What a difference a year makes. When I saw Tallest Man last year at the 9:30 Club in DC, he was opening for John Van Der Slice and the audience seemed a bit confused by the man. Only about a third of them (150 or so) were there when he played and maybe half of […]
SXSW 2010: The Sounds
Buddy Miller I’ve got a simple rule of thumb: don’t miss a solo Buddy Miller show. Miller’s work with artists ranging from Robert Plant to Solomon Burke to Patty Griffin overshadows his own recordings with his wife Julie. It’s a shame, really, as Buddy and Julie are simply brilliant. Whether playing country, blues or a […]
SXSW 2010: The Scene
SXSW 2010 has come and gone. Over the next week I’ll be sharing a few highlights of my experience. All in good fun. Children By the Million Sing for Alex Chilton This year’s SXSW began and ended with the passing of Alex Chilton. The co-founder of Big Star was scheduled to participate in a panel […]
Old Settler's Music Festival – 2010
As the first night of this year”s Old Settler”s Music Festival was just swinging into high gear, the Infamous Stringdusters took the stage.  Andy Falco marched up to the microphone and said, “Wow, feels like we”ve been cooped up all winter”. That pretty well captured the moment. They then launched into a version of the […]
Todd Snider/Live at the Visualite Theatre/Charlotte, NC/April 15, 2010
He’s been driving around this country for 15 years making this shit up as he goes along and playing it for anyone that will listen. Some people say his stuff is a bit opinionated, and while this may be true, he does not sing anything to try to change your mind, but rather to ease […]
Marah in the Treehouse
When you walk into a concert venue and you happen to find the band shmoozing in front of the chicken coop, you know the show is a bit different than the usual. I’ve seen Marah in two other small venues, but the fact is that I’ve never quite experienced the intimacy of the inaugural show […]
Life’s a Beach, Vol. 2 Playlist
A while back I pulled together a playlist I called “Life’s a Beach”. Little did I know it would quickly become a family favorite. When I was asked to do a follow up it was a no-brainer. This playlist is the result of that activity. You probably have your own mix tape playing in your […]
Sidewalk Dave- Gold Liquid Mischief
“Gold Liquid Mischief” is an album inspired by, written while, and recorded under the influence of drinking. This might seem like it was all fun and shame, and at times it really was, but when your only choice on the matter of drinking is either cheap scotch or cheap bourbon, it begins to drown your […]
Crooked Still / Infamous Stringdusters
Two of the best young Newgrass groups have upcoming albums. Crooked Still – will release Some Strange Country on May 18th on Signature Sounds. They are certainly a genre bending groups always, but they rise to a new level on this. The album is beautifully arranged,lyrically infused with both spiritual and earthly wisdom, and as […]
Record Store Day, My Favorite Holiday
How quickly Record Store Day has become one of my favorite holidays. The annual celebration of the independent record store features special performances and a spectacular list of exclusive releases. I won’t get sentimental about the decline of the record store, yet it is hard to ignore the special qualities that they possess. There’s something […]