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Pedal steel twanger Jon Rauhouse is probably best known for his work backing Neko Case, but he’s also a masterful multi-instrumentalist in his own right. Steel Guitar Rodeo is his second volume of loungey Hawaiian and western swing interpretations and, once again, Rauhouse recruits an all-star roster of Bloodshot artists, like Case, Kelly Hogan (whose breathy take on Smoke Rings is lovely) and Calexico cowboy Howe Gelb, all of whom are well-suited to their tunes. You’d never know Rauhouse recorded the disc with two different bands, cuz he puts his unique stylistic spin on the genre. He transforms everything from the Perry Mason Theme to folk standard The White Cliffs Of Dover into a varied but consistent retro pastiche that’s equal parts swingy 50s pop and honky-tonk. One killer party album.
