This is one of those albums that will make you say “awwww.” It’s full of intimacy, whimsy, delight, joy, and some confrontation. The harmonies are uplifting, the song structures are enticing, and the whole thing just makes listeners feel better. It’s also very …
Category: Country
Year of the Buffalo – Roam Free – Folk music alt country album of the year candidate
A little bit of what we might call folk, a slice of what we might call country, and a dash of southern rock influence – we have a delicious recipe for Year of the Buffalo. With a seasoned lead vocal and a fresh, …
Kyle Cox–perfectly balanced southern rock-and-roll.
When I think of Florida, I think of old people and Disney World. This, despite having many friends there who consistently remind me that Florida has one of the fastest growing youth cultures in the nation. Kyle Cox has driven that fact home …
Cahalen Morrison and Eli West – I’ll Swing My Hammer With Both of My Hands – Keeping traditional country music thriving
Every once in a while I run across an album that I find so endearing, so engaging, and so exciting that I struggle to find words for it. I kept this album in my car for my commute for literally weeks, thinking to …
Benjamin James Caldwell–timeless, nostalgic, beautiful.
If we were all on the Oregon Trail together, Benjamin James Caldwell would be the young gentleman still singing softly around the campfire when everyone else has all gone to bed. Somehow he would still be up at the crack of dawn with …
Lulu Mae–organic folk that rocks and rolls
I just returned from Idaho and have been in a kind of funk all week after leaving the land of glitter and wildness and returning to flat, industrial Cleveland. I haven’t listened to any music because nothing seemed to fit my funk. Today …
Maybe April – “Last Time” – Three gals singing sweet country melodies
We don’t feature a lot of “singles” here because there are just so many albums to cover, but this track “Last Time” by Maybe April is just so good. Listen to the harmonies… and the authentic songwriting. The voices blend so well and …
Kelsey Waldon – The Goldmine – Classic country singer songwriter finds emotions you forgot you ever had
Kelsey Waldon is as authentic as Jack Daniels himself. It might be tempting to say she sounds like classic country greats (Kitty Wells, anyone?), but frankly Kelsey Waldon is so good she deserves her own place in the pantheon of great country artists. …
Stacey Randol
One of my favorite things about Ear to the Ground is the diversity of music I am given the access to immerse myself in. I used to settle comfortably into a niche for a while until my next niche came along. I don’t …
Austin Plaine – Brisk and peppy country music
Austin Plaine has a good, solid Georgia/Carolina sound but there’s a cool breeze blowing through it out of Minneapolis. This Minnesota boy left for Nashville last year and obviously brought the cool breeze with him. This collection of country songs is a bit …
