Southern Culture on the Skids, Countrypolitan Favorites (Yep Roc) I got the opportunity to see SCOTS last year in San Francisco for the first time. They are fantastic live. I got hit by a flying piece of fried chicken and I loved it. I don’t know much about the new album but I expect it […]
Twangville is Waylon Jennings
According to Brody over at The 9513, our Golden Age of country music counterpart is Waylon Jennings. A fine choice I might add. Twangville – Waylon Jennings When Waylon Jennings was fed up with the way Nashville did business he was introduced to Willie Nelson, and together the two began what is now known as […]
Careless Hearts, On the Radar
Check out San Franscisco Bay Area twangers, Careless Hearts. The foursome lead by the songwriting and vocals of Paul Kimball consists of guitars (Paul Kimball and Derek See), bass (Rob Miller) and drums (Craig Heitkam). Their self-titled debut is full of sad songs influenced by traditional country songbooks juxtaposed with rockin’ twang channeling the likes […]
Last Train Home, CD Release Shows
The former DC-based now Nashville-based band Last Train Home comes home to the Capitol City this weekend for a series of CD release shows. I gotta get my priorities straight and hit one of these shows. Its “bound” to be a historic weekend in honor of the decade old band’s fifth full-length release. @ IOTA […]
Bottle Rockets in So. Fla.
Good concerts come to my South Florida town about as often as cold fronts. The dearth of viable venues south of the Carolinas and the unusual length of the peninsula discourage artists from making the long trip. Sure, the major acts fly in from time to time. You can still watch the Billy Joel hit […]
Thoughts on the Grammys
In a word: Yawn. Here are some quick thoughts on this year’s Grammy awards. The Police: It was great to see the Police but I really wish that they wore their outfits from the Synchronicity II video. Dixie Chicks: A great song and a passionate live performance. And Twangville sends a hearty shout out to […]
Backyard Tire Fire & More, Album Previews
Backyard Tire Fire, Vagabonds and Hooligans (O.L.E. Records) Good stuff from Athens and Asheville rooted Backyard Tire Fire. Now putting it down in Bloomington, IL the trio delivers a promising new record titled Vagabonds and Hooligans. You gotta love an album whose first verse reads: Instruments and cable ties and bottles on the floor / […]
Hem, “Funnel Cloud” Reviewed
On their third studio full-length, New York City’s Hem offer up a thoughtful selection of secular hymns to the lost and broken-hearted. There is a fragile beauty in the delicate arrangements of Hem’s songs, and an often comfortably familiar tone, by turns evoking the melodies and moods of Bruce Springsteen (“Old Adam”), Tom Waits (“The […]
Randy Newman in Defense of our Country
When he’s not composing movie soundtracks and collecting Oscar nominations, Randy Newman writes pop songs filled with biting social and political commentary. So it should come as no surprise to see Newman offer his perspectives on today’s highly charged global political environment. “A Few Words In Defense of Our Country”, by Randy Newman A president […]
Josh Rouse, EP Available
A personal favorite artist of mine ever since my cousin Ken mentioned him to me back in 2003, Josh Rouse released a new EP this week. This time as a duo. He’s partnered up with Spanish native, Paz Suay, who’s smooth vocals you might recognize from his last album, Subtitulo. The new EP is aptly […]