Ladies and Gentlemen..... Alvin Robinson

With a voice as smooth as fresh churned butter and a backup band as rich as Texas tycoons, Alvin Robinson as a Soul songster with the voice that an knock back women a hundred rows back. I have heard this song first from the back country bluegrass revival group Old Crow Medicine Show. They did a great version of it but it doesn't sound as cool and collective as Robinson's version. There are no words that can explain the voice of Alvin Robinson and why he wasn't as big as he should have been boggles the mind. Just listen and sit back and be taken away to a 1960s jazz club. Where smoke, sex and sweat lingers in the air and probably still does.

In The Hills Of Carolina

Good time music can make a bring such bliss to your ears. Bluegrass for over a hundred years have been a pass time for many hillbilly's in the hills and woods of America. These people have lived off the land and many had to create entertainment themselves with such limited sources. Some picked up old moonshine jugs and began blowing on them at certain distances and created different hoot sounds which became a staple in a lot of the old time bluegrass sound. But the most recognizable instrument in bluegrass music has to be the banjo. For years has created a sound that has entertained people when there was nothing else around for miles and miles. For the past few decades bluegrass has stayed out of the commercial limelight besides a few notable names such as to name a few. Today a group named Old Crow Medicine Show, Allison Krauss, and Rickey Stagg to name a few. Today a group by the name of Carolina Chocolate Drops are setting the bluegrass field on fire with their rendition of bluegrass staples and their very own songs. Its a breath of fresh air to see groups like this bring new and beautiful music to the ears of millions. They are the heart of America and should be recognized for their talent and pride.

Justin's Tribute To Mama

There are alot of musicians out there that are children of famous musicians. They usually don't make it, living up to a big name isn't the easiest thing to do. There was actually a show on tv a while back that was like a American Idol for musicians kids. They had Dee Sniders son, Joe Walsh's daughter, Eddie Moneys daughter, etc, but none of them really wowed the music industry with their talent. But I just recently discovered a huge talent in the industry's pool. Justin Townes Earle the son of Steve Earle and grandson of Allison Moorer is a talent that just cant be overlooked. At the age of 28 he has already won an AMA award and already has been playing at the Grand Ole Opry. Not being around his dad as a child Justin had a hard childhood, being addicted to hard drugs by the age of 12 and carrying that drug addiction throughout his teens and early 20s. He even toured with his fathers band The Dukes playing keyboards but was fired after his drug addiction affected his performance. Lately though Justin has come off drugs and has a new outlook on life, focusing on songwriting it really has paid off and you can hear it on his new album Harlem River Blues, which got great reviews from critics worldwide. I love the new country/bluegrass/folk outbreak in the past couple years. Bands like Justin, Old Crow Medicine Show, Felice Brothers, etc are releasing great albums one after the other and its a breath of fresh air from today's music that has no soul or meaning, just words thrown into a beat. Songs like Mama's Eyes which Townes wrote about his mother being a huge part of his life and probably the only part of his life since his dad was never around, always touring trying to make a buck. There's heart and soul pouring directly into this song. Its what music needs and I am glad I found it.

Old Crow Steals The Show

Improving on a Bob Dylan is a hard thing to do. Dylans been covered a thousand times and only a few can do his songs and take it to another level. Jimi Hendrex did it with All Along The Watch Tower and Guns And Roses did it with Knocking On Heavens Door. Now Old Crow Medicine Show has done it with Wagon Wheel and done with with a bluegrass style. It fits extremely well for the song and almost sounds like it should be a bluegrass song. This is one of my favorite songs of the past year that i heard and I cant help but sing along with the lyrics every time I hear it play. I hope you enjoy Old Crow Medicine Show, the greatest new old band out there running the circuit today.