Reviews

When it comes to the nearly all-original material on this Milwaukee-based band’s second album, the term youthful exuberance comes to mind. The MilBillies’ (that’s with a CAPITAL “B,” mind you!) music is shot through with humor, rowdiness, wild times and angst. There’s an almost punkish, hard-partying edge to some of the ragged vocals, frenetic playing…

Appalachian Reign was formed in 1975 by Washington, DC area musician Tom Knowles. Between 1976 and 1984 Knowles and the band played many of the DC area venues, clubs and festivals. This project is a retrospect of those years that Knowles had the band and the cuts are culled from cassette tapes of some of…

Maryland’s Roger Cline has put together a nice collection of mostly original material on this new project of stories about bravery, courage, tenacity and about those who have it. He is joined here by a host of musicians including: Scott Freeman (mandolin), Debbie Durant & Tom Hensler (bass), Gary Hultman (resonator guitar), John Scott Walker…

Acoustic Disc Downloads Being a long-time lover of great guitar playing, I’ve often tried to seek out the best of the best. I thought I’d heard all there was until I discovered the world of the flatpicking virtuosos. Two of the legends, Tony and Wyatt Rice have come together in this incomparable work of Americana,…

The band’s name is taken from the town of Roxboro, North Carolina where the band is based. Formed by mandolinist Ricky Stroud, the group includes Cliff Waddell (guitar), Bailey Moore (bass), David Nance (resonator guitar), and Ronald Smith (banjo). Both Stroud and Waddell are veterans of the Hagar’s Mountain boys, while Smith played a long…

Henhouse Prowlers’ tenth album Lead and Iron brings the same high-energy excitement to the recording that fans know to expect from their live performances. Not surprisingly, the songs not only reflect the band members’ life experiences as touring musicians and family men, but their experiences as world travelers in their role as Bluegrass Ambassadors through…