Humans have always spent a lot of energy trying to outdo each other, and social media has supercharged all the motivations causing that. So it’s a nice change to run across someone who’s comfortable with just who they are. Santa Cruz, CA, native Mira Goto acknowledges “there are always going to be better guitar players […]
Folk Alliance 2024 – Musical Highlights
As noted in my previous post, a big part of the Folk Alliance International annual conference are the showcases, both official and unofficial. The official performances take place from around 6pm to 10pm in hotel ballrooms, with professional sound and lighting. Depending on the size of the room attendance can go from a few dozen […]
2024 Folk Alliance International Conference
There are many organizations set up to serve the music industry, from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (the Grammy people) and their non-profit, MusiCares, to industry organizations for various segments, to local music societies. I’m certain none of them come close to the broad offerings of Folk Alliance International. FAI is a […]
Ted Russell Kamp Video Premiere – High Desert Fever
One of the things that makes California unique is the breadth of its geographic features. You can easily hit the slopes on Olympic quality runs at Lake Tahoe in the morning and then catch the late afternoon break at Steamer’s Lane in Santa Cruz. It’s barely 100 miles from the glitz and glitter of Hollywood […]
Josh Fortenbery Premiere – Bored To Death
Sometimes when you hear the origin story for a record you realize it was almost destined to sound the way it does. Such is the case with the debut album from Josh Fortenbery, No Such Thing As Forever. Although he’s called North Carolina, Oregon, Wisconsin, and Mexico home, his current domicile is Juneau, Alaska. With […]
The Montvales – Born Strangers
Fate can be an interesting topic. You can accept it as the reason things happen, or question whether you can change it. In the case of lifelong friends Molly Rochelson and Sally Buice, both viewpoints feature in their sophomore album, Born Strangers. The pre-ordained side comes to bear as the Knoxville-raised women went their separate […]
Crow and Gazelle Song Premiere – Take It Away
Chrislyn Lawrence and Mike McClure first met in 2003. Although they had an instant, soulful connection, life happened, and they continued on parallel paths. Mike gained considerable music credibility as the producer for such Red Dirt acts as Turnpike Troubadours, Jason Boland, and Cross Canadian Ragweed. Chrislyn’s path, besides developing her talent as a poet, […]
The Third Mind – Live and in Studio
The email started innocuously: “Hey, hope all’s well.” It was from a record company publicist suggesting there was a show at my local spot I might want to go see. Dave Alvin’s jam band had a new record out, they’d played a successful first live gig at Hardly Strictly, and they were going to take […]
Sarah Jarosz – Polaroid Lovers
Back in 2005 I had the pleasure of seeing a then-13-year-old Sarah Jarosz in cut-offs and black high-tops shredding her mandolin on a couple of bluegrass numbers in the spot she’d earned by winning the previous year’s youth talent contest at Old Settler’s Music Festival. Several of the other acts that year invited her up […]
Shawn’s Favorite Albums of 2023
2023 was a good year for new records. It seemed like themes and topics were no longer dominated by pandemic-induced experiences, and writers felt free to explore the entirety of their experience again. There was a good mix of new and old, both in terms of songs and artists. There’s the usual caveat that what […]