She Ain't Me

Little Honey Lucinda Williams does anguish and despondency so well it's easy to forget that Happy Woman Blues is not just the title of her 1980 album, but also the way she thinks of herself and her music. That identity comes across with full force in Little Honey, the follow-up to 2007's beau...	Seven Angels on a Bicycle Although this is officially singer/fiddler Carrie Rodriguez's solo debut, her musical mentor Chip Taylor--with whom she has recorded three previous discs of duets--is an integral ingredient. Taylor wrote or co-wrote all but one track and is also the album's producer. With Seven A...	Rattlin' Bones 2008 collaboration between Chambers, the beloved Australian singer/songwriter and her husband Shane Nicholson. Drawing on both their songwriting talents and unique voices, Rattlin' Bones heralds a return to the Alternative Country roots that first launched Kasey's stellar career....	All I Intended to Be Emmylou Harris has always had a way with woe. On All I Intended To Be, she seems more maudlin than ever as she sings her way through songs about loss, heartbreak, even the odd funeral. Of course, this is the kind of material Harris has always been comfortable with, but as her car...	Acid Tongue Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins took their cues from legendary singer/songwriter Lauro Nyro in crafting the intimate, gospel-country Rabbit Fur Coat. The all-star Acid Tongue represents something bigger and darker. Without abandoning her roots, Rilo Kiley's front woman adds more...
Tell Tale Signs: the Bootleg Series Vol. 8 Bob Dylan's unpredictable nature has always kept his audience on their toes. Given his mood, a song performed on one day can seem like an entirely different composition on the next. On the two-CD Tell Tale Signs: The Bootleg Series Vol. 8--certainly one of the most riveting of th...	Harps & Angels Randy Newman's first studio album of all new material in nearly a decade is, by turns, hilarious, poignant and scathingly satirical. Harps and Angels often has an easy going Crescent City feel, with Newman on piano fronting a small combo and revealing, as Rolling Stone put it aft...	Carried to Dust It's impossible to experience any undue tension or stress while listening to Calexico. Despite time spent in Los Angeles, where they met, founders Joey Burns (vocals, guitar) and John Convertino (drums) produce sounds more reflective of their sun-blasted Tucson environs. Since sp...	Life Death Love and Freedom After Freedom's Road, his first album in five years, John Mellencamp made it clear why he had such loyal fans. He's made a career out of making himself vulnerable, with lyrics that undeniably come from the heart, and aided by his guitar, he generates a mood that's more Americana ...	The Trouble With Humans Like the relationship between Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson in Sofia Coppola's film, Lost In Translation, the intergenerational bonding of Chip Taylor and Carrie Rodriguez works in a way that eludes easy analysis. The elder former hit song writer ("Wild Thing," "Angel Of Th...

Very pleasing even you don't listen to this genre of music
I'm not too familiar with Carrie's music. But this album made me want to get to know her. It doesn't sound like traditional country music at all. I'm not sure if this is country rock or neo country music. It sounds just right for me. I can't stop listening to her album now.

A Rising Star - Long Overdue
Heard/saw this fine singer for the first time last night on Austin City Limits - I stopped watching The World Series game three to experience her!! Now I can't get enough of her!!! Bought tickets to see her at the Arden, Delaware Gild Hall on Dec. 6 (2008). I can't believe the tickets were only $19.00 each!! I haven't been this excited about an artist since Alison Krauss - and Carrie writes much of her material, too. This album showcases both her writing and vocal talents! I highly recommend it!

Another step up for Carrie!
This record should be one of the better ones of this year. Carrie's first album, "Seven Angels On A Bicycle" was a real treat and this one just expands her artistry. Always a great fiddle player, she has now progressed to playing mando-bird (electric mandolin) and tenor guitar. Her singing is also getting better; and she is writing more songs. On this record she co-wrote with the likes of Gary Louris, Mary Gautier, Dan Wilson, Jim Boquist & Leslie Nail. The production by Malcolm Burn is excellent. Carrie uses her own band on most of the songs, and they are augmented by Richie Stearns (Banjo), the great Greg Leisz (pedal steel, lap steel and guitars) Malcolm Burn (keyboards & guitar). Lucinda Williams sings on "Mask Of Moses" and Aoife O'Donovan sings on two songs. The record as a whole really fits together. Some of my favorite songs are: "Infinite Night", written with Louris who also sings backup, "She Ain't Me", "Rag Doll", a song written by Sandrine and beautifully sung by Carrie. Also "Mask Of Moses", "Grace", and "El Dorado". I think the record will appeal to a wide range of listeners. Especially if you like Emmylou Harris & Lucinda Williams.

making a sow's ear of a silk purse
In fairness I've only listened through a couple of times but I'm sorely disappointed in the effort. Carrie Rodriguez is a remarkable talent who has thrived in her partnership with Chip Taylor. What worked so well for and between them was at least in part his ear for a good tune and his world-weariness that cast the perfect backdrop for her to shine. She was always able to present herself as a quite plausible peer among an ever-so-slightly rough crowd of seasoned rowdies. The feeling that everything was sort of thrown together on the spot out of pure raw talent and experience worked well to showcase her multiple talents. This album, on the other hand, is pure marketing. From the dolled-up photos to the way-overproduced feel, this is all wrong. (Interestingly, Gracenote has it classified as "Pop.") It really sounds to me like some kind of mutant packaging project where the idea was to try to force her into clones of songs by one each of a dozen recognizable and highly marketable girl singers. It doesn't work. I don't mean to say she is nothing without Chip Taylor. Far from it. She is exceptionally talented. But I do mean that Chip Taylor has clearly played a crucial role in clearing the space to let her work shine. If she's going to flourish without him she's going to have to find enough spine to follow her art and ditch the marketing team that is serving her so poorly. Unless, of course, I've got it wrong and the gig with Chip Taylor was just to pay the bills and she was merely the best actress ever pretending to be into all that while she waited for her big chance to step out and make some pap under her own name. Look, she's a terrific musician who can also turn a phrase with that delicious twang of hers. Casting her as the girl singer on a pop record is a tremendous waste. If you want to see what makes Carrie Rodriguez special look up the YouTube video of her playing off Chip Taylor on a live rendition of Wild Thing. She turns just the right phrase with just the right inflection and then she tears into that fiddle. Please, spare me the airbrush.

not bad....
rodriguez is currently touring with lucinda williams...one new york paper gave this album two and a half stars and so i listened to it, because they were being unfair...some of her lyrics are flat but ms. rodriguez's singing makes them listenable....plus her band always keeps things moving nicely...i look forward to hearing her first album...