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Night Crow is the third album from Fort Wayne's Possum Trot Orchestra. This album sounds somehow more self assured and sure footed then its predecessors 2005's self titled The Possum Trot Orchestra and 2006's Harbour Road. While these album showed off the bands musical dexterity and love of American roots music, this one demonstrates their own sound. Although the Country, Folk and Bluegrass influences are still there the've been molded into a style of their own. Susie Suraci's vocals are bluesy and soulful on stand out tracks such as Dry Dry Dry and John Minton's voice recalls early Neil Young on the enjoyable and upbeat "Out of Bed"

Honeyboy Edwards is one of the few original prewar blues men still recording and playing live. At a sprightly 92 Edwards is still going strong. Earwig Music must be applauded for putting this collection of fresh takes on old gems together. Honeyboy's Guitar and vocals are raw and intense. This is the kind of blues that cuts to your heart from the first note to the last. Bobby Rush and Michael Franks add some fine Harmonica playing on songs such as the title track "Roaming and Rambling" and the opener "Apron String" as does Walter Horton on Smoky Mountains"

California's Rancho Delux blend some fine rocking musicianship with some skilffully constructed songs. Country, Rock and Blues are all thrown into the mix. Jesse Jay Harris has managed to pull of that tough trick of getting a clean and at the same time gritty production. There are melodic track such as Maintenance Man, mixed with some good time country stompers such as Ghost Town. Megan Lynch brings her National Fiddle Champion skills to bare on Semi Cool Cube. Jesse Harris plays some intricate guitar lines trading licks with Greg Harris on "Mercy Me". For quieter more introspective moments check out the heart rendering Best of the Fray.

Bob Smith's roots lie in the punk rock that inspired him to form the acclaimed Punk combo Demob in the 70s. This was before discovering Dylan, Springsteen and Tom Waits. Perhaps this is why his latest album "This is the story" carries such a hard edginess. The music is diverse Americana and Country tunes such as The Sea of Wishful Thinking and Train a Comin sit alongside others that lend more from traditional english folk music like "Soldiers Tale". The punk roots probably help to explain the social concern of tracks like Union Mine Disasters. This a good one.

Stoney Clove Lane's - Jeremy Bernstein and Adam Widoff recall the sprit of the low slung early 70s rock of Creedence and the Band. But this is forward looking Americana, and the pair have managed to produce a rootsy DIY sound. The album starts with the bluesy intro, the groovy opener - Crawl. The pair play most of the instruments themselves but, the musicians that the they have chosen, contribute well on a few tracks for example, Joe Magistro on drums, Fred Cash and Paul Schiavo on bass fit it in seamlessly. The majority of the songs have a laid back calm. Stand out are the melancholy By Your Side and Mine to Mine

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