I’m from northern California where “layering” your clothing is a mantra more than a conscious thought. Sure came in handy this year for Old Settler’s Music Festival in Driftwood (Austin), Texas, where there was driving rain, freezing cold (at least it felt that way), and warm, late-spring sunshine. Oh, and lots of good music, which [...] more »

Wed, Apr 23, 2008 | 1 Comment

No Depression reports that Chris Gaffney has succumbed to pancreatic cancer in a double dose of sad news this week. Among other things, Chris was known for his fine body of work with the Hacienda Brothers. Our thoughts and prayers are with family, friends and fans of Chris Gaffney. more »

Thu, Apr 17, 2008 | 1 Comment

HAYES CARLL, Trouble In Mind (Lost Highway) Official Site | MySpace | Preview Known for his dry sense of humor, tell-it-like-it-is songwriting and the first self-released record to reach #1 on the Americana Music Chart (’Little Rock’), Hayes Carll brings us a new album on Lost Highway Records he calls ‘Trouble In Mind’. He’s [...] more »

Mon, Apr 07, 2008 | 1 Comment

Hacienda Brother Chris Gaffney was diagnosed with liver cancer earlier this year. He is about to begin an extreme course of chemotherapy in hopes of eradicating the disease. Although he has health insurance, it will not cover all the costs associated with his treatment. To help defray the costs, friends and family have created [...] more »

Mon, Mar 31, 2008 | 0 Comments

What’s a monthly playlist without a video companion? This month we start and finish with a pair of incredible acoustic performances by the Jones Street Boys. In between we’ve got clips from Tift Merritt, Nada Surf, Butch Walker, Joe Jackson and Greg Trooper, among others. Don’t miss the haunting J. Tillman & [...] more »

Sun, Mar 30, 2008 | 0 Comments

Well, my buddy Cindy over at The Fine Line and I will be webcasting live from the Rodney Parker (Official/Myspace) & Bleu Edmondson show (Official/Myspace) at the Granada Theater in Dallas on Friday night. It is the night of Parker’s excellent new CD release (The Lonesome Dirge), and we’ll be all over that place [...] more »

Wed, Mar 26, 2008 | 0 Comments

JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE, The Good Life (Bloodshot) Official Site | MySpace | MP3* At times Justin Townes Earle sounds like he’s broadcasting songs from a time long gone. At others he couldn’t be more here and now. As you might already know, he’s the son of legendary singer/songwriter Steve Earle and wears the mark [...] more »

Mon, Mar 24, 2008 | 1 Comment

Its been days now since I’ve returned from the world’s greatest music festival in Austin, TX, SXSW of course. Good times were had, new friends were made, great music was listened to and yet I crave more. Before the music festival had even officially kicked off I had already seen James McMurtry, The Smithereens, Matt [...] more »

Tue, Mar 18, 2008 | 0 Comments

Don’t forget to get your entry in to win signed cds from both Dennis Brennan and Stonehoney, two stand-out artists from 2007. To win, simply leave a comment below. A winner will be selected at random when the contest ends on Thursday, 2/28/08 at midnight EST.** Here’s a bonus gem from Stonehoney: Visit Dennis Brennan [...] more »

Thu, Feb 28, 2008 | 2 Comments

Be the envy of all your friends with this impressive bi-coastal prize pack featuring signed cds from Boston’s Dennis Brennan and LA’s Stonehoney. Every Wednesday Brennan delivers a master-class in American music at the Lizard Lounge in Cambridge, Massachusetts. One minute it is a rockin’ Brennan original, the next minute a Merle Haggard cover rounded [...] more »

Tue, Feb 26, 2008 | 7 Comments

In this day and age of artists making a killing on 99 cent downloads and hit singles, the days of that special album that you don’t feel the urge to skip even one song on the entire disc are almost gone. We all have the ones that still reside in our top 3 or [...] more »

Mon, Feb 25, 2008 | 3 Comments

I had a tough time finding new clips from several of the artists in this month’s playlist. So I did the next best thing and dug into the archives. Highlights include a long-time fan favorite and a new political statement from the Drive-By Truckers, Jon Dee Graham performing an acoustic “Faithless” on [...] more »

Sun, Feb 24, 2008 | 1 Comment

ALBUMS OF THE MONTH: Lurch, by Mike Viola Whether recording under his own name or his Candy Butchers moniker, Viola is a master musical alchemist, building each song around varied instruments pulled from his bag of musical sounds. From the Fisher Price piano that kicks off “Maybe, Maybe Not” to the fuzzy bass of “It [...] more »

Thu, Feb 21, 2008 | 0 Comments

We’ve upped the ante with the Sarah Borges give-away. In addition to a signed cd, we’ll also be including a signed limited edition 7″ record for Sarah’s song “The Day We Met.” To win, simply leave a comment below. A winner will be selected at random when the contest ends on Sunday, [...] more »

Sun, Feb 17, 2008 | 1 Comment

I’ve recently received Submissions from a couple of upstart bands I think are worth a look. They are Death to Anders and The Hollyfelds. Death to Anders has just released a new album Fictitious Business. Their sound has it’s basis in the L.A. Indie Rock scene but it is also heavily influenced early 90’s Sonic Youth. [...] more »

Sun, Feb 17, 2008 | 1 Comment