New Releases This Week

This week ‘s new releases include live albums from some old favorites, and some interesting stuff from newer folks:

Deana Carter: The Story of My Life (Vanguard)
Country singer-songwriter – now on a new label – gets complete creative control for the first time. Carter wrote or co-wrote every track and produced the disc as well.

Clannad: Live In Concert (Koch)
Songs originally released in their simplest acoustic form are performed here with brand new full band arrangements, and some traditional Irish songs are recreated with arrangements that fuse together the traditional folk and jazz influences.

Devil In A Woodpile: In Your Lonesome Town (Bloodshot)
I’ve never heard of this alt-country outfit, but the web site for the insurgent country label Bloodshot Records says: “These vibrant songs will take you back to a place where men were hot for their women, women were hot for their men, where rickety run-down back porches were oh-so alive with spirit and song, good company, and ample quantities of BBQ and booze.” Sounds OK by me.

Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion: Exploration (New West)
The daughter of Arlo and granddaughter of Woody, along with her partner since 1997 present 11 originals plus a previously unrecorded Pete Seeger tune. Produced by Gary Louris (of the Jayhawks) and Ed Ackerson. It features, among others, Louris and his bandmate Marc Perlman, Son Volt veterans Dave Boquist and Eric Heywood, Irion’s childhood friend Zeke Hutchins (who also drums for Tift Merritt) and Tao Rodriguez Seeger, who guests on his grandfather Pete’s “Dr. King.”

Rhonda Vincent & The Rage: Ragin’ Live (Rounder)
Recorded before at The Sheldon Concert Hall in her native state of Missouri, Ragin’ Live captures the Grammy nominated bluegrass favorite and her crack band at their best. The Ragin’ Live DVD also released this week includes bonus cut Orange Blossom Special, and Sally Mountain Memories – A documentary, Photo gallery, and Dolby ® 5.1 Surround Sound.