Eric Lindell follows up his highly praised 2006 debut CD titled Change In The Weather, with another masterpiece titled “Low On Cash, Rich In Love.” Lindell is blessed with a deep soulful voice, that breathes life into his songs. His vocal talents are supported here by outstanding instrumentals as well. The first, of hopefully many, singles to be released from this CD is “Lay Back Down.” Lindell’s easy flowing passionate voice is accentuated by a smooth guitar that underlies the vocals exactly enough to not be overpowering. The song is one of eleven songs written by Lindell, and is lyrically the best here with depth that others lack. His vocal abilities more than make up for this, however.

The best singing and songwriting partnerships involve a respectful give and take, whether it's in the trading of lyrical or melodic ideas, an exchange of guitar riffs, or the blending of vocal harmonies. More than 25 years ago, Kurt Neumann and Sammy Llanas initiated such a partnership in Waukesha, Wisconsin when they formed the BoDeans. As front men for what would become one of America's premier rootsrock bands, the duo forged a signature sound based on heartfelt lyrics, passionate harmonies, and ringing guitars.

Sultry and seductive are just two of the many tags that Quango recording artist Rosey has tucked in her back pocket, but those come just as easily as what Entertainment Weekly once dubbed "as cool as anything you'll hear" or as Rolling Stone described as "Boho chic, grrrl power". Sassy and alluring, she's sauntering back with her new album Luckiest Girl to be released in March 2008, proudly displaying a new jazzy direction that's perfectly suited for her smoky and textured vocals.

Though her track record as an album artist isn't as unblemished as some, including the Recording Academy, would have us believe (though not bad, The Globe Sessions was a disappointment following its self-titled predecessor, and C'mon C'mon was MOR pap at its most painful), Sheryl Crow remains a consistently impressive singles artist. From her charmingly belligerent debut, "Leaving Las Vegas," to 2005's lush, quietly contemplative "Good Is Good," Crow hasn't released a lead single I haven't loved. That streak, it seems, would be broken by the singer-songwriter's hippy anthem "Love Is Free," which chugs along like a well-oiled parade float but is a little too cute-n'-bouncy for its source material (the failed federal response to Hurricane Katrina), if not for a technicality: The single was preceded by the airplay-only "Shine Over Babylon," a more sobering take on current events that is sonically closer to "If It Makes You Happy" than "Soak Up the Sun."

It's been a while since we featured a singer/songwriter as CD of the Day, but Daniel Palmer's Home Sweet Home has broken the dry spell with 11 quality tunes that will appeal to fans of popsters such as Warren Zanes and David Mead, as well as fans of rootsier artists like Steve Earle and Jeff Tweedy.

German born, but American based from the age of 13, this is Antje’s debut studio album, and it’s easily one of the most assured, and melody & lyric rich collection of songs you could wish to hear. There’s a subtle air across the eleven songs; her voice is beautifully restrained, the words are concise but full of details, and she addresses the issues in her songs in fresh way, and both personal and social subjects are handled with great style. She mixes humour, sadness, warmth with a good dose of harsh reality in her songs to create some honest, eloquent and powerful lyrics.

A real Okie from Muskogee, Stacie Collins will kick your a**, country-style. Ever since Gretchen Wilson's "Redneck Woman" seized No. 1 in 2004, a new outlaw movement has threatened to ransack Nashville: the bada** country mama. We're talking about a gritty babe who takes no sh*t from men, who's honed her barstool feminism in roadhouses, who knows "all the words to every Charlie Daniels song."

Talk about trying to capitalize on your one 25-year-old semi-hit. Terry Cashman is a lot of things, most of which I have no idea about. But what I do know about Terry Cashman is that he loves baseball. You may or may not know who Terry Cashman is, but I'm sure you'd recognize his 1981 tune, "Talkin' Baseball." It was used in commercials to promote the Yankees when they were on WPIX Channel 11 back in the day (I realize if you don't live in the NYC area that this reference means nothing, but work with me here). The song was a tribute to, not just the Yankees, but lots of baseball greats of the 1950's. It's a good song. It has a nice melody; you'd have to be an a**hole to knock it. (ALSO: You might remember this from that baseball episode of the Simpsons. Cashman actually redid the song specifically for the cartoon with new Homer-related lyrics.)

Countless Westerns have centered around the theme of a young turk coming into town to try to take down a legendary gunslinger. Well, for the past couple of decades, Willie Nelson has turned that imagery on its head, attracting countless younger artists eager to soak up some of his musical mojo and infuse the master's work with some of their own spirit.

Trisha Yearwood is to me one of the absolute stars in the country scene. I'm sure she lost some fans after marrying Garth Brooks but can you really blame her for going after her man? Trisha is strong, often described as a "real woman" what ever that would be. When she sings notes will fly and I bet there is nobody that could outperform her on stage! Every time she comes out with an album there is great reviews from critiques but still she does not sell like some other stars. Why is that? Maybe she is not commercial enough. Maybe she is not pop enough. I truly do not know why! This album comes out for the Valentine's Day market 2008 and it is just about everything country music lover like me will cherish!

"For the people that say 'country' is what's missing from today's country music, find Ruby Lovett." Garth Brooks

Specializing in a unique mix of what might be called bluegrass soul, the SteelDrivers are comprised of a group of veteran Nashville session players including Richard Bailey on banjo, Mike Fleming on bass, Mike Henderson on mandolin, Tammy Rogers on fiddle, and Chris Stapleton on guitar and lead vocals. It is Stapleton's bluesy, hoarse, and Tom Waits-like singing that really sets the SteelDrivers apart in the often generic contemporary bluegrass genre, where a high and lonesome tenor lead vocal is typically heard. Stapleton's passionate croaking gives the SteelDrivers an authentic, aged, and rootsy feel.