Travis Elliott-Swan Dive. A couple of Americana/roots-rock releases on tap here today, the first of which is the debut EP from Virginia singer-songwriter Travis Elliott. Things start off strongly with "Release", a slow-building rocker that recalls Ryan Adams and Alejandro Escovedo in places followed up by the Tom Petty-esque title track, but the disc really hits its stride with the midtempo "Waking Up", a melodic number not unlike The Wallflowers and Minibar. The rest of the EP ain't bad either, and in a nice touch Elliott gives way to Marianna Bell on the haunting ballad "Miles Away". A worthwhile debut.CD Baby | MySpace | iTunes | eMusic | Listen at Bandcamp
The Del Toros-Come Down. This Oklahoma band has drawn comparisons with the aforementioned Mr. Petty and Wilco, and they have the tuneful chops to go with their rootsy sound to justify those namedrops. The tracks to listen to here are "Hi-Hat Blues", an anthemic rocker; the wonderfully jangly "Nineteen"; the (pardon the pun) dreamy "Insomniac", which sounds like Elliott Smith in a roots band; and the hypnotic "Song", which recalls AbPow favorite Wiretree. An ear-catching effort from The Del Toros, and that's no bull.CD Baby | MySpace | iTunes | eMusic | stream at official site
