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Country Comforts
Former Blood Oranges vocalist Cheri Knight finds new life under Steve Earle's wing. [6]
Jonathan Perry

Three of a Kind
Texas boogie-woogie pianist Marcia Ball, New Orleans soul queen Irma Thomas, and Mother Earth herself, Tracy Nelson had more fun that you will with their collaborative CD, "Sing It." [7]
Clea Simon

Natural Highs
Victoria Williams's "Musings of a Creekdipper" is as starkly beautiful, as mystical and fractured as the landscape of her desert home. [8]
Joan Anderman

Louisville Ladies
"Springtime," the latest from the Louisville's Freakwater, sparkles like a rough-cut diamond dropped in a glass of whiskey. [9]
Chris Tweney

Country Queens
Nashville's crossover action is in the hands of new country queens such as LeAnn Rimes and Shania Twain. [10]
Franklin Soults

Deep Shleep
With his first release in six years, Robert Wyatt returns to the droll lyrics, complex melodies, sparse arrangements that made him important. [11]
Mac Randall

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Reality Check
Sixteen Deluxe anticipates the release of their new album on Warner Bros., "Emits Showers of Sparks". Today, Wheatsville Co-op; tomorrow, the world? [2]
Christopher Gray

Small-Town Heroes
With a name like Slobberbone, and their contempt for big record companies, you know this Denton, Texas, band has just got to be good. [3]
Brendan Doherty

Celestial Skinsman
He was the most unusual jazz performer in Knoxville, Tennessee, if not the country: Samarai Celestial. Mike Gibson relates the life of this one-of-a-kind musician. [4]
Mike Gibson

The Space Program
ST-37 and their new album on Black Widow, "Spaceage." [5]
Ken Lieck

Why do you think Cheri Knight left the so-called Blood Oranges to pursue a solo career? No, not because hemoglobin and citrus don't mix -- it was the name! Why stick with a band named after clotting fruit when you can exploit a top-notch title like Cheri Knight (a combination of George Washington and Arhurian legends all rolled into one)? Such basic-but-respectably named artists as Robert Wyatt; Mark Eitzel; LeAnn Rimes and Shania Twain; and the trio of Marcia Ball, Irma Thomas and Tracy Nelson will never have to worry about changing trends or the quizzical glances of people put off by a mystifying moniker. Now if only we could get Victoria Williams to avoid odd album titles like "Musings of a Creekdipper." But perhaps I'm getting too persnickety.

Look, all I'm saying is: leave the weird names to the weirdos.

Yours truly,

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Dark Mark
Eccentric Mark Eitzel trades on mopiness and self-absorption, but there's also an openness to his vocals that can be touching. [12]
Stephanie Zacharek

Atomic Bombs
Saxophonists Ken Vandermark and Mats Gustafsson go for broke on their new CD, "Blow Horn." [13]
Ed Hazell

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Tiny Tunes

• Kip Winger
• Silver Scooter

Boston Phoenix CD Reviews

• The Ramones
• Entombed
• Fred Frith
• The London Suede
• The Gothic Archies
• Pat DiNizio
• Ethnic Heritage Ensemble
• Pete (LaRoca) Sims

Now What?
If you go gaga over the sultry smoothness of a symphonic glissando, just wait till you experience our transitions to cool and useful music links on the Web. [18]

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