As people read less and less, I take a measure of hope from songwriters whose work stands as literature. Texas-born Jeff Talmadge condenses dust to stone and stone to diamond in his lyrics. “On 57 headed south / The lights are blinking off the coast / Some are saying welcome home / And some are signals to the lost” he sings at the beginning of "Driving To Blissville", one of the haunting gems in this new collection of stories and travels into the night-heart of America. In fact, many of this album's images are illuminated by headlights on the road at night. On a different tack, in "A Soldier's Christmas", he sings from the diary of a soldier overseas, “The day the war was over was the day our war began / and they can't tell us how long we will stay.” This music draws from folk and country wells, is clearly and warmly rendered, and Talmadge's worn-in voice is vulnerable enough to be trusted. Blissville is a good read and a good listen. Recommended.

CHIP TAYLOR
Unglorious Hallelujah/Red Red Rose... (Back Porch)

Gee, it turns out that Granny was right: it is possible to have too much of a good thing. I never thought it possible that one could O.D. on good music but this one, (two actually), proves me wrong. Individually, these are two pretty good recordings; collectively they are a bit too much. Yes, they both feature the vocal and instrumental assistance of Taylor's recent collaboratrix, (my new word), Carrie Rodriguez, which is one saving grace, and there is some damn fine harp playing throughout, but some of the songs leave the impression that they were included merely to flesh out the project into two discs, when a wee tad of distillation would have produced a single very good offering. As it stands, there's too much of the same sound here. Taylor has always been somewhat of a quirky songwriter, (remember “Wild Thing”?), but there are cases herein where the quirkiness overrules good sense. A song about being stuck in LAX? Not today Chip. He has been compared to fellow Texican Guy Clark, and at times the comparison holds water, but this time around, he doesn't exhibit the consistency that Clark can be counted on to take to the bank. Is this one lousy? No; it's a case of the whole being less than the sum of its parts. Good stuff, but too much in one dose. Listen to one disc and hide the other so that you can find and enjoy it later.

Taylor gathered around the Texas songwriting bonfire that started in the early 1970's, along with Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark and Steve Earle. The Great Divide goes right back into the flames, recorded in Houston. This is a stripped-down classic, Taylor running short stories through your body like acupuncture needles, and you come out feeling better for the treatment. A mix of new and road-tested originals combine with bone-deep nods to mentors, as in Peg Leg Sam's "Ain't But One Thing Give A Man The Blues" and Van Zandt's "Brand New Companion", the latter opening out, stream-of-consciousness style, into variations on "Lulu's Back In Town" and "Dirty Dirty". Taylor's precise, dynamic guitar playing and midnight-narrative vocals are right across the table from you, with spare harmony vocals (Susan Lindfors) and percussion (James Gilmer) coming from the shadows behind. Raymond Carver and William Faulkner fill a booth in the corner, Lightnin's gotten into a bottle at the bar. Night time in Texas. Night time everywhere. This one's a keeper.

The latest great young rootsy band out of Austin is the Texas Sapphires, voted best new band by the Austin Chronicle Readers' Poll. So how do you make your mark to the rest of the world? Well, it helps to hire Lloyd Maines to produce you. He seems to produce more albums than anyone in Americana or any music these days. The band's sound revolves around the harmony vocals of Billy Brent Malkus and Rebecca Lucille Cannon. Malkus write most of their songs and they honor classic country-western with some bluegrass and thrown in. Lloyd handles most of the pedal steel and Dobro on the disc but they have Kim Deschamps (Cowboy Junkies, Charlie Robison) to cover on their live shows. Two other male/female led tattooed bands, The Mother Truckers and 77 El Deora are doing a simular thing but I like the Sapphires for their straight-up honky tonk base. Solid songs and a solid band. What's not to love?

MIKE THERIEAU
Living From A Suitcase... (Well Worn)

First track, first thought: WTF? Somebody's stuck an old Drifters release in this CD case? Second track, second thought: Déjà vu all over again, but can't place this one. Third track, back on familiar turf, it's Neil and Frank, and so it goes. There's a paucity of info out there on Mike Therieau, except that he plays and records in the Bay area, and there has to be an awful lot of 30-40 year old echoes reverberating in the hills and streets there. Are we talking derivative here? Could be, but then, we're all products of our environment, to a greater or lesser extent. Essentially what Therieau has done here is to take some of the better influences from an era which he couldn't, from his photos, have experienced first-hand, and brought them back to life, with his own personal, (modern? not sure), stamp on them. Does it work? Very nicely indeed. Note to the old farts here- Listen to track 9, “Holding On”; who do you think you're listening to? Hint- think John Cipollina.

Best songs:  Linda Lou, Shortenin' Bread, The World's Biggest Fool, Poor Boy Shuffle, The Elvis Thing, Way Too Late. Their label has bank-rolled a nice website for the band, TheTractors.com. Released Nov. '98, reviewed by Bill Frater.

TRANSISTOR RODEO
Goin' Out In Style... (Air)

Somebody has been listening to, or been subconsciously influenced by, their parents record collection here. The opening cut is about as Allman as possible without Greg or Duane, and it's followed by “Saint Catherine”, which sounds suspiciously like “Only the Good Die Young”, except that that song didn't have the benefit of Judy Burke's violin and vocals. Dig out Eat A Peach and 52nd Street to see the references. This is the Philadelphia band's third release, but only this writer's first exposure to them, so it's difficult to draw comparisons or chart their development. The last three cuts are the ones that seem to make the most impression, and that's because they don't leave the listener with the nagging suspicion of latent familiarity. That's the direction that their writing should take, and, at the same time, greater use should be made of Ms. Burke's talents.

The Rodeo's site. Buy from amazon Released June, '06, reviewed by Don Grant.

JUSTIN TREVINO
The Scene Of The Crying... (Lone Star Music)

Best songs: Halfway, 22 Miles to Bristol, Bluebell, Every Heart Won't Let You Down, Lightning Bug, When I Close My Eyes. His label, Koch has a website, that needs updating.  Amazon has used copies. Out of print, but Miles Of Music should have it. Released Sept. '98. Reviewed by Bill Frater. 

ERNEST TROOST
All The Boats Are Gonna Rise... (Travelin' Shoes)

Trophy Husbands site. Hayden's Ferry Buy from amazon. Released Sept. '03, reviewed by Clint Weathers.

Welcome the Twilight Ranchers and their debut release, Who Stole that Train? A tasteful mix of covers and originals, this is a thoroughly pleasurable bop, the kind of easygoing honky tonk/ swinging boogie that invites you to git up and git dancin' right now. Hailing from Boston way, Twilight Ranchers can both sing and play ( not always a given) and with the help of Producer Sean Mencher, have released a CD that is guaranteed to send you searching out your favorite western wear and singing along to such toe-tappers as "Who Stole That Train", "Too Many Women", "Twin Guitar Roundup" and "Three Empty Bottles" …but you really can't go wrong, they're all good. What's especially nice is the relaxed feel, both the music and the vocals have room to move and invite you along ­ no hurry, but lots of fun getting there.

THE TURNSTILES
Step Right Up... (self-released)

North Carolina is the stomping grounds of this Southern rock/country swing band that, from the sound of this, their premier recording, I'd wager puts on a pretty dynamite live show. Their repertoire includes flat-out country rockers, e.g. “Movin'”, “One More Saturday Night”, replete with surging guitar counterpoints, minor chord based dirges such as “Rio Grande”, “Never You Mind”, in the style of Frank Sampedro and that Neil guy, and classic-veined country, “All Over Town”. The recent addition of Tom Eure's talents on mandolin, fiddle, and banjo, along with Michael Maher's abilities on assorted versions of the guitar, give The Turnstiles an edge of versatility over a lot of their contemporaries. There's enough variety available there to ensure that ennui is not in the cards when these boys hit the stage.