This Weeks Play List

Lots of new music for you this week, including our first batch of hot 2006 CDs. If the rest of the year is like last week, this is going to be an amazing year. And don't forget to pick up Tina Dico's first solo CD, In the Red, now available most everywhere.

Cat Power – The Greatest (2006) Okay, yes there is an R&B band behind her, but this isn’t R&B; no matter what the critics say. But having this excellent combo behind her may be just what she needs to move up to the next level.

Rosanne Cash – Black Cadillac (2006) Her best CD yet. That isn’t just from me, but from virtually every critic that has reviewed the album. Squarely focused on the death of her parents and step mother (all within 2 years), this as emotional an outpouring as you are going to see all year. A very sweet touch at the end is track 13 with is 71 seconds of silence. Both of her parents were 71 when they died.

Danielia Cotton – Small White Town (2005) A wonderful new artist with lots of wide variety of styles all mixed together. www.daniellia.com

KCR Radio Presents Aztec Beach (2005) Okay, this is a personal thing. My college radio station, KCR at San Diego State University, is having a fund raiser and this CD was put together for that very purpose. It is getting good reviews among the surf music community. If you wish to support college radio and hear some good surf music (11 bands, 21 songs) check it out here: www.kcralumni.org

Various Artists – Big Sweet Life, The Songs of Jon Dee Graham (2005) If you’re not going to donate to my old college radio station, then go to www.waterloorecords.com and buy this CD to help support Jon’s son who has a very expensive disease. It isn’t that he couldn’t afford insurance that this happened, but that his insurance company went under and no one will insure his son. It is so sad, and yet so exciting to see all of Austin come out to support him.

Various Artists – Austin City Limits Music Festival 2004 (2005) More a memento than anything else, there are still plenty of good songs on this CD. Available at www.waterloorecords.com

Firefly (2006) This Canadian band is working the alt-country scene and is doing a good job from what I’ve heard so far. They sent me a couple of mp3s and I liked them enough to play them for you. http://www.firefly-music.com/

Girlyman – Little Star (2005) My friend saw them open for the Indigo Girls and bought 2 of their CDs. They describe themselves as a coed Indigo Girls, and that really seems to fit. www.girlyman.com

David Lindley & El Rayo-X – Very Greasy (1988) An old classic. Call it Reggae. Call it Ska. It doesn’t matter. The beat will make your feet tape and your body will shiver from the great guitar solos.