If It's Too Loud...

Artist : Li'l Andy Album : The Complete Recordings of Hezekiah Procter (1925-1930) Quick Thoughts : I didn't know Li'L Andy prior to this week, and this is more a concept record done really, really well than anything else. It's got that old timey feel to it, and half the album is filtered in such a way that it sounds like an old Victrola. As a concept album, it's awesome. As music, it's awesome. Give this a listen. Songs of Note : "Dr Kerr's Ballyhoo," "Jenny Blythe," "In the Roebuck Catalogue" Artist : Becca Stevens and Attacca Quartet Album : Becca Stevens | Attacca Quartet Quick Thoughts : Becca Stevens toured with Attacca Quartet a few years back, and she later married one of the members of the group. This effort takes a number of her songs (and an awesome Radiohead cover) and gives it the Attacca treatment to great results. This album is really great, and good for fans of either or both acts. Songs of Note : ...

Li'l Andy specialize in a haunting, dark, old style of country that many try and only come off as hokey. Li'l Andy nails this style like few can in this century. His latest single, "Out On the Old Highway," is a heartbreaking song about travelling late at night on rarely used highways. I'll let his press release explain the song: "A few summers ago, I drove from Renfrew County, Ontario to play a show in Montreal. With no air-conditioning in my car, I decided to make my journey at night.   All throughout that long drive, I kept my eyes peeled for deer, moose, foxes or any other critter that might dart out into the road. Their green eyes eerily flashed by in my headlights as they hid in the bushes along the shoulders of Ontario and Quebec’s less-well travelled highways. Roads with names like County Road 23 or Route 303 . Highways no one uses anymore now that newer, bigger stretches of road have been built alongside them.    I could see that these weren’...