ALBUMS OF THE MONTH: Live At Lincoln Hall, by Joe Pug Since arriving on the singer-songwriter scene in 2008, it didn’t take long for Joe Pug to establish himself as a rising star. This live album, recorded in Chicago last spring and comprising songs from his one full-length album and two eps, is a spectacular [...] more »

by Mayer Danzig

By now you’ve seen what most of us were listening to on our MP3 or CD players last year.  So I thought I’d add my favorite live sets from last year.  1) Roger Waters: I got a chance to see The Wall at the HP Pavilion in San Jose.  Holy cow.  As far as I’m [...] more »

by Shawn Underwood

 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

The invisible line separating the United States from Canada appears to be an impenetrable wall for Murray McLachlan. One of the most respected singer-songwriters in Canada, McLauchlan doesn’t seem to have much of a following south of the border. Perhaps he doesn’t care.  Over the years, McLauchlan has won 11 Juno awards (Canadian Grammys) and [...] more »

by Bill Wilcox

#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

It’s Christmastime in Washington The Democrats rehearsed Gettin’ into gear for four more years Things not gettin’ worse The Republicans drink whiskey neat And thanked their lucky stars They said, ‘He cannot seek another term They’ll be no more FDRs’ I sat home in Tennessee Staring at the screen With an uneasy feeling in my [...] 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: Long Live All of Us, by Glossary Glossary have always had a reputation as a scrappy rock band from Murfreesboro, TN. While their latest doesn’t abandon the past, the band has injected a healthy dose of southern soul into the mix. And, man, does it sound good. Opener “Trouble Won’t Always [...] more »

by Mayer Danzig

Forty years. It has been forty years since John Prine released his first, self-titled album, with such classics as “Paradise,” “Angel From Montgomery,” and “Spanish Pipedream.” That first album was one of the few true folk albums included in Rolling Stone‘s 500 greatest albums (a bogus, arbitrary exercise to boost circulation for sure – but John Prine was on [...] more »

by Bill Wilcox

You have to be pre-disposed to like any album that starts out with a paean to Lawnchair Larry.  Maybe it’s just a song about a couple of fella’s similarly tempted, but Weather Ballon, the opening cut on the debut album from Austin-based Sons Of Fathers, is an apt metaphor for how quickly this record soars [...] more »

by Shawn Underwood

  Mason Jennings’ latest effort, Minnesota, is a lyrical romp with Jennings’ characteristic musical hooks that teeter on the edge of sappy but that work for him.  Every song on Minnesota is worth the listen.  The multi-instrumental Jennings opens with the subdued piano-based ballad “Bitter Heart” followed immediately with “Raindrops on the Kitchen Floor,” a [...] more »

by Bill Wilcox

The release of new albums by two masters of roots music this summer flew pretty much under the radar. Both David Bromberg and Ry Cooder have churned out album after album of Americana spanning folk to R&B since the early 1970s. Bromberg’s career has been the oddest, with long periods of withdrawal from public performance [...] more »

by Bill Wilcox

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

Here’s the latest installment of my playlist series highlighting the latest and greatest in New England music. FEATURED ALBUM C’Mon by Barnstar! There’s a lot to be said for just getting in the studio for a few days and just having fun. Now while I can’t confirm that this was the case with Barnstar, it [...] more »

by Mayer Danzig