Rootsy American music—for lack of a better name (although some people are calling it Americana or Ameripolitan)—is pretty much all I listen to these days. It calms me down, keeps me going when things get unsavory and streams out of my guitar (and/or iPhone) every time I pick it up.
In its seeming simplicity, I hear countless nuances, bottomless sadness and joy, winks to the past and nods to the future. I hear new and old pickup sounds and effects that often send me sprinting to eBay, not to mention guitar riffs and solos that sometimes send me back to the drawing board
Three Honorable Mentions
"Slide Off of Your Satin Sheets," a new single by country artist Craig Gerdes. It's a Johnny Paycheck cover that sounds like it's straight out of 1977 (it also sounds a bit like Whitey Morgan, not that there's anything wrong with that). Gerdes' new album, Smokin' Drinkin' and Gamblin', will be available in early 2018. (Read More)