In the middle part of the last century, most of rural America centered their social lives around their church and the local Grange Hall.  The Grange became the logical choice for Saturday night dances, which weren’t appropriate for a church.  Here, a variety of local and regional touring bands played country waltzes, western swing songs, and […]
The Furious Seasons – Now Residing Abroad
Out here on the coast we have rogue waves. Â They’re not part of the regular set, they’re unpredictable, and are big enough to bash you down into the sand, where you think “where the hell did that come from?” Â That’s what happened to me when I listened to the latest from The Furious Seasons, Now […]
I See Hawks In LA – Live And Never Learn
One of the things John Prine is so admired for is his ability to take a snippet of an ordinary person’s daily existence and turn it into a story you listen to again and again, complete with a life lesson.  Similarly, southern California’s I See Hawks In LA can take a place (frequently in California) and […]
David Rosales – Brave Ones
The beaches in southern California are at their peak about mid-morning. Â The fog is burning off and so the sun’s just coming out. Â It’s still chilly, but the air is full of possibilities whether it’s the warmth of the upcoming day or the reliable 3-foot break. Â The rest of the world has been toiling for […]
Christina Cavazos – Mile Marker
It’s fashionable these days to whine about how the youth of today don’t do anything except play on their cellphones and can’t interact with anyone except on Snapchat. Â I’m fortunate enough to see and meet many young musicians that contradict that belief. Â Christina Cavazos is one of them. Â She was a finalist in the new […]
Slocan Ramblers – “Mississippi Heavy Water Blues” Song Premiere
It’s festival season here in North America, and every weekend between now and early September will have an Americana music festival of some sort within about a 2 hour drive for probably 98% of the population of the U.S. and Canada.  Many of those events will have a side stage or campground stage that highlights traditional […]
Sarah White – “Carry Me Over” Song Premiere
 Sometimes you go to a restaurant you’ve never been to so you can order their homemade biscuits.  It’s still comfort food, but with a little variety over your normal routine.  That’s the analogy I’m going to use for the soon-to-be-released album from Virginia native Sarah White.  High Flyer has the folk and country and Americana […]
Pharis and Jason Romero – Sweet Old Religion
The sun comes up over the pine trees, darkness and shadowy forms give way to the crispness of the air and the glint reflected off the lake. Daylight accentuates the feeling that it’s going to be a beautiful day with nothing but great things on the horizon, regardless of the distresses of yesterday. Â That’s the […]
Trampled by Turtles – Life Is Good On the Open Road
I’m sure you’ve seen this before. Â The special effects people take an explosion and play it backwards, in slow motion. Â The result is a whole bunch of disparate, seemingly unrelated, pieces all come together to form the perfect whole. Â That’s the kind of experience I had with the new album from Trampled by Turtles, Life […]
Coco O’Connor – This Ol’ War Song Premiere
Some of the best music coming out of Nashville these days is from artists who have trouble really connecting with Nashville. Â The collection of Americana talent there is tremendous, and you can find a lot of empathetic soul mates. Â But it just never seems like home. Â That’s the situation with Santa Fe artist Coco O’Connor. […]