One of my personal rites of spring is to head 45 minutes southeast of Austin on the third weekend of April to the Old Settler’s Music Festival. Despite not having the name of an Austin City Limits or Coachella, OSMF has been ranked in the top 10 festivals in the country. There are a number […]
Ben Balmer – Honky-Tonk Macbeth
Being a sought-after sideman has its advantages. One of those is that when you do your own album, you can pull in favors to fill out the band. Ben Balmer strikes gold in that vein on his latest record, Honky-Tonk Macbeth. The instrumental additions to Balmer’s solid singer-songwriter compositions fill the room with layers of […]
Dar Williams on Symbolism, Hotel Coffee, and Learning New Technology
Singer-songwriter Dar Williams recalls working at a gardening store, talks about going on an “apologetic charm offensive” when she breaks a guitar string, and explains why her 2013 Prius is “more of a symbolic plug-in”.
Monday Morning Video – GA-20
Blues trio GA-20 came through town last week. Or more aptly, they lit the town on fire with an incendiary set of rock and blues. Guitarists Matthew Stubbs and Pat Faherty, accompanied by drummer Tim Carman, kept the talking to a minimum as they blazed through gems from their 2019 album Lonely Soul as well […]
Readers’ Pick: Jesse Malin – Sad and Beautiful World
You picked Jesse Malin – Sad and Beautiful World as your favorite new release for the week of September 24, 2021. New Releases Did we miss something? If you feel a new release is missing from our current poll, please let us know in the comments. Readers’ Tops Summer & Fall 2021 James McMurtry – […]
Ana Egge – Between Us
Over the years I’ve seen Ana Egge perform live a number of times, from house shows to mid-afternoon sets at festivals, to hotel rooms at Folk Alliance. Many times those appearances were with other musicians and I’ve noticed that Ana’s superpower seems to be making other artists sound better than I remembered. Now she’s directed […]
Jeremy Pinnell on Drunken Santas and Doing Good, Honest Work
Country singer Jeremy Pinnell talks about trying to figure out the right tour diet and and working construction.
Monday Morning Video – Mavis Staples “The Weight”
Love this version of “The Weight” performed by Mavis Staples and the Jools Holland Rhythm & Blues Orchestra. A mighty big voice + a mighty big band = one powerful performance.
Readers’ Pick: The Felice Brothers – From Dreams to Dust
You picked The Felice Brothers – From Dreams to Dust as your favorite new release for the week of September 17, 2021. New Releases Did we miss something? If you feel a new release is missing from our current poll, please let us know in the comments. Readers’ Tops Summer & Fall 2021 James McMurtry […]
Spencer Cullum on French Fries and Playing Less Notes
Pedal steel guitarist Spencer Cullum talks about the crème de la crème of touring machines, working at a blood bank, and his dogs cameo appearance on his new album.