Chicago, by way of North Carolina & Maryland troubadour, Joe Pug would like to apologize to the innocent folks now living in the houses that he helped construct while working as a carpenter. He is likely expressing his remorse for the hours he seems to have spent humming possible melodies and arranging lyrics in [...] more »

Mon, May 12, 2008 | 0 Comments

Justin Trawick Group performing “Sunshine” For those hitting the Bob Schneider show at the Birchmere in Alexandria tonight (Friday, May 9), you may want to also reserve your Saturday (May 10) night for DC’s own Justin Trawick at IOTA who will be celebrating the release of his new live CD recorded at the very same [...] more »

Fri, May 09, 2008 | 0 Comments

Some call it Old-Timey, New-Grass, Jam-Grass, Rootsy, Pre-WWII, Folk or hell, some label junkies may even dream up a title like Appalachian Dumpsta-Funk (not bad actually, can’t it be as useful as “Alt-Country”?) The fact is, in the last few years we have witnessed an Ellis Island-style rush of young, unique, and quality hard-to-define [...] more »

Sun, May 04, 2008 | 0 Comments

The Daylight Hours is Columbia, SC’s own David Adedokun. Adedokun has been slowly but surely working on How To Make A Mess Of Things for over two years, since the break-up of his former band, Courage Riley. It was worth the wait. Adedokun blends an array of influences into an Americana-indie-pop dream, all the while [...] more »

Sun, Apr 27, 2008 | 0 Comments

**NOTE: Contest is now closed. You can still participate but will no longer be eligible for the giveaway.** One disc you may have overlooked in 2007 came from Richmond, VA based Wrinkle Neck Mules titled ‘The Wicks Have Met’. Rustically rooted in Old Dominion’s historic south, the Wrinkle Neck Mules deliver with their own special brand [...] more »

Wed, Apr 23, 2008 | 15 Comments

Alejandro Escovedo Escovedo’s Sunday night show at the Continental is the traditional unofficial closing of SXSW and this year he served up a special treat. With co-conspirator Chuck Prophet on guitar, Alejandro and company performed the entirety of Wild Animals, his forthcoming release. Lyrically it finds Escovedo in a reflective mood but musically ready [...] more »

Wed, Apr 23, 2008 | 1 Comment

Being a fan of free in-store performances, vinyl and many of the bands from Denton, Dallas & Ft. Worth Texas, this national holiday provided me with a chance to enjoy these treasures all at once. There didn’t seem to be a downside to this day of celebration, as even with Christmas, there is always [...] more »

Sun, Apr 20, 2008 | 0 Comments

Under Swing Set’s influences section on their webpage, Teenage Fanclub and George Jones are listed side by side. Just the kind of spirit that has driven the southern rock and roll movement of the last decade or so, a spirit that owes just as much to R.E.M. as Lynrd Skynrd. Swing Set is the solo moniker [...] more »

Sat, Apr 19, 2008 | 0 Comments

**NOTE: Contest is now closed. You can still participate but will no longer be eligible for the giveaway.** The Drive-by Truckers had to make ‘Brighter Than Creations Dark‘ in the way that they did. Consisting of 19 songs comprising 75 minutes of twanged up tell-it-like-it-is rock n’ roll. I’m sure the band will attribute the [...] more »

Wed, Apr 16, 2008 | 28 Comments

My Saturday night started strong and finished monumentally, though in the middle was an unfortunate lowlight in the form of the only showcase I didn’t get into this year due to the length of the line (it was an acoustic Nada Surf performance, but don’t cry for me, Twangville Nation — I’m seeing them at [...] more »

Sat, Apr 12, 2008 | 0 Comments

Saturday afternoon began for me with a touch of déjà vu, as I once again started my day at Cedar Street Courtyard for the kickoff of day three of the Filter throwdown there. I didn’t know it at the time, but I’d be bookending my day parties with Filter on this day. Kicking [...] more »

Sat, Apr 12, 2008 | 1 Comment

My Friday afternoon was largely about Filter magazine’s Showdown at Cedar Street party. This was day two of what was a three-day throwdown hosted by Filter this year, and it was a lineup that (for me) couldn’t be beat, not even by the SPIN party, for which I turned down a pass generously offered [...] more »

Fri, Apr 11, 2008 | 0 Comments

The highlight of my Thursday night occurred straight out of the gate in the 8 o’clock showcase time slot, but it was hardly all downhill from there, as a “bonus highlight” also awaited me during the witching hour. I’ve had a few tracks by the Swedish singer-songwriter, Jens Lekman, for a couple of years now. [...] more »

Thu, Apr 10, 2008 | 0 Comments

JACKIE GREENE, Giving Up The Ghost (429) Official Site | MySpace | eCard ‘Giving Up The Ghost’, the fourth release from San Francisco based Jackie Greene shows a steady maturation of one of the biggest up and comers in American music. Reminiscent of Dylan, the Stones, and to a lesser extent Springsteen, Greene is keeping [...] more »

Tue, Apr 01, 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