Buddy & Julie Miller

You'd think that a guy whom No Depression appropriately named Artist of the Decade wouldn't warrant mention here, but Buddy Miller and his superbly talented life/musical soulmate Julie Griffin Miller are still hardly household names outside of a relatively small circle of fervent admirers. They deserve more attention, particularly since I think they've just produced a masterpiece with Written in Chalk. It's certainly in the early running for my favorite album of the year.

This is music appropriate for a long drive through open country on a midsummer evening, as day fades gradually into night. It's a mature work, in the best sense of the word. The instrumentation and arrangements are appropriately spare and understated. Two lifetimes of passion and pain fuel these aching harmonies. There is a raw immediacy to these performances, most recorded in their home studio, that cuts like a knife. June, written and recorded on the evening of June Carter Cash's death in 2003, will leave you breathless.

http://www.NewWestRecords.com

http://www.BuddyAndJulie.com

Los Straitjackets

You just gotta love The Further Adventures Of my favorite quartet of masked musical marauders. This is surf music from Mars... monster Dick Dale riffs; Ventures tremolo; Secret Agent Man twang; and some truly badass drumming. The folks at Yep Roc have gone all out for this release with special packaging, comic book superhero artwork and even trading cards! I'd recommend this for driving, but body parts have been known to twitch uncontrollably and unsafe speeds are virtually guaranteed when you crank this up. Flamin'....

http://www.lala.com/#artist/Los_Straitjackets

http://www.straitjackets.com/

Mariza!

This past weekend we had the good fortune to witness one of the most electrifying live performances I've ever seen. It was the last concert in a three-month North American tour by Portugese fado queen Mariza at the wonderful Parmount Oakland. What a stage presence -- captivating, sexy, and totally charming. And the voice... truly amazing in its richness and complexity. Did I mention the extraordinarily talented backing musicians? It was a night to remember. It's almost impossible to capture a personality like that on CD, but new album Terra would be a great place to start for the uninitiated.
Otherwise, if you ever have a chance to see her live, do yourself a favor.....

www.myspace.com/fadomariza

www.mariza.com

The Mystix

Were these guys discovered in some smoky honky tonk in Lubbock or Amarillo or some swamp pop dive in Shreveport or Lafayette? Ummm... it says here that Blue Morning was recorded in Saugus, MA! This is clearly a labor of love from a super talented ensemble of veteran session players from the Boston area, and they nail it! From Jo Lily's wonderfully raspy Hiatt/Dylan vocals and downright nasty guitar playin' to the butt-kickin' rhythym section, this is a true delight from beginning to end. There's a garage band immediacy to their sound, but these cats can really play. I haven't heard their brand new release Down to the Shore, yet, but I'm sure it will warrant mention here soon. Until then.... crank it up!

www.cdbaby.com/cd/mystix2


http://www.themystix.com/

SambaDa

Need a lift? Check out Salve a Bahia. This is joyful, sensuous music that will have your whole body movin' in no time. Bahia by way of Santa Cruz, CA, with captivating rhythms and lovely harmonies. The singing is all in Portugese, but English translations are helpfully provided in the CD package. You may just find yourself busting out some capoeira moves you didn't even know you had inya. A perfect way to get in touch with your inner Brazilian!

http://cdbaby.com/cd/sambada2

http://www.sambada.com/

John Scofield & the Piety Street Band

It's not every concert you attend where you suddenly realize "hey that's Bonnie Raitt sitting down there a few rows in front of us." What artist could draw a legend like that to sit in the audience? We were fortunate to be able to see legendary jazz guitarist John Scofield last week with a crack ensemble of master musicians from New Orleans billing themselves as the Piety Street Band. With the amazing Jon Cleary on keyboards and vocals, George Porter Jr. on bass and vocals and Ricky Fataar on drums, we knew we were in for a treat. Their arrangements of a set of classic gospel tunes rocked the house. Fortunately, the set is available on their new album Piety Street. Definitely worth a listen!

www.lala.com/#artist/john.scofield

http://www.johnscofield.com/

Damon Fowler

The twangy delights of the vintage Fender Telecaster are fully on display on Sugar Shack, the debut release on the venerable Blind Pig Records label from this gifted young Florida guitar slinger. His songwriting is also impressive, and with titles like "VFW," "Sugar Lee" and "I Hope It's Gonna Rain," you know can't get much mo' rootsier than that.... Also included are some inspired covers of classics like "Tonight the Bottle Let Me Down." Great drivin' music.....

http://www.blindpigrecords.com

http://www.lala.com/#search/Damon%20Fowler