Raymond Raposa is the creepy kind of guy who has just enough genius to stay on the critics’ radar but off the police lineup. He is the core of Castanets, a ragtag band that creates dark, disturbing and whispered odes of frustrated redemption. Like Will Oldham, Raposa croaks and moans…

Back in 1991, Chris Whitley’s debut record was a critical favorite played incessantly by indie record store clerks and praised for its atmospheric, consumer-friendly take on the blues. But for all of Whitley’s talent at the guitar, he was an overwrought singer who shunned the limelight, and his sound was…

Adam Carroll’s latest album, Far Away Blues, sounds like it’s proud of its Texana label–glad to be associated with Robert Earl Keen and Ray Wylie Hubbard. Produced by Texas country legend Lloyd Maines, the disc sees Carroll pickin’ and smirking his way through common-man fare such as “AFL-CIO” and “Picture…

Although Willowz singer Richie James Follin sneers as well as anyone since Sky Saxon, the “garage” tag often associated with his Anaheim foursome is as out of place as the band itself. Looking like rejects from an audition for That ’70s Show, The Willowz are actually more modern than their…

As a longtime bassist for Ray Wylie Hubbard, Guthrie Kennard has spent a good while compiling songs and absorbing influences. Ranch Road 12 is the culmination of years spent on the road and at guitar shows. Recorded in Dripping Springs, Texas, the disc is drenched in the kind of grit…

“You are all hereby formally indicted,” sings Paul Gozenbach on “A Toast to the Happy Couple,” with all the rage and acrimony he can muster while the remainder of this fine Oakland quintet attempts to keep pace. Gonzenbach’s bile infuses Pick Us Apart with an irritating but ultimately successful sob,…

Crusty, one-time teen idol Paul Anka doesn’t deserve much credit for Rock Swings, a semi-successful marriage of modern pop-rock and swing. The big-band arrangements by Patrick Williams, Randy Kerber and John Clayton are such skillful re-creations of classic swing that they hardly require Anka’s participation. The highlight is “Smells Like…

California’s Robert Deeble is a critical fave who actually warrants the accolades. His last record, Thirteen Stories, is the ideal record for emotionally downtrodden folk who still worship at the altar of Nick Drake. Though he’s almost too well-read for his own good, Deeble overcomes his literary pretensions to create…

Mark Mulcahy formed Miracle Legion in the mid-’80s. Initially deemed another in the wave of R.E.M. clones, the band signed to Rough Trade and produced a trio of shimmering efforts that both embraced the jangle of the time and delved deeper into a more coherent emotional abyss. The Backyard EP,…

“Do they play any of their own songs?” I asked the fan dancing in front of me. “This is one of their songs,” she replied. But it wasn’t. Local act Macon Greyson was playing “Monopoly on the Blues,” a great song written and performed almost 10 years ago by the…

Reggie Watts’ voice is all Al Green, lilting yet dangerous, in control but ready to explode. As front man for this Seattle soul quintet, Watts has a presence that’s dominating yet still integrated into the cool grooves and spacious beats. “Say What You Mean,” Maktub’s third effort, is prime make-out…

Soulful country balladeer Chely Wright might be too sexy for her own good. Her brand of country falls closer to Lucinda Williams than Faith Hill, but her sultry, wind-blown appearance belies some of the earthier elements of her music. Wright’s sixth effort, The Metropolitan Hotel, is full of thoughtful people…

With a whisper of a voice, Craig Gurwich, the lone member of Summer at Shatter Creek, spins sedate tales of loneliness and obsession on the remote and affecting All the Answers. Singing like a postmodern Art Garfunkel, Gurwich specializes in the unexpected and infuses songs with just enough pulse to…

This Austin foursome gets the shaft in some quarters for aping the Velvet Underground. Besides the delightfully amateurish pounding of drummer Elizabeth Nottingham, however, the Velvets tag doesn’t really hold sway. Travis Higdon’s vocals and guitar work are far more Tom Verlaine than Lou Reed, although switching one generation’s CBGB…

It’s awful early into 2005 to claim a year’s best country effort, but Little Rock, from Houston native Hayes Carll, hearkens back to a time when country was honest, simple and tough. “I don’t care if it’s backwoods country, and I don’t care if it’s rock and roll,” Carll sings…

Looking and sounding like the bastard sons of Brian Setzer and the late Joe Strummer, Tiger Army offers an enjoyably rough and thuggish variant on rockabilly. In other words, it’s not just hairstyles and attitude. Add in singer Nick 13’s Danzig-esque roar, and you have some wonderfully fresh takes on…

Collin Herring is a little nervous. He fiddles with the butt of a cigarette, twisting and bending until it’s just a pile of debris on the table next to his beer. “A month ago, we had 900 hits on our Web site,” he says, adjusting his glasses. “Now we’ve had…

Joyfully reminiscent of John Hiatt’s Bring the Family period, Denton’s Rodney Parker plays country with just enough grit to escape any comparisons to Nashville schlock. Country and folk rarely offer the punch and integrity Parker applies to the majority of this fine release. Blow the Soot Out has much in…

“The biggest surprises come from the smallest armies,” sings El Oso front man Jim Hanke on “Country Radio,” one of several insightful cuts on the band’s complicated but catchy debut. The Milwaukee quintet channels diverse influences such as the Minutemen and (prime) Buffalo Tom into a heady, driving and demanding…

On last year’s potent White Elephant, Kansas City five-piece Doris Henson asked the eternal question, “Have you ever been called a whore by a girl who doesn’t even know you?” Touring in support of the upcoming Give Me All Your Money, the band pulls off a heady mix of post-punk…

Like Lyle Lovett with a bad hangover, Fred Eaglesmith is a storyteller who has earned his keep. After his father lost the family farm, Eaglesmith hopped trains and gathered subject matter. Cowboy Junkies, Chris Knight and Dar Williams are some of the folks who have covered his songs. Releasing rough…

Guitar legend Pat Metheny has done nothing more than expand his horizons for nearly 30 years. Initially a fusion player lost in the ’70s torrent of jazz-lite, Metheny always had the chops but seemed to stay too firmly in check to rank with the greats. That all ended with 1980’s…