Ethan Daniel Davidson still has the unapologetic political beliefs that have been his trademark since his early days as a solo folksinger on a non-stop barnstorming tour of the U.S., but the sardonically titled Free the Ethan Daniel Davidson 5 finds the singer/songwriter settling comfortably into his new position as the leader of a capable and varied rock band. Big swatches of Free the Ethan Daniel Davidson 5 sound a bit Wilco-inspired (most notably the epic opener, "Conquered Beneath a Box-Car Moon"), but the organ-driven rocker awkwardly titled "Woman/Ladder = You'll Get What You Deserve" has a hint of Buffalo Springfield-era Neil Young in Davidson's deliciously whiny vocal melody and the muscular harmonies on the chorus, and "I Need You Like a House on Fire" has the woozy, languid feel of Bob Dylan's collaborations with the Band. Elsewhere, Davidson's familiar style is more obvious, like the quirky postmodern blues "Situationist (Non) National Commercial" and the gleeful updating of John Prine's "Your Flag Decal Won't Get You into Heaven Anymore." The last is a thoughtful tribute to one of Davidson's obvious inspirations, but for the most part, this is an album that looks to Davidson's future instead of his past. ~ Stewart Mason Personnel: Ethan Daniel Davidson (vocals, guitar, acoustic guitar, 12-string guitar, steel guitar, Mellotron, bass guitar); Ethan Daniel Davidson; Gretchen Gonzales (vocals); Marlon Young (guitar, electric guitar); Jason Charboneau (guitar, pedal steel guitar, strings, bass guitar, background vocals); Philip Durr (guitar); Phil Durr (acoustic guitar, 12-string guitar); Dan Currie (acoustic guitar); Chris Carden (saxophone); Charles Hughes (piano, Fender Rhodes piano, Hammond b-3 organ, Mellotron, background vocals); Eric Hoegemeyer (electric piano, Fender Rhodes piano, drums, programming); Peter Keys (Clavinet); Paul Lamb (bass guitar, background vocals); Glynn Scanlan (drums, percussion, background vocals); Gretchen Gonzales, Pabon (background vocals); Al Sutton (Mellotron, background vocals); Audra Kubat (background vocals). Recording information: Rustbelt Studios, Royal Oak, MI.

Ethan Daniel Davidson music CDs. Personnel: Ethan Daniel Davidson (vocals, guitar, bass guitar); R.L. Burnside (vocals, guitar); Jason Charboneau (guitar, cello, Mellotron); Jimmy Bones (piano, Hammond b-3 organ); Eddie Harsch (Hammond b-3 organ); Bob Ebeling (drums).

Ethan Daniel Davidson discography. Personnel: Ethan Daniel Davidson (vocals, guitar, harmonica, bass guitar); Jason Charboneau (guitar, slide guitar, mandolin, cello, piano); Robin Minnerly (guitar, dobro, piano, background vocals); Adam Prybylski (fiddle); Bob Ebeling (Hammond b-3 organ, chamberlin, Mellotron, vibraphone, drums); Al Sutton (shaker, background vocals).

Ethan Daniel Davidson CD discography. Far too many blues-rock bands sound like Blueshammer, the hackneyed faux-blues band featured in a key scene from the film Ghost World, who serve up lame, uninspired riffs swiped from Jimmy Page, who himself swiped them from Mississippi Fred McDowell. In truth, Five Horse Johnson isn't really that far from this depressing prospect; their relationship to the blues is only slightly firmer than that of the White Stripes, and they sound more like early Black Crowes or '70s ZZ Top than Howlin' Wolf, or even the Eric Clapton-era John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers. On the other hand, ZZ Top and the Black Crowes are fine bands, and Five Horse Johnson have a similarly loose, lubricated sound, and devil-may-care attitude that puts across even the more pedestrian songs. At their best, as on the blistering "Sweetwater," and the more laid-back, -'70s-style choogle "Boogie Coalition Approved," Five Horse Johnson achieve a noisy rock and roll power that's far removed from the sterile "tasty licks" attitude that so many similar bands fall victim to. ~ Stewart Mason Personnel: Brad Coffin (vocals, guitar); Eric Oblander (vocals, harp); Phil Durr (electric guitar); Mike ...

Ethan Daniel Davidson albums. Mark Dignam begins this album with a light and dreamy blend of pop and alt country on "Divine," which describes the track quite well. Coming from a crop of singer/songwriters who would include Josh Ritter and Josh Rouse, Dignam uses ...