Joe Vazquez, a reporter from CBS 5 TV in San Francisco alerted us to a story that needs your attention. This is real and it’s happening right now. One of our own needs help.

Robert Earl Davis, of the Earl Brothers bluegrass band, and a Viet Nam Vet is about to be homeless. What can we in the music community do about one of our own who need help in a bad way?

As Robert says in the interview, if he were strung out on drugs, he'd get assistance right away but after paying rent for 40 years and trying to be a good guy he's going to loose his home

Watch the video report from Joe then if you have a way to help, leave us a comment in the section provided below this post. We’ll make sure to get the message relayed as quickly as possible.

If the video doesn't appear here on our No Depression page,  watch it …

It's the end of the year, the time when we start looking for the Top Ten in every category imaginable.  

But when it came to the CD's we received and reviewed and featured on our broadcasts, ten just wasn't enough...so we made it a baker's dozen plus two more for good measure and we refused to put them in numeric order because it just can't be done with any kind of fairness.  

Here's just a few of the comments from our writers:

• Frankly, this band just blew us away. The band has released previous material but this happened to be...

• ...is THE most talented, innovative and fearless artist ever!

• ....remarkable talent, drive, tenacity and most important – foresight. most talented, innovative and fearless artist ever!

• They're not easily categorized in any genre but with the talent they possess...

To reed the full story and all of the CD…

I have been very lucky since Brian McNeal asked me to start reviewing new bluegrass CD releases for Prescription Bluegrass. My intake of new music has increased drastically! And I’ve been at it long enough now that I’m starting to do follow up’s on previous reviews and artists, which only adds to the pleasure.

Such was the case when I received a new disc from Mountain Roads Recordings called “2 Chairs, No Waiting” by SIAMESE COUSINS. Edwin Lacy, on vocals and claw hammer banjo, and Scott Freeman on vocals, mandolin, fiddle, guitar and bass, are the “SIAMESE COUSINS” in question. The name comes from the fact that Edwin and Scott have been playing together for so long, in one musical incarnation or another, that they consider themselves “joined at the frets.” NOW I get it! Works for me!

Karl Cooler, owner of Mountain Roads Recordings, Bristol, TN. seems to delight in turning various members of his label’s roster loose in the studio to come up with something…

TweelX, a new innovative publishing company for songwriters, anchored by new country singer Ty Bates, songwriters Jim Reilley and Stephanie Quayle has just debuted their latest techno gadget for songwriters and performers.

It was standing room only when friends and supporters of TweelX came together at Nashville's Douglas Corner November 8 to celebrate the company’s latest innovation from - a “Digital Tip Jar,” which uses mobile technology to allow a digital cash tip for writers by visiting tweelx.com on their smart phone.

"This can also be a form of crowd funding to help artists fund their projects," said TweelX’s Jeff Tweel, "and a way to show their appreciation to the artist for allowing free streaming of their songs."

Audience members were alerted to the fact that TweelX is changing the traditional model for publishing by acting as a "stock exchange" in music, and,…