Saturday Night Music: Whiskey Myers

New Video: Whiskey Myers - Dogwood

Best Albums of 2014 So Far: 1/4 Report

Subject to change, one of these hasn't been released yet, blah blah disclaimers...

1. Lydia Loveless - Somewhere Else

2. Drive-by Truckers - English Oceans

3. Jimbo Mathus - Dark Night of the Soul

4. St. Paul and the Broken Bones - Half the City

5. Beck - Morning Phase

6. Jason Eady - Daylight and Dark

7. Josh Nolan - Fair City Lights

8. Whiskey Myers - Early Morning Shakes

9. Red Eye Gravy - Dust Bowl Hangover

10. Chad Sullins and the Last Call Coalition - Wicked Spell

11. Jeff Whitehead - Bloodhound Heart

12. The Bigsbys - Good Will Suitcase

13. Lake Street Dive - Bad Self Portraits

14. Those Crosstown Rivals - Hell and Back

15. Hard Working Americans - s/t

16. Rosanne Cash - The River & The Thread

17. Mat D and the Profane Saints - Holyoke

18. Water Liars - s/t

19. Robert Ellis - The Lights From the Chemical Plant

20. Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings - Give the People What They Want

Concise Album Reviews: Eric Church, The Bigsbys, Whiskey Myers

The Bigsbys - Good Will Suitcase (out March 1st)

Catchy roots rock via Texas by way of 90s alt-pop. What that means is that this is highly accessible and hookier than a tackle box. These songs would sound as natural playing on Texas radio between Reckless Kelly and Robert Earl Keen as on a rock station in 1997 between Matchbox 20 and Jewel. The writing is crisp and proves that just because a song is fun doesn't mean it has to be stupid. Music Row, take note. There are no bad songs in the bunch and there's even a cool Whiskeytown cover.

B+

Eric Church - The Outsiders

The Outsiders would make an excellent 5 song EP. I'll let you guess on the 5. Overreaching and pretentious in spots, right in the pocket on others. I'd call it a glorious mess if there was more glory and less mess. Pick your faves and download a few tracks.

C for the album (A for the middle finger aimed at Music Row convention)

Whiskey Myers - Early Morning Shakes

Southern rock seems to be having quite a resurgence lately and Whiskey Myers' latest brings it good and strong with one boot planted in the Lone Star State. Good songwriting, expert playing. "Colloquy" is an early song of the year contender.

A-

YouTube Gems: Whiskey Myers

From their southern rocking new album, Early Morning Shakes, here's Whiskey Myers with "Home." RIYL: Quaker City Night Hawks, Fifth on the Floor, Blackberry Smoke, The Black Crowes.