Liz Boardo "Liz Boardo" (Roell, 2006)
I'm not sure, but I think this CD is a reissue... It doesn't include either of Boardo's (minor) hits from 1987, but it definitely has an '80s feel. Anyone know for sure?

Ginger Boatwright "Fertile Ground" (Flying Fish, 1991)
One of the driving forces behind the poppy early '70s newgrass band, Red, White & Bluegrass, singer-songwriter Boatwright returns with a talky, folky, mid-tempo album that doesn't really wow me, but may appeal to fans of mature, high-concept "progressive" bluegrass. An all-star cast of "usual suspects" superpickers back her up, including folks such as Jerry Douglas, Sam Bush, Doug Dillard, Mark O'Connor... The overall effect is similar to what Nanci Griffith or, later, Alison Krauss would record. It sounds okay in a broader bluegrass mix, but taken as an entire album, feels a little too intellectual for me. Good stuff, though, for the style!

Ginger Boatwright "Sipsey" (2000)

Ginger Boatwright "Inside The Gate" (2007)
A gospel offering...

Suzy Bogguss - see artist discography

Bonnie Blue Eyes & Bob Atcher "The Tophand Of The Cowhands" (Binge Discs, 1998)
A delightful set of western tunes, soft heartsongs and lighthearted novelty numbers from the husband-wife duo of 1939-1946 Bob Atcher and Bonnie Blue Eyes (aka Loeta Applegate, who was married to Atcher until 1945, when they split the act. She retired, he went on the do a lot of TV and radio work in and around Chicago... ) Included is her parody/answer song, "Seven Beers With The Wrong Man" -- one of the first country hits by a solo female artists -- and his comedic version of "Thinking Tonight Of My Blue Eyes," along with sweet western standards such as "Cool Water" and Johnny Bond's "Poor Little Rose." It's all lovely stuff; understated and sentimental, and with sweet vocal harmonies. These recordings catch the duo at the peak of their commercial fame. Nice stuff... Recommended!

Bonnie Blue Eyes & Bob Atcher "The Golden Age Of Bob Atcher & Bonnie Blue Eyes" (Binge Discs, 1998)

Bonnie Lou "Doin' The Tennessee Wig Walk" (Westside, 2000)

Bonnie Lou "Bonnie Lou Sings!" (Collector's Gold)

Bonnie Lou "Danger! Heartbreak Ahead" (BACM, 2005)
(Available through the British Archive of Country Music website.)

Patty Booker "I Don't Need All That" (PMS, 1999)

Patty Booker & Rick Shea "Our Shangri-La" (Tres Pescadores, 2003)

Sarah Borges "Silver City" (Blue Corn, 2005)

Sarah Borges & The Broken Singles "Diamonds In The Dark" (Sugar Hill, 2007)
A muscular mix of driving, streamlined roots-rock and twang from this LA-based powerhouse. Borges opens the album with the propulsive "The Day We Met," which recalls Ryan Adams's finer, younger moments, then abruptly shifts gear into the power-poppy, Bangles-ish "Come Back To Me." Having established her multi-genre bona fides, she settles back into a roots-rock tone that strongly recalls Lone Justice, along with a dash of Tom Petty and Sheryl Crow. Apparently this is her second album, and though she'd formed an all-new lineup of her band, she's still working with rock producer Paul Q. Kolderie (known for his work with Radiohead and The Pixies...) There are several stand-out songs as well as a few others that are less distinctive. Overall, this is a strong, noteworthy album, and although it seems likely she'll head into a more rock-oriented direction, Borges has the potential to be a dominant figure on the Americana scene. We'll see which way the wind blows... In the meantime, I'm sure plenty of folks will dig this disc.

Sarah Borges "Do It For Free" (EP) (Sugar Hill, 2009)
An intriguing three-song sampler, with two rock songs bracketing a pleasantly twang-ful alt-country track. The title song is a loud, backbeat-a-licious hard rock song that's pure Joan Jett; the last track is more of a would-be alternative tune that's fairly anemic by comparison. This disc might be a little schizo, but she does deliver on both the head-bang and the twang, so I'd say it's still up to her which world to conquer. Country fans can stick with the lone twang tune, "Friend Of A Friend".

Sarah Borges "The Stars Are Out" (Sugar Hill, 2009)
(Produced by Paul Q. Kolderie)
Amid a music industry devoted to pigeonholing our every desire, LA's Sarah Borges really stands out for her commitment to stylistic diversity. As with her earlier releases, she's all over the map: this album opens with "Do It For Free," a thumping, banging, anthemic hard-rock number ala Joan Jett or the Runaways, then coasts into bright bubblegum pop and, yes, still a bit of twang. There are alot of interesting cover tunes as well... The most surprising inclusion is a cover of Smokey Robinson's 1970s' AOR hit "Being With You", which gives way to a cover of the Magnetic Fields '80s-ish synth-ballad "No One Will Ever Love You." It's the hard-rockin' stuff that'll stand the best shot at getting her onto the radio and into the charts, but it's also nice to see an artist wiling to take a chance by sticking with her interests in so many different styles. My pick here would be "Ride With Me" -- it's the twangiest tune on the record.
Download picks:
Ride With Me
No One Will Ever Love You

Libbi Bosworth "Outskirts Of You" (Freedom, 1997)

Libbi Bosworth "Libbiville" (Ramble Records, 2001)
Wow. Yahoo! A super-likable, flat-out fun, indie-billy album from down Texas way... Rosie Flores fans might want to check this one out... If anything, Bosworth is a much more solid country singer, and the songs -- about half of which Bosworth wrote -- are uniformly great. Lloyd Maines, Johnny Gimble and Gurf Morlix are among the musicians lined up on this fine disc; Morlix also contributes a couple of tunes to the playlist. Texas yodeler Don Walser joins her for a spirited version of "Something To Brag About In You," an old duet hit for Charlie Louvin and Melba Montgomery (and George & Tammy, as well...) Great album; highly recommended!

Margie Bowes "Margie Bowes Sings" (Decca, 1966)
She was not a great singer, it's true, but Margie Bowes had a welcome roughness to her (in comparison to some of the other country gals of the time...) She was a minor player in the early '60s, marrying Doyle Wilburn in '61 and cutting a few singles here and there, as well as several excellent duets with George Jones. This was her first big break, a full-length LP for Decca. The label obviously pressured her into singing as much like Loretta Lynn as possible, and she does a fine job of it, particularly on songs that have a good backbeat... On ballads she was a little shakier, and while she doesn't necessarily display much individuality on here, this is still a nice record, particularly for anyone looking into the history of women in country music. Worth checking out.

Margie Bowes "Today's Country Sound" (Decca, 1968) (LP)
A fun album if you can track it down. Sure, the musicians are mostly phoning it in, but there's still some spunky material and a few good novelty songs. There's also an odd, interesting assortment of little-known songwriters, including up-and-comers like John Hartford and Tom T. Hall (whose "Mrs. Cooper's Tea Party" is an album highlight, as well as one by Willie Nelson. She also recorded a couple of tunes by gals like Lola Jean Dillon ("Lonesome Woman") and Betty Robinson ("Baby's Back Again") And check this out: she recorded "D-I-V-O-R-C-E" a right around the same time Tammy Wynette did; wonder who won that chart battle?

Carla Bozulich "Red Headed Stranger" (DiCristina Stair Builders, 2003)
Ex-Geraldine Fibber frontlady Bozulich in a fairly straight cover of Willie Nelson's landmark 1975 concept album, albeit with a more pronounced "rock" flavor... Naturally, Willie's version is far better, but it's an interesting project anyway: apparently Willie himself thought so, too, since he plays on several tunes, along with Nels Cline and other pals of Carla... It's certainly an ambitious project!

Carla Bozulich "I'm Gonna Stop Killing" (DiCristina, 2004)

Carla Bozulich "Evangelista" (Constellation, 2006)

Carla Bozulich - also see: Geraldine Fibbers

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Hick Music Index
Sisters Who Swung: Women In Jazz & Blues

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