I have to profess, a vocalist’s range is not something where I tend to pay enough attention. But it came up front and center on Robert Rex Waller, Junior’s latest album, See the Big Man Cry. Like hearing Roy Orbison or Raul Malo for the first time, you suddenly realize there’s a whole other axis […]
Tom Heyman – 24th Street Blues
It’s fashionable these days to predict the demise of San Francisco. Its problems are vast; no one wants to live there; it’s too expensive. Long-time Philadelphia and San Francisco resident Tom Heyman has been around cities enough to know that’s cyclical, not an end destination. He documents his own love/hate relationship with the City by […]
Josh Travis – Few of Days & Full of Trouble
Many religions, Christianity among them, have a common thread that life is hard, and short, and the reason to suffer through it is the afterlife. A lucky few learn to find and cherish the moments that offer a respite from the daily turmoil. Even those times are earned; they’re not a birthright. That kind of […]
The Furious Seasons – Every Morning At Five
There are a few things in life that, even though you’ve experienced them before, they still manage to surprise you at how good they are. True love is on that list. The trust of a good friend. A BLT with freshly baked bread, and lettuce and tomato picked minutes ago from your own garden. On […]
Jacob Furr – Turning
Many albums are about a point in time, like any number of the records made during the pandemic. Others are really more about the journey. That’s the case for the latest from Fort Worth’s Jacob Furr. The release is called Turning, and in many ways it’s the third in a set about the pathways that […]
Keturah Allgood – Shine
I’ve heard it said multiple times that a musician’s professional and personal lives become more and more intertwined over the years. I suppose that just makes sense when your job is touching people’s inner feelings. In the case of North Caroline born-and-raised Keturah Allgood, professional and personal merge in a relentless drive for compassion and […]
AmericanaFest 2023 – Shawn’s Favorites
AmericanaFest is part music festival, part industry conference, and part social meet-up. You can hear intimate interviews with some of the biggest names in the business, learn how to better run your business as an artist, or get tips on how to be a better performer. Not surprisingly, it all revolves around musical showcases, both […]
2023 Americana Music Awards
For the 22nd time, fans, musicians, and industry personnel gathered in Nashville on the 3rd weekend in September for the AmericanaFest. Part music festival, part industry conference, the event now stretches across most of the week. Regardless of when individual organized meetings and events start, the real premiere is the Americana Music Awards show at […]
Arielle Silver Video Premiere – Rickie Lee
One of the pleasant surprises I had at this year’s Folk Alliance conference was lucking into a performance from LA transplant Arielle Silver. After several sets of protest and grievance-laden anthems, her mix of sophisticated, reflective songs were a welcome respite. Talking with her afterwards, it was nice to hear a musician just enjoying her […]
Steep Canyon Rangers – Morning Shift
The sun was in my eyes. Or maybe more appropriately, the banjo was in my ear. Like many people I’m sure, my first exposure to North Carolina’s Steep Canyon Rangers was the first record they did with Steve Martin. It established them in my mind as a bluegrass band, and then they proceeded to build […]