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𝐑a𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐚 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐲 𝐒𝐦𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐬
“Ramona and the Holy Smokes“
Country
★
@ramonaandtheholysmokes
Release; September 26, 2025
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Listen up! Full album in BiO!
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While the band passes the torch, the spotlight remains on Ramona Martinez, frontwoman of Ramona & the Holy Smokes – holy smokes indeed! With a voice as big as life and a sound recalling genre crossover icons like Linda Ronstadt, she delivers ten originals that deserve to shine under the night stage lights and the falling gold glitter of the 1970s.

Their self-titled debut blends present day honky-tonk, vintage barroom country, and a unique Mexi-tonk hybrid rooted in Martinez’s Mexican-American heritage. Recorded at Spacebomb Studios with producer Kai Crowe-Getty and guitarist Kyle Kilduff, the album leans on pedal steel, fiddle, piano, accordion, and strings, yet every arrangement revolves around Martinez’s vocals.

The record explores heartbreak, struggle, and longing, balancing humor with defiance. Saucy opener “Gonna Be Mine” skews satirical, while “Drunk After Work” brings outlaw energy. The bilingual “Esta Herida” fuses Norteño drama with honky-tonk storytelling – truly embodying Ronstadt’s presence. Drawing on the Mexican-American heritage of Martinez, recognized by Wide Open Country as one of the “15 Latino Artists Shaping Country
Music,” Ramona and the Holy Smokes are simultaneously rooted in the traditional sounds of country music but unafraid of pushing boundaries and highlighting the connections across border cultures.

Formed in 2022, the band – Kyle Kilduff, Brooks Hefner, Jay Ouypron, and Porter Bralley – have shared stages with Margo Cilker, Joshua Hedley, and Redd Volkaert.

“…country music, done right, is sincere. And I think everyone can connect with music that’s sincere,” says Martinez – this debut effort is a honky-tonker that basks in vintage sound and modern twists, fearless in scope, and is wholly sincere.
– @meanwhile_in_music
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#NewMusic #Virginia #Country #HonkyTonk #LiveMusic #Vinyl #HolySmokes …

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𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬
“Thank the Lord… it’s The Pink Stones“
Country
★
@thepinkstoners
Release; September 19, 2025
@normaltownrecords
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Listen up! Full album in BiO!
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The buttery goodness of The Pink Stones radiates on their latest record, Thank the Lord, it’s The Pink Stones, a collection that feels both fresh & timeless. Rooted in the spirit of late-60s Americana, the Athens, Georgia band channels the easy-rolling sway of The Flying Burrito Brothers or The Byrds while sharpening their own distinct voice across eleven original tracks.

This is a record that feels mature & deliberate. Thank the Lord… expands outward, drawing threads from classic country, psych-rock, & soulful folk, weaving them into a sound that feels expansive without ever losing its center. Frontman Hunter Pinkston sums it up best: “A lot has changed since the last record. We’ve grown up, traveled all over the world, said goodbye to old bandmates & welcomed new ones. All of that’s helped our sound grow and evolve into what it is now.” That sense of lived experience lingers in every song, giving the album a grounded confidence.

The Pink Stones are frontman Hunter Pinkston on guitar, vocals, and mandolin; Caleb Boese on pedal steel; Michael Alexander on drums; Adam Wayton on bass; and Neil Golden on organ & piano – plays with a looseness that never drifts into carelessness. Their arrangements are lush but never overcrowded, with pedal steel lines bending like sunlight, mandolin & guitar weaving playful counterpoints, & organ grooves adding a warm undercurrent. The result is music that feels both playful & serious, pickin’ & grinnin’ with just enough sinning to keep things interesting.

What makes these songs shine is their blend of wit & heart. The writing is humble, often laced with wry, sardonic humor, but never cynical. Each track carries an ease that masks the craft behind it – storytelling that paints vivid portraits, delivered with melodies that feel as natural as a southern breeze. Thank the Lord, it’s The Pink Stones is the sound of a group fully inhabiting its identity, rooted in tradition while reaching for something bigger.. something of their own.
– @meanwhile_in_music …

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𝐃𝐲𝐥𝐚𝐧 𝐄𝐚𝐫𝐥
“Level-Headed Even Smile“
Country
★
@dylanearl.music
Release; September 19, 2025
@gar_hole_records
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Listen up! Full album in BiO!
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Level-Headed Even Smile, Dylan Earl’s latest gift to the world – dropping tomorrow. Earl frames it as a journey into “formative years discovering Arkansas, the people who showed me the ropes and back roads, and who I hope to become.” That sense of rootedness anchors the album in it’s entirety.

The title track opens like smoke rising off a mountain road – the rolling piano flourishes, guitars in motion, and Earl’s voice steady but tender. His baritone carries honesty, tremolo intact, with no studio gloss to hide behind. The restraint in his delivery leaves “empty space” that becomes its own kind of emotional payoff. It’s a rare confidence: letting the song breathe, letting silence speak. By the end, the record holds together as both personal reflection and cultural stance.

Earl is freshly packaged nostalgia. “Outlaw Country” bristles with defiance, cutting through cliché with a sly grin. Paste called it a manifesto, quoting Earl directly: “Outlaw country is punk shit. Anarchist shit is real outlaw country.” That blend of humor, indignation, and grit pushes the record into urgent territory.

Geography plays as much of a role as memory. On “High on Ouachita,” Earl doesn’t just nod to Arkansas’ ridges, he lives inside them: “There’s just no place I’d rather waste my afternoons / Than high on Ouachita.” Other highlights like Little Rock Bottom and Broken Parts lean into solitude, heartbreak, and the resilience that threads between.

Level-Headed Even Smile doesn’t reinvent the wheel – but it sharpens it for the long haul. It’s a record for dusky highways, cracked windows, and anyone willing to sit with the weight and warmth of what country music can still do when it’s lived, not posed.
– @meanwhile_in_music
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#Arkansas #newmusic #vinyl #country #americana #honkytonk …

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𝐒𝐜𝐨𝐭𝐭 𝐁𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐰
“Paradiso“
Americana
★
@irish_goodbye
Release; September 12, 2025
@leisurerodeo
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Listen up! Full album in BiO!
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Scott Ballew has always had a charming perspective when telling his side of the story, but it doesn’t take long on Paradiso to hear the growth in his songwriting and his desire to expand. On previous releases, nothing ever felt missing – Ballew’s music has always been characterized by its authenticity and simplicity: rugged and honest. MiM has always been a fan, but on Ballew’s newest release, the production and instrumental arrangements are by far the biggest, most dynamic to date. Paradiso is flat-out marvelous – easily in the ranks of our top picks for 2025.

Recorded in New Orleans and produced by Ballew himself alongside good friend Rob Barbato, Paradiso builds a world that feels both expansive and still intimate.

“The music on the radio can be over-produced. So when you find something surprisingly raw, understated, or rough around the edges, it finds its home with those people that are looking for a real experience,” says Ballew – and he manages to conquer both with optimal balance.

Ballew, the city kid with cowboy roots from Austin, TX has made a record that could pull indie kids toward country music and country fans toward indie rock – Paradiso delivers equal parts of the two – reminiscent of the late 90’s, early ’00s indie-folk scene; before Americana music was labeled as such; landing on its own private island somewhere between supergroup Monsters of Folk and Calexico.. The band behind him tightens the grip: Barbato on guitar and backing vocals, Michael Nau on bass, Sam Doores (The Deslondes) on drums, Alex Pianovich on keys and harmonica, Mat Davidson (Twain) with violin, plus Angela Miller and Lauren Hornsby adding harmonies.

The record is full of ear-candy subtleties: little moments perfectly placed and layered, giving it a texture that’s fun, surprising, and built to last. Each listen reveals something new, a small nuance that grabs your attention and brings you joy.
– @meanwhile_in_music
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#Austin #Texas #NewMusic #NewOrleans #Music #Paradiso …

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𝐒𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐰 𝐒𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐡
“Carolina Mountains“
★
@therealsparrowsmith
Release; Sept. 5, 2025
Sassafras Sounds
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Listen up! Full album in BiO!
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Sparrow Smith’s Carolina Mountain feels like a natural next step for the Marshall, NC-based multi-instrumentalist. Known for her expressive songwriting, Smith has been a driving force in the Western North Carolina music scene for years. After leading projects like The Resonant Rogues with her husband and collaborator Keith Josiah Smith, she’s now putting her name at the forefront – and the result is one of her most personal statements yet.

Smith’s roots in Appalachian old-time music run deep, tracing back to her late-teen years spent riding freight trains and wearing out Tommy Jarrell tapes. That foundation is present across the record, but Carolina Mountain is far from a strict old-time album. It pulls from jug-band, country blues, and swing influences, creating an album full of warmth.

“Hard Working Women,” a lively duet with Cat Clyde, is an early standout – a loose, playful jug-band romp complete with sousaphone and washboard. It’s a confident, joyfully queer anthem that celebrates attraction and self-assurance without overthinking it.

The title track, written in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, serves as the record’s emotional center. Smith wrote it as a reflection on her community’s resilience and their efforts to rebuild after the storm. The song’s simple gratitude gives it weight, grounding the album in a sense of place and purpose.

Throughout Carolina Mountain, Smith proves why she’s been a pillar of the western North Carolina creative community for as long as she has. This is a record that values tradition, homelands, and a good groove in equal measure – a confident debut that invites listeners into Smith’s world while leaving plenty of room to dance.
– @meanwhile_in_music
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#Music #NewMusic #OldTime #Appalachian #NorthCarolina …

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𝐑𝐲 𝐉𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬
“Whisperin’ Ry“
Americana
★
@whisperin_ry
Release; September 5, 2025
@nudie.records
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Listen up! Full album in BiO!
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Ry Jennings didn’t just make a debut album – he presents the world which he lives & has invited us to step inside. Whisperin’ Ry, out 9/5 on Nudie Records, feels like an open door into his corner of Nashville – quiet streets, soft light, & a tape machine humming in the background.

“This is a collection of songs starting from 2020, home recording on my tape machine at our decaying old house off of Music Row,” Jennings shares. “Then I went to mix with Jake Davis, and also recorded the other half at his home studio with Josh Halper on nylon string, and Michael Bordelon on drums. I played all the other instruments like organ, synth, flute, guitars, bass, harmonica, & all the vocals.”

Jennings may be known to most as a co-founder of Teddy & The Rough Riders or for his bass alongside Emily Nenni, or even as a fixture of those legendary Sunday nights at Santa’s Pub; but here, on Whisperin’ Ry, he steps forward – delicate, smooth, & straight to the point.

Named after Ry Cooder but carrying the velvety harmonies of Harry Nilsson & the plainspoken intimacy of Neil Young.. Songs like “Goodbye Galaxy” and “Headlight” are standout tracks – they’re anchors, & would slide nicely into – Tonight’s the Night; which in our opinion, remains the crown jewel of Neil Young albums.

What makes Whisperin’ Ry remarkable is how Jennings balances his dreamy approach – head-in-the-clouds but with two feet grounded in the grass below storytelling. These are songs of Nashville, of family, of heartbreak – but seen through the hazy lens of a subtle psychedelic shimmer. Jennings’ voice is warm & measured, inviting you to sit at the table he’s set, to take in the view exactly as he’s framed it.

And that’s part of the magic here – it feels handcrafted, tailored.. Each instrument & harmony feels purposefully placed. Listening once is unfair to yourself – because each turn reveals something you missed: a turn of phrase or flutter of flute. This is a record that grows roots with every listen & eases the soul in equal measure.
– @meanwhile_in_music …

𝐃𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐧 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐤
“As The Neighbors Tried To Sleep”
★
@dillonwarnek
Release; August 22, 2025
@soggyanvilrecords
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Listen up! Full album in BiO!
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Dillon Warnek’s new album – As The Neighbors Tried To Sleep stakes its claim alongside the giants who shaped his sound – Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Lou Reed, & Billy Joel. The influence of these legends glimmers throughout this lyrically rich collection, but to suggest the instrumentation plays second fiddle would be a disservice.

In the album’s first single, “Other People’s Money,” Dillon indulges in a vivid tale of living like the elite. From a bougie department store spree to an appearance at the ballet – where the valet, dancers, & janitors all receive generous tips – the fantasy unfolds with lavish dinners of steak, lobster, and champagne. The scene is over-the-top, yet Dillon’s infectious storytelling buckles you in, keeping you along for the ride – and straight over the edge.

Recorded at the Bomb Shelter/produced by Drew Carroll the record captures the magic of Warnek’s creative hours – late nights.. before he heads to his day job in construction. Warnek describes these sessions as “fruitless, miserable, exhausting, disheartening, & dangerous,” yet he perseveres, chasing rare moments of brilliance. An ideal fusion of sound – raw & righteous. Unpolished and unapologetic. As The Neighbors Tried To Sleep is a spark lurking in the underground, ready to ignite. As the opening line suggests “There’s enough dynamite in my pocket/To blow you all through the roof..”

“I like things that sizzle,” Warneck says. “Songs that make the room turn their heads, still hissing hot.” This album delivers exactly that.

Endorsed by Nashville’s musical power couple @missmargoprice & @jivey, Warnek is emerging as one of Music City’s newest songwriters. Price co-wrote “Bluebird” with Warnek and Ivey and lends her voice to “Speeding Bullet Out of Georgia,” a clever, erudite piano ballad about escape and resilience.

Onstage, Warnek holds court at his keyboard, mixing wry anecdotes in with his subversive lyricism. Some say there are no good piano men anymore – but they just haven’t seen him perform.
– @meanwhile_in_music …

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𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐧
“I Hope We Can Still Be Friends“
★
@deanjohnsongs
Release; August 22, 2025
@saddlecreek
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Listen up! Full album out Friday!
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There’s something disarming about Dean Johnson’s new record, I Hope We Can Still Be Friends. Maybe it’s the way his voice creaks with wisdom & warmth, or maybe it’s how his songs feel like overheard conversations at last call – funny, tragic, and brushing up against your own truth. With his Saddle Creek debut, Johnson doesn’t ask for much, just that you listen with an open mind. In return, he offers everything he’s got: a record full of wit, vulnerability, & undeniable charm.

Like John Prine or Kris Kristofferson, Johnson works in plainspoken poetry. He sings from the barstool & the porch, delivering lines that land like gut punches softened with a grin. There’s a gentle twang that gives his stories a familiar feel. Whether tackling romantic letdowns or social absurdities, Johnson makes you feel like you’ve known him for years.

The songs on I Hope We Can Still Be Friends blend past & present, collected from years of live performances & paired with new material. Johnson is no newcomer – he’s long been a fixture in the Seattle scene, revered in whispers by those who knew where to look. But this album feels like the moment the world finally catches up, polishing the patina without losing the soul underneath.

Produced with care by Sera Cahoone at Unknown Studio in Anacortes, WA, the album is purposefully restrained. The instrumentation is spare, never flashy, & that’s its strength. The band plays with a light touch, always in service to the song. That space lets Johnson’s vocal tenderness & lyrics shine – whether it’s a line that cuts or a turn of phrase that makes you laugh out loud.

Across the record, Johnson proves himself a master observer of the human condition. He paints characters who are lonely but lovable, seeking connection in a chaotic world. His songs offer no easy answers – only deep empathy & clear-eyed honesty.

Dean Johnson isn’t trying to be flashy or clever for clever’s sake. He’s just trying to tell the truth – & in a world full of noise, that feels like a revelation.
– @meanwhile_in_music …