where spontaneity matters more than control. The repertory may also explain -- along with Hester's Southern/Texas twang -- why she never quite caught on with folk audiences nationwide. By 1965, Hester was... Read More

Cowboy Real
Artist: Tom Russell Band

Fans of folk singer Tom Russell won't be surprised to learn that his father was an Iowa horsetrader or that his brother is a rancher and cattle supplier; all of his albums leave little doubt that he has the cowboy spirit in his blood. This particular album leaves less doubt than most, though, since Russell focuses exclusively here on his... Read More

Poor Man's Dream
Artist: Tom Russell Band

One of Russell's best albums, Poor Man's Dream is dominated by inspired folk/rock performances and by songs that sound like classics that have been around forever. In fact, Russell wrote 11 of the dozen tracks within a few years of the disc's release (though he had help on a few numbers from the likes of Katy Moffatt, Nancy Griffith, and Ian... Read More

Hurricane Season
Artist: Tom Russell Band

Tom Russell scores consistently as both performer and songwriter on this release, which is loaded with inventive lyrics, effusive vocals, and rich, exuberant instrumentation. Best tracks include "Black Pearl," awhich benefits from Fats Kaplin's accordion; "Chocolate Cigarettes," which Russell cowrote with folksinger Sylvia Tyson; and the... Read More

Sings Beatles & Dylan
Artist: Richie Havens
Community Score: 8.50

Richie Havens is probably the only '60s icon who could get away with an album like this without apology. But for the presence of the electric keyboards, synth bass, and '80s-style drums, these performances by Havens could easily have appeared 18 years earlier. His performances of "Here Comes the Sun," "If Not for You," "Strawberry Fields... Read More

Goldfish Don't Talk Back
Artist: Brenda Kahn

A high-energy album -- part folk, part punk. ~ Chip Renner, All Music Guide Read More

Life in the Drug War Trenches
Artist: Brenda Kahn

This seven-inch single, limited to 5,000 copies, was self-produced by Kahn, and two of the songs on this single ("Mint Juleps and Needles" and "I Don't Sleep, I Drink Coffee Instead") wound up on her only major label record, Epiphany in Brooklyn. But this single is worth it for the otherwise unavailable "The Dollar Bill Blues." ~ Brian Flota,... Read More