Are you still ignoring Iris Dement?

Cool @idigmusic64, I haven't had that pleasure. In her shows she reveals her unusually witty personality, sometimes in a self-deprecating manner. Kind of a female Randy Newman. ;-)

Ya'll are my kinda people! Well, except for @clearthinker and @ebm ;-) .

Maria McKee is sort of her generation’s Linda Ronstadt; she has a great set of pipes, and can really belt it out. I saw and heard her live when she was in Lone Justice, an L.A. band that was part of the "Cowpunk" scene in the 1980’s. Another band in that scene was The Long Ryders, whose drummer was married to Lucinda Williams during their heyday.

I mentioned this in another thread, but Maria’s older brother is Bryan Maclean of the 60’s group Love. Lone Justice’s drummer was Don Heffington, whose talents Buddy Miller employs from time to time.

It's interesting how people of faith seem to veer either hard left or hard right. And both are so convinced they're correct.

I know one pretty good guitarist/pianist who is Libertarian, and interestingly has been a Scientologist since I first met him in 1969. Other than him, I don't think I've ever known another Conservative musician. Or a Scientologist one. ;-)

When Dylan went Christian John Lennon's head almost exploded.

Iris and Levon Helm, both from Arkansas, and both fave music makers of mine. Iris' family relocated to Orange County, California when she was still a child, but remained in the Pentecostal Church I believe.

Yeah @slaw, emerging in the 1990’s, almost all of her stuff is CD only. Craft Recordings or Analogue Productions should do an Iris boxset! The only LP I have is a promo-only white-label/white cover copy of The Way I Should, sent to radio station programmers. The album was produced by Randy Scruggs, son of Earl.

I was unaware of Pieta, so thanks for that! The Greg Steve refers to is Greg Brown, for those who don't know a singer-songwriter himself.

@tonykay: If you like My Life (WARNING! It is pretty hardcore purist Bluegrass), get her debut album Infamous Angel next. "Let The Mystery Be", "Our Town" (another tear-jerker), and "Mama’s Opry" are highlights, but every song is 1st-class.

For you musicians (and appreciators of same), look at the line-up on the album: Stuart Duncan on fiddle and mandolin, Al Perkins on dobro (Jerry Douglas on dobro on one song), Roy Husky Jr. on upright bass, and Emmylou on harmony vocals. Best in the business!

Iris’ third album is in some instances a departure for her. The aforementioned "Wasteland Of The Free" is pretty rockin’, with drums and everything. ;-) Fantastic, fantastic songs, including "When My Mornin’ Comes Around", "Walking Home", and "Trouble"---the duet with Delbert McClinton that JD mentioned.

@jdoris: "Wasteland Of The Free" is fantastic! Iris received a lot of backlash for that blistering critique of the Neo-Cons pushing the Iraq war, and for painting the Conservative movement itself as hypocritical. That cost her some listeners amongst Evangelicals, who form(ed) a considerable portion of her audience (her lyrics deal with a lot of faith-related issues). At the second of her Troubadour shows I attended, the audience consisted of a large contingent of parents and their children, who sat reverentially through her entire set, not making a sound (except for enthusiastic applause at the end of each song). The "quietest" show I’ve ever attended!

Another under-acknowledged female singer-songwriter coming from a faith-based perspective is the wonderful Julie Miller, wife and musical partner of Buddy Miller---Emmylou Harris’ guitarist/harmony singer/bandleader. Buddy is also a fantastic solo artist and producer, running a recording studio out of the front parlor of he and Julie’s Nashville home. When Julie isn’t feeling well (she is somewhat "sickly"), Buddy runs a mic cable up the stairs and into their bedroom, recording Julie in bed. ;-)

A singer with a vocal style similar to Julie’s is Australian Kasey Chambers. Lots of good albums, including one she did with a real fine young artist some of you may be familiar with---Shane Nicholson. Love it! Kasey was raised in the Australian outback, her mother and father uprooting the family from the city and heading out in the wilderness. Papa Chambers spend the day hunting for food, and after dinner he taught the kids Hank Williams songs as they sat around a campfire. Kasey's first recordings were made as part of the family band---The Dead Ringer Band, and after she got her own record deal her father and brother played in her band! For you more shallow guys, Kasey is also pretty damn hot. ;-)

Heading across the tracks to Bluestown, who has heard Lou Ann Barton? A fantastic singer who came out of the Austin scene, originally the singer in a band whose guitarist was.....Stevie Ray Vaughan. Lou Ann’s excellent debut album was produced by the great Jerry Wexler (producer of Aretha’s Atlantic albums, Dylan’s trio of Christian albums, and lots, lots more). One of my all-time favorite albums! Lou Ann often tours as part of Jimmie Vaughan’s great road band.

There are a lot of artists bubbling below the surface, playing to either a cult-level or slightly larger audience. A lot of old guys I grew up with are living in the past, man. ;-) There is a LOT of great music being made, you just have to look for it.

One thing I neglected to mention is the sense of humor Iris is in possession of---revealed in her live show, often of a self-deprecating nature.

When she opens her mouth, the music just pours out, effortlessly. I've never seen or heard anything like it, and I've seen a lot of greats live. And then there is her songwriting: in her genre, as good as it gets.

@tonykay, I would start with her second album, My Life. I took that album with me to the Winter CES in Vegas in the mid-90's, and had Jerry Crosby play it on his modified Quad 63 ESL's. I soon regretted it, as I was in tears before "No Time To Cry" ended. Oh the irony. ;-)