Josh Ritter & The Royal City Band House of Blues Boston, May 18 2013 It’s clear that Josh Ritter has a special place in his heart for Boston. This was a hometown show for band members Zack Hickman, Austin Nevins, and Sam Kassirer. Ritter brought his A-game and gave the Boston fans a lot to […]
Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell- Old Yellow Moon
“We’ve both grown tired/ Of running from each other/ Here we are/ Darling, here we are”- Rodney Crowell Old Yellow Moon feels lived in. The record feels instantly comfortable, like an old pair of shoes that align perfectly with the arches of your feet. Harris and Crowell’s musical partnership dates back a quarter of century […]
Eastbound Jesus – Northern Rock
Click, whirrr. Â Click, whirrr. Â Like some aural Polaroid the recently released third album from upstate New York band Eastbound Jesus spits out snapshots of life in northern rural America that quickly take on the patina of nostalgia even when they’re new. Â Northern Rock is as much about stories set to music as it is songwriting. […]
Randall Bramblett – The Bright Spots
Randall Bramblett is generally known as much for his associations as he is for his own body of work. That is largely due to the innate talent that made him a coveted session and touring musician, who primarily wrote and created for others. While he released a couple of solo records in the 70’s, it […]
3 EP Gems; Wicked Saints, Western Youth, Shawn Nelson
 Shawn Nelson and The Good Buds – Enough Back in 2011 I reviewed San Juan Street from Shawn Nelson and was enamored of the protagonist perspective in many of his songs along with the variety of musical influences.  So I was happy to see he has an EP out with his band, now known as […]
With the Radio On: A Special Boston Playlist
It is only May and it has already been an amazing year for Boston music. Below are some of the highlights from some of the impressive releases making for a mighty fine musical spring in Beantown. FEATURED ALBUMS Waterfall, by Todd Thibaud Thibaud’s latest album is a bit of a paradox. For all it’s upbeat […]
Shinyribs – Gulf Coast Museum
Kevin Russell is an enigma. Â As lead singer and songwriter for The Gourds, he led one of the biggest party bands in Texas history. Â Just try to find someone in central Texas who doesn’t know the words to Gin & Juice (written by Snoop Dogg: a good example of why you shouldn’t get locked into […]
Patty Griffin – American Kid
It is hard to describe songs that leave you speechless. The breathtaking tracks on “American Kid†mesmerize from beginning to end. This is Patty Griffin’s first album of original material in six years. Since then she has recorded an album of Gospel songs and hymns, “Downtown Churchâ€, and toured with Robert Plant’s Band of Joy. […]
George Glenn Jones (1931-2013)
“I would give anything if I could sing like George Jones. If we could all sound like we wanted to, we’d sound like George Jones.†-Waylon Jennings Growing up in flyover country in the 70’s George Jones represented what I hated so much about country music, particularly with his wife at the time, Tammy Wynette. […]
Deadstring Brothers- Cannery Row
Look. It only took me eleven words to drop in my Exile On Main Street reference. Sorry Kurt Marschke, you ain’t never out running that one. The Deadstring Brothers front man and sole surviving member has had his music compared to the golden era of the glimmer twins for so long he probably thinks “Moves […]