Chris Vallillo "The Western Illinois Rag" (Gin Ridge Records, 1987)
An Illinois folkie auteur with an affinity for bluegrass-y arrangemetns... This album includes a teenage Alison Krauss on fiddle...

Dave Van Ronk "Going Back To Brooklyn" (Hightone Records, 1991)
This 1991 album of all-original material captures the (now deceased) folk-blues veteran Dave Van Ronk at an advanced age, yet still in fine form. Van Ronk was considered by many to be the heart and soul of the 1960s Greenwich Village folk scene; the neophyte Bob Dylan ripped off his arrangements, countless people slept on his couch, everyone admired his musical breadth and irrepressible, charitable good spirit. Here, the freewheeling, anarchic ethos of the '60s counterculture expresses itself in Van Ronk's lusty, carnal good humor, and his penchant for salty, salacious lyrics. There's plenty of fine acoustic blues picking, but the raunchiness of limerick-like ditties such as "Luang Prabang" and "The Whores Of San Pedro" will curl your toes and straighten your socks... This is a fine album, as worthy a testament to Van Ronk's fabled career as any of his earlier, better-known albums. Recommended!

Townes Van Zandt - see artist discography

The Vandals "Peace Through Vandalism/When In Rome..." (Time Bomb Records, 1995)
Let's give credit where credit's due: the song "Urban Struggle" (aka "I Want To Be A Cowboy," with its distinctive Ennio Morricone-ish sting) is certainly one of the true seminal cowpunk tunes of all time -- it helped define punk rock's newfound, backhanded envy of country's own brand of musical simplicity. Plus, it was hella funny. Still, don't expect much more twang out of this disc, though (unless you count rockabilly)... the other songs, such as "Anarchy Burger," "Pat Brown" and the like are pretty squarely in the classic, dumb-as-you-wanna-be SoCal novelty punk tradition. This CD combines the songs from the band's first two records from the 1980s.

Vandals "...Play Really Bad Original Country Tunes" (Kung Fu Records, 1999)
Hey, I believe it. (Note, this is a slightly altered reissue of their album, Slippery When Ill.)

Stoll Vaughan "Hold On Thru Sleep & Dreams" (Shadowdog Records, 2002)

Stoll Vaughan "Love Like A Mule" (Shadowdog Records, 2006)
The somewhat generic, low-budget cover art left me unprepared for the funky fire inside this disc. Newcomer Stoll Vaughan combines a knack for writing solid, rhythmic hooks with an energetic, nicely-layered roots-country sound. Pedal steel and Wurlizter organ are put to fine effect amid the clank and strum of electric and acoustic guitars, all of it catchy, carefree and consistently engaging... Check it out: Americana and alt-country may have found a young new superhero!

April Verch "Take Me Back" (Rounder Records, 2006)
An extraordinarily pleasant, appealing record -- possibly my favorite new folk/country/Americana album -- and one that, for some reason, I can't seem to get out of my CD player. Canadian fiddler April Verch moves masterfully from style to style, including sizzling breakdowns, funky Celtic reels and slip jigs, a bit of slinky, bluesy jazz ("Monarch") and several achingly beautiful vocal numbers, including the title track (which was written by Buddy and Julie Miller), the poppy "All In A Night," the abject yet incandescent "I Still Cry," and Verch's own unusual portrait of a gal who takes up a nun's habit, "Bride Of Jesus." From start to finish, this is a bright, compelling record, one that should open more than a few ears to this up-and-coming young player. Highly recommended!

Gina Villalobos "Beg From Me" (Kick Music, 2002)

Gina Villalobos "Rock'N'Roll Pony" (Kick Music, 2004)

Gina Villalobos "Miles Away" (Face West Records, 2007)
(Produced by Gina Villalobos & Erik Colvin)
A raw, rollicking country-rock effort full of attitude and drive... There's the teeniest hint of Lucinda Williams in the mix, but in her more rockin' moments, Villalobos comes closer to the Tom Petty/Sheryl Crow school of roots-rock tunesmithing. The stylistic hallmarks of the Americana/outlaw movement are present -- fiddle, pedal steel and banjo -- but Villalobos' L.A. rocker roots are never far from the surface. She distinguishes herself with her powerful, fully captivating melodic hooks -- the sign of a noteworthy artist in any genre. If you're looking for some twang that really rocks, check this gal out!

Gina Villalobos "Days On Their Side" (Face West Records, 2009)
(Produced by Gina Villalobos & Erik Colvin)
Stepping back from the punchy twang of her previous release, Villalobos goes for more of a contemplative, rock-folk/adult-alt sound for this brooding, rather downcast record. To be honest, it's a bit dreary musically, with little differentiation between one glum, slow, mopey, semi-suicidal song and the next... She gives little growling, drawling, recriminative murmurs over each lush, languid instrumental surge, and the music has a relentless, narcotic effect that underscores the tone of complaint, weariness and discontent. I imagine this album had a lot of personal significance for Villalobos, and perhaps was more meaningful to her than her earlier, bouncier 'billy sound... But it's kind of an emotional downer for listeners. True-blue gloom junkies might love this one, though!

Redd Volkaert "Telewacker" (Hightone Records, 1998)

Redd Volkaert "No Stranger To A Tele" (Hightone Records, 2001)
Swell Telecaster-delic instrumentals by a fella who recently emerged as Merle Haggard's gee-tar player. Deft playing with a nice sense of humor.

Redd Volkaert "For The Ladies" (Hightone Records, 2004)
This is a best-of set, drawing on his Hightone albums... an excellent introduction to his work. I find him a little too jittery and rowdy -- not enough smooth sides and tonal coloring -- but folks who are into hot guitar picking may feel differently about it.

Patricia Vonne "Patricia Vonne" (Bandolera Records, 2003)

Patricia Vonne "Guitars And Castanets" (Bandolera Records, 2005)
Normally, I try to avoid reflexively comparing female artists to other female artists... But in the case of Austin-based songwriter/actress Patricia Vonne, her stylistic and vocal similarity to Lone Justice-era Maria McKee is so noticable, I feel I'd be somewhat negligent if I didn't point it out. It's the early '80s cow-rock sound all over again -- hints of Carlene Carter and Rosanne Cash are in there as well, and maybe even a wisp of Chrissie Hynde in the snarlier moments. Vonne adds a bilingual Tex-Mex twist that sets her apart, but the basic sound is much the same... It's a little too hard-edged and roots-rocky for me, but for fans of the impassioned, sometimes torturously wordy McKee ouvre, this disc may be a godsend. By the way, Vonne's also related to director Robert Rodriguez, and can be seen (and heard) in some of his films... This is her second album.

Patricia Vonne "Firebird" (Bandolera Records, 2007)

The V-Roys "Just Add Ice" (E-Squared Records, 1996)
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The V-Roys "All About Town" (E-Squared Records, 1998)
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The V-Roys "Are You Through Yet? The V-Roys Live" (E-Squared Records, 1999)
The farewell album by these alt-country cult favorites. Twangy, hyperactive, slightly desperate and shrill-sounding rock. Doesn't really reach me on any emotional level; maybe I just don't get it. I guess it's cool they cover "There She Goes," though I like the original La's version much better (of course!) Not bad, just doesn't float my boat. They don't seem to have a great sense of melody... I'm betting they were fun live, though. (See also: Steve Earle, Scott Miller)

The V-Roys "Sooner Or Later" (F.A.Y. Recordings, 2011)
(Produced by Steve Earle & Ray Kennedy)
A best-of set from this highly-regarded Americana twang-rock quartet from Knoxville, TN... Fans of the Bottle Rockets, Jayhawks and Steve Earle will enjoy this set... Nice to trace the band's progress from a lighter, more acoustic style into the heavier, more rock-oriented feel of their later work, and to hear the wide variety of tones that their work took on. Great twangcore from the 1990s!

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Hick Music Index

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