Medleyville

At 34, banjo-strummin' Canadian Chris Luedecke isn't anywhere near the same age as Pete Seeger, but the folk legend is among the rootsy acts that are stylistic touchstones for the man who bills himself Old Man Luedecke.

My Hands Are on Fire and Other Love Songs (due March 16), Old Man Luedecke's follow-up to the Juno Award-winning Proof of Love, is a full-band effort with name-brand players, including bassist Keith Lowe and fiddle/mandolin player Tim O’Brien. While folk, bluegrass and Appalachian mountain music are at the heart of Old Man Luedecke's latest, there are some light rock 'n' roll touches that don't disrupt the big picture. With its steady beat and dry vocal, "Woe Betide the Doer of the Deed" could be a long-lost, easygoing Tom Petty recording, and there's a little bit of Roger McGuinn in Luedecke's voice as he sings "My Love Comes Stepping Up the Stairs." – Chris Junior, Medleyville.US