It was Fraser's excellent review in the latest mag that acted as a prompt to get the Wilco album, and I'm not disappointed. A bit of a tasy here if anyone's interested:

http://www.npr.org/2011/10/13/141331825/wilco-tiny-desk-concert

I like the Kings of Leon- this is a great tune

Anything by Lucinda-

Jason Isbell-formerly of the Drive By Truckers, has a new album

and

Now top those 3

Ryan Adams, think it's the best of the three and his best for quite some time.

Wilco album I probably need to give it a bit more time. I think I am in a minority of one in not being a huge Nels Cline fan. I saw them at Hammersmith a few years ago and it would have been great if Cline hadn't ruined every song with his really showy bursts of noise. I'll stick with it but certainly not as good as YHF.

Jayhawks album I found a bit disappointing.

I'm a bit perplexed regards the "return to form" comments in the majority of reviews for Ashes and Fire (a fine album it is to). There have been some excellent tunes since Gold,in particular with the Cardinals.

I think the problem may be a lack of quality control, as he metioned on last nights songwriters circle he can write 4 or 5 songs a day but it doesn't translate that they all need to see the light of day on an album.

This is one of my faves.....

off the new album is as good as he's ever been.

Love Is Hell is one of my favourite Ryan Adams albums, absolutely brilliant. I got the original release which was spread across 2 cds.

Not convinced by the new one though, found it a bit dull.

are no longer simply an alt-country band and haven't been for quite a while.

I'm getting into the new Ryan Adams.

I'm another who doesn't buy the "best since (pick your album from 5+ years ago). I thought both Easy Tiger and Cardinology were very fine albums. I wasn't taken with Cardinals III & IV though. Love Is Hell was an excellent collection (I have the 2 extended EPs rather than single album, hence my use of collection rather than album). As far as I'm concerned there were no complaints with Jacksonville City Nights either. So Ashes & Fire is for me but a continuation of a fine body of work, not a return to form.

As far as live performance is concerned I voiced my disappointment with him at The Barbican earlier this year in a My Night Out With... so voted with my wallet and decided to give this tour a miss. He is infuriatingly inconsistent. I've been to a fair few of his gigs, both solo and with bands. Shepherd's Bush Empire on the Gold tour was one of the best gigs I've ever been to. Others have been in between that and the nadir of The Barbican.

The Jayhawks is similarly a grower. The peaks it has to be matched against are Hollywood Town Hall and Tomorrow The Green Grass. It doesn't match those but is probably close in quality to Sound Of Lies and Rainy Day Music. I saw them earlier this year and they were inspiring. I have my tickets for next year's tour.

Wilco I haven't bothered with. In short I gave up with them with Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and haven't returned to them since. Maybe I'll have a listen to the gig that's being streamed on NPR and give them another chance.

WIlco should be massive imo, new album is a cracker and the first track is my fave song this year.

Not heard the Ryan Admas yet but agree that not a return to form for me as have really enjoyed al his recent stuff.

I love The Jayhawks but the new album just doesn't do it for me. I know it's supposed to be a grower but have given it a lot of listens and just find it a bit boring.

Anyone like The Deep Dark Woods? New album is just released....

latest offering is exceptional. Easily his best for a long time. Better than all of these albums by the way is the new Tom Russell album Mesabi.Shamefully there haven't been any reviews in the music press over here.

I've really enjoyed the new Wilco too, and have reacted very favourably to my first listen of the Ryan Adams record.
I'm going to stick my neck out and publicise another recent new release of this kind of thing. I think it is this kind of thing anyway - I get in a terrible muddle trying to classify music. It was recently described as "impressive alt-noir-country-roots-Americana" which foxed me completely. But anyway, the band are called Case Hardin, and they've just released their second album, Every Dirty Mirror. They are friends of mine, in fact the chap with the lead guitar posts here sometimes...*waves*. But I wouldn't put it here if I didn't think the record was well worth it. I'm not alone, it's had some great reviews, including from Americana-uk.com.
Anyway, here's a taste. I hope you like it.