Liz Talley "Road To You" (Armadillo Records, 2006)

Liz Talley "More Than Satisfied" (Diamond Music Group, 2009)
(Produced by Doug Deforest)
Rock-solid, old-school hard country from a Texas gal who may have a fairly rough voice, but flawless taste when it comes to real-deal, uptempo honky-tonk and western-swing twang. The credits on this album are instructive: to begin with, she sings a duet with an often-overlooked '70s old-timer, Tony Booth, and she covers songs by Melba Montgomery, Leona Williams and Bob McDill, as well as a couple of gems by Becky Hobbs (whose own "country-ness" often gets lost on her own albums, but comes out loud and clear in Talley's heartfelt performances) and a nice twang-tune from Lacy J. Dalton ("You Can't Take The Texas Out Of Me"). She reprises her version of Asleep At The Wheel's "Bump Bounce Boogie," a western-swing toe-tapper that was previously featured as a bonus track on her last album, and shows her affinity for western swing, a style that her compact band really does nicely. This is authentic, self-produced Texas country, by an earthy local artist with a knack for promoting other talented folks who may be a bit off the radar. Recommended!

Tarnation "Gentle Creatures" (4AD Records, 1995/1999)
San Francisco's reigning mid-1990s alt.country diva, Paula Frazier's approach to the whole "twangcore" equation is much like a softer, more controlled version of Freakwater -- but instead of channelling some speed-crazed version of the Carter Family, Frazier's sound is more like a mix of Patsy Cline and Lee Hazelwood. The slowcore drone winds up being a good foil for her voice, which, despite its ardent devotees, is a somewhat limited instrument. Tarnation is/was an artsy band that made good use of its own strengths and judiciously sidestepped its shortcomings. I always liked their earlier stuff best, where awkwardness was still a virtue, and the twang slightly more bouncy. "Game Of Broken Hearts," which opens this album, is still a stunning ballad... as this disc grinds on, though, into more Red House Painter-y terrain, I find my attention starts to wander...

Tarnation "Mirador" (4AD Records, 1997)

(Paula Frazer &) Tarnation "Now It's Time" (Birdman Records, 2007)

Holly Tashian -- see artist discography

Dulcie Taylor "Other Side Of The Bed" (2001)

Dulcie Taylor "Diamond And Glass" (Mesa Records, 2002)

Dulcie Taylor "Mirrors And Windows" (Black Iris Records, 2004)
(Produced by Mark Thayer)
A nice mix of folk and twang, with a healthy dose of '70s-ish soft-rock in there as well... The opening track, "Blackberry Winter," starts off with plenty of steel-laced country and subtly slips into an elegant Byrds-style electric guitar solo. A bouncy blues vibe eases its way into the rest of the record, bring to mind folks like Maria Muldaur, Ray Bonneville, Delany & Bonnie and others, building on the rootsy eclecticism of the old country-rock era. If this piques your interest, this disc is definitely worth checking out.

Mary Taylor - see artist discography

Susan Taylor "Finally Getting Home" (JMI Records, 1972) (LP)
(Produced by Allen Reynolds & Ronnie Dean)
Highly recommended. An outstanding, truly twangy solo set by multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Susan Taylor, who was a founding member of Don Williams's old band, the Pozo-Seco Singers. Although a couple of tracks drift into iffy territory, in general this is a really striking album, which in all honesty seems criminally neglected by country fans. Taylor indulges a deeply rural and completely convincing vocal style, with backing by a rock-solid, all-pro studio group, including primary songwriters Bob McDill and Allen Reynolds, as well as Charles Cochran (piano and organ), steel player Lloyd Green, Jimmy Isbell (drums), Ken Lauber (piano), Billy Sanford (guitar and dobro) and Henry Strzelecki playing bass and guitar. Despite all this firepower, the record is admirably laid-back and restrained, with a funky feel that conjures up the more eclectic side of the Muscle Shoals scene, combined with a country-based blues-mama style that anticipates the sound the Judds would pursue a decade later. Although she later became known as a successful Nashville songwriter, Taylor only wrote a couple of tracks on this album; most are McDill and Reynolds creations, though covers of the Delmore Brothers, Dolly Parton, Delbert McClinton show just how right-on and down-home this gal really was. [Note: Ms. Taylor later changed her professional name to Taylor Pie, and recorded and published prolifically under that name, including a reissue of this album with both names on the cover...]

Chalee Tennison "Chalee Tennison" (Elektra/Asylum Records, 1999)
Apparently Tennison has real working class roots and admirers from within the rootsy end of the country community... I've heard her hailed as a return to the good old days, a rural-voiced throwback to the days of Melba and Dolly, and wil admit that in her rootsier moments, she sounds sort of like Reba McEntire did in her early years. But the arrangements on the opening tracks undercut her claim to the new roots throne; some songs like "Handful Of Water" and "It Ain't So Easy" are quite nice, but the drippy ballads ("I Can Feel You Drifting," "Leave It At That," "Someone Else's Turn To Cry") are absolutely dreadful. Midway between these two points are a few decent Tammy Wynette-ish countrypolitan ditties like "Just Because She Lives There," where she brings the lyrics home with a heartfelt delivery. On the whole, though, even with the rugged, rural voice, Tennison is wa-a-a-ay too popped-up for me. Mostly, this is the same old overproduced Nashville stuff.

Chalee Tennison "This Woman's Heart" (Warner Brothers, 2000)
Blech! A slow-paced, lethargic, Wynonna-esque set of glossy high-tech weepers packed with swelling synthesizer lead-ins and bombastic, rock-tinged drums and electric guitars. Way too overproduced, monotonously introspective and far too serious. Humorless in the extreme, as a matter of fact -- the most interesting song on here is "Makin' Up With You," about a couple that likes to fight (and have make-up sex afterwards)... This track is followed, figuratively, by "We Don't Have To Pray," about the aftermath of a family splitting apart when the no-good dad hits the highway. (Interesting lyrics but terrible, crashing, clamorous musical backdrop...) I suppose there is an emotional rawness to this album that redeems it, but the music is so overblown I can't stand to listen to it. Not my cup of tea.

Chalee Tennison "Parading In The Rain" (Dreamworks Records, 2003)
(Produced by James Stroud)
I simply can't find anything nice to say about this record... I don't like her voice, the music is super-generic and prefab, the songs mostly sound alike, and the lyrics are artless and bluntly crafted. I suppose this album is inoffensive in a muzak-y way, but that's about as much praise as I can muster for this one. I don't get her appeal.

Yvonne Terry & Chef Adams "Show Stoppers" (Arc Records, 1964-?) (LP)
(Produced by Ben Weatherby)
A Canadian singer, Yvonne Terry worked as the duet partner of honkytonker Chef Adams for several years in the mid 1960s. Not sure if she also recorded as a solo artist...

Texana Dames "Texana Dames" (Amazing Records, 1992)
This all-female trio was a spinoff of the fabled West Texas group, the Supernatural Family Band, which included mother Charlene Hancock, and siblings Traci and Conni Hancock.

Texas Ruby & Curly Fox "A Memorial Tribute" (Binge Disc)
Rare mid-1940s recordings from one of the Grand Ole Opry's mainstay duos. Uptempo lost-love songs galore, along with hot fiddle breakdowns by Curly Fox (who started his career in the Skillet Lickers string band, and kept the old- timey flavor alive.) Ruby's intensely masculine voice is a bit unnerving -- she sounds like a nineteen year old boy auditioning for the band -- but the material is priceless. The musicianship is particularly high on these recording, mostly from old Columbia sessions, as well as a few Opry airchecks. You can't find this stuff anywhere else, so track this one down.

Texas Ruby & Curly Fox "Fantastic Fiddlin' Fun And Songs" (Starday Records)

Texas Ruby & Curly Fox "A Memorial Tribute" (Binge Disc)
Rare mid-1940s recordings from one of the Grand Ole Opry's mainstay duos. Uptempo lost-love songs galore, along with hot fiddle breakdowns by Curly Fox (who started his career in the Skillet Lickers string band, and kept the old- timey flavor alive.) Ruby's intensely masculine voice is a bit unnerving -- she sounds like a nineteen year old boy auditioning for the band -- but the material is priceless. The musicianship is particularly high on these recording, mostly from old Columbia sessions, as well as a few Opry airchecks. You can't find this stuff anywhere else, so track this one down.

Texas Ruby & Curly Fox "We May Meet Again Someday" (BACM)

Texas Ruby "Teardrops In My Heart" (Righteous Records, 2010)

Texas Ruby & Curly Fox "Essential Masters" (Rockabilly Records, 2011)

Texas Ruby "Cowgirl Classics" (Rockabilly Records, 2011)

Linda Thompson "Versatile Heart" (Rounder Records, 2007)
(Produced by Edward Haber & Teddy Thompson)
Bookended by two gentle instrumentals, this album showcases British folk doyenne Linda Thompson's continued mastery of her craft. Although this acoustic-based album isn't as giddily joyful or as puckish as her previous release, Fashionably Late, it is packed with finely crafted gems such as the sardonic title track, one of several new songs cowritten with her son, Teddy Thompson, and a number of intelligently wrought folksongs. The overall mood here is rather doleful and resigned, a reflection, perhaps, of the times, as Thompson references the Iraq war a few times, including in the moving Tom Waits-Kathleen Brennan tune, "Day After Tomorrow." Thompson makes the most of her connections in English trad scene, bringing in accordionist John Kirkpatrick, as well as Eliza Carthy and the Waterson clan (on "Bob Copper And Me," a lovely tribute to one of England's finest singers of traditional song). On a few tunes she also hosts Irish guitarist John Doyle, who is fast becoming his generation's version of bassist Danny Thompson, a seemingly ubiquitous player whose fluid style and solid reliability adds magic to every track he graces. This is another strong effort from Ms. Thompson, more on the traditional side this time around, but still a real treat.

Thompson Square "Thompson Square" (Stoney Creek Records, 2011)
Top Forty country from the husband and wife duo of Keifer and Shawna Thompson...

Sue Thompson -- see artist discography

Eric & Suzy Thompson "Adam And Eve Had The Blues" (Arhoolie Records, 1989)
Nice stuff from the San Francisco folkie contingent. A relaxed set which ranges from back porch acoustic folk-blues to soft-edged cajun waltzes and a bit of old-timey music thrown in for good measure. Not earthshaking, but that's kinda the point.

Suzy Thompson "No Mockingbird" (Native & Fine Records, 2003)
A nice, soulful offering from fiddler Suzy Thompson, a veteran of bands as diverse as the Any Old Time String Band, The California Cajun Orchestra and the Klezmorim, whose repertoire ranges from old bluegrass and old-time stringband music to acoustic blues and a touch of klezmer and cajun. She's joined here, on her first solo album, by a talented battery of (mostly) SF Bay Area musicians -- the esteemed Mike Seeger, banjoist Bill Evans, Maria & Geoff Muldaur, Kate Brislin and Jody Stecher, Eric Thompson, bassist Steven Strauss and others. It's a nice, understated set, with plenty of fine performances. Recommended.

Suzy Thompson "Stop & Listen" (Arhoolie Records, 2005)
Following up on her previous solo album from 2004, veteran Bay Area fiddler Suzy Thompson leaves the 'grass behind and sticks to the blues, cutting loose on this fine live set, with pickin' that leans towards the Delta... It's an open-ended love letter to the folkie/blues in-crowd... Thompson has worn many musical hats over the years, but this disc highlights her at her bluesiest, in sort of a Maria Muldaur mode, backed by longtime partner Eric Thompson and the Thompson String Ticklers... Nice rapport with her hometown crowd, too, down at Berkeley, California's fabled folk club, the Freight & Salvage Coffeehouse.

Eric & Suzy Thompson "Dream Shadows" (Herringbone Disc, 2008)

Cyndi Thomson "My World" (Capitol Records, 2001)
(Produced by Paul Worley & Tommy Lee James)

Marsha Thornton "Marsha Thornton" (MCA Records, 1989)
(Produced by Owen Bradley)

Marsha Thornton "Maybe The Moon Will Shine" (MCA Records, 1991)
(Produced by Steve Fishell)

Marsha Thornton "Farther Along -- Acapella Hymns Of Farewell" (Metronome, 2003)

Three Fox Drive "Listen To The Music" (Koch Records, 2005)
Well, yes, the title track actually is a cover of the old 1970s Doobie Brothers hit... But let's not hold that against them. (It coulda been worse: they could have done "China Grove"! ) Anyhoo, 3 Fox Drive are a swell progressive bluegrass outfit from upstate New York, built around the vocal and instrumental work of Kim, Barb and Joel Fox (on guitar, vocals and banjo, respectively...) These Foxes are continuing the legacy of their earlier band, the Fox Family bluegrass band, which put out a couple of albums in the '90s... This is fine music, with strong picking and innovative, yet solidly rootsy, arrangements... I think most contemporary 'grass fans will enjoy this album quite a bit.. There is an occasional sluggishness to their tempo and meter, but overall, this is pretty nice stuff. Folks who like Alison Krauss, Laurie Lewis and even Dolly Parton's recent acoustic outings will probably want to check this out.

Three Fox Drive "FestivaLink Presents 3 Fox Drive At Wintergrass: 2/24/07" (FestivaLink, 2005)

3 Of Hearts "3 Of Hearts" (RCA, 2001)

Pam Tillis - see artist profile

Sally Timms "To The Land Of Milk And Honey" (1995)

Sally Timms "Cowboy Sally" (EP) (Bloodshot Records, 1997)

Sally Timms "Cowboy Sally's Twilight Laments... For Lost Buckaroos" (Bloodshot Records, 1999)
Mekons frontlady Sally Timms follows her British bandmate Jon Langford into the world of Chicago "insurgent country," with this mellow set of artful neo-billy ballads. I give her credit for not falling into the trap of "keep it sloppy" cowpunk that typifies many Bloodshot releases, and for trying to elevate alt.country into a higher, more literate style, closer to the feel of the best British traditional folk music. Backing Timms up on this full-length outing are Bloodshot stalwarts such as guitarist Jon Rauhouse, Robbie Fulks and, of course, Jon Langford on a couple of cuts. Overall, though, this is a pretty mannered and reserved album -- sleepy, even -- doubtless exactly at the energy level that Timms intended, but not something that really grabs my emotions. Doesn't make you want to sing along (which I think great country music should), but it does make great background music, for those so inclined.

Sally Timms & Jon Langford "Songs Of False Hope And High Values" (Bloodshot Records, 2000)

Sally Timms "In The World Of Him" (Touch & Go Records, 2004)

Tom, Brad & Alice "Been There Still" (Copper Creek Records, 1998)

Tom, Brad & Alice "Holly Ding" (Copper Creek Records, 2000)
That's Tom Sauber, Brad Leftwich and Alice Gerrard, as venerable a group of old-timey revivalists as you're ever likely to hear. This is the trio's second album (I still haven't tracked down the first), and it's a nice, gangly set of oddly-arranged proto-bluegrass tunes, arranged and performed in a style that takes the music back to its unruly back-woods roots, when song measures and lyrics veered about with wild unpredictability. This album starts out with an unusual version of a familiar folk tune ("The Cuckoo"), forcing you right off the bat to meet these guys on their own terms. But once you settle in on their wavelength, it's a really fun little record. Recommended!

Tom, Brad & Alice "We'll Die in the Pig Pen Fighting" (Copper Creek Records, 2002)

Tom, Brad & Alice "Carve That Possum" (Copper Creek, 2005)

Rhonda Towns "I Wanna Be Loved By You" (Dawn Records, 2005)
(Produced by Norro Wilson & Jim Cotton)
It's a little disconcerting that the album art for this disc is little more than a blank slate -- I guess the label thought it would be better to mask the fact that Towns is an African-American from the eyes of potential country music buyers... Regardless, this is good-enough pop-country material, performed in the slick modern style. Towns, who emerged from the Star Search TV show and caught the attention of veteran producer Norro Wilson, is an adequate singer, performing roughly in the Trisha Yearwood tradition. When the music provides enough oompff to buoy her up, she sounds okay. On some numbers, such as her a capella rendition of "The Lord's Prayer," she flounders without backing tracks. Still, she could make it in Nashville: these days, it's all about what gets done in the studios anyway... She's got enough twang and commitment to the style to have a hit or two. Nothing earthshaking here, but there are a few nice new songs; Wilson's production always tends to sound nice and relatively traditional, so that's a plus.

Diana Trask - see artist discography

Tres Chicas "Sweetwater" (Yep Rock Records, 2004)
(Produced by Chris Stamey)
An alt-gal supergroup of sorts, featuring Hazeldine's Tonya Lamm, Lynn Blakey (Glory Fountain), and Caitlin Cary, of Whiskeytown fame, singin' a lot of three-part harmony and presenting some interesting material, with Chris Stamey producing and playing guitar... Signaling their influences, they cover an old George Jones tune and Lucinda Williams's "Am I Too Blue," a song which may carry too much history with it for others to tackle in a way that can add much to the mournful wallop Lucinda already infused into it. The overall vibe of this album is pretty folkie and soft; I kept expecting it to catch fire at some point, but it never really did... The three collaborators seemed to cede ground to one another, opting for a CSN-ish collective sound, rather than doing a round-robin your song, her song, now mine kind of thing. Which is fine; I'm sure there are plenty of Americana fans who will appreciate the change of pace and overall mellowness, although for me, personally, this disc never really gels.

Tres Chicas "Bloom, Red & The Ordinary Girl" (Yep Rock Records, 2006)

Trick Pony "Trick Pony" (Warner Brothers, 2001)

Trick Pony "On A Mission" (Warner Brothers, 2003)

Trick Pony "R.I.D.E." (Asylum-Curb Records, 2005)

Trick Pony "The Best Of Trick Pony" (Warner Brothers, 2009)

Trio "Trio" (Warner Brothers, 1987)
Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris had been palling around with each other for years before they made this album, singing backup for one another on various albums throughout the '70s, and horsing around in the studio for a while. Here they set out to formalize the arrangement, and the result sure was nice. Yeah, sure, in the aggregate I guess it is a bit syrupy, but in a sense that's kind of the point. When they hit their mark, though, it's pretty darn nice.

Trio "Trio II" (Asylum Records, 1999)
(Produced by George Massenburg)
Emmylou, Dolly, and Linda... back again! The rootsy feel of the first Trio album is subsumed to the sugary side of their musicmaking... Even though the formula is basically the same -- down-to-midtempo ballds with an acoustic backing and fine, three-part harmonies -- the magic doesn't seem the same. I wouldn't say they're coasting, exactly -- everyone seems to have their heart in it -- but they do seem lost n the technical craftsmanlike aspects of the project, neglecting that subtle roughness that makes good country music sound so great. It's an easy trap to fall into, considering how sweet these gals sound together, but it still makes for an overly bland album... Kind of a snoozer, really.

The Trio "Cross Country" (Big Mama Recording Studio, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Norbert Stovall & Al Wright)
This is more of a warning than a review. Not to be confused with the Dolly-Emmylou-Linda pop-country supergroup, Trio, this triad was made up of three gals -- Bonnie Holsinger, Peggy Stewart and Sharon Youngs -- who met as students at Maryville College, in Tennessee, and started singing together in the fall of 1977. They were soon made school "ambassadors," singing at college reunions and the like, and eventually recorded this album in nearby Knoxville. There's no date on the disc, but the liner notes mention Ms. Holsinger having graduated while the other two were still in school, so this probably dates to 1978-79, or thereabouts. Alas, despite the mention of "country" in the album title, this is pretty strictly what I'd consider a "folkie" album, with light acoustic arrangements and airy female harmonies taken straight from the 'Sixties folk revival playbook... Yeah, they sing "Rocky Top" and "I Saw The Light," but "Oh Suzannah" and "Leaving On A Jet Plane" were really more on their wavelength. (They also sing the "Maryville College Alma Mater," written by John Woodside Ritchie, in case anyone is looking for a version...) Nothing wrong with this album, just it's probably not of much interest to country-oriented twangfans.

LaCosta Tucker - see artist discography

Tanya Tucker - see artist discography

Mary Lou Turner & Bill Anderson "Sometimes" (MCA, 1976) (LP)
One of two albums singer Mary Lou Turner recorded with songwriter Bill Anderson... This includes their duet, "Sometimes," which was #1 hit single...

Mary Lou Turner & Bill Anderson "Billy Boy And Mary Lou" (MCA, 1977) (LP)

Shania Twain - see artist discography

Twister Alley "Twister Alley" (Mercury Records, 1993)
(Produced by Mike Lawler & Harold Shedd)
An iffy outing from this one-hit outfit from Arkansas... Vocalist Shellee Morris is enthusiastic and gives it all she's got, but when all is said and done, turns out that really isn't that much -- she's just a smidge flat most of the time, and it doesn't always come off as "twang." The production's pretty generic, too, and the highly compressed sound mix smudges out a lot of the contributions of various band members, though, really, there's nothing overly memorable on this disc. Mostly this seems to have been an outlet for the songwriting ambitions of co-producer Mike Lawler, who claims songwriting co-credit on almost all the songs the band recorded. The single was "Dance," a linedance-y novelty tune that featured the pop of a bullwhip each time Morris barks out the song title... Not something you need to try too hard to track down.

Bonnie Tyler "From The Heart: Greatest Hits" (2007)
As far as country fans go, rocker Bonnie Tyler's irresistible proto-synth power ballad, "It's A Heartache" pretty much encompasses her career. Of course, she had a lot of rock/pop/AOR hits as well, but that Top Ten hit was the track that briefly pointed the raspy-voiced Welsh gal towards Nashville. This is a pretty good best-of set, but it's mostly pop stuff.

Bonnie Tyler "Natural Force/It's A Heartache" (RCA, 1978)
This is a reissue of her second album, which included her crossover pop-country breakthrough, "It's A Heartache." There are also some other reasonably rough-edged, rootsy tunes, including a surprisingly rugged remake of Stevie Wonder's "Living For The City," along with plenty of more straight-ahead pop stuff. If you're strictly a twang fan, you could probably download "Heartache" and skip almost everything else.

Kris Tyler "What a Woman Knows" (Rising Tide Records, 1998)
A pretty rootsy set, with lots of fiddle and pedal steel, and a nice, loping twangy vibe. Tyler tilted towards the Top Forty, too, although she didn't quite manage to break into the country charts. This appears to be her only album...

Lynne Tyndall "Out Of The Blue" (Evergreen, 1987)

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Hick Music Index
Sisters Who Swung: Women In Jazz & Blues

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