Jonathan Keefe

Album Review: Kimmie Rhodes, Cowgirl Boudoir

March 3, 2015 Jonathan Keefe 1

Kimmie Rhodes Cowgirl Boudoir Though she’s recorded steadily since the late 80s, Texas singer-songwriter Kimmie Rhodes hasn’t enjoyed either the commercial or critical cachet of many of the other alt-country and Americana acts. Both Wynonna

Album Review: Rhiannon Giddens, Tomorrow is My Turn

February 17, 2015 Jonathan Keefe 9

Rhiannon Giddens Tomorrow is My Turn Although Rhiannon Giddens has been a fixture on the Americana circuit as the frontwoman for the terrific Carolina Chocolate Drops, it’s on her solo debut, Tomorrow Is My Turn,

Starter Kit: Jason Isbell

February 17, 2015 Jonathan Keefe 9

In early February, Zac Brown Band kicked off a brief cycle of Twitter Outrage when they performed a cover of Jason Isbell’s “Dress Blues,” which they are rumored to have cut for their upcoming album,

Album Review: Punch Brothers, The Phosphorescent Blues

February 16, 2015 Jonathan Keefe 2

Punch Brothers The Phosphorescent Blues In reviewing their 2010 album, Antifogmatic, I noted that Punch Brothers were “rapidly evolving into a string-band version of Radiohead.” That assessment comes to full fruition on The Phosphorescent Blues,

Album Review: Zoe Muth, World of Strangers

January 18, 2015 Jonathan Keefe 0

Zoe Muth World of Strangers Few artists can make “weary” sound as engaging as Zoe Muth. Even though she rarely picks up the tempo past a casually swinging shuffle, Muth captivates with her artfully turned

Album Review: Little Big Town, Pain Killer

January 14, 2015 Jonathan Keefe 4

Little Big Town Pain Killer Rather than focusing on their unrivaled vocal skill, Little Big Town and producer Jay Joyce approach Pain Killer like a game of “Chicken”: Listening to the album, it appears that

Album Review: Blake Shelton, Bringing Back the Sunshine

January 13, 2015 Jonathan Keefe 2

Blake Shelton Bringing Back the Sunshine He’s been coasting on his celebrity status and his brand of aw-shucks humor for years, so it’s encouraging that Blake Shelton’s Bringing Back the Sunshine seems less phoned-in than

Album Review: Angaleena Presley, American Middle Class

January 13, 2015 Jonathan Keefe 0

Angaleena Presley American Middle Class Presley’s upbringing in the hollows of Eastern Kentucky provides her with an endless well of believable first-person details that she uses to create the quirky, cockeyed fictions on American Middle

Album Review: Brad Paisley, Moonshine in the Trunk

January 12, 2015 Jonathan Keefe 0

Brad Paisley Moonshine in the Trunk Paisley’s last four albums have established a pattern of something slightly progressive or challenging (American Saturday Night, Wheelhouse) followed by a course-correction back toward baseline (This is Country Music,

Single Review: Little Big Town, “Girl Crush”

January 12, 2015 Jonathan Keefe 21

“Girl Crush” Little Big Town Written by Hillary Lindsey, Lori McKenna, and Liz Rose Beyond their lush four-part harmonies and their incorporation of Fleetwood Mac’s influence into the country idiom, perhaps Little Big Town’s greatest