Writing this review is difficult for me, and not because my feelings about the album are ambiguous. I almost uniformly adore the record. The difficulty arises in attempting to write about the record. Because, despite my adoration of The Stand-In, I can’t really put my finger on the reason why. Every thought comes across as [...] more »

by Eli Petersen

Lisa Biales (pronounced “Be-Alice”) has a uniquely clear voice reminiscent of Patsy Cline, whom she once portrayed in a community theater musical production. That clear, soothing voice of hers is a fresh change from the scorching vocals of many country and blues singers today. The Oxford, Ohio based Biales has independently released seven previous albums [...] more »

by Bill Wilcox

ALBUMS OF THE MONTH The Other Life, by Shooter Jennings I’ll admit that I haven’t spent much time with Shooter’s previous releases. No real explanation, his music just never made it into my rotation. My bad. His latest is one of the most refreshing country records that I’ve heard in quite some time. Shooter and [...] more »

by Mayer Danzig

Here is part two of our Reader’s Pick series, the up-and-coming artists that you told us about as part of our Joe Pug give-away. This week’s video playlist includes: Communist Daughter Rayland Baxter Ryan Bonner Drew Holcomb Cat Beach Gaslight Anthem more »

by Mayer Danzig

Duke Robillard, a founding member of Roomful of Blues and the first great guitarist to emerge from the band, has a long track record of superb guitar work.  Unlike his fellow Roomful alumnus Ronnie Earl, Robillard is a colorful singer as well as a guitarist, and Robillard’s music usually frames his vocals, although he has also [...] more »

by Bill Wilcox

ALBUMS OF THE MONTH The Beast In Its Tracks, by Josh Ritter It’s easy to be angry after a break-up. You want to grab a bottle of whisky and crank some classic angry Bob Mould songs (Black Sheets of Rain, anyone?). I suppose that Josh Ritter had a few of those moments when his marriage [...] more »

by Mayer Danzig

Unless you are a die-hard blues enthusiast, Ronnie Earl is probably the best guitarist you’ve never heard of.  A sensitive, masterful guitarist, he has been laying down magical licks for close to 35 years.  He is totally in love with his instrument, and, as evidenced by his expressive playing, he has a special connection to [...] more »

by Bill Wilcox

Here’s a handful that caught my attention in the same season that brought us the Harlem Shake. Pay close attention to the full releases from Mount Moriah, Frontier Ruckus, Kelly Willis & Bruce Robison, Ben Harper & Charlie Musselwhite, Kingsley Flood, The Stone Foxes, and Holly Williams among others. Album of the Season Mount Moriah, [...] more »

by Tom Osborne

Last month we asked you to tell us about your favorite up-and-coming artists. Well, you didn’t disappoint, sharing an impressive array of artists. For the next two weeks, we will highlight the bands that you told us were the ones that we should be watching, er, listening to, in the years to come. This week’s [...] more »

by Mayer Danzig

On a chilly night in March, I ventured out to what I thought was the “Rose Garden Coffeehouse” in Mansfield, MA. Little did I know that the term “coffeehouse” had been reappropriated. After a lovely sushi dinner out in the burbs, my wife and I got to the show only to find out that the [...] more »

by Jeff McMahon

We wrap up our SXSW 2013 coverage with a final set of videos. This collection features several up-and-comers that we’ll be hearing great things from in the years to come. Dawes performing their brilliant song “When My Time Comes” You Won’t playing a song whose title I don’t know (can someone help me and Shazam [...] more »

by Mayer Danzig

We continue our celebration of SXSW 2013 with a special Tuesday edition of our Morning Video series. We’ll call this the SXSW classic rock and country showcase, led off by a three-fer featuring Alejandro Escovedo. The True Believers let their guitars do the talking on “She’s Got” and “All Mixed Up” Bobby Bare Sr., joined [...] more »

by Mayer Danzig

This week and next week I’ll be featuring some videos from SXSW. We’ll start with a mostly acoustic set, featuring: Steve Earle performing “Someday” The Waterboys performing “Will the Circle Be Unbroken” Billy Bragg performing “Handyman Blues” Chuck Ragan and friends performing “Revival Road” Frank Turner covering Blink 182′s “Dammit” Josh Ritter and Emmylou Harris [...] more »

by Mayer Danzig

The True Believers Austin’s The True Believers were high on, if not at the top of, my list of bands to see at SXSW. Nearly thirty years ago they established a reputation as a powerhouse rock and roll band. Given that I wasn’t attending many rock shows thirty years ago so I was downright giddy [...] more »

by Mayer Danzig

Patty Griffin One listen to a Patty Griffin song and you’ll understand why she has developed an almost cultish following. She is, quite simply, an extraordinary songwriter. New West Records, her new record label, arranged a private showcase at a South Austin mansion called the Castle to celebrate her forthcoming release. It was an event [...] more »

by Mayer Danzig