Lucinda Gayl Williams is an American singer-songwriter and a solo guitarist. She recorded her first two albums, Ramblin' on My Mind (1979) and Happy Woman Blues (1980), in a traditional country and blues style that received critical praise but little public or radio attention. In 1988, she released her third album, Lucinda Williams, to widespread critical acclaim. Regarded as "an Americana classic", the album also features "Passionate Kisses", a song later recorded by Mary Chapin Carpenter for her 1992 album Come On Come On, which garnered Williams her first Grammy Award for Best Country Song in 1994. Known for working slowly, Williams released her fourth album, Sweet Old World, four years later in 1992. Sweet Old World was met with further critical acclaim, and was voted the 11th best album of 1992 in The Village Voice's Pazz & Jop, an annual poll of prominent music critics. Robert Christgau, the poll's creator, ranked it 6th on his own year-end list, later writing that the album, as well as Lucinda Williams, were "gorgeous, flawless, brilliant".
The Black Keys are an American rock duo formed in Akron, Ohio, in 2001. The group consists of Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney (drums). The duo began as an independent act, recording music in basements and self-producing their records, before they eventually emerged as one of the most popular garage rock artists during a second wave of the genre's revival in the 2000s. The band's raw blues rock sound draws heavily from Auerbach's blues influences, including Junior Kimbrough, R.L. Burnside, Howlin' Wolf, and Robert Johnson.
Santa Claus Lane is the debut studio album and first Christmas album by American singer Hilary Duff. It was released in the United States on October 15, 2002, by Buena Vista Records. The holiday album contains covers of Christmas songs, including "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town", "Jingle Bell Rock" "Wonderful Christmastime", "Sleigh Ride", and "Last Christmas". The album also features guest appearances from Christina Milian, Romeo Miller and Hilary's older sister Haylie Duff.
Catherine Tift Merritt is an American singer-songwriter and musician. She has released seven studio albums, two for Lost Highway Records, two for Fantasy Records, and three for Yep Roc Records.
Rodney Crowell is an American musician, known primarily for his work as a singer and songwriter in country music. Crowell has had five number one singles on Hot Country Songs, all from his 1988 album Diamonds & Dirt. He has also written songs and produced for other artists.
The Mavericks are an American country music band from Miami, Florida. The band consists of Raul Malo, Paul Deakin (drums), Eddie Perez, and Jerry Dale McFadden (keyboards). Malo and Deakin founded the band in 1989 along with Robert Reynolds and Ben Peeler. After one independent album, the band was signed by MCA Nashville Records and David Lee Holt replaced Peeler on lead guitar; he would be replaced by Nick Kane shortly after their second MCA album and third overall 1994's What a Crying Shame. The band recorded a total of four albums for MCA and one for Mercury Records before disbanding in 2000. They reunited for one album in 2003 on Sanctuary Records, by which point Perez had become their fourth guitarist, and former touring keyboardist Jerry Dale McFadden became an official fifth member. The lineup of Malo, Deakin, Reynolds, Perez, and McFadden reunited a second time in 2012 for a series of new albums, first on Big Machine Records' Valory imprint and then on Mono Mundo. Reynolds was fired in 2014 and Ed Friedland served as touring bassist until 2023.
Matraca Maria Berg Hanna is an American country music singer and songwriter. She has released five albums: three for RCA Records, one for Rising Tide Records and one for Dualtone Records, and has charted in the top 40 of the U.S. Billboard country charts with "Baby, Walk On" and "The Things You Left Undone," both at No. 36. Besides most of her own material, Berg has written hits for T.G. Sheppard, Karen Brooks, Trisha Yearwood, Deana Carter, Patty Loveless, Kenny Chesney and others. In 2008 she was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and in 2018 she received the Poet's Award from the Academy of Country Music Awards.
Highway 101 was an American country music band founded in 1986 in Los Angeles, California. The initial lineup consisted of Paulette Carlson, Jack Daniels (guitar), Curtis Stone, and Scott "Cactus" Moser (drums). Prior to the band's founding, Carlson was a solo artist. With her as lead vocalist, the band recorded three albums for Warner Bros. Records Nashville. After Carlson left in 1990 to pursue a solo career, the band recorded a fourth album for Warner with Nikki Nelson on lead vocals before exiting the label. One album each followed on Liberty, Intersound, and Free Falls Records under various lineups.
Susan Jane "Suzie" McNeil is a Canadian pop rock singer and songwriter. After garnering attention as a contestant on Rock Star: INXS in 2005, McNeil began pursuing a musical career and released her debut album, Broken & Beautiful, on April 10, 2007. Its second single, "Believe" was re-recorded with the National Arts Centre Orchestra in support of Canada's Own the Podium campaign, and served as the official anthem of the Canadian team for the 2010 Winter Olympics. McNeil performed alongside Theory of a Deadman and Andrée Watters at the halftime show during the 96th Grey Cup. Her second studio album, Rock-n-Roller (2008), spawned the successful single "Supergirl", a cover of the Saving Jane song. In 2011, McNeil signed with Canadian label 604 Records and enjoyed mainstream success with the songs "Drama Queen" and "Merry Go Round". They preceded the release of her third studio album, Dear Love, which came out on August 7, 2012.
Paulette Tenae Carlson is an American country singer-songwriter, who rose to fame in the 1980s as the founder and lead vocalist for the country band Highway 101. With Highway 101, she charted four No. 1 hit singles, seven Top 10 hits and won two Country Music Association Awards. As a solo artist, she has charted five times on Hot Country Songs and recorded three studio albums. Her most successful solo single is "I'll Start with You", which peaked at number 21 in 1991. Carlson continues to tour and record new music as a solo artist.
Nicole Rachel "Nikki" Yanofsky is a Canadian jazz-pop singer from Montreal, Quebec. She sang the CTV Olympic broadcast theme song, "I Believe", which was also the theme song of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. She also performed at the opening and closing ceremonies for the Olympics and at the opening ceremony of the 2010 Winter Paralympic Games. She has released four studio albums to date, including Nikki in 2010, Little Secret in 2014, Turn Down the Sound in 2020, and Nikki By Starlight in 2022.
Lyle Lovett and His Large Band is Lyle Lovett's third album, released in 1989. Lovett won the Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance for the album.
"I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better" is a song by the Los Angeles folk rock band the Byrds, first released in June 1965 on the B-side of the band's second single, "All I Really Want to Do". Despite initially being released as a B-side, the song managed to chart in its own right in the U.S., just outside the Billboard Hot 100. It was also included on the Byrds' debut album, Mr. Tambourine Man.
Psychedelic Lollipop is the debut album by the American rock band the Blues Magoos, and is one of the first records to have the word “psychedelic” on the sleeve. Their single “(We Ain't Got) Nothin' Yet” was their most successful effort, rising into the Top 10 on many national charts. Guitarist Emil “Peppy” Thielhelm was 16 years old at the time of the single’s release. The band recorded five more albums with various lineups, none reaching the success of Psychedelic Lollipop.
"Highway 20 Ride" is a song recorded by American country music group Zac Brown Band, written by lead singer Zac Brown and Wyatt Durrette. The song was released in November 2009 as the fourth single from the band's 2009 album The Foundation. It is the band's third Number One on the U.S. country singles chart.
All or Nothin' is the second studio album by American outlaw country singer Nikki Lane. It was released on May 6, 2014 on New West Records.
Highway Queen is the third studio album by American outlaw country singer Nikki Lane. It was released on February 17, 2017 on New West Records.
Yolanda Claire Quartey, known professionally as Yola or Yola Carter, is an English singer-songwriter and musician. Her debut studio album Walk Through Fire (2019) received critical acclaim and earned her four Grammy Award nominations, including Best New Artist. Her follow-up, Stand for Myself (2021), received similar acclaim and earned her two more Grammy nominations. Yola made her acting debut in 2022, portraying "godmother of rock n roll" Sister Rosetta Tharpe in Baz Luhrman’s biopic Elvis.
Color Me Country is a studio album by American country music artist Linda Martell. It was released in August 1970 via Plantation Records and was produced by Shelby Singleton. The album contained three charting singles by Martell, including her cover of "Color Him Father". The album also reached a charting position following its original release. Color Me Country was the only album released in Martell's music career. It has since been reissued in several formats and has received positive reviews since its original release date.
Saddle the Wind is a studio album by American country artist Janie Frickie. It was released in July 1988 via Columbia Records and contained ten tracks. The disc featured several cover versions of classic country songs and some new recordings. It was the thirteenth studio collection released in Frickie's career and spawned three singles: "Where Does Love Go ", "I'll Walk Before I Crawl" and "Heart". The album received a favorable review from AllMusic following its release.
