Jimmy & David Lee Kaiser "Spurlock Road" (Moon Tower Records, 2003)
Fair-to-middlin' independently released country/Americana from down Texas way... These brothers take a nod towards Robert Earl Keen, Jr. (and everyone else in Austin that they can think of) on the album's perky, name-droppy opener, "Best Times." The rest of the album features an even dozen discursive, rueful tunes (again, very much in the R.E. Keen style...) that don't entirely hold up, but don't entirely fall apart. Several songs about being unemployed and bumming around, the best of which is the rollicking, cowpunkish "Lookin' At Cows," which should go down in the Americana annals as a minor masterpiece.

Kieran Kane "Find My Way Home" (Atlantic Records, 1993)

Kieran Kane "Dead Reckoning" (Dead Reckoning Records, 1995)

Kieran Kane & Kevin Welch "11/12/13: Live From Melbourne" (Dead Reckoning Records, 2000)

Kieran Kane "The Blue Chair" (Dead Reckoning Records, 2000)
(Produced by Kieran Kane)
A nice, solid album in the rootsy, melodic singer-songwriterly mode of Greg Brown and, well, Kieran Kane, too. This record is packed with rich performances and top-notch songs... Somehow Kane balances his philosophical side with strong poppish chops so it all comes out nice without going overboard the way world-wise roots-folk records sometimes can... Definitely worth a spin!

Kieran Kane "Shadows On The Ground" (Dead Reckoning Records, 2002)
A real purty, folk-flavored country outing, with a few songs in the middle that drift a bit, but a nice set at the start, including an excellent version of the Carter Family oldie, "Will You Miss Me When I'm Gone," and a charming follow-up tribute tune, "June Carter Sure Can Sing." Other highlights include a couple of sweet original tunes, the delicate duet, "Harmony," and the finely crafted, rather poetic "One Raindrop," which both definitely make this a disc keeper. Recommended.

Kieran Kane "Six Months, No Sun" (Compendia Records, 1998)

Kieran Kane, Kevin Welch & Fats Kaplin "You Can't Save Everybody" (Compass Records, 2004)
Two veteran Americana scenesters reunite for a fine set of acoustic-based tunes... The first three tracks on this album are sublime, the sort of stuff that just jumps out at you and holds your soul... Perfectly crafted, compelling blues-laced country-folk. From that fine start, though, my attention started to wander a bit., with a few too many Greg Brown-ish topically-oriented singer-songwriter songs, with throaty intoning galore. But hey, that's just me -- I'm old and crabby and I have a low tolerance for things that seem stagey or overly self-conscious. Overall, this is a great record, and if you like the Greg Brown style, you're gonna love this album. Those first three songs alone should make it worth your time.

Kieran Kane, Kevin Welch & Fats Kaplin "Lost John Dean" (Compass Records, 2006)

Kane Welch Kaplin "Kane Welch Kaplin" (Compass Records, 2007)
The third album from this acousto-Americana triumvirate finds them in fine form, though a bit on the doleful side. With their ELP/CSNY-like band name, Kieran Kane, Kevin Welch and Fats Kaplin want it to be known that this ain't no temporary thang, that they consider themselves a proper band, and not just an all-star jam-session... Fine by me: the picking and the tonal texture is exquisite -- get these three guys in the same room together and you'll hear some sweet guitar work... The album opens with the moody "Ain't Gonna Do It," with a rumbling, electric reverb worthy of Pops Staples, back in his prime... Other highlights include the mournful yet hummable "Last Lost Highway" (dedicated to Sonny Terry, perhaps?) and the gentle gospel oldie, "What Are They Doing In Heaven Today," which, like the other songs on this album, is unhurried and slow, letting the emotion well up and mix with the weariness of the sentiment. They lay the dustbowl poetics on a bit thick for a few tunes, but overall this is a class act... If you like your pickin' on the mellow, moody side, this disc might just be for you!

Kieran Kane "Somewhere Beyond The Roses" (Compass Records, 2009)
An avowed Americana auteur, songwriter Kieran Kane continues to refine his own mixture of country twang, folk, bluegrass and blues, melding the styles into a dense, formidable sound that buoys his lyrics, giving his songs both a seductive allure and a steely strength. The first half of this album has some really appealing arrangements and intriguing, complex melodies, and while none of the songs have the kind of pop-oriented simplicity that would make them singalong songs, they are pretty catchy. In the second half, Kane zeroes in on more of a Woody Guthrie-esque talking blues style, with plenty of emphatic, almost ferocious lyrics. I have to confess that I don't really understand what he's talking about, in either mode, but there seems to be an undercurrent of recrimination and redemption, urgency and a need to impart wisdom, but there's also a sense of this as a personal, internal dialogue, the end product of a long period of intense philosophical examination, and an awareness and acceptance that this isn't a record that will appeal to everyone. Perhaps a more perceptive listener could more easily pierce the veil, but either way, this is a musically rich, creatively adventurous outing, showing some of the unique strengths of the Americana genre.

Lynda Kay & The Lickety Splits "Cowgirl!" (Firelight Records, 2004)

Lynda Kay "Singing Stomping And Strumming" (2005)

Lynda Kay "Dream My Darling" (Dreamphonic Records, 2009)

Big Kat Kaylor "Scattered" (Step One Records, 1996)
One of those odd records that floats up at you out of nowhere... The title track -- a buoyant, goofy novelty tune equating the love-lorn singer's state of mind to the physical composition of a plate of homefries at a greasy spoon diner -- is the kind of goofball novelty number you'd hear on '70s freeform radio, way back when... It's also the album highlight, although some of the smoky, lounge-y blues/soul songs that make up the rest of the disc also have their moments, propelled by Kaylor's slinky keyboard style and Southern soul vocals, which bring to mind Jesse Winchester and that dude from Steely Dan. Not an earth-shattering album, but I do still dig that one song...

Big Kat Kaylor & The Jacuzzi Blues Band "Jacuzzi Blues" (Self-Released, 2008)
This appears to be a mostly-straight up reissue of the Scattered album, with a few bonus tracks...

Robert Earl Keen - see artist discography

Guthrie Kennard "Ranch Road 12" (Armadillo Music, 2005)

Guthrie Kennard "Unmade Beds" (Newtex Records, 2009)
(Produced by Steve Satterwhite & Guthrie Kennard)
Gritty, blues-y, growly-voiced stuff that reminds me of later stuff from Steve Earle. More grind and grit than I'm looking for, and less emphasis on melody, but still, there's some cool stuff, and a nice, low-intensity vibe throughout. Blues and Americana fans can find a lot ot like here, but you have to be into the whole roadhouse poet thing... Helps if you like resonator guitars, as well -- pretty prominent in the mix on a lot of the tunes!

Guthrie Kennard "Matchbox" (Rango Records, 2009)

Guthrie Kennard "Cross Your Heart" (Rango Records, 2013)

Kerosene Brothers "Choose Your Own Title" (Audium Records, 2003)
Actually, this is lamegrass novelty act, Hayseed Dixie, oh-so-cleverly recording under another name. Same old tiresome white trash stereotypes, though: some amped-up old murder ballads ("Shady Grove," done ala Steeleye Span; one called "Ellie Schaffer..." etc.) and a slew of too-fast Southern rock/banjo-punk ditties about various brands of super-stereotyped hard-drinkin', last-ditch uber-losers. All in all, another big, big yawn, dwarfed only by the smug self-satisfaction with these guys infuse their rather marginal performances.... This is really is a terrible, boring album. Skip it.

Jenny Kerr "Itch" (2001)

Jenny Kerr "New And Improved - Extra Strength" (Okey Doke Records, 2003)

Jenny Kerr "Wood And Steel" (Okey Doke Records, 2009)

Jenny Kerr "Head Of Fire" (Okey Doke Records, 2013)

Kelly Kessler & The Wichita Shut-Ins "Life Of Regret (EP)" (Melungeon Records, 2002)
Another nice infusion of thoughtful, thought-provoking alt.country from Chicago... Kessler used to be in a band called the Texas Rubies; here she is the brains behind a more restrained, soulful set of tunes, sometimes sung by co-vocalist Lawrence Peters, who has a rich, smooth delivery, soulful and entirely free of urban-hick affectations. This 4-song EP is pretty darn good -- each song is solid and well-written, and catchy, in a subtle kinda way. Keep an eye on these folks!

Kelly Kessler "The Salt Of Your Skin" (Melungeon Records, 2002)
Weirder and more complicated than their earlier EP, this is an eclectic, untraditional, and ultimately challenging update of old-fashioned hick music, much in the style of Jim & Jennie or Freakwater. The ballads are more tuneful than the upbeat numbers, but it all points to an interesting future for this band. Worth checking out!

Chad Kichula "The Whale's Back" (Self-Released, 2013)

King Country "Five Star Dive Bar" (Sun Country Records, 2003)
(Produced by Bill Warner)
The opening track had a Top Forty-wannabee feel that put me off, but deeper into the album, this album revealed more varied texture, and several nice songs. Lead singer Frank Sullivan has an Okie-ish drawl that reminded me a lot of Larry Hosford, and when he sang the title track, "Five Star Dive Bar," he earned himself a new fan. Other highlights include "Night Off The Town" (to stay home and snuggle), "Carolina Woman" and "1973 Buick Skylark," where a family man looks back at a youthful partnership spent moving from city to city and job to job, until the day they were settled down enough to have a yard sale and look back at all those old memories. The end of the album gets a little drippy and sentimental, but there was enough twang on here to catch my attention... A nice honest album from a regular guy with a few tunes to sing.

Jerry King & The Rivertown Ramblers "A Date With..." (El Toro Records, 2007)

Jerry King & The Rivertown Ramblers "Ocala Baby" (El Toro, 2010)

Jill King "Jillbilly" (Blue Diamond Records, 2003)
Rootsy, uptempo country with uneven vocals but plenty of spirit. The lead track, "98.6 Degrees And Falling" is a magnificent collaboration between songwriters Harlan Howard and Matraca Berg, a heavy Texas shuffle with a catchy chorus, with King nailing the tune from start to finish. This blast of true-country talent sets the bar pretty high, and the rest of the album seldom rises to the same heights. Still, the wordy stabs at contemplative commercial country aside, this is a solid, substantive debut, and one which should put King on the map in the alt-country/Americana camp, and might even land her a berth in Nashville as well. Other highlights include the rowdy drinkin'-at-the-bar anthem, "Down & Out," and the folkier feeling "Down The Fields To Hay" and "Three Months, Two Weeks, One Day." King has a real ear for good, old-fashioned material, stuff along the lines of Buck Owens backing Tanya Tucker... and where I come from, that's pretty high praise. Definitely worth checking out!

Jill King "Somebody New" (Blue Diamond Records, 2008)

Jill King "Rain On Fire" (Foundher Records, 2010)
(Produced by Michael Flanders)
Setting aside the indiebilly persona of her previous records, Jill King delves deep into the more pop-oriented sounds of "adult-alternative" music and the modern-day Nashville scene, with a set of songs that might be suited for Patti Griffin or some of the more introspective chart-topping divas such as Martina McBride, Sara Evans et. al. If you cherished the twang-tunes of her debut album, Jillbilly, the resolutely pop sound of this record may come as a little bit of a shock. But Ms. King has been plugging away in the underbelly of Nashville for a while now, and it seems she's ready to identify more opening with the Top 40 scene. I prefer the twang, myself, but certainly wish this gal all the luck in the world with the poppy stuff, too... She's plenty talented and deserves a break as much as anybody working in Music City these days. If you like the more elegaic, lovelorn pop-ballad side of Nashville, you might wanna check this out.

King Wilkie "King Wilkie Presents: The Wilkie Family Singers" (Casa Nueva Records, 2009)
(Produced by Reid Burgess & Steve Lewis)
An enchanting mix of styles, casually mixing alt-twang, boozy jug-band singalongs and art-song indierock. The first couple of tracks set the template, opening with an episodic country-harmony ditty ("Moon And Sun") that recalls the hippie-era hillbilly forays of the Byrds, a tune that gives way to "Goodbye Rose," a sweet song that sounds, for all the world, like an outtake from John Cale's Paris 1919 album; there's a hint of The Band in there as well. Numerous high-power guess appear, including Peter Rowan, Abigail Washburn, Robyn Hitchcock and John McEuen. To be totally fair, I guess it'd be more accurate to class this as a rock album than as a twang set, but either way it's quite nice. Creative and catchy, this record is packed with oddly appealing tunes. Definitely worth checking out.

Eric Kinsey "...And His Tip Top Daddles" (Hep Cat Records, 2000)

Dave Kirby "I Got Here As Fast As I Could" (Self-Released, 2006)
FYI - this is a different Dave Kirby than the legendary session guitarist/songwriter who dies in 2004. No problem, though: since it's no fuss, no muss on these independently-released sessions - a nice balance of commercial and "outlaw" sensibilities, with plenty of uncomplicated, twangy guitar work. It's only seven songs, but nice stuff nonetheless. Standout tracks include "Outlaws Make the World Go Round" and "Three Chords and a Bad Memory," which close the album.

Bill Kirchen - see artist discography

Kit & The Branded Men "Kit & The Branded Men" (2011)

Cheri Knight "The Knitter" (East Side Digital, 1996)

Cheri Knight "The Northeast Kingdom" (E-Squared Records, 1998)

Chris Knight "Chris Knight" (MCA Nashville, 1998)

Chris Knight "A Pretty Good Guy" (Dualtone Records, 2001)
(Produced by Dan Baird)

Chris Knight "The Jealous Kind" (Dualtone Records, 2003)
(Produced by Dan Baird & Joe Hardy)
More rambling, open-ended outlaw/alty tunes, songs about heists and heartaches, run-down towns and moody men... all sung in a low, mumbling growl. The subject material is a little forced, the songs run on kinda bit long, but the playing is crisp and Knight has a compelling delivery. If you're in the mood for it, this is a mighty fine album.

Chris Knight "Enough Rope" (Drifter's Church, 2006)
(Produced by Gary Nicholson & Ray Kennedy)
A pretty groovy, gritty, growly-voiced roots-Americana record, in the Robert Earl Keen/Dave Alvin school of tough-guy poetry. This album sports song after song about broken dreams and flashes of anger at the death of the American dream. Rivers are poisoned, jobs lost, lives lived poorly, small towns ground down by the tides of time, while the folks left behind drink heavily and party hardy, but seem to get little comfort from it. The more hammered they get, the madder they become, and the more powerless and frustrated they feel. It's bleak, but the anger and the something's-gotta-be-done vibe contain a kernel of hope. Plus, the music is rock-solid. The lyrics may be a bit two-by-fourish (hold still while I hit you over the head), but the melodies will hold your attention and make these characters come alive. This is possibly Knight's strongest album to date, and considering the roll he's been on the last few years, that's quite a compliment. Definitely worth checking out.

Chris Knight "The Trailer Tapes" (Drifter's Church, 2007)
(Produced by Joe Hayden & Frank Liddell)
Songwriter Chris Knight hit the ground running when he came to Nashville, penning several Top 40 hits for folks such as Montgomery Gentry and Gary Allan. Knight took a stab at recording fame himself, initially on a major-label contract, and then as an indie artist with a Steve Earle-ish, alt-country sheen. Before he made his debut, however, Knight holed himself up in a trailer and made a passel of home recordings, which have been the subject of great interest and longing among his fans. Now, ten years later, the complete "trailer tapes" have been officially released, and folks can hear the ideas he was tinkering around with at the time. The first couple of songs are modern-day murder ballads, lyrics about small-town frustrations boiling over into cold rage -- they are sharply-drawn, insightful character studies, although (for me, personally) they also carry a taint of sensationalism, much like Richard Buckner's concept album, The Hill. (Okay, sure, random violence and murder are an undeniable part of the American landscape, but how often do we have to have artists continue to enshrine it in our popular culture? And when they do, how much of it is a "legitimate" artistic exploration, and how much of it is because they just think it's a "cool" topic?) Anyway, these raw early recordings, chiseled out with choppy acoustic guitar and craggy, insistent vocals, show Knight at his roughest and rawest, an intense new songsmith working out the foundations of his art. Well-crafted, if a bit bleak, this will be of interest to newcomers and fans alike.

Chris Knight "Trailer II" (Thirty Tigers Records, 2009)
The second volume of home tape demos that songwriter Chris Knight cut while living in a doublewide trailer in Kentucky. Fans will be psyched to hear stripped-down acoustic versions of some songs that Knight later recorded in full studio versions...

The Knitters "Poor Little Critter On The Road" (Slash Records, 1985)
LA's punk rock Pavarotti, John Doe of X, led the alterna-country charge with this low-key hick music hoedown... It's got its cowpunky, WTS moments, but mostly there's a soulful, sincere affection for the music. Besides, with Dave Alvin in tow, it's hard not to have some truly great moments. This is one of the earliest and best explorations of country music to come from the punky side of the street... There's a big contrast to be made between this album and its rowdy cowpunk contemporaries. A lot of folks love this album - me, too, though I'll admit it isn't as earthshaking as we might want to member...

The Knitters "The Modern Sounds Of The Knitters" (Rounder Records, 2005)
Mixing traditional material with twanged-out originals, Dave Alvin and the majority of X revive the Knitters, after a mere twenty year hiatus. Twangcore fans will be delighted, though some may grumble that Joe Doe and Exene Cervenka's weird, raspy harmonies are better supported by loud electric rock than by exaggerated hillbilly posturing. I found that this record grew on me with repeat listens, and while it starts out rough, their country bona fides come out more and more towards album's end. But, hey, I'm a crabby old fart... I imagine most alt-country fans will enjoy this just fine.

Roger Knox & The Pine Valley Cosmonauts "Stranger In My Land" (Bloodshot Records, 2013)

Leo Kottke - see artist discography

Kris Kristofferson - see artist discography

Dayna Kurtz & Mamie Minch "For The Love Of Hazel: Songs For Hazel Dickens" (Kismet Records, 2010)
A 7" set from a Brooylyn-based acoustic duo, recorded in honor of folk-bluegrass legend Hazel Dickens. It's a curious tribute: these songs weren't all recorded by Dickens (although a couple of her own compositions are included) and the bluesy vibe seems to have more in common with Tracy Nelson or Odetta than with Hazel & Alice... But, hey, maybe I'm just being nitpicky... Kurtz and Minch seem to be having fun, and namechecking Ms. Dickens is pretty cool, whichever way you slice it. (For more info check out www.myspace.com/kismetrecords)

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Hick Music Index

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