New In 2025

This one was released in 2024, but I just heard about it. It’s entitled Tonight I’ll Go Down Swingin’: A Tribute To Don Heffington. Unless you are a drummer, that name may mean nothing to you. Actually, even if you are it might not. Don appeared on my radar as the drummer in Lone Justice, the real good Los Angeles Alt-Country band in the 1980’s.

Don left the band after their first album, going on to do session work with an amazing list of names: Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, Buddy Miller, Lowell George, Tom Waits, Van Dyke Parks, Jackson Browne, Victoria Williams, Dave Alvin, Peter Case, Lucinda Williams, The Jayhawks, The Wallflowers, Dwight Yoakam, Sheryl Crow, Kathleen Edwards, Rickie Lee Jones, Sam Phillips, Ron Sexsmith, Percy Sledge, Big Joe Turner, and others. Damn!

I crossed paths with Don a number of times around L.A. Though he had quite a resume’, he still did what we call "50 dollar gigs." A coupla  times he and I played single sets on the same night and stage, and I was impressed by his musical taste and economical playing. My kinda guy!

In the mid-2000’s I had a space at the Hollywood Custom & Vintage Drumshow in North Hollywood (held in the old Remo drumhead factory building), and he bought a 1940’s Slingerland Radio King snare drum from me. I’ve since wonder if he played it on any albums I have.

What I didn’t know was that Don was also a songwriter, and in the last decade of his life he had released two albums of his own, and had been appearing around town, leading a band as singer and acoustic guitarist. I wish I had known, I would have made the drive in from Palm Desert to hear him. He died in March of 2021 (leukemia), 70 years old.

This tribute album features songs performed by Buddy Miller, Dave Alvin, Eleni Mandell, Inara George, Jackson Browne, John C. Reilly, Fiona Apple, The Boltcutters, The Watkins Family Hour, and Don himself (his recording of the album’s title song, written by Porter Wagoner). The LP is available on Amazon, priced at $11.17!

Coming out on August 15th is a new Molly Tuttle album entitled So Long Little Miss Sunshine. The album’s front cover is very reminiscent of Nick Lowe’s Jesus Of Cool (Pure Pop For Now People in the U.S.A.) album (nine pics, ala the Hollywood Squares TV show). Molly is the first female to be awarded the International Bluegrass Association's guitar player of the year award, and has most recently been heard on Ringo Starr’s latest album.

Already out: J.D. Crowe And The New South, the legendary Bluegrass Supergroup who made only one album. The band’s members were J.D. Crowe, Ricky Skaggs, Jerry Douglas, and Tony Rice. Wow!

Copies of the original 1973 pressing on Rounder Records are extremely rare (I have a reissue on Gusto Records, the pressing of which leaves much to be desired), so this vinyl reissue (by Real Gone Music) is great news. My copy is on it’s way.

Coming out (on LP and CD) on August 29th is Rodney Crowell's new album Airline Highway.

As a reminder of how good Rodney is (or an introduction to those unfamiliar with him), here's a video of Emmylou Harris and him (accompanied by a fantastic band) on stage performing his song "Ain't Living Long Like This":

https://youtu.be/KnqBH7jLb0I?si=-41TmEAa8EmkLizo

@hifiguy42:

BDP = Black Diamond Pearl (my favorite vintage drum finish, and the one I collect), and 24 = 24 inches (my preferred bass drum diameter).

On May 23rd Marc Ribot’s new album Map Of A Blue City is being released by New West Records on all formats.

No @jafant, Traditional Country Soul is just the name of the album (as far as I know). Maybe someone at the record company came up with that adjective to describe Patti.

On July 4th, Sleepless Nights :The Traditional Country Soul of Patti Loveless comes out on LP (vinyl). The album was nominated for a Grammy when it was originally released on CD in 2008.

On May 23th New West Records is releasing a Marc Ribot album featuring him singing. Available in both blue and black vinyl (both versions $30), and CD ($15).

On April 25th, Legacy Records releases a new Willie Nelson album, one of him preforming songs written by Rodney Crowell exclusively. Good for Rodney, a personal favorite of mine. If you don’t have his 2001 album The Houston Kid (Sugar Hill Records), you should get a copy. It was originally released on CD only, but Vinyl Me Please finally put it out on vinyl a coupla years back.

Also available on RSD is Ry Cooder Live At The Main Point 1972. I have a friend who saw Ry and his band (which included Jim Keltner on drums) in the 1970’s in Santa Cruz, I don’t know why I wasn’t there. I didn’t see and hear Ry live until I was at a show Little Village (again with Keltner) performed for an industry-only audience. I put that in just for rpeluso.

On the upcoming Record Store Day (April 12th), the new album by Marty Stuart And His Fabulous Superlatives comes out. My current favorite band in the world! The album is all instrumental, 20 songs free of those annoying vocals. 

On March 21st Analogue Productions is releasing the Buena Vista Social Club album (originally released as a 2-LP set) in a 4-LP/45 RPM version. Retail price is $119.99, not bad for four 45 RPM LPs. Classic Records released a Bernie Grundman-cut 4-LP set years ago, so AP probably used Bernie’s plates for their new pressing.

Out today on LP (in regular and Indi exclusive versions) and CD: Lonesome Drifter by Charley Crockett, produced by Shooter Jennings.

Coming out on CD on May 9th: Tomorrow May Not Be Your Day---The Unreleased Atco Recordings 1970-1971 by Jesse Ed Davis. Unknown to the general public, highly revered by musicians, Jesse was a rising star in the late-60's/early-70's. He can be heard playing guitar on the recordings of Taj Mahal, Bob Dylan ("Watching The River Flow", a favorite of mine), The Concert For Bangladesh, Jackson Browne (that's Jesse playing the solo in "Doctor My Eyes"), John  Lennon, Ringo Starr, Gene Clark, and Leonard Cohen.

Joining Jesse on his debut album on Atco were Leon Russell, Eric Clapton, Gram Parsons, Merry Clayton, and John Simon (producer of the first and second Band albums). On his second album it was Jim Keltner, Duck Dunn, and Dr. John.

I find this news pretty surprising:

Sire Records (a Warner Brothers subsidiary) is getting into the One-Step business with their March 21st release of K.D. Lang’s Ingenue album. At least it’s retailing for less than everyone else’s One-Steps, $99.99.

I Do Not Play No Rock ’n’ Roll by Mississippi Fred McDowell comes out April 11th on Jackpot Records. The album was originally released in 1969, and is I believe one of Chad Kassem’s favorite Blues albums. Jackpot Records is located in Portland Oregon, so I can pick up a copy right at their storefront. No shipping charge, no sales tax (Oregon has none)!

Just announced, a Rhino Records "High Fidelity" reissue of The Ramones fourth album, Road To Ruin. While perhaps not their strongest album material-wise, it is notable for the appearance of drummer Marky in place of original drummer Tommy. Marky is a much more "muscular" drummer than Tommy, so for me his drumming made for a stronger band.

But this reissue leads me to ask a question. Does an album like Road To Ruin really need or deserve  a "high fidelity" reissue? The sound of the album is fine for what it is, but what it isn't is an album with audiophile sound quality. Why not just release it as a normal reissue, for half the price (Rhino's High Fidelity albums retail for about forty bucks)?

This reissue actually had a release date of 12-13-24, but I just found out about it. It’s Little Richard’s 1970 "comeback" album on Reprise Records entitled The Rill Thing, and from the report I heard (plus descriptions of it from it’s original release) it sounds like a must have for lovers of 1950’s Rock ’n’ Roll. I’m picking up my copy tomorrow.

The album was recorded not in Los Angeles (home of his record label in the 50’s, Specialty Records), but in Muscle Shoals. I was thrilled to read that, as that means Roger Hawkins is playing drums. And playing guitar is Travis Wammack, well known to Rock ’n’ Roll guitar aficionados and players (like Jeff Beck).

As with many 1950’s black artists from the South (Georgia in his case), Richard included Country & Western/Hillbilly music in his repertoire. On this album that means Hank Williams. And, believe it or not, "I Saw Her Standing There" by you-know-who. Paul McCartney was/is a huge Little Richard fan, and sang respectable versions of "Long Tall Sally" and "Kansas City". Lennon included a couple Little Richard songs on his dreadful 1975 Rock ’n’ Roll album, (mis)produced by Phil Spector.

For more info, watch this video:

https://youtu.be/0ia4zSf8EsY?si=B3Cfph7ut1EU5nHA

@winoguy17: Speaking for myself (and perhaps others), new release notices are made for purely musical interest value. Good sound is a welcome bonus, not a prerequisite. Some of my favorite music was unfortunately recorded in mediocre sound quality. I'll take mediocre recorded sound and great music over visa versa every time.