As documented by everyone from Ken Burns on down, country music came out of the fields of the South and the mountains of Appalachia. Alt-country, on the other hand, has its roots in the urban centers of the Rust Belt, like St. Louis, Chicago, and Pittsburg. Based on the new album from Brendan & the […]
Clay Rose of Gasoline Lollipops on Carpentry, Miracles, and Drive-Through Daiquiri Stands
Clay Rose of Colorado’s Gasoline Lollipops talks about a high voltage electrical shock and recalls when he first got hooked on music.
Heidi Newfield on Twizzlers and Never Having a “Plan B”
Heidi Newfield talks about investing in real estate, her transition from a tour van to a tour bus, and her dog Gustus.
Monday Morning Video – The Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires Rock Show
Damn, I miss live rock and roll. All the more so after watching this video of Lee Bains III and the Glory Fires electrifying an afternoon crowd at SXSW a few years back. And for those who know me, look for my cameos in front of the stage. Because that’s where you’re supposed to stand […]
Readers’ Pick: Garrett Owen – Quiet Lives
You picked Garrett Owen – Quiet Lives as your favorite new release for the week of September 18, 2020. 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 2020 Peter Himmelman – Press On […]
Mayer’s Playlist for Fall 2020, Part 1
Remember It, The Northern Belle (from the Die With Your Boots On Records release We Wither, We Bloom) You’d never know from their music that The Northern Belle hails from Norway. Their brand of Americana is bathed in Southern California sunshine in more ways than one. This is music warm and lavish, not to mention […]
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Preview
Twenty years ago next week a San Francisco musician and financier, Warren Hellman, arranged a birthday concert for his sister, a big bluegrass fan. The next year, as part of a bid to get Emmylou to play, Hellman included a modifier to the concert’s name, and Hardly Strictly Bluegrass was official. Since then the event […]
Feels like Josh Ritter Gave me a Mansion!
Upbeat Josh Ritter is my favorite Josh Ritter. Give me songs like “Right Moves”, “Snow is Gone”, and “Young Moses” any day. Your head will start bopping and you’ll find yourself smiling without knowing why. His new EP “See Here, I Have Built You a Mansion” is a gift to all of us trying to […]
Erinn Peet Lukes Video Premiere – Small Town Hero
I was fortunate enough to come across Erinn Peet Lukes when she came out with her first EP a couple of years ago. Since then I learned she’d been with a band for several years and they gained some notoriety with a cover of a Guns ‘n’ Roses hit. Last year they put out an […]
Arlo Guthrie on Boiling Guitar Strings and Making a Living in Folk Music
Legendary singer-songwriter Arlo Guthrie talks about a way to eat healthy while on the road, the vow that he made after his first gig, and remembering what you thought you forgot.