“I want to go out and play these songs by myself and it sound as close to this as possible,” Jason Isbell explains to Gena Johnson, co-producer, in Well Welch’s documentary about the recording of “Foxes in the Snow.” Documenting the Isbell’s process making of the album, the above-mentioned film is called “Feel Real Good” […]
Tift Merritt – Time & Patience
Some 21 years after Tift Merritt’s breakthrough album Tambourine, she returns with “Time & Patience: Tambourine Kitchen Recordings.” The original Tambourine highlighted both Tift Merritt’s voice and a classic blue-eyed soul sound. The demos have stripped back the embellishments and allowed the songs to stand on their own. It turns out that they have taken […]
Josh Ritter – Golden Boy Has Grown Up
When Josh Ritter came out on stage in gold painted shoes and a gold-flecked suit (and newly gray-curly hair), I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. But from the first note, Josh Ritter and the band brought the energy. In contrast to Josh’s rather subdued and contemplative new album, Spectral Lines, the live show was […]
Newport Folk 2023 – Sunday
Every year I am lucky enough to attend Newport Folk Festival, and I have attended six, there’s a moment where the music takes on a full sensory experience. Time stops. When Gregory Alan Isakov took the Quad Stage, that moment occurred. Gregory Alan Isakov and his band including banjo, fiddle, keys, and percussion. Isakov’s new […]
Newport Folk 2023 – Saturday
In its 64th year, the 2023 Newport Folk Festival boasts the longest and most distinguished history of any currently running music festival dating back to 1959. With all that history, the festival has stayed relevant with its place as one of the most trusted venues for Americana, folk, rock, singer/songwriter, and everything in between. With […]
Newport Folk Preview 2023
Songwriters, pickers, rockers, and everything in between. That’s what Newport Folk gets you. Many favorites are back. Jason Isbell, armed with tunes from his new record, “Weathervanes,” will be back again. In addition, Gregory Alan Isakov will be returning for his particular brand of folk and ambient songwriting. Billy Strings will be back too. He’ll […]
Newport Folk Festival – Monday
For the first day of the “Folk On” portion of the second three days, the lineup told Suzanne and I one thing: we had to be there. Hiss Golden Messenger (lead by M.C. Taylor) was playing an acoustic solo set. The first act of the day however was Courtney Marie Andrews. She released “Old Flowers” […]
Newport Folk Festival – Sunday
For our second day at Newport, Suzanne and I knew we had to get to see the Dimmer Twins. If you don’t know them by their acoustic duo name, you may know them as core members of the Drive-By Truckers Mike Cooley and Patterson hood. The name is a nod to the “Glimmer Twins” which […]
Newport Folk Festival – Saturday
In the era of Covid, the seemingly eternal Newport Folk Festival must rise again. Splitting the festival in half (half the people and the acts) and adding a second trio of days was a novel idea. It satisfied the board of health and the desperate fans. It sold out quickly (long before artists were announced) […]
Neil Young – Homegrown
If you’ve been a fan of the legend of Neil Young, you probably rejoiced when hearing about his long-rumored “Homegrown” album. Many of the songs have appeared elsewhere but an official release from Young’s critically acclaimed 1970s period (the album was recorded in 1974 and 1975) is surely a reason to get excited. Young calls […]