I found myself a little torn about whether to post a review of the new Alex Hargreaves album, Prelude, to Twangville.  It does have fiddle and banjo and mandolin, but rarely does it even come close to twangy.  It’s much more a jazz album.  But this is a path that’s been blazed already by Bela [...] more »

by Shawn Underwood

Last week we profiled the recent tribute to New Orleans’ Preservation Hall. Recorded over the past year in New Orleans historic landmark, the album features the legendary jazz band performing with artists ranging from Tom Waits to Jason Isbell to Brandi Carlile. Did I say win big? I meant really big. Thanks to [...] more »

by Mayer Danzig

Few cities have as rich a musical heritage as New Orleans, Louisiana. Even fewer have a modest building the mere mention of which conjures up vivid images, both visual and aural. Such is the legacy of Preservation Hall. The building itself is strikingly humble. No running water. No air conditioning. Six [...] more »

by Mayer Danzig

One of the signs I look for in really good musicians is their ability to play to the audience, both the crowd that particular night as well as the nuances of a venue.  The Belleville Outfit played Yoshi’s jazz club in San Francisco Monday night and became my poster child for just how to execute [...] more »

by Shawn Underwood

Take a tuba, a fat drum beat, add a scorching guitar and you’ve got the foundation of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band as seen in Amsterdam last Thursday. Flesh it all out with a raving horn section and you’ve got a combination that is guaranteed to make you sweat. The Dirty Dozen are one of [...] more »

by Alex Verhoeff

ALBUMS OF THE MONTH: Another Country, by Tift Merritt After 2004’s classic Tamborine, Tift Merritt escaped more than her record contract — she fled the country. Relocating temporarily to Paris, she found an apartment with a piano. The record that emerged is a travelogue of a different kind, a search for identity and assuredness. [...] more »

by Mayer Danzig

WIDESPREAD PANIC, Free Somehow Official Site | MySpace | Stream | MP3* | MP3** It seems like Athens-based Widespread Panic has been playing music forever (if you consider 20 years as being close to ‘forever’). Averaging a new record every two years, 2008 brings us their tenth studio album titled ‘Free Somehow’. This is another [...] more »

by Tom Osborne

The planets have aligned for Last Train Home. Bolstered by the additions of Steve Wedemeyer and Jen Gunderman (The Jayhawks, Dag, Caitlin Cary) and a recent move to Nashville, Last Train Home entered 2007 with the world as their oyster. Marking a decade of making music this year, the band celebrated with a February release [...] more »

by Tom Osborne

A personal favorite artist of mine ever since my cousin Ken mentioned him to me back in 2003, Josh Rouse released a new EP this week. This time as a duo. He’s partnered up with Spanish native, Paz Suay, who’s smooth vocals you might recognize from his last album, Subtitulo. The new EP is aptly [...] more »

by Tom Osborne