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RAR reviews LPs from Michael ONeill (Ain't Leavin' Your Love), Sarah Stanley (Tuesday Girl), Hilary York (In The Dark), Tom Corwin and Tim Hockenberry (Mostly Dylan), The Boxmasters (Modbilly), Mad Buffalo (Wilderness), and others. Also read reviews from RARWRITER contributors Doug Strobel and Diana Olson.

BOOK REVIEWS AND MORE (click here): This edition, RAR takes a long look at Philip K. Dick, Edgar Allan Poe, Samuel Clemens and The Iowa Writer's Workshop. Read earlier RAR reviews, including a look back at David Halberstam's The Reckoning, and Alan Greenspan's book "The Age of Turbulence."

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RARWRITER.com Annual "State of the Union" Report 2008-2009.

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CONTRIBUTOR PROSPECTUS

RARWRITER.com is exploding with new readers, new artist profiles, and new business opportunities. Would you like to become involved as an editorial contributor? If you are a great writer or photographer with particular knowledge of your creative community, and you are looking for publishing credits, contact us at Rick@RARWRITER.com for a copy of the RARWRITER Contributor Prospectus to learn what involvement can mean for you.-RAR

You're Stupid!

When Mia Michaels says that - "You're Stupid" - on the hit TV show "So You Think You Can Dance" it is a supreme compliment. Unfortunately, when I get told that same thing it is invariably because of something I have done. I am not astonishing in any way, just "stupid" in the traditional sense.

This edition I have posted a review of country showboat Michael ONeill's new CD (click here to read the review), and "stupid" is what he thought I was when I commented on the strength of the players on the recording, prompting this instant message from his iPhone:

"Holy shit the players on this record are the best of the best,
Dony Wynn drums / Robert Palmer - Brooks and dunn
Will sexton bass. Charlie sextons brother
Lloyd mains Dixie chicks
Carl bromel -my morning jacket
Goggle these folks
Randy korhs"

So chastened, I did some "Goggling" and learned about some great talent in the process.

Dony Wynn, who plays drums on Ain't Leavin' Your Love, is most closely associated with the late Robert Palmer, with whom he played for years, but he got his first big-time tour experience as a teenager playing with Dr. John. Other of his associations have been with Brooks and Dunn, Steve Winwood, Patti LaBelle, and Wang Chung. He has one of the coolest Websites around at http://www.donywynn.com/ , which is packed with clever design, intelligent writing and memorable lines, like this: My good friends, Jim Keltner and Jeff Porcaro, supreme drummers each, both subscribed to the fact that beatmasters are old souls who were drummers in past lives..."

That introduction of Will Sexton as "Charlie Sexton's brother" is understandable as a context setter - Charlie Sexton came to prominence as guitarist with Bob Dylan through Dylan's resurgence in the late 1990s and into the new millennium. Charlie has gone on to produce Lucinda Williams, tour with Eric Clapton, and launch his own band, Arc Angels, with Tommy Shannon and Chris "Whipper" Layton of "Double Trouble" (Stevie Ray Vaughn's rhythm section). For all these reasons, Charlie Sexton's name has resonance, but he and his brother Will (pictured left in a photo by Todd Wolfson) share a provenance in Austin, Texas, where Will performs constantly, and both were taught guitar by Austin legend W.C. Clark, the "Godfather of the Austin Blues". Will and Charlie were in the same band, "Will and the Kill", which in 1988 released an album on MCA that was produced by Joe Ely and featured Jimmy Vaughn on some tracks. Will went on to collaborations with Waylon Jennings, Roky Erickson (psychedelic), and punker Johnny Thunders. He was in the "New Folk Underground" and he co-produced Ruby James with his brother Charlie.

Lloyd Maines is the multi-instrumentalist producer of the Dixie Chicks, and father of Dixie Chick Natalie Maines. He was a member of the Joe Ely Band and played with Guy Clark, Butch Hancock, Terry Allen, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Golden Bear, and other Texas musicians. He was a member of The Maines Brothers Band in the late 1970s and early 1980s and has contributed to alt-country releases, including Uncle Tupelo's Anodyne and Wilco's debut, A.M.. The Grammy Award winner has produced and recorded Butch Hancock, Rita Hosking, Jerry Jeff Walker, Charlie Robison, the Lost Gonzo Band, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Wayne Hancock, Owen Temple, Robert Earl Keen, Terri Hendrix, Pat Green, Roger Creager, Two Tons of Steel, and The Waybacks.

Carl Broemel is an American rock musician. He currently plays the guitar, pedal steel guitar, saxophone and sings back-up vocals for the Louisville, Kentucky band My Morning Jacket. Broemel was listed among Rolling Stone's "20 New Guitar Gods" along with My Morning Jacket front man Jim James under the title of "Skynard-Art Theorists." He released a solo album titled "Lose What's Left". (from Wikipedia)

Randy Korhs came to prominence playing with Hank Williams III and Tom T. Hall, and later the Canadian band Continental Divide. Other associations have been with Holly Dunn,  John Cowan and Dolly Parton. In 2001, he released his debut solo album, A Crack In My Armour, on Junction Records. In 2004, Parton recorded a duet with him, “It Looked Good On Paper,” for his third album, I’m Torn, on Lonesome Day Records. It spent eight months on the bluegrass charts, rising into the Top 5. To date, Kohrs has played on more than 500 albums, ranging from those by such legends as Hank Thompson and Jerry Reed to current and recent chart-toppers Trick Pony, Dierks Bentley and The Wreckers. In the bluegrass domain, he has recorded projects for Larry Sparks, Rhonda Vincent, Mark Newton, Bradley Walker, Lou Reid, and 3 Fox Drive, among others. (Largely from his MySpace site.)

- RAR

Roy Rogers Issues a Songwriter CD

Slide master Roy Rogers has a new CD, Split Decision, now available at www.roy-rogers.com in the Music Store and no doubt soon available more widely. This new release features new Americana, blues/rock and jazz influenced tracks. Regarding the new release Roy says "Split Decision is more about the songwriting and, in addition, I aimed to create a much more edgy sound and cross-genre style. I really wanted to craft strong stories and mix it up a bit with a lot of very different guitar tones and textures - and still have those solid roots-oriented grooves. My influences are from all over the map. I love combining different elements on a recording, but ultimately it is about 'the feel' of the total record. I hope that shines through in a positive way for people."

Roy played a much talked about show at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival that received a glowing review in USA Today. That no doubt contributed to a strong debut at #13 on the Billboard Blues chart.