Airwaves

by Brian Goslow

The offspring of '60s rockers are finding themselves in the spotlight on Nick DiBiasio's Against the Grain, aired Saturdays from 8 p.m. to midnight on WICN (90.5 FM).

Rufus Wainwright, whose father Loudon III gave us the dead skunk in the middle of the road and whose mom is Canadian folkster Kate McGarrigle, has his self-titled debut on DreamWorks. "The record is really good," says DiBiasio. "It's produced by John Brion, who produced Aimee Mann's solo CDs. It features tack pianos with that jangley sound. His sister Martha Wainwright also sings on a few songs. His voice is reminiscent of his father." You can't say the same about Chris Stills, whose new CD is 100 Year Thing (Atlantic). "He doesn't sound anything like his father at all, which might be a good thing for him. It's nice acoustic rock with a lot of nice percussion, especially on 'If I Were a Mountain.'"

Eliza Carthy, daughter of folk legends Norma Waterson (Watersons) and Martin Carthy (Steeleye Span), has a new two-CD set, Red Rice (Topic). "The Rice disc is more traditionally Celtic sounding with fiddles, while Red is more modern with jazz drum and bass sounds that's more experimental but doesn't cut it as much as the other one."

Fathers of a nation, Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson, tell their tale on VH1 Storytellers (American). Highlights include Nelson's rendition of Cash's "Worried Man" and the Man in Black's "Drive On" and "I Still Miss Someone." Billy Bragg and Wilco are receiving enormous attention for their work with Woody Gutherie's previously unheard lyrics on Mermaid Avenue (Elektra). "It still has that Billy Bragg style on it," DiBiasio explains. "The Wilco stuff sounds like Wilco, especially on `California Stars,' the song the record company is promoting as a single. But it has too much of a country sound to it [for Top 40 radio], but not enough to make it on country stations."

Lucinda Williams's Car Wheels on a Gravel Road (Mercury) was worth the wait. "It was actually recorded three years ago for the American label, but they were having financial difficulties." DiBiasio's favorite cut is "Can't Let Go," which sounds like an "old swamp blues song." The songstress had lots of help in the studio, including Jim Lauderdale, Emmylou Harris, Steve Earle, Buddy Miller, and Bo Ramsey. She's at Pearl Street in Northampton on August 7.

The Cowboy Junkies' Miles from Out Home (Geffen) "is a different sound for them, very exotic aural soundscapes with droning guitars." Top tracks are "Blue Guitar" (with lyrics cowritten by Townes Van Zant) and "Summer of Discontent." Great Big Sea's Rant and Roar (Sire) is the group's first American CD after three Canadian releases. "They're from Newfoundland. It's great rockin' Celtic music." DiBiasio is playing the title track from Guy Davis's acoustic-blues-flavored If You Don't Know My Mind (Red House) and Patty Griffin's Flaming Red (A&M), which has a nice, modern, acoustic-rock sound especially on "One Big Love."

Neil Finn returns with Try Whistling This (Sony). "It's more exotic sounding than anything he did with Crowded House. The title track is my favorite, along with `She Will Have Her Way,' a more summery pop song." Finn will appear at a free concert on August 29 at Government Center in Boston. Debbie Davies's Round Every Corner (Shanachie) features a straight-forward cover of Credence Clearwater Revival's "Who'll Stop the Rain?" and the Otis Rush classic, "Harmony." "It's a nice modern blues album. She's a great singer and a great guitar player."