At this point, Tinsley Ellis is pretty much recognized as a blues master. Usually a hard blues-rocker of the Stevie Ray Vaughn school, now with The Naked Truth he has released his first all-acoustic blues album – and it’s fantastic. A native Georgian who spent much of his childhood in Florida, Ellis played in Atlanta […]
Stoll Vaughan on Def Leppard’s Generosity and His Mentor’s Advice
Singer-songwriter Stoll Vaughan talks about building a home for his music and shares advice on rehearsing for tours.
Monday Morning Video – Brandi Carlile
Let’s start the week with “The Story”, one of a growing list of Brandi Carlile classics. The switch from acoustic to electric guitar, the voice, the song – it doesn’t get much better.
Readers’ Pick: The Roseline – Keystone of the Heart
You picked The Roseline – Keystone of the Heart as your favorite new release for the week of February 2, 2024.
Emanuel Casablanca – Strung Out on Thrills
Emanuel Casablanca’s billing says he’s an “outlaw-bluesman.” Whether he’s an outlaw or not, he certainly has a knack for aggressive blues-rock. (Note to self: resist the temptation to include a reference to the movie Casablanca.} The Brooklyn-based Casablanca is a painter, actor, and singer-songwriter who released his debut album, Blood on My Hands, in August […]
Louien on Matpakke and a Youthful Act of Defiance
Norwegian artist Louien talks about changing guitar strings, wonderful moments in her rehearsal space, and keeping on keeping on.
Monday Morning Video – Wayne Kramer & the MC5
You’d be hard-pressed to think of a rock band from the past 50 years that didn’t draw at least some influence from Detroit’s MC5. As a start, you can put any punk band in that category but their impact stretched far beyond the genre that they helped define. Wayne Kramer, the band’s co-founder, passed away […]
Readers’ Pick: Sarah Jarosz – Polaroid Lovers
You picked Sarah Jarosz – Polaroid Lovers as your favorite new release for the week of January 26, 2024.
Ryan Adams: Sword & Stone
On January 1st, Ryan Adams dropped FIVE new albums and became the MVP of 2024. Yes, you read that correctly. FIVE. NEW. ALBUMS. I’ve been taking my time digesting each of them and am going to start with Sword & Stone here. As a self-proclaimed superfan, getting these records as a New Year’s present was pretty […]
Trent Wagler of The Steel Wheels on Office Clutter and His Favorite Day Job
Trent Wagler of Virginia-based The Steel Wheels talks about a first song that prioritized rhyme over meaning and the importance of inner motivation.