I’ve been fortunate enough to have attended quite a number of multi-day music festivals over the years, from the Veiled Prophet Fair to the Monterey Jazz Festival and Telluride to Hardly Strictly Bluegrass.  For my money, though, it’s really hard to beat the Old Settler’s Music Festival.  Held 20 miles or so outside of Austin [...] more »

by Shawn Underwood

If the saying “variety is the spice of life” is true, The Acoustic Burgoo is the equivalent of my grandmother’s cooking drawer.  There was a lot of cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, and other baking flavors for a comforting dish.  There were plenty of herbs for savory dishes, and some pepper for bite.  And a couple of [...] more »

by Shawn Underwood

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by Mayer Danzig

Kris Kristofferson famously wrote “freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose”.  Although it became an anthem for a certain lifestyle back in the 70′s, Kristofferson himself would probably admit life’s a little more nuanced than that.  Whether consciously or not, Melody Walker seems to be exploring a lot of those shades of gray [...] more »

by Shawn Underwood

ALBUMS OF THE MONTH Go Fly a Kite, by Ben Kweller Kweller’s last outing was a more moody affair, however that comment can’t be made of his latest release.While there are some acoustic moments, Kweller has brought the rock. And damn it sounds good. “Time Will Save the Day” is the song Weezer’s Rivers Cuomo [...] more »

by Mayer Danzig

Chocolate covered bacon.  Spam sushi.  Over easy eggs on pizza.  I’m a fan of things that, at first, don’t seem to go well together, and yet when you actually try it’s pretty darn good.  That’s the kind of surprise I got when listening to Katie Glassman’s latest release, Snapshot.  It’s bluegrass and vintage jazz.  A [...] more »

by Shawn Underwood

The Carolina Chocolate Drops, whose informal folksy jug band approach belies a talent pool that is seemingly bottomless, have added another gem to their already stellar catalogue with Leaving Eden.  The Drops, who in their live shows recreate the look and feel of a turn-of-the 20th century string band but with the anachronistic addition of human “beatbox” vocal percussionist [...] more »

by Bill Wilcox

I really do believe that when this song was originally recorded that this is what Paul McCartney had in mind. Steve Earle, with the Bluegrass Dukes. more »

by Mayer Danzig

 1) R.E.M. – Collapse Into Now: OK, I’m willing to admit maybe this was a little bit of a sentimental choice for me since it may be their last album.  But darn it, I still think this is their best effort since the 80′s and 91′s Out Of Time.  The jangly guitars, the inexplicable Stipe [...] more »

by Shawn Underwood

I posted a best songs list for the first half of 2011 back in July (here). Rather than replicate that list for my full year review, consider this the addendum — the best songs from the second half of the year. When My Time Comes, Barnstar! (from the self-released C’Mon!) I somehow missed this song [...] more »

by Mayer Danzig

#1. JASON ISBELL & THE 400 UNIT, Here We Rest (Lightning Rod) I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t hoping for a full-on rock assault from Isbell and crew. What I got was something better — a nuanced musical tour of his home state of Alabama. From the back porch acoustic sway of [...] more »

by Mayer Danzig

The book and movie publishing moguls tend to view releases in terms of two seasons.  There’s the “beach read” that’s an easy vehicle for light entertainment.  The winter is when serious contenders for an Academy Award are released.  The depth of cold & dark apparently being when people are contemplative instead of just wanting instant [...] more »

by Shawn Underwood

ALBUMS OF THE MONTH: Beauty, Wit & Speed, by Nathan Hamilton “Give me the mad ones, the sad ones, the ones who’ve got nothing to lose,” sings Hamilton in “Through Ether and Time” from his latest release. It is a telling comment and a great introduction to an album that deftly explores the search for [...] more »

by Mayer Danzig

Timeless.  That’s the single word that best describes the latest release from Berkeley, CA-based songstress and multi-instrumentalist Laurie Lewis.  Skippin’ and Flyin’ is a sort of tribute album to Bill Monroe.  The tribute is an abstract though, that includes Monroe songs, songs from others that were inspired by Monroe, and even songs that just evoke [...] more »

by Shawn Underwood

Listening to Mark W. Lennon’s new release Home of the Wheel, I felt as if I was transported back to depression era America without leaving 2011. At times it is the music that takes you there, and other times it is the lyrics. Lennon draws the parallels between the Modern and the past with a [...] more »

by Chip Frazier