RadioIndy is pleased to present Mark Lennon with a GrIndie Award for the CD "Down the Mountain "

RadioIndy is pleased to present Mark Lennon with a GrIndie Award for the CD "Down the Mountain "

Mark Lennon's third CD, "Down the Mountain," finds the terrific LA-based singer-songwriter continuing his musical journey down that Americana trail blazed by the likes of legends such as Ryan Adams, Gene Clark, and Gram Parsons. And like those notable forerunners, Lennon's ease and naturalness with the country-tinged rock style is as pure as it is noteworthy. With vocal inflections that sound clear-as-mountain-stream authentic, Lennon's songs of love's travails and the struggle to find meaning in mixed-up times, really strike home on tunes such as "What I Could Be With You," "Broken," and the wonderful "My Hometown," a track that recalls American Beauty-era Grateful Dead. As accessible and tuneful as all the songs are, though, Lennon's duet with Simone Stevens on "Wildside" has a fragile beauty that goes beyond questions of style or genre, invoking instead the notion that great music knows no such boundaries. With a multi-textured Americana / Country Rock ensemble providing the perfect backdrop for "Down the Mountain," Mark Lennon's latest CD is a triumph of style and delivery.

-Rice B. and the RadioIndy.com Reviewer Team
Check out Mark Lennon 's music on RadioIndy.com with link to purchase and links to popular sites

RadioIndy is pleased to present Michael W. Arrington with a GrIndie Award for the CD "Michael Arrington, Vocal and Saxaphone "

RadioIndy is pleased to present Michael W. Arrington with a GrIndie Award for the CD "Michael Arrington, Vocal and Saxaphone "

Whereas Michael Arrington's outstanding debut CD was a straight-up country effort showcasing the refined singer's well-crafted songs and the classic guitar-piano-steel accessories of the album's country roots, on "Michael Arrington, Vocal & Saxaphone" Arrington and his crack Nashville sidemen deliver a more diverse collection of mainly traditional songs that more than ably cover the rest of Nashville's grand legacy. With Arrington stepping back from the mic to concentrate on his ample sax talents, this 10-song CD of mostly instrumental covers recalls no less a figure than Arrington's childhood inspiration, the renowned saxophonist and bandleader Boots Randolph. With excellent renditions of such traditional nuggets as "Rolling in My Sweet Baby's Arms," and "Rocky Top," and the jazz ambience of "Misty," "Michael Arrington, Vocal & Saxaphone" has a throwback vibe that verily channels a bygone era. In that same vein, Arrington and band tackle standards such as "Summertime" and "Tennessee Waltz" with the kind of detail and precision one would expect from seasoned vets, while a vocal take of Merle Haggard's "Big City" has all the bounce and swing of the original. Michael Arrington and his fine "Michael Arrington, Vocal & Saxaphone" CD is testament to the depths of talent this man has to offer.

-Rice B. and the RadioIndy.com Reviewer Team
Check out Michael W. Arrington 's music on RadioIndy.com with link to purchase and links to popular sites

RadioIndy is pleased to present Michael W. Arrington with a GrIndie Award for the CD "Something Old, Something Blue"

RadioIndy is pleased to present Michael W. Arrington with a GrIndie Award for the CD "Something Old, Something Blue"

Michael Arrington's relaxed tenor voice proves the perfect vehicle for a terrific 10-song collection of traditional country on his debut CD, "Something Old, Something Blue." Actually featuring Loretta Lynn's outstanding backing band, the album swells on polished and dynamic arrangements which, combined with Arrington's often George Jones-like vocals, turn hook-filled, engaging songs like CD-opener, "Austin," or the small-town narrative, "Jack Jolly" into instant classics. The rocking "Where You Been All Night," with Arrington's trademark sax trading riffs with a rollicking honky tonk piano, fires on all pistons, while the Hank Williams-inspired "Hank's Grave" showcases the kind of pedal steel playing to make a grown man weep. Coming from a deep musical family (with roots that reach to the Grand Ol' Opry) Arrington's brand of tradition-steeped country on "Something Old, Something Blue" (particularly comparable to Tom T. Hall) is striking in its purity and honesty on a CD sure to resonate with any and all, traditional country music fans.

-Rice B. and the RadioIndy.com Reviewer Team
Check out Michael W. Arrington 's music on RadioIndy.com with link to purchase and links to popular sites

"Blame It On Me" by Mike Short Jr. (Country Artist from Pennsylvania(PA))

Mike Short Jr's terrific debut CD, "Blame It On Me," is that rarest of 21st century Country and Western albums: it's full of genuine country music. The fiddles are pure Nashville, the piano is authentic honky tonk, the guitar tones are patented Fender, and Short's plaintive, down-home vocals recall classic singers with names like Merle, Garth and Buck. Granted, there's enough contemporary country-rock sheen to make songs like the up-tempo "Good Guys Wear Black" and "Lady in Waiting" completely radio-ready, but such studio polish can't hide the deep country underpinnings that make this 12-song collection solid from beginning to end. Bookended by the soulful delivery of opening track, "Who's to Blame," and the solemn tones of the final song - the excellent ballad, "Soon I'm Comin' Home," Mike Short Jr's hook-filled "Blame It on Me" CD touches all the bases on an album for listeners who still appreciate true country singers and real country songs.

-Rice B and the RadioIndy.com reviewer team
Check out Mike Short Jr's music on RadioIndy.com with link to purchase and links to popular sites

"Truckers Finest-Bikers Best" by J.R. Leonard (Country Artist from England)

"Truckers Finest-Bikers Best" is the latest country/western CD from J.R. Leonard. It's an album recorded with the mindset of the free-living American west. You will find good ole' fashioned country songs, western ballads and some more edgy rock tunes as well. In "Darlene From San Antone" J.R. sings a love story in a catchy, honky-tonk, gotta-dance fashion. Then he changes the pace with tracks like "Message From Elvis," a slow moving and bluesy country song. He shows us his edgier side with "Lay Down and Rock Me," a gritty rock song played almost in ZZ Top style. J.R. Leonard's "Truckers Finest-Bikers Best" CD should have something for everyone; whether you are a fan of Jerry Jeff Walker and Johnny Cash, or prefer a more modern and mainstream approach to country music.

-Sean B. and the RadioIndy.com Reviewer Team
Check out J.R. Leonard's music on RadioIndy.com with link to purchase and links to popular sites

"One-Trick Pony" by Texas Heat (Country Artist from Germany)

"One-Trick Pony" is the latest Honky-Tonk Country album released by Germany's own Texas Heat. It is an album filled with clean sounding, at times antiquated, Country songs that celebrate the life style and issues of the western man. "All Alone And Blue" is a slow moving western song that features wonderful steel guitar playing and a chorus featuring a wonderful harmony of Country-crooning. In "Drivin' Down The Road" we find a toe-tapping, Honky-Tonk tune, about the interesting life of being a trucker. Then for "Old Black Record" the band gets energetic as they deliver a rousing song that might make you want to get up and square dance. Overall, it's an album that makes good use of the old-fashioned Country-style guitar and drum playing, put together with just enough of a modern edge. If you are a fan of Johnny Cash or even the Drive-by Truckers then "One-Trick Pony" is an album that your ears need to meet.

-Sean B. and the RadioIndy.com Reviewer Team
Check out Texas Heat's music on RadioIndy.com with link to purchase and links to popular sites

"Written Roads" by The Shells (Country/Rock Artist from New York City, New York(NY))

"Written Roads" by The Shells is a strong and powerful Alternative Country/Rock album. The CD, being Alternative Country, fuses in many Rock style elements with melodies that are pure Country in which this creates a hard-hitting and fully enjoyable listen. The opening track, "All I Need is Time" stays true to the band's down-home Country roots both lyrically and melodically. The harmonies in this track fits perfectly while each note played by the acoustic guitar complements the vocals as the emotional lyrics are of pain and the need and will to recover. The song, "I Will Believe You" relies on a progressive tempo and ambient notes that puts the listener in a smooth trance. Country is well-showcased in this album and for those fans who love bands like the Dixie Chicks and singers with the same range and tone must experience the exceptional compositions and lead vocals/harmonies of "Written Roads."

-Trent C. and the RadioIndy.com Reviewer Team
Check out The Shells 's music on RadioIndy.com with link to purchase and links to popular sites