The Steel Woods | Old News
The Steel Woods crank up the volume on a dark, bruising brand of Southern rock with their second album, Old News. Muddy guitar solos, ear-splitting drums, and hard-nosed vocals join a thundering instrumental jam and covers of tracks by Gregg Allman, Tom Petty, Black Sabbath, and Merle Haggard. thesteelwoods.com
Tyler Hilton | City on Fire
Tyler Hilton is best known as an actor (for his roles as Chris Keller on One Tree Hill and Elvis Presley in Walk the Line). But with City On Fire, his roots-pop songwriting shines; it’s a buoyant batch of easy-going earworms with Lady Antebellum’s Charles Kelley producing “The Way That She Loves Me.” tylerhilton.com
Cody Johnson | Ain't Nothin' to It
Texas country’s Cody Johnson made a name independently, hitting Number Two on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart with 2016’s Gotta Be Me. With Ain’t Nothin’ to It, he makes his major-label debut—but keeps his Lone Star spirit—offering classic sounds, sweet sentimentality, and rodeo tunes. codyjohnsonmusic.com