Short Shorts The AM String Band - Take Root! (Independent Release) This is literally taking music back to its roots! It is a trio, two men and a woman, based in Montana who play a variety of acoustic stringed instruments. Percussion is from tapping their feet. Fiddles, banjos and acoustic guitars abound on each track. Roots / folk music it certainly is! The playing and singing are fine, but the trouble is each song does sound like the previous one. You can almost see the finger in the ear as each singer takes a lead vocal. It is probably fantastic in a live setting, but on a CD it is for purists only, I'm afraid. Steve O. Taneytown - East Of Everything (Corazong) Americana sells well in Holland, and Dutch alt. country rockers Taneytown have bought their fair share. East Of Everything is their second album and it focuses on the personal - love, death and the pursuit of a tolerable level of happiness. The band write decent enough songs, but lack both gritty authenticity and the ability to make hooks stick around after the record has finished. Rob F. Tish Hinojosa - Our Little Planet (Continental Song City) A star of Austin’s Tex-Mex scene for a number of years, Tish Hinojosa music crosses all sorts of borders and remains a breath of fresh air for fans. Our Little Planet includes both English and Spanish material, both performed with consummate skill and plenty of soul. It also reflects her rediscovered love of country music, and is a melting pot of Americana styles and sounds - Rosie Flores, Dale Watson and Carrie Rodriguez all turn up for duets. Rob F. Artichoke Heart Soufflé - Who You Know (Independent) A seven-track debut from brother and sister outfit, the curiously christened Artichoke Heart Soufflé. Brad and Stacy Michelson play easy-on-the-ear indie pop, with nods to The Shins, Lemonheads and various others. Both siblings are convincing lead vocalists, and deliver sparkly harmonies when called upon. Whizz over to their Myspace page for a taste, and if you like what you hear, you’ll not be disappointed with Who You Know. Simon T. Stephen Now - Through And Through (Independent) With a style which can best be described as theatrical rock, Stephen Now probably doesn’t sell an awful lot of records. It can be a bastard being out of fashion, but it does allow artistic freedom, and Now doesn’t shirk from his responsibilities. Through And Through is always entertaining, and supplies a plethora of big sing-a-long choruses which, if their was any justice in the world, would be ringing out at bath time in a million homes. It’s not going to happen, but it’s still worth tracking down if you’re in the mood for some contemporary glam goodness. Rob F. www.amstringband.com www.corazong.com www.mundotish.com www.artichokeheartsouffle.com www.stephennow.com Next