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

Chicago-based four-piece Maps & Atlases aren’t a math-rock band. O.K., good, we’ve got that out of the way now. Sure, there are some rather math-y elements to the band’s indie-folk informed sound, but not to the extent where those intricacies define their overall sonic contributions in the way that many would have one believe. While [...] more »

by Kelly Dearmore

It wasn’t that long ago when someone asked me “Why doesn’t anyone make Rock n’ Roll” anymore?” Like many folks, he quit looking for new music after he graduated college, and was now trying to search the radio for new Rock n’ Roll. If he asked that today, I would give him a copy of [...] more »

by Chip Frazier

Savannah Georgia’s The Train Wrecks’ recently released sophomore disc entitled Saddle Up is an alt-country effort that hits all the right spots. Opening with the Cash-inspired “Tennessee Mare” and featuring one of the tightest rhythm sections this side of the Mason-Dixon line in Markus Kuhlmann and Eric Dunn, along with singer Jason Bible’s rusty vocals [...] more »

by Todd Mathis

Honey Child may be currently unsigned, but that will not be the case for long. Their sound is definitely Indie Rock, but their music is mostly up tempo and very accessible. They mix the electric instruments of a Rock band with mandolin, banjo and acoustic guitars. The instrumentation produces an Alternative sound with Americana undertones. The songs have melodies and [...] more »

by Chip Frazier

E pluribus unum. It’s on our dollar bill. From the many, one. Robert Francis, at the age of 22, has seemingly melded many disparate facets of American rock/folk/country into a tasty music stew. Pedal steel, piano, guitar, and vocals (to name a few) come together in classic fashion. Francis’ hooks are like that delicious secret [...] more »

by Jeff McMahon

All these records came out this year and have been piling up on my digital nightstand.  They’re all good too.  Enjoy the downloads, graciously provided by the artists/labels involved. Zach Seibert & the Red Wagon An Americana dream of atmospheric folk and country inspired rock and roll, Learning to Drown is Zach Seibert’s first real [...] more »

by Eli Petersen

The Whipsaws are a bar band…. a glorious, alt. country ass kicking bar band. Just listen to the tossed off rock and roll of their sophomore effort, 60 Watt Avenue.  Though Neil Young is the easiest influence to infer as the band moves from Crazy Horse style rockers to Harvest-era ballads with ease, the Whipsaws [...] more »

by tweedyfarrar

This week I trekked to Music City for business. Luckily for me, I was there on a Tuesday night. While Tuesday isn’t typically thought of as a hot music night, quite the scene has emerged on this bland, early-week night. The Mashville Brigade has been jamming on Tuesday nights at the legendary Station Inn for [...] more »

by Kelly Dearmore

It would be easy to describe the Low Anthem’s Oh My God, Charlie Darwin as ambitious. The term, however, doesn’t do it justice. It is one thing to be ambitious (right Axl Rose?) it is quite another to realize musical ambition and make it seem effortless. Ladies and gentlemen, meet the Low Anthem. The mystical [...] more »

by Mayer Danzig

Hey guys, I am getting ready to head to the ACL Festival in a couple of weeks. I have quickly put together a rudimentary schedule for the bands I want to see. I may have left some stuff out, so let me know what you think!! KELLY’S TENTATIVE ACL FEST SCHEDULE more »

by Kelly Dearmore

ALBUMS OF THE MONTH: Sunshine Lies, by Matthew Sweet “’cause we’re already good and we’re already evil, unfazed by a world of constant upheaval,” sings Matthew Sweet on “Let’s Love” from his latest release. It’s a moment that carries meaning beyond the song’s intended topic. In the nearly fifteen years since Sweet’s seminal Girlfriend, the [...] more »

by Mayer Danzig

Ryan Adams. Gillian Welch & David Rawlings. Conor Oberst. Cory Branan. These are names that are thrown around a lot when you are talking about modern day singer-songwriters. What if I told you there may be someone not just like them, but better? Anthony DaCosta might just be. About 3 hours ago, my brother handed [...] more »

by Eli Petersen

Imagine a soul band playing CBGB’s and you’ll have a sense of the Prayer’s sound. The Brooklyn-based group serves up a potent blend of soul and hard rock that will get you dancing until you collapse from exhaustion. Opener “I Like It” sets the tone with a smoldering intro that builds into an angst-ridden beat. [...] more »

by Mayer Danzig

In a small room off the beaten path at this year’s SXSW I found a big voice. Austin singer-songwriter Nakia took possession of the room that night, his rich and brawny voice shifting effortlessly from a soulful ballad to a R&B rave-up. Ably backed by his top-notch band the Southern Cousins, it was a highlight [...] more »

by Mayer Danzig