Rhett Miller is the frontman of the Old 97's, and 'The Instigator' is his first solo album, released back in 2002. In quite the departure from his day job, Rhett Miller embraces the kind of mainstream rock/pop sound of say Counting Crows, for what is almost a perfect little album. 'The Instigator' also has a similar sound to that of Evan Dando's 'Baby I'm Bored', which Jon Brion also produced. The front half of the record is very strong indeed. 'Our Love', 'This Is What I Do', the amazing 'Come Around', 'Things That Disappear' and 'World Inside The World' are each in their own way, great songs. There's nothing wrong with the rest of the album, rather that i don't think it quite lives up to the standards set by the first five tunes! There is a big difference between a Rhett Miller album and an Old 97's album, which was obviously the intention of Rhett, and though i think that i still prefer 'Too Far To Care', 'The Instigator' is definitely worth investigating whether you're an Old 97's fan or not.

Josh Rouse had set his standards pretty high with the run of albums that begun with his debut 'Dressed Up Like Nebraska', through to 2004's 'Nashville'. I have to admit that i am not really a fan of the albums since then, though i did try, to give each one the benefit of the doubt. I didn't have a problem with the Mediterranean flavour, it was more that the songs lacked a spark. So my first listen of 'The Happiness Waltz' was a happy one indeed, finding Josh Rouse back in full on singer-songwriter mode, with the 70's influence very much to the fore. I know that Brad Jones didn't suddenly disappear after 'Nashville', but the production on this album is back in the vein of '1972' & 'Nashville'. The difference this time is that it's an album packed full of songs that show Josh Rouse at his very best. From opener 'Julie (Come Out Of The Rain)' to 'Simple Pleasure', 'City People, City Things' and 'A Lot Like Magic' to 'Purple And Beige', there is little to fault in the quality of tunes. I'm sure that Josh Rouse wouldn't quite see it as a return to form, but to me, that's exactly what it is.

I have waited a long time for this. Ethan Johns is a name that i have come across constantly over the years, as producer for the likes of Ryan Adams, Ray Lamontagne, Kings of Leon, Laura Marling and a whole load of others. His talent as a producer and musician was never in question, but i was intrigued as to how he would make the transition to the role of singer-songwriter. Thankfully, it's not an issue. 'If Not Now Then When?' covers a broad range of styles, across folk, blues, country and a bit of garage rock, and the songs are pretty good too. His voice reminds me of a latter day, but English, Tom Petty and/or Jakob Dylan. A few famous friends return the favour and guest on the album. Ryan Adams, Bill Wyman, Laura Marling and Ian McLagan are amongst those lending a hand. I have to admit that my expectations did begin to run away from me a bit before i had heard the album, so I'm a happy man that I can now breath a sigh of relief, as Ethan Johns has more than lived up to them, and made an album worthy of the company he keeps.

It was only after reading David Menconi's recent book on Whiskeytown that i decided to check out Old 97's, a band that i knew little about. They had somehow managed to get into a fued with Ryan Adams back in the day. Anyway, i wasn't sure where to start so i headed for an early album. All very pot luck, but it turns out that 'Too Far To Care' is actually a decent little album. Ok, it's far from perfect, but it has bagfuls of energy and some cracking tunes. I guess you could call it cow-punk or something else clever, but who cares, it's country music and it rocks. The standout tracks for me are opener 'Timebomb', which blasts out of the blocks and really sets the tone for the album, 'Salome', which is a rare quieter moment, and album closer 'Four Leaf Clover', which features Exene Cervenkova(X), for a right old rowdy finish. Not sure which album i'm going to try next, but that i will be buying something else is not in doubt.

When i first saw the track listing for Juliana Hatfield's Covers album, i did allow myself to wonder if it would be a 'Juliana's Pony: Total System Failure' style punk trashing of a few sacred cows, it quickly became apparent that it was nothing of the kind! Instead it's quite a respectful set of covers, with her versions pitched somewhere between the acoustic sound of 'Peace & Love' and the pop leanings of 'How To Walk Away' with the odd rock song thrown in. As a good covers album should have, there is a decent mix of well known songs, such as 'Rock And Roll'(Led Zep), 'Learning To Fly'(Foo Fighters) and 'Bad Moon Rising'(CCR), and those lesser known tunes like 'Closet'(Pete Yorn) and 'Cells'(Teenage Fanclub). I can be a bit of cynic regarding these kind of albums, taking them as a sign that the artist has run out of ideas, but i don't believe that of Juliana Hatfield, and all in all, this is a decent record that continues Juliana's recent fine run of albums.

Hazy Malaze are Neal Casal(guitars & vox), Dan Fadel(drums) and Jeff Hill(bass), who also happen to be Neal Casal's rythym section of choice for his solo stuff. The album is a world away from what Neal Casal fans may have come to expect, but that said, it's a damn fine record. It's funky, it's soulful, it rocks and it's a lot of fun. Okay, the lyrics are a bit rudimentary, but who cares when it's obvious that the band are having such a good time. I'm sure the point of Hazy Malaze for Neal Casal was to cut loose and do something not so serious, job done! What you also get is Neal Casal proving that he may well be one of the finest guitarists of his generation. 'Hazy Malaze' was released back in 2003, and it's still an album i reach for from time to time, standing up well to the test of time.

I've lived with this album for quite a few years now and it's one that i find myself coming back to time and again. Up to this album Neal Casal had followed the alt-country/classic rock path, but with 'No Wish To Reminisce' i think that he tried to change things up, if ever so slightly. Maybe credit is due to producer Michael Deming(Beachwood Sparks, Lilys and The Pernice Brothers) for the attempt at making a mainstream sounding album. It has a sheen and a fuller sound which suits the material perfectly. It also helps that this album has, in my opinion at least, some of Neal Casal's greatest songs. 'You Don't See Me Crying', 'Sundowntown' and 'Grand Island' are amazing, and how they didn't break Neal Casal into the mainstream is beyond belief. Special mention has to go to 'Freeway To The Canyon', which still gives me goosebumps when i hear it, even after all these years. 'No Wish To Reminisce' is in my top three Neal Casal albums, and somedays may even be my favourite.

I'm new to the music of Woods. This is only my second album, after 'Sun and Shade'(2011), but what i do know is that this is my kind of stuff. Homespun, psychedelic and packed full of great songs. Thankfully it's not that kind of overlong, jam on a chord for ten minutes, look how cool we are, psychedelia. The Twelve songs that make up 'Bend Beyond' clock in at just past the half hour mark, barely a note is wasted throughout, and when it's over, it's over all too soon, which is actually quite good as you get to play it over again! As for who they remind me of, well when it gets ragged and loose, there's a bit of Crazy Horse about them. I can hear some Beachwood Sparks on the folky stuff, and lastly the vibe of Love is somewhere in there. I'm not going to single out individual songs as i really don't think there's a weak moment on 'Bend Beyond', it's simply a great album. Without quite knowing what their earlier stuff is like, i'd say that this is probably the perfect place to start your Woods collection.

Maybe my expectations for the new Band Of Horses album were lower after what i thought was the patchy 'Infinite Arms', so i must admit that i was pleasantly surprised by what i heard. Gone is the influence of Fleet Foxes, likewise, the Jim James, heavy on the reverb vocals, instead what we have are traces of Laurel Canyon and The Eagles circa 1972. Yes, Band of Horses have gone and made their L.A album, and it's actually quite good. It's mostly straight-up country rock, produced by Glyn Johns, with what i think is their strongest set of songs yet. 'Knock Knock' is a great opener and other highlights are 'How To Live', 'Everything's Gonna Be Undone', 'Electric Music' and 'A Little Biblical'. All in all, i'd say that 'Mirage Rock' is my favourite BOH album so far.

Sometimes Whiskeytown can feel like a mere footnote in the history of Ryan Adams. David Menconi has attempted to put that right with 'Losering, A Story Of Whiskeytown'. Of course, any book about Whiskeytown is going to have Ryan Adams front and centre but Caitlin Cary and Phil Wandscher are given credit where it's due, especially for their part in the making of the first two albums and for keeping the band together as long as they did. Being a North Carolina journalist, and someone who saw Whiskeytown from the very beginning, Menconi has an insight into the ways of Ryan Adams. The general theme being that a focused Adams is an equal of anyone, capable of moments of genius. The flip-side being that, in equal measures, he can also be self-destructive, egotistical and ultimately a brat! I enjoyed this book, helped by the fact that i happen to agree with Menconi, in that 'Strangers Almanac' is a classic album deserving of a wider audience, and that Whiskeytown are a band who do matter. Dig out their albums and dare to disagree!