The sexism that so often goes hand-in-hand with assigning credit for popcraft is virtually always a one-way street. From the naysayers who claimed Courtney Love owed her career to Cobain and Corgan, to the implication that M.I.A.'s is chiefly Diplo's creation, to the innumerable female pop stars who get treated like automatons incapable of creative input (while Justin Timberlake is lauded as a savvy popsmith, of course), the same unfortunate scenario continues to play out of a woman's work being attributed to a man.

Eileen Rose is a quietly intense artist, her voice cannot hide the subtle rapture behind her melodic lyrical offerings. Eileen writes and performs with a poet's heart and story-teller's soul; her songs all have strong narrative quality and substance. She may live in New Hampshire, but Eileen Rose’s heart lies in the UK, not least “shooting the breeze in a boozer for hours on end… if you did that in Boston people would think you had a serious problem!”. Prior to her solo career, Rose was frontwoman for the bands, Daisy Chain, Medici Slot Machine and Fledgling. Eileen has toured with similarly respected artists Ryan Adams, the Pernice Brothers, Ron Sexsmith, Eddi reader, Ani DiFranco and Turin Brakes to name a few.

I was first introduced to Kristyn Smyth through her successful release on the Country Hotdisc with "The Heart Of Dixie," of which I wrote, "While most of today's female, so called Country artists are putting out pop records, Kristyn is very modern, but very definitely country. Hopefully, "The Heart Of Dixie" will do well enough for Kristyn to show the major labels that you can appeal to today's young country music fans without crossing over into pop." Well, the song did do well and I now get the chance to review her debut album for Barrister Records, a small indie record company in Alabama.

As the Kendalls, Jeannie and her father Royce created commercial, tradition-based hits ("Heaven's Just a Sin Away" and "Thank God for the Radio") and became among the most successful duos of the late '70s. The hits had been far fewer when they began work on this acoustic album in 1998, prior to Royce's sudden death of a stroke.

Clint Daniels was born in Panama City, FL, on August 24 in 1974. He grew up in Lynn Haven, a suburb of Panama City, where he learned to ride horses. His father was a painter and played guitar, and his mother worked at home. Recalling those early years, Daniels remembers singing with his sister and in church. He also claims to have been influenced by bluegrass music. At the age of 12 he began to teach himself guitar. Locked in his room with Haggard and Jones, he began to figure out the chords and notes he needed to play the songs he loved so much.

Bomshel has been tooling around the Nashville scene for many years now and signed a deal with Curb Records who gave them their own label, Bombstomp Records as well, for the release of their debut record. Bomshel was comprised of Buffy "Buf" Lawson as lead singer and Kristy O providing harmony and playing the fiddle. You most likely have heard their debut single "Bomshel Stomp," in dance halls and honky tonks alike over the past few years. Three singles were released in late 2006 from their cd, including 'Bomshel Stomp', 'Ain't My Day To Care', and 'It was an Absolutely, Finger Lickin', Grits And Chicken, Country Music Love song'.

Jim Lauderdale has a reputation as a country music star’s favorite country musician. Artists as talented and diverse as Lucinda Williams, Ralph Stanley, George Jones, and Dwight Yoakam have all sung his praises. Lauderdale himself has fine taste in country musicians. Just look at who he has assembled to play on his latest effort.

Bryna sits in the center of modern country with some light electric twang and personable lyrics (crafted by Nashville songsmiths) of self-discovery, battered women, love, eloping and heartbreak. The kiss-off "Set it on Fire" sounds a bit like the sass of Martina McBride (though she pronounces "fire" in two distinct syllables like Pat Benetar and Jim Morrison), and the diary of a hotel room "Room 228" cleverly catalogs the highs and lows of those who've passed between its sheets. Even better is the Wynonna-styled blues of "Same Dog," the single woman's "No Man's Land," and Keith Urban's ode to broadcast's unique listener connection, "According to the Radio." The album has a good balance of ballads and upbeat songs, and though Bryna occasionally sounds a bit over-trained as a country singer, it's the music she clearly loves, and those who enjoy Nashville's modern sounds will find much to like here.

As a founding member of The Jayhawks and their lead singer and guitarist on three of their critically acclaimed recordings "Sound of Lies," "Smile" and "Rainy Day Music," a member of the alt.-country super group,, Golden Smog, and a producer and mentor for other roots rockers such as Canadian psychedelic-country group The Sadies, Louris needs no introduction to those in the music industry. Dripping with the residue of Topanga Canyon classics that preceded it decades ago, the first solo album from Jayhawks co-founder Gary Louris is an intimate and warm effort tutored by the timelessness of early '70s SoCal country rock.

Catherine Britt has previously released two traditional based albums, had a major deal, and spent the summer on the road with Brooks & Dunn and Alan Jackson. A lot has changed over the past few months. Her label and her parted ways, she returned home to Australia, was picked up by ABC Records, and is unleashing her new album "Little Wildflower" to our ears. Grammy award winning producer Brett Beavers sat behind the board and helped Catherine move out of the traditional style a bit and infuse her brand of pop into her style of country to make a solid album with a little bit of something for any fan of today's country.

When you're describing one of the world's most talented cowboys and one of country music's most promising stars, there are never enough good things to say. But for Trent Willmon, awesome sums it up. Trent released his new CD, 'Broken In' with Compadre Records. You can hear it in his voice as soon as the first song starts, that Trent is refreshed. Be prepared to hear something new, as well as the great sound we have all enjoyed from the start of his career.

It’s tough for some traditional country fans to admit that the days when every budding country music star steps off the bus in Nashville from the cottonfields of Dyess, Arkansas or the coal mines of Butcher Holler, Kentucky are over. This shift accelerated in the 1990s, when Windsor, Ontario native Shania Twain became the best selling female artist of all time and shared the airwaves with, of all people, Princeton, New Jersey born singer-songwriter Mary Chapin Carpenter.

Grammy-winning producer, virtuoso musician, hit songwriter, legendary A&R executive and, of course, lovable American Idol judge - Randy Jackson has called upon every aspect of his staggering career to produce Randy Jackson's Music Club, Vol. 1, his first solo album, which was released March 11, 2008, on his new label, Dream Merchant 21, and released through the Concord Music Group.

The first song conceived for West Texas originated in a moment of solitude while Jim Ward was waiting to soundcheck on what turned out to be the last At The Drive In tour. Fast forward seven years, and Ward is set to release a full length album chock full of Americana rock inspired by all things West Texas and influenced by the likes of The Old 97’s, Tom Petty and Bruce Springsteen. The songs explore different uses of rhythms, voices and moods, allowing Ward to be more diverse with the compositions.