India Wedding

The new record from Danny and the Champions of the World has been very widely praised in the UK. It’s just been released (Jan.

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Danny and the Champions of the World – “Streets Of Our Time” (Jan. 25, Loose Records)

If you asked me what one of my favorite records of all time is you’d get kind of a strange answer. It would probably be this little record from Bob Cheevers called Gettysburg To Graceland .

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Bob Cheevers – “Tall Texas Tales” (Feb. 14)

Music Bloggers get a lot of email and that’s the truth.

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Jonathan Burks – “Loudmouth Soup”

I went a little bit off the deep end for the songs of Jon Jackson about two years ago. As a result I’m now a lifelong fan.

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Jon Jackson – “The Magnetic Fields covers”

Tim Barry’s last record was arguably one of the best records of 2008/09. It’s simple honesty in both its music and lyrics made it a staple here at casa Songs:Illinois. I expect the same from the new record

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First song from Tim Barry’s “28th and Stonewall” (Suburban Home Records, January 26)

Hey Guys, I’ve been away for a couple days. Had a nice little long weekend.

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South Memphis String Band – “Home Sweet Home” (Memphis International Records, Jan. 19)

No one (except Rawkblog ) is writing about the new Idaho Falls record. I don’t know if that will change in the next couple of days with a press release announcing the new album or if there will be a sudden change of heart wherein music bloggers start to look outside of their email inboxes and P4k’s “forkcast” for music recommendations

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The Idaho Falls – “The Spark”

I know that as a roots rock fan I should be bowing down to the alter of Ray Wylie Hubbard right about now. But I’d rather point out a record that tackles it’s subject with a relentless energy and one track mind and one that will no doubt be overshadowed by the new Ray Wylie Hubbard

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Adam Carroll and Michael O’Connor – “Hard Times”

I don’t do product reviews. I don’t do website or app reviews. I don’t have any intention of being the next Stereophile, Engadget or Gizmodo

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Specimen Product’s Little Horn Speaker Reviewed (riyl Andrew Bird’s live show)

Paul Cebar (as well as friend and collaborator Willy Porter) have led “go to” bands that play Chicago during the summer festival season.

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Paul Cebar – “One Little Light On”

I made a promise to myself in print that I would post this song on Songs:Illinois today (as well as over at Swedesplease).

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Jenny Björkqvist – “To Heal Your Wounds”

I had an “a ha” moment this morning.

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A Ha! – Sam Doores (Riyl Joe Pug, Justin Townes Earle, Avett Brothers)

It was my intention to post one of my “best of 2009″ repost series this morning but these guys have pre-empted that with their excellent 2010 album Stale Champagne . State Champion is a band that personifies the mid-western work ethic; musically that translates to blue collar rock and rugged, sloppy garage-country. The band has spent some time in Chicago but are now based out of Louisville, KY.

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State Champion – “Stale Champagne” (Sophomore Lounge Records, Jan. 10)

December can be a good time for looking back over the year that has past. Traditionally I’m well into my “best of 2009″ repost series. But this year I keep stumbling upon new music to share with you.

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{MP3} Something new from The Family Band and their 2009 EP “Small Boat”

I’ve got to interrupt my year-end “best of” roundup before it really got started with some new music from a band called Buffalo Death Beam . The band is categorized on all the relevant sites as “folk” but it’s hard to take that at face value since the band is big (seven members), eclectic, occasionally loud, and the songs are more eerie and obtuse than traditional folk. But if you like your folk along the lines of bands like Stand of Oaks, Frontier Ruckus, Ah Holy Fam’ly and Band Of Horses than you will like Buffalo Death Beam

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{MP3} New music from Buffalo Death Beam

On Jan 12 the new record from T-Model Ford arrives on Alive Records entitled Ladies Man .

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“Blue Monday” – New music from T-Model Ford

Hey There, Merry Christmas. It’s that time again, time to spread a little holiday cheer (I’m even getting requests for this mix). Here’s my (anti) Christmas mix.

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Songs:Illinois Does Christmas (Hayes Carll, Danny Barnes, Steve Poltz, Antje Duvekot, Laura Marling, Felice Brothers, Frontier Ruckus, Robert Earl…

Whether you’re a fan of Pettyesque rockers or Townes influenced gently fingerpicked tales of inner turmoil and torment there is something for you in the 5 song free EP by Austin based singer-songwriter Jonny Burke .

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{MP3} Jonny Burke – “The Long Haul” EP

A couple weeks back Canadian based blogs Herohill , Slowcoustic , and Chicago based Song:Illinois ( here ) went a little overboard over Canadian singer-songwriter Cam Penner . There was some good natured ribbing and recrimination over the fact that I was first to discover this excellent Canadian singer-songwriter in their own backyard

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{MP3} Chris Coole – “Old Dog” (self-released, Dec.

Mark Eitzel (American Music Club) has quietly released another in a string of interesting solo records. This one is only available from him direct from his website.

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New record from Mark Eitzel (AMC) – “Klamath”

Every year or so I write about a couple random indie rock bands. I’m semi proud to say in the past it’s included bands like Blitzen Trapper, The Shaky Hands, The Embarrassing Fruits, etc., etc. I’ll write about them early in their career and then as they take off I’ll abandon them to bigger (better) music blogs

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{mp3} Pacific Ocean Fire – “Hibernation Songs” (plus Grayson Capps)

Dave Rawlings is known as an incredibly sympathetic and accomplished string player. The man can pluck, strum, twang or pick any number of traditional folk stringed instruments. On his debut solo record A Friend Of A Friend David Rawlings’ proves what many probably already expected and that is that he would have been very comfortable in that famous old pink house of the 60’s.

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{MP3} Dave Rawlings Machine – “A Friend Of A Friend” (plus something new from Dawn Landes)

This is a weird little post for Friday. Weird because I haven’t ever written about an Italian band before. And weird because the band in question plays an experimental brand of americana that has more in common with Ennio Morricone (in fact they signe dup his iconic whistler to appear on this record) than it does with Johnny Cash.

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Italian experimental americana from Guano Padano (a cover of Hank Williams’ classic “Ramblin Man”)

It’s been a prolific year for Willie Nelson, and he’s following up his collaboration with Asleep at the Wheel by returning to the music of his landmark Stardust album of the late 70s. The album is aptly named American Classic. Unlike a lot of contemporary artists who decide they want to record the Great American Songbook, Willie can actually interpret lyrics.

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Willie’s dipping into the standards again