Reviews | Country California

The Man I Want to Be – Chris Young

September 2, 2009 by C.M. Wilcox 23 Comments

RCA Nashville did wrong in 2006 when they saddled twentysomething Chris Young, whose fine original “Drinkin' Me Lonely” had essentially clinched his Nashville Star victory, with such a fluffy set of material for his major label debut that even Hazel Smith was heard to say "This boy really needs some better material." (Okay, that didn't really happen... but it should have.) But RCA should be commended for keeping Young around through three poorly-performing singles, until “Gettin' You … [Read more...]

Dixie Whiskey – Dixie Whiskey

September 1, 2009 by C.M. Wilcox 10 Comments

This blog has never really been about California, so it was to my great satisfaction that my recent call for new contributors turned up a hot lead in the United Kingdom - namely, longtime reader/commenter David Jones. David will be helping me make more of a dent in the review workload around here, so please enjoy his first piece (don't miss the free download at the bottom!) and give him a warm welcome. Southern rock has always seemed like country music's reckless cousin - by definition, … [Read more...]

Twang – George Strait

August 11, 2009 by C.M. Wilcox 5 Comments

Many signs point to Twang not being a regular old George Strait album, from the much-discussed cover of José Alfredo Jiménez's ranchero-style “El Rey” (sung in Spanish) to the multiple Strait writing credits - from both George and son Bubba - to the surprisingly casual cover shot, which sees George kicking back behind the steering wheel with shirt untucked, tongue sticking out. Oh, and the title: Twang. Like a mission statement. Like the summation of a career. But in a lot of ways, it … [Read more...]

Concert Review: Aaron Watson in Sacramento on June 6, 2009

June 16, 2009 by C.M. Wilcox 7 Comments

Let's start with this: Line-dancing is the scourge of humanity. So imagine my horror when I arrived at Rockin' Rodeo at The Stoney Inn to discover that it was... a line-dancing venue. The choreographed boot-scooting and heel-slapping commenced shortly after I arrived. Line-dancing is a bit entertaining for the first song or two, if only for the novelty of seeing the '80s and '90s brought back to life in all their embarrassing splendor. But its novelty fades quickly. And on this Saturday … [Read more...]

Better Times Will Come – Diana Jones

May 19, 2009 by C.M. Wilcox 7 Comments

Carolyn Dixon is author of the indie-friendly blog Melodic Sunburst. Since I've been a fan of her work for some time now, I approached her about writing something here. To my surprise, she kindly agreed. Her Country California debut is a review of the new album from folkie Diana Jones, which is officially released here in the States today. If you enjoy the piece, check out Melodic Sunburst and show Carolyn some love in the comments... maybe we can get her to write for us again! The beauty of … [Read more...]

Stay a While – Byron Hill

April 30, 2009 by C.M. Wilcox 6 Comments

On his third studio album, songwriter Byron Hill strays from what I previously called the 'back porch appeal' of his first two albums. Where those earlier efforts were simple, efficient acoustic affairs, Stay a While finds Hill bringing more sounds into the mix, including electric guitar, keyboards, piano, and even organ on some tracks. The result is a somewhat more lush-sounding record, one that will probably be a bit less jarring to ears accustomed to a radio-ready production style. Hill, … [Read more...]

Concert Review: Kris Kristofferson and Merle Haggard in Santa Rosa, CA (4/1/09)

April 3, 2009 by C.M. Wilcox 5 Comments

On Wednesday evening, two faces descended from country's Mount Rushmore for an acoustic song swap at the lovely Wells Fargo Center for the Arts in Santa Rosa, California. They were Kristofferson and Haggard, and each got a standing ovation from the sold-out (and disproportionately elderly) crowd just for entering the theater. Kris and the Hag are at the point in their careers where you figure they've probably already done just about everything. But on the first night of a three-night run up … [Read more...]