Here are the last four reviews we published:

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Bill Engvall is one of those comedians who is funny because he KNOWS who he is and he totally embraces it. As he says himself, “I’m a dork.”  He talks about how he told his wife that he wanted a motorcycle for his birthday - so he went out and bought leather pants, a jacket with fringe and a helmet with two eagles on the front and on the back it said “if you don’t love America, kiss my ass”. His wife showed up with a scooter. “You can’t tell someone to kiss your ass on a scooter…cause they just might.”

A lot of people know Engvall from his highly successful Blue Collar Comedy Tour with Jeff Foxworthy and company - which grossed more than fifteen million dollars since in began in 2000. Bill’s fifth comedy album Cheap Drunk: An Autobiography debuted at #1 on the Billboard Comedy Charts and features his singing and songwriting debut. Though Engvall is a comedian, he is no stranger to musical success. Collaborating with musician Travis Tritt on a video entitled HERES YOUR SIGN Bill became a fixture on the play lists of CMT and TNN. The single of the same name became the most requested single on country radio. Warner Bros. released HERE’S YOUR CHRISTMAS ALBUM, with such songs as ‘Rudolph Got A DUI’, ‘I Am Being Sued By Santa Claus’, and the classic ‘Fruitcake Makes Me Puke’.

Now, Bill Engvall has a show on TBS called The Bill Engvall Show. In the show Bill plays a family counselor which is obviously a recipe for success…this guy shouldn’t be giving advice to himself let alone anyone else. The show also stars the very talented Nancy Travis (Three Men and A Baby, So I Married An Ax-murder). There is a great promo clip of Bill reading letters written in from viewers asking advice.  One letter asks “I have a 17-month old child who is not speaking yet, should I be concerned?” Bill replies, “No, not at all. Parents can’t want for their kids to talk and then they spend the next 17 years telling them to be quiet.” This is very good and logical advice.

I highly recommend checking out The Bill Engvall Show at 9/8c on TBS…yes, it’s good clean family fun but it definitely also has some edge due to the comedy of Bill Engvall.

For those who are fans of the singer/songwriter genre, you will love the music of Matt Caplan. Matt is a true story teller in his songs but doesn’t come off as a “folky” guitar strummer. Matt even brings a jazzy influence into his music in the same way that artists like John Mayer and Martin Sexton do. One song to check out that really shows his jazz sound mixed with his pop prowess is the song ‘Seventeen’ — available on his Myspace page. It’s a very sweet song, full of memories, introspection and wonderful story telling.

Matt is a native New Yorker who has been writing and playing his own music for over a decade. An accomplished guitar player, he has produced 2 all acoustic albums, ranging in influence from folk to rock to classical, of which he has sold thousands of copies. A diligent self-promoter, he has toured in over 30 states, building a fan-base through college campuses, local bars, music venues, record sales and downloads. His second CD Overtones (2004) moved instantly to the “Top Seller” category on CDBaby.com, and his Myspace site has garnered over 6,000 friends to date. He can often be seen playing in New York at The Bitter End, Knitting Factory, Crash Mansion, CBGB’s Gallery, and many other venues.

However, being a performing songwriter is not where Matt’s talents end. Caplan was part of both the National Tour and Broadway casts of RENT, on and off for over nine years. Matt appeared in Julie Taymor’s recent movie musical Across the Universe. Finally, Matt has also crossed into TV doing a guest-star stint as a character named Terry Walters in the 1st season of the FOX TV show ‘New Amsterdam’.

As you can see Matt Caplan is a man of many talents and certainly someone to continue to watch over the next few years!

Scott Miller is best described as unique and innovative.  He certainly is an acoustic based musician but he manages to mix together grooves and rhythms that you don’t normally hear.  One of things that most jumped out at me about Miller’s music was the chorus of his song ‘Wildcat Whistle’.  The song opens with a very cool acoustic guitar riff but when the chorus kicks in, it becomes like an old train song with hand-claps.

Miller also has diversity in his music that is admirable.  He switches between old blues sounds and much more contemporary singer/songwriter styles, like on his song ‘The Way’.  I particularly like the way Miller uses drums in his production.  I think many singer/songwriters can allow their songs to become over produced and have the drums over-power the song.  I like the way the song just has a very simple drum pattern that never changes.  I believe the song only has one or two cymbal hits (which is perfect for the tune).

Scott Miller can switch from being a singer/songwriter band to a rocking roadhouse blues band, like on song ‘Eight Miles Per Gallon’.  However, it’s the electric guitar playing in this song that really stands out. With a dirty sound, Scott manages to show that he is a guitar player that doesn’t just hits the notes but phrases each one with perfect timing.  It is clear that this is an artist who has been around the block and paid his dues.

Miller has seen his fair share of success and continues to win over new fans.  He was one of the first artists signed to Steve Earle’s record label E-Squared.  He also found himself being picked up by Sugar Hill Records and released three albums with them.  Miller even had his run in with television when he landed a gig on the WB Network, where he was the band leader on Jeff Foxworthy’s Blue Collar TV show.

These days it seems that Miller plays solo half the time and the other half with his band.  As I said, this is definitely an artist who is unique, innovative and DIVERSE.

It’s incredibly refreshing to hear the music of O’Bryan.  Finding artists who do “The Real Deal” R&B / Soul these days is not easy. In his first collection of songs in more than a decade, O’Bryan delivers some of his most unique mid tempo and groove ballads ever.  The closest thing that O’Bryan’s music reminds me of is Anita Baker’s hit album Rapture.  Yes, some of Baker’s hits had an 80’s feel to the production but at heart (just like O’Bryan) it was rooted deep in Jazz, R&B and Soul.

One of the stand-out tracks on the new album FIRST is ‘Gotta Let You Go’.  My compliments go to whoever produced this track. This song has the type of groove that would have made Luther Vandross proud - and even want to sing.  This track even reminds me at times of grooves that Jazz musicians like Grover Washington used to play over.

With close to 5,000 spins daily on his Myspace page, it’s clear that I’m not the only one that is impressed by O’Bryan’s music.  It has been said that O’Bryan has a certain “cry” in his voice the pulls you in close.  I will say that O’Bryan does sound very convincing and leaves no doubt in the mind of a listener, that he means exactly what he is singing.

O’Bryan is great R&B / Soul music to just chill out and relax to .  Be sure to visit his Myspace to find out about future tour dates plus how to pick up a company of his latest album.

Nineball is a hard rock band hailing from what they call, “the dirty southland of Kentucky”.  One of my favorite songs is ‘All About The Money’ off their album Millionaires.  Nineball is great at mixing vocal screams and heavy guitar distortion but still having strong melodies that do not get buried in the noise.

If you want to get a sense of who these guys are as people, check out the YouTube video for ‘Ballers Chronicles’ on their Myspace page.  It seems like tons of indie bands are now making little home movies as videos for their web pages.  It’s a great idea - they are cheap to produce…however a lot of them are just not very interesting.  I found Nineball’s video to be very cool and they obviously are a funny, crazy band.

When I dug a little deeper into this band I found that they are actually have Christian roots.  Not all of their songs showcase the bands sarcastic view of the music industry like ‘All About The Money’.  Other tracks such as ‘God save us all’ and ‘Among Ash-heaps and Millionaires’ show the band’s humble side.

If I had to compare Nineball to another band I would say that Fall Out Boy might be the closest commercially know counterpart.  They also have an energy in their music for fans of The Academy Is. Nineball has an intense summer tour schedule. Be sure to check them out on the road as they tour through the south and mid-west.

Here are the six reviews from last week:

What can you really say about Los Lonely Boys?  It’s certainly no wonder that these guys were nominated in the Best New Artist category and won for best Pop Vocal Duo/Group at the 2005 Grammy Awards.

The Los Lonely Boys story reads like a perfect Hollywood script - with three actual brothers who grew up in Texas - a Texas town of cowpokes, cotton, and an Air Force base.  They learned guitar from their father, Enrique, a longtime conjunto and country musician who played with his own SEVEN brothers back in the day.  This is a story of heritage, hard work, and an insane amount of talent.

On their latest CD ‘Sacred’ the band worked once again with producer John Porter (Ryan Adams, Keb’ Mo, B.B. King) at good friend Willie Nelson’s studios.  “Texican rock’n roll man!” is what singer/guitarist Henry Garza exclaims about the band.  “It’s just a mixture of everything we’ve learned:  Richie Havens, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Santana, Lynard Skynyrd…Henry, Jo Jo, and Ringo began backing their Dad officially in 1991 touring all over the roadhouses and cantinas of the Lone Star State.  “It’s a blessing that we’ve been given making music to make a living,” Henry says.  “For generations music has been something that our family’s been doing and every generation it seems like we progress a little more.”

If you agree that this Los Lonely Boys story reads like a movie that’s because it does.  Filmmaker Hector Galan made a documentary about the band which premiered at the 2006 SXSW Film Festival and is now playing around Texas.  The movie, which deals with the bands post-’Heaven’ success, is just one aspect of the film.  LLB have won five Austin Music Awards and shared stages with the likes of The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Tim McGraw, and Santana.

Be sure to check out the Los Lonely Boys Myspace page to get a sample of their new album being dropped on July 1st (enjoy the new track ‘Staying With Me’ posted just above).  For LLB fans you will be extremely happy to hear the same great texican rock’n roll sound that you have come to love and expect from this rocking band.

Sam Thacker is a master of melody within contemporary pop songs.  Thacker’s songwriting reminds me of Dan Wilson of Semisonic with a mixture of Edwin McCain and a touch of the Black Crowes.

Sam has been asked to perform on The Rock Boat along-side such other great artists as Gavin Degraw, Tonic, and Sister Hazel.  He has even shared stages with The Fray and Johnny Lang, among others.  Thacker’s debut album ‘Above The Underneath’ was heralded as “simply one of the best undiscovered gems of 2005″ (Krissie Callahan, Just Another Song).

So the question is how does a career in music begin for a stand-out artist like this?…basically at a Dave Matthews Band concert that Sam went to his junior year of high school.  After seeing that huge outdoor amphitheater show just outside of Houston, Sam Thacker knew that he wanted to be a performing musician.  However, it was Sam’s college days that really kick-started his musical career.  Performing covers mixed in with originals around Atlanta, Sam Thacker found his voice as a songwriter and musician.

It is clear that Sam is not just a great songwriter but that he also puts on an awesome live show.  There is a Youtube video on Thacker’s Myspace page of his band performing ‘Right Where We Want It’ at Smithe’s Olde Bar in Atlanta, GA. It is no wonder Sam has been asked to join this summers’ Rock Boat IX in Miami, FL.  For a full listing of Thacker’s shows visit his Myspace page.

Abandon Kansas is one of those young Pop/Rock/Indie bands that you hear and can’t believe is not currently signed to a strong Indie or Major Label. I think a Label like Fueled By Ramen would be very wise to check out Abandon Kansas. They are a five-piece band from Wichita, Kansas. With 300+ tour dates under their belts and a brand new full-length record…2008 is going to be a big year for this rock band.

Abandon Kansas reminds me of bands like The Killers and Mute Math. They also have hints of some of the great 70’s rock bands in their melodies. I also love their production.  For example, on the song ‘Minutes’ they have a great modern rock sound with throw back handclaps that Elvis Costello or Joe Jackson would have used in their hay-day. With the release of their new full-length record ‘You Build A Wall, I’ll Build A Ladder’ Abandon Kansas is getting a lot of buzz in the industry and is doing very well on iTunes. Besides record sales, I think this is a band who could have great success with film and TV placements.

It is no wonder that Abandon Kansas has shared stages with some pretty big bands like The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, As Cities Burn, Sleeping At Last, The Classic Crime, A Change of Pace, and many more. Currently, they are on a nationwide tour through November 2008. This band definitely has a lot going on and is a band to watch over the next couple of years. Check them out now on their Myspace page and hopefully see them when they are in your town this summer.

Contributing Writer - Rocco Decicco (Queens, NY) - The London Times has described Big Head Todd & the Monsters as “scandalously overlooked” and “as classy as American rock gets.” The band’s contribution to Americana music over their 22-year career (that is not a misprint) is truly under-appreciated; some would say more than almost any band of their generation. The two singles that brought BHTM their most considerable commercial success (the stellar ‘Bittersweet’ and ‘Broken Hearted Savior’) are now 15 years old…but the band’s still blistering live shows, non-stop touring, and consistently absorbing and powerful albums justify their place among the torchbearers of American rock. Their newest release, the excellent All The Love You Need, lays further evidence to the band’s rightful place in such legendary company.

On All The Love You Need BHTM brings together all the most alluring elements of their sound and serves it up in a tightly wrapped 11-song package; the introspective ballads, the incendiary guitar solos, the high energy blues rockers, and the slide-guitar and harmony-driven alt/country gems. Todd Park Mohr’s singing, songwriting, and guitar playing are as impressive as ever, and the rest of the band’s vocal harmonies and dynamic accompaniment bring even more richness to Mohr’s mature compositions. The title track is one of the sexiest the band has ever released and is a perfect example of how well four guys who’ve been in a band for so long (longer than most college students have been alive) can complement each other’s playing to raise a piece so far above the sum of its parts.

You can listen to the band’s new record (as well as all their other releases) in its entirety on their website. Why?   “The BHTM family believes that the music industry is changing. We are a touring-based band and we want to get our new music out to as many people as possible,” the band declares on their site. If that’s not true Americana, what is?