WARD, M. End of Amnesia (Future Farmer) cd 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Talented Portlander M. Ward croons in a hoarse whisper over hushed acoustic guitar, slide guitar (giving the music an eerie Court & Spark-style twang), cracklings, shaken bells, and piano. The fingerpicked guitar is pretty impressive, god this guy must practice a lot. It's all sort of *barely there* in the exact same way that the music of Howe Gelb / Giant Sand / Fuck / Sparklehorse is -- natural and effortless, as if it's the true unhurried expression of someone who was meant to do this. And Howe Gelb of Giant Sand likes Ward's music so much he wrote a poem about him:
"Theres a young feller up Portland way,
who managed to wrangle some display
Of a juxtaposition of songs in a pseudo-stunning way
So inclined then was I, to help flip this heap up
So others might lap that toss
and have some brand new tasty pup."
RealAudio clip: "From a Pirate Radio Sermon, 1989"
RealAudio clip: "Carolina"

WARD, M. Transfiguration of Vincent (Merge) cd 14.98
After releases on Howe Gelb's Ow Om label and Future Farmer Records, M. Ward finds his new album a welcome and fitting home on Merge Records, and what a splendid one it is! It might get filed under "country/folk/Americana", but Ward doesn't stay within the confines of these genres. He's much more of a vagabond, bringing a great deal more to his slightly skewed aural canvas - very akin to Tom Waits or the aforementioned Gelb's Giant Sand. For example, lend an ear to the warm rollicking pop of "Vincent O'Brien" with its plinky piano and driving tempo or the creeping, almost funereal cover of David Bowie's "Let's Dance". Pretty darn fine! Vocally, Ward has drawn comparisons to the weathered, emotive pipes of Waits, Vic Chesnutt and Sparklehorse's Mark Linkous. It can go from hoarse and near-spoken in one song to gentle and sweetly pleading in the next. He's backed up by The Old Joe Clarks with some extra field recording input from Grandaddy's Jason Lytle. So timeless, otherworldly, and intriguing. Recommended.
MPEG Stream: "Vincent O'Brien"
MPEG Stream: "Let's Dance"

WATERS, MUDDY Electric Mud (Cadet) lp 12.98

WATERS, MUDDY Electric Mud (Cadet) lp 12.98

WATSON, DOC Best Of The Vanguard Years: 1964-1968 (Vanguard) cd 15.98
Great 23-track collection by the bluegrass guitar master. Includes 4 previously unreleased cuts.

WATSON, DOC Watson Family, the (Smithsonian Folkways) cd 15.98

WAYCROSS Aren't We The Lucky Ones (Waycross) cd 10.98
A new album from this popular local combo who play a full, polished brand of shadowy twang. Delving into the darker side of country music a la Cowboy Junkies and Trailer Bride with layers of sliding, spidery reverbed guitar and gritty organs. The melancholic female lead vocals bring to mind the subdued yet powerful delivery of Hope Sandoval or Carly Simon. They're backed by higher, more angelic vocals. Their decision to include a tripped out cover of Blondie's "Heart Of Glass" seems very strange and out of place. The over the top warbly wah-wah guitars and plodding rhythms totally distracts from the brooding, languid Waycross atmosphere they've so carefully crafted. Instead, it comes across as an alienating, druggy blues rock rendition. Seems like they should've made it either a hidden final track or preferably just reserved it for the live setting in which it's surely a crowd pleaser. That said, if you can program your cd player to skip track 9, you'll have a cohesive, pleasing listen.

RealAudio clip: "B-Sides"
RealAudio clip: "Wicked"
RealAudio clip: "Heart Of Glass"

WEAVER, JANE The Fallen By Watch Bird (B-Music / Finders Keepers) cd 15.98
With guests including Wendy from Wendy & Bonnie!

WEIRD WEEDS Weird Feelings (Sounds Are Active) cd 11.98
We're not exactly sure how we stumbled upon the Weird Weeds, a mysterious experimental pop outfit from Texas, but we're sure glad we did. This, their second full length, is totally captivating and weird as fuck. Even the opening one two punch is sort of confusingly brilliant, the sweet opening track, softly strummed guitar, simple chimes, and harmonized female vocals, followed by the bizarre rhythmic workout of the second track, a processed whump of a rhythm track, quickly surrounded by effervescent swirls of droning high end, and gorgeous intertwined vocals. It is definitely pop, but unlike any pop we've ever heard. Maybe the closest comparison would be Animal Collective, but Weird Weeds are a whole different animal, the core of their sound seems to be an upper register drift, be it some weird metallic shimmer, high end guitar jangle, or the dreamy female vocals combined with the mostly falsetto male vocals. And just as important to WW's sound is percussion. Every song leans heavily on whatever off kilter rhythm the band establishes, often lurching from near static shuffle to a loping pound, and just as quickly back again. The song structure is a bit off kilter as well, super complex and convoluted, sounding either like a pop band afflicted with the worse case of ADD ever, or like each song is a composite of 10 or 20 other little songs. The effect is intoxicating, and when the band unfurls a twangy little ditty, you find yourself braced for the inevitable shift to some other random melodic tangent, and when it sometimes doesn't come, you find yourself being almost disappointed. Hard to believe such a massive expansive sound could come from such a compact ensemble. And that the simplest ingredients, guitar, percussion and vocals, could be whipped into such a heady psychedelia! Droney, drifty, twangy, dreamy and strangely lovely.
MPEG Stream: "Weird Feelings"
MPEG Stream: "Nose To The Wind"
MPEG Stream: "In Your Arms"
MPEG Stream: "Tupper"

WEIRD WEEDS, THE Hold Me (Digitalis) cd 11.98
We listed the latest record by Texas folk pop ensemble the Weird Weeds a few lists back, and everybody dug it like crazy, so we got in touch with the band and got a handful of their first record, Hold Me. Which is just as good!
A dizzying blend of random ethereal popness and shimmery dreamlike folkiness with a healthy heaping of arty angularity. Slightly confusional and a little schizophrenic, but the Weird Weeds' off kilter playfulness is exactly what makes this combo so totally appealing. Fun and freaked out, but always soft and dreamy, even at their most convoluted.
One side of the band's sound is all fluttery flutes and swoonsome strings, little bits of strum and twang wrapped into perfect little nuggets of sunshine-y West Coast pop. A little country, a little hippy, all super sun dappled with plaintive vocals and simple minor key strumming.
The other side of their sound is a much more obtuse assemblage of stumbling drums, twinkling guitar harmonics, lots of tangled squiggly almost metallic guitar solos over wildly strummed acoustic guitars, a constant angular Deerhoof art-rockiness that perfectly plays to the interaction between super high sad boy vocals and dreamy angelic female vocals. While these guys are definitely far out, and these songs are not at all straight forward, the weirdness never overshadows their pop sense, which makes Hold Me a total delight for pop kidz and artrock nerds alike.
MPEG Stream: "Paratrooper Seed"
MPEG Stream: "Fifty Dollars"

WELCH, GILLIAN Hell Among the Yearlings (Almo Sounds) cd 12.98
Lauded alt.country singer's second album produced by T-Bone Burnett. It's Allan's favorite of her several fine albums so far.
MPEG Stream: "My Morphine"
MPEG Stream: "Honey Now"

WELCH, GILLIAN Revival (Acony) cd 13.98
Debut release from this amazing country singer songwriter, an all time AQ favorite.

WELCH, GILLIAN Soul Journey (Acony) cd 12.98
Why do I love Ms. Welch SO much? I dunno. Love is like that. Maybe 'cause of her careworn, exquisite voice, which she puts to such good use on songs that channel Appalachian woe and slacker angst. Maybe because she's so smart and charming and talented. Maybe 'cause she's so funny in concert... Ah, yes, she's wonderful. And so of course people like me are gonna be thrilled to hear her new album. While the title "Soul Journey" might sound corny this record isn't. Much of this sees Welch with a full backing band (including one guy from Son Volt), but it still sounds real intimate. And don't worry, Welch's partner, guitarist David Rawlings is on board too. From slow, rocking numbers to old timey ballads, Welch, Rawlings, and co. mesh rootsy "Oh Brother Where Art Thou" stuff with an indie-rock, alt-country perspective. Her songs are sad and forlorn, but also so gorgeous and comforting. What a treasure.
MPEG Stream: "Look At Miss Ohio"
MPEG Stream: "No One Knows My Name"

WELCH, GILLIAN The Harrow & The Harvest (Acony) cd 16.98
Geez, has it really been 8 years since Gillian Welch last captivated us with a new album? It's hard to believe we've gone on all this time without her darkly bittersweet country-folk songs applying a soothing balm to our troubled souls. But her return to recording couldn't have had better timing as her music, so rooted in Depression-era bluegrass and early country styles, gels so well with our currently dire economic times, offering a gothic and desperate vision of heartbreak, loss and courage that is instantly relatable, yet makes us feel less vulnerable to the harsh cruelties of living that her protagonists endure.
Besides the long gap in time, not much has changed in Welch's (and her musical partner David Rawlings) sound or approach and that is just fine! Keeping the arrangements as stark as ever, there is only acoustic guitar, banjo, harmonicas and some hand and knee slaps along with the couple's peerless vocal harmonies as they waver between fatalistic folk songs, gospel-tinged bluegrass, and murder ballads. This is one of Welch's best records in a discography that has never wavered far from stunning. And speaking of stunning, the cover designed by Baroness singer, John Dyer Baizley is a beautifully unique letterpress print on thick handmade paper stock. A video of how the cover was made can be viewed here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_Mz_imdISk.
Of course long-time fans will want to scoop this up, but if you are new to Welch's haunting and harrowing voice and vision, The Harrow and The Harvest is a good place to start. It's definitely as good as if not better than Time (the Revelator) and Hell Among The Yearlings (our other two favorites of hers), making this absolutely essential!!
MPEG Stream: "The Way It Goes"
MPEG Stream: "Silver Dagger"
MPEG Stream: "The Way The Whole Thing Ends"

WELCH, GILLIAN The Revelator Collection (Acony) dvd 19.98
Who doesn't love alt-country songstress Gillian Welch and her musical partner David Rawlings? I kinda feel sorry for you if you don't. Anyway, chances are you're a fan, it seems most AQ-customers are. And fans should be pretty happy with this release, a DVD featuring the three videos shot for Welch's last release "Time (The Revelator)", plus nine songs filmed live in concert last year, five of which don't appear on any of Welch's albums! It's about an hour's worth of music total, and best of all -- it's in black and white! That's just perfect. Welch and Rawlings are wonderful live performers, so charming and funny that they make what they do seem easy, when of course it's not. Rawlings' impressive guitar solos, the duo's lovely vocal harmonies, Welch's brilliant lyrics...so good. See 'em live if you can -- checking out this DVD should definitely inspire you to do so. If it's not too early to start thinking about Christmas gifts, this seems like an idea...

WELCH, GILLIAN Time (The Revelator) (Acony Records) cd 16.98
The third album of (alternative is it?) country-folk from singer/songwriter Gillian Welch, following up 1998's "Hell Among The Yearlings", which became a big favorite here at Aquarius (and elsewhere too of course!). Primarily focused on lonely acoustic guitar and Welch's lovely voice, "Time" is generally slow, quiet and melancholy, but perhaps with less of the dark Appalchian death ride vibe that "Hell" possessed -- Welch mixes things up with the very pretty Patsy Cline-ish track "Dear Someone", and there's a couple of other more up-beat numbers on here too, but the achingly beautiful, old-timey downer Welch-songs that we love so much aren't neglected. Heck, the album closes with the nearly fifteen-minute long (!) slow-mo lovesong "I Dream A Highway".
RealAudio clip: "Everything Is Free"
RealAudio clip: "Dear Someone"
RealAudio clip: "My First Lover"

WEST, SPEEDY Guitar Spectacular (Sundazed) cd 13.98

WEST, SPEEDY Steel Guitar (Sundazed) cd 13.98
Pedal steel guitar player Speedy West, along with being half of the legendary duo with country / jazz guitarist Jimmy Bryant is one insane mother fucking player. He's credited as country music's first pedal steel player, starting with Spade Cooley (read about Spades tumultuous life and tragic death in the new issue of Murder Can Be Fun) and later working with such notables as Johnny Horton, Spike Jones and Roy Rogers. Renowned for his lightning fast playing -- how else does one get named Speedy? -- explosive chords and myriad effects that would make a seasoned vaudevillian blush, he was also quite the songwriter. The 12 instrumental originals on this album were recorded in 1960.
MPEG Stream: "Speedin' West"
MPEG Stream: "West of Samoa"

WEST, SPEEDY / JIMMY BRYANT Flamin' Guitars (Bear Family) 4cd boxset 95.00
"This 112 song collection includes West and Bryant's complete recordings for Capitol from 1950 through 1956 and both Speedy's post-Bryant solo LPs for Capitol. But it goes further, featuring the first known recordings each man made as an accompanist and an entire disc sampling their rich and varied career as Los Angeles studio musicians, accompanying everyone from Tennessee Ernie Ford and Kay Starr to Spike Jones... from straight ahead country to big band jazz, always leaving their own mark while making the artist sound good. For those who've heard only a sample of these two at their peak and want it all, here it is. The 52-page book includes a newly researched biography by Rich Kienzle and a copmplete discography."

WEST, SPEEDY / JIMMY BRYANT Swinging On The Strings (Razor & Tie) cd 15.98
Sequel to 1995's "Stratosphere Boogie: The Flaming Guitars Of Speedy West & Jimmy Bryant", and like that disc, this is an essential collection of tunes by this absolutely legendary pedal steel/guitar duo. Country-jazz? Yes indeedy. 20 more choice cuts by these instrumental virtuosos from the 1950s.

WHEELER, BILLY EDD A Big Bag Of Songs (The Omni Recording Corporation) cd 17.98
A big bag of songs indeed! 28 of them as a matter of fact, and all pretty incredible from a singer/songwriter we weren't familiar with, though we did know his two most famous songs, "High Flying Bird" and "Jackson", as performed by others such as Johnny Cash, Jefferson Airplane, Judy Henske and Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood. Billy Edd Wheeler was smack in the middle of the crossroads where country, folk, pop and rock meet. Mentored by famed songwriting team Leiber & Stoller, Wheeler penned many great tunes for Cab Calloway, Lonnie Donnegan, Hank Snow and The Kingston Trio as well. Wheeler had a very folksy style using the big classic sixties country-pop production (the kind you've heard on plenty of other Omni reissues from Dee Mullins, Porter Wagoner, Hoyt Axton, Johnny Paycheck and Henson Cargill), but underneath the wholesome exterior of the songs lie pointed messages about the environment, taxes, falling out of love, the desperation of the hard working poor, and the soul-killing culture of the white-collar worker. Highly skilled with language and a turn of phrase, Wheeler was a master at weaving an epic story into a three minute pop song, whether it be a coal miner yearning to fly away like a bird, a mushroom taking elevator operator, a badass cowboy preacher, or the emotional wreckage of a marriage on the skids. So good!
MPEG Stream: "Blistered"
MPEG Stream: "After Taxes"
MPEG Stream: "Jackson"
MPEG Stream: "High Flying Bird"
MPEG Stream: "Bernard"
MPEG Stream: "The Girl Who Loved The Man Who Robbed The Bank In Santa Fe (and Got Away)"

WHIP Atheist Lovesongs To God (Resonant) cd 17.98
There's a certain kind of voice that we're just sucker for. That frail, fragaile, about to crack keening sad boy, dusty, dusky, twangy croon. You know it as well as we do. Will Oldham (Bonnie Prince Billy, Palace), Jason Molina (Songs:Ohia), Joel Phelps, Sam Beam (Iron & Wine), Chris Grigoroff (Souled American). Take any of those voices, back them up with just the barest of instrumentation and you've got a dark and devastating, soul baring smear of ultrapersonal songcraft that just breaks your heart. A few years back, we stumbled upon a group called Timesbold, who trafficked in the same sort of dark twang as the above mentioned artists and ended up becoming a huge favorite around here. One member of Timesbold was and still is moonlighting as the sole member of Whip, taking Timesbold's sound in an even more spare and ultra personal direction. Hushed acoustic guitar, banjo, jaw harp, clanking clattery Tom Waits-y junkyard percussion, delicate brushed drumming, haunting theremin, strange ambient loops, and that anguished, whiskey soaked, sweet and sorrowful drawl. If you didn't know better you could certainly be forgiven for thinking this was some lost Palace or Songs:Ohia record. Fans of those guys, as well as groups like Rex, Calexico, Sparklehorse, Red Red Meat and like minded mournful twang will have yet another perfect record for those long and lonesome nights.
MPEG Stream: "One For Fire"
MPEG Stream: "Oh Why"

WHISKEYTOWN Pneumonia (Lost Highway) cd 16.98
Ryan Adams took a few years off from his band Whiskeytown, and made quite a splash during that time with his solo album "Heartbreaker". I wonder if it was fun dating Winona Ryder. Now he's reconvened the quintet for their fourth full-length of earthy, rootsy Americana. Mr. Adams deftly wields his songwriting pen, shading in the same wooded path as Uncle Tupelo or the Jayhawks, but perhaps a bit more accessible to the main highway of popular music like Tom Petty.

WHITE, BUKKA Mississippi Blues (4 Men With Beards) lp 16.98
Born in Mississippi in 1906, Booker T. Washington White - "Bukka" as he came to be known against his wishes thanks to a misspelling - got his start in the music business in 1930, with records for Victor and Vocalion. Following a stint in Mississippi's notorious Parchman Farm prison, White made his way to Chicago where he recorded for OKeh in 1940. Years later, White's songs would be covered by everyone from Bob Dylan to Spacemen 3, but to the record buying public at this time, the Mississippi style of hard hitting country blues was out of fashion, and his work met with little commercial success. It's strange to think of music like this being viewed as outdated, because the sheer power of White's guitar work and his intense vocals are timeless. Fortunately, one of the people who found inspiration in White's music was none other than John Fahey, who in the early '60s figured he'd attempt to locate White in the town the bluesman sang about two decades earlier in "Aberdeen Mississippi Blues". Addressing a postcard to "Booker T. Washington White (Old Blues Singer), c/o General Delivery, Aberdeen, Mississippi", Fahey lucked out when White's relatives obtained the note and forwarded it to the singer, now living in Memphis. In 1963, Fahey and ED Denson went to meet and record White, resulting in this lp. Unlike some of the other original bluesmen to be "rediscovered", White sounds as strong as ever. His resonator guitar playing seems to defy logic with its thunderous, heavily percussive attack and a piano-like slapping technique. White's expert slide playing is frantic yet precise, and everything is topped off by a huge, booming voice that could only belong to someone who had been through a lot. The sound quality here is no frills and upfront, but nice and clear and perfect for capturing the raw power of White doing what he did best. Highly recommended.

WHITE, ROLAND I Wasn't Born To Rock'n Roll (Tompkins Square) cd 14.98

MPEG Stream: "Kansas City Railroad Blues"
MPEG Stream: "The Storms Are On The Ocean"
MPEG Stream: "Head Over Heels In Love With You"
MPEG Stream: "Doorstep of Trouble"

WHITE, TONY JOE s/t (Sepia Tone) cd 13.98
This is a reissue of Tony White's second (or third?) solo album, and the one that is considered his best. A prolific songwriter (the stunning "Rainy Night in Georgia" as well as hits performed by everyone from Elvis to Etta James to Ray Charles), he's got this husky deep bass of a voice that he lets growl and croon over his own version of blues-based white soul. It's not blowing us away or anything, but it's good strong wellcrafted music.
RealAudio clip: "My Kind of Woman"

WHITMORE, WILLIAM ELLIOTT Hymns For The Hopeless (Southern) lp 12.98

WHITMORE, WILLIAM ELLIOTT Song Of The Blackbird (Southern) cd 14.98

MPEG Stream: "Dry"
MPEG Stream: "The Chariot"
MPEG Stream: "One Man's Shame"

WHITMORE, WILLIAM ELLIOTT Song Of The Blackbird (Southern) lp 14.98

MPEG Stream: "Dry"
MPEG Stream: "The Chariot"
MPEG Stream: "One Man's Shame"

WHITREN, JAKI Raw But Tender (Sunbeam) cd 16.98

WILCO Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (Nonesuch) cd 17.98
Gosh there's a lot to say about this record.
[1] THE MUSIC: The sonic trajectory Wilco seemed to be on with their last album, Summerteeth, led us to believe the new one would be even more perfect pop-like. But they've gone and thrown us a curve ball. That's right, this is Wilco's weird experimental record. OK, it isn't *that* weird; and if you're an AQ customer then you have far more experimental records in your collection, but it *is* unusual for Wilco. Like a mix between the doleful Giant Sand and the fanciful Latin Playboys (Los Lobos' weird experimental side project), this new Wilco record doesn't have half as many hooks as previous efforts. While it certainly has the tried and true strummed acoustic guitars, lyrical piano, sad fiddles, and alterna-country tone that the group is famous for, they make you wait and wait and wait for the hooks and the melodies, or else they bury 'em in a scattered, cathartic wash of melancholy. Jeff Tweedy, leader of the band and one half of the late great Uncle Tupelo, is a-wanderin' and a-thinkin' out loud and he's a-lettin' the songs write themselves, so they meander a bit, but it's ever so heartfelt. If you can handle the assorted odd sonic elements that pop up all over -- wooden bonks 'n clonks, piano plinks, toys, static and scrapings, feedback, stereo separation novelties, strange rumblings that threaten to overtake the music, etc -- then you'll like this record. (Rumor has it several members of Wilco *couldn't* handle the weirdness, and quit the band.) And even though the ubiquitous Jim O'Rourke mixed the album and you'd think he brought in all random noises, actually the band claims the record was way more weird *before* O'Rourke worked on it. Huh.
[2] THE EXTRAS: Comes with stuff you can play on your computer: a video for one of the songs, plus links to the trailer for the upcoming doc being made about 'em, plus special access to a hidden webpage that's only for folks who've bought the album.
[3] THE SAGA: Wilco's shortsighted major label Reprise decides that sales of 162,000 copies of Wilco's last album isn't enough, and they don't like the new album, so they want the band off the label. Wilco buys back the masters for less than it cost to record them, and sign with Nonesuch (who btw also signed Magnetic Fields). In a nice example of corporate stupidity, Nonesuch and Reprise are owned by the same corporation, so in effect AOL Time Warner paid for the album twice. Ha. Before they signed with Nonesuch, Wilco made this new album downloadable from their website, and thus it even showed up, without ever having been officially released, on a few rockcrits' top ten lists from 2001. Ironically enough, now that the album's saga has been latched onto by the NY Times and NPR, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot will sell more copies than all of Wilco's previous albums, and someone at Reprise will get fired.
[4] CONET PROJECT ALERT: Hey all you fellow Conet lovers! Didja notice the title of this record? Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Yankee... Hotel... Foxtrot... Yes folks, this record was named after a track on the infamous Conet Project, the 4cd set that collects mysterious shortwave numbers station broadcasts. (We're kind of proud to have sold more copies of this than any other store -- 387 and counting!) And yep, there's a Conet Project sample buried near the end of the record. It's uncredited, which is kind of lame -- I mean if Wilco are such ardent fans of the Conet Project, wouldn't they want to turn other people onto it? Nor did we find Conet credit given on Boards of Canada's Geogaddi, for that matter, but the makers of Vanilla Sky did!
MPEG Stream: "I'm the man who loves you"
MPEG Stream: "Ashes of American Flags"
MPEG Stream: "Heavy Metal Drummer"

WILKINS, ROBERT That's No Way To Get Along (Monk) lp 22.00
The Monk label strikes again with another killer release, this one from legendary Memphis bluesman Robert Wilkins, whose contributions some of you may remember from the Mississippi compilations I Woke Up One Morning In May (the song "I'll Go With Her", unfortunately not included here) and Last Kind Words (the amazing "That's No Way To Get Along", which, true to the title of this record, is featured here). Wilkins ran in the same circle as Furry Lewis (whose "I Will Turn Your Money Green" Monk put out not too long ago), Son House, and Memphis Minnie. Like Lewis, Wilkins enjoyed a resurgence in the '60s when he was rediscovered by the folk scene, making appearances at Newport and other festivals. During the time after his initial run, he found time to become an ordained minister, playing music all the while, even going so far as to change the more evil lyrics of songs to suit higher powers. Of course, the stuff featured here is classic Memphis blues, with many of the songs including such time worn topics as rambling about ("Rolling Stone" pts. 1 and 2), solitary wondering, and serving time in the pen. The songs on Side A were recorded during 1928 and 1929, featuring Wilkins solo with guitar. His voice is a slow drawl, weary sounding but also wise to the realities of the world, sometimes distorting the speakers with its power. Side B contains songs from a session in 1930 as well as some later tunes from 1935 featuring accompaniment from Little Son Joe on guitar and Kid Spoons on, you guessed it, the spoons. Wilkins would outlive many of his contemporaries before passing away in 1987 at the ripe old age of 91. That's No Way To Get Along serves as a great compilation from one of Memphis' greats and will undoubtedly appeal to all you blues obsessives.

WILLIAMS, ANDRE Bait and Switch (Norton) cd 14.98
Hailing from Detroit, 66 year old Andre Williams plays blues based, ruckusy heartfelt drinking music for fans of The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Mick Collins and the like. This release has noodly guitar leads and old school soul organ. The Lovely Ronnie Spector apears as lead vocalist on one song.

WILLIAMS, ANDRE WITH THE DIPLOMATS OF SOLID SOUND Aphrodisiac (Pravda) cd 14.98
Andre Williams has been making records for over 50 years now -- Wow! Often credited as being the godfather of Rap as his vocal delivery and raw stylings foreshadowed the MC and the birth of hip-hop and beat 'em to the punch by decades. He also of course has always been a serious presence in blues, soul and rock 'n' roll as well. This new release finds his voice still sounding as good as ever and it's an album of seriously solid rhythm and blues. His life's struggles years of hard times are felt in every one of his songs yet through it all you get the feeling that Williams is that rare kind of survivor that will keep playing music till the day he dies. A documentary is set to come out soon on his life & music so hopefully a whole new crowd will discover the man and his music and realize just how much he contributed to music as we know it.
MPEG Stream: "Do You Remember?"
MPEG Stream: "Uptown Hustle"

WILLIAMS, LUCINDA Blessed (Lost Highway) cd 15.98

MPEG Stream: "I Don't Know How You're Livin'"

WILLIAMS, LUCINDA Car Wheels on a Gravel Road (Mercury) cd 15.98
The composer of the alterna-country hit "Passionate Kisses" is back after long hiatus with new album featuring her trademark rough warble of a voice, which some fans find addictive. Hear why Emmylou Harris considers Lucinda Williams one of country's finest songwriters.
MPEG Stream: "Can't Let Go"
MPEG Stream: "Still I Long For Your Kiss"

WILLIAMS, LUCINDA Essence (Lost Highway) cd 17.98
Lucinda's (Grammy-winning) seasoned songwriting skills are still intact, and her strong-woman-still-gets-wistful-sometimes stance is endearing. Yet on this new album her country road-weary voice is inexplicably smoothed out, all the attractive grittiness removed, along with the urgency and energy usually found in her songs. Nice... but if you're new to her, try an older album first. This is very unexciting AOR to me, but we've included a soundclip so you can make your own decision.
RealAudio clip: "Blue"

WILLIAMS, LUCINDA Happy Woman Blues (Smithsonian Folkways) cd 15.98

WILLIAMS, LUCINDA Live At The Fillmore (Lost Highway) 2cd 22.00
We've had difficulty with Ms Lucinda's past albums for being overly slick. While we loved many of her songs, the smooth AOR production has left much to be desired, often obliterating the immediacy of her fine songwriting. So this live recording is certainly welcome for its grittiness, but it's an unexpected sort of grit. In fact, this is a totally transformed Lucinda Williams. We caught a startling glimpse of her in a raucous duet with Elvis Costello on his Delivery Man album last year, but thought it to be an isolated excursion. This 2003 performance here at the Fillmore proves otherwise. It comes across as much less melodically inclined and more snarlingly aggressive -- her voice bristling with a near-Tom Waits throaty, throttled hoarseness. In fact, the very first time we played this in the store, three of us separately exclaimed, "Holy shit what is this?!" To boot, her early faves are sorely absent (y'know the ones you look forward to in live encores such as "Passionate Kisses"), but then again those songs aren't really suited to her new singing style as is made apparent in the lone oldie here "Changed The Locks". On a sticker attached to the front of the shrinkwrap, Costello compares her "rock and roll vocal style... to Keith Richards' guitar playing". We're not so sure about that. Perhaps a more direct and appropriate comparison would've simply been between their voices. However, while we're on the subject of guitars, there's plenty of lengthy solos and 'break-it-downs' (prime time for a spoken word interlude that we think she could've taken more advantage of). Nonetheless, the fans in attendance don't seem to mind one bit, fully captivated by her blistered and blistering bluesy Americana, and maybe you won't either. Approach with caution.
MPEG Stream: "Joy (live)"
MPEG Stream: "Changed The Locks (live)"

WILLIAMS, LUCINDA s/t (Koch) cd 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Quite possibly Lucinda Wiliiams' best album. It contains her alterna-country hit "Passionate Kisses". Despite the slick production (which seems very oddly out of place with the grit and yearning of her voice), this is simply wonderful, rootsy and earnest.

WILLIAMS, LUCINDA West (Lost Highway) cd 15.98
Oooooh, we sorta feel like exclaiming, "Welcome back Lucinda!" We're gonna be completely frank... we were kinda scared (terrified!) to press 'play' on this one. In our humble opinionification, Lucinda Williams' recent track record has left something to be desired -- veering from over-produced AOR alt-country to live performances of near-hysteric roots rawkin' that blistered the tender ear canals like the coarsest sandpaper...ouch. BUT we did press 'play', and we're so happy that we did! Because West, her eighth album, is excellent! It reminds us why and how much we love her so. Such a stellar Americana songwriter, Williams is truly back in fine form. Few can capture the essence of hard luck and heart-sickness like she can with just her impassioned voice and guitar. Here we get that and so much more courtesy of a new collaboration and production union between her and Hal Willmer. Yes, surprising, refreshing and just darn great.
MPEG Stream: "Are You Alright?"
MPEG Stream: "Learning How To Live"
MPEG Stream: "Come On"

WILLIAMS, LUCINDA World Without Tears (Lost Highway) cd 16.98
I used to like Lucinda Williams a lot but she's sort of going thru the Bonnie Raitt style smoothing over of the rough edges, which takes a lot of the charm out of her music. Still, there are a few achingly pretty songs here, her gritty growl of a voice over minor key melodic blues. Be forewarned, though, there are also some stinkers on the album -- check the soundclip for "Atonement" to see if you can handle it.
MPEG Stream: "Fruits of My Labor"
MPEG Stream: "Atonement"

WILLIAMS, ROBERT PETE Louisana Blues (Water) cd 0.00

WILLIAMS, ROBERT PETE / MATTHEW HOGMAN MAXEY / ROBERT GUITAR WELCH Angola Prisoner's Blues (Doxy) lp 24.00

WILLIAMS, ROBERT PETE / MATTHEW HOGMAN MAXEY / ROBERT GUITAR WELCH Angola Prisoner's Blues (Doxy) lp 24.00

WILLIAMS, VICTORIA Musings Of A Creekdipper (Atlantic) cd 16.98
Country-livin' girl Victoria made this record out in the desert with husband Mark Olson of the Jayhawks, and with the musical contributions of Joey and John from Calexico and Wendy & Lisa (we kid you not.)

WILLIAMS, VICTORIA Water To Drink (Atlantic) cd 16.98
Brand new Victoria Williams.

WILLIS, KELLY Easy (Ryko) cd 16.98

WILLS, BOB & HIS TEXAS PLAYBOYS 1932 & 1947 (Night & Day) 2cd 24.00

WILSON, LARRY JON New Beginnings / Let Me Sing My Song To You (The Omni Recording Corporation) cd 17.98
We have to say, when it comes to country, the idea of that country music being funky, well, some of us definitely had a sort of 'no chocolate in our peanut butter' reaction, but as everyone learned with the whole chocolate / peanut butter situation, those two things did in fact end up making a pretty good combo. The soul funk / country thing though is definitely a harder sell, and there are plenty of tracks here that had us thinking maybe we were right, those seventies signifiers that definitely have the potential to rub us the wrong way, saxophone, wakka wakka guitars, those ubiquitous female background vocals, in fact, this sounded less country and more like seventies singer-songwriter soul, which is maybe where it does actually fit better. The fact that Wilson was a Augusta/Nashville singer-songwriter, signed to the label alongside Kris Kristofferson and Tony Joe White, seems to have had more to do with his 'country' classification, that his sound, one that was definitely a country pop, but you know, the more we listen to this, the more we dig it. Dark, softly soulful, moody and contemplative, subtly soaring strings, and Wilson's voice, deep and mellifluous, sounding a bit like Kris Kristofferson crossed with Isaac Hayes. Not surprisingly, our favorites here tend to be the brooding ballads, the perfect showcase for Wilson's incredible voice, but the funky honky tonk jams have definitely grown on us, with some kick ass horns, fuzzy organs, and Wilson often slipping into some spoken word patter.
If you really want to be sold on the funky side of Wilson's sound though, check out "Sheldon Churchyard", with it's heavy psychedelic wah wah funk guitar, super stereo panned sound, the guitars swinging from speaker to speaker, the melodies dark and ominous, acoustic guitars, horns, a wicked main melody, tense and brooding and dramatic and seriously rocking, we're actually sort of surprised this hasn't made it onto more comps, cuz it's a killer. And truth be told, this collection, which gathers up Wilson's first two records, is heavy with killer jams, from soft and soulful, to dark and twangy, to downright funky and psychedelic.
And like all Omni releases, there's a big ol' booklet with liner notes and lots of rare photos.
MPEG Stream: "Sheldon Churchyard"
MPEG Stream: "Ohoopee River Bottomland"
MPEG Stream: "Broomstraw Philosophers And Scuppernong Wine"
MPEG Stream: "Bertrand My Son"