ALBUM OF THE MONTH: Victims, Enemies, & Old Friends, by Doc Dailey and Magnolia Devil A strong Southern accent imbues Muscle Shouls musician Doc Dailey’s voice and music. His songs continue a rich Southern storytelling tradition, filled with characters struggling with the hands that they’ve been dealt. In album opener “Prove Me Wrong” Dailey strives […]
Kathryn Caine – Down Home Girl
Ever notice there aren’t many female-oriented songs about not being tied down? I’m sure there are, but they don’t come to mind like Free Bird or Ramblin’ Man. I suppose Thelma & Louise gives the XX perspective for the movie genre, but what about something you can sing along to? Kathryn Caine, on her latest […]
Graham Weber/ Slaid Cleaves- Live at St. Stephen’s
Everyone knows you can’t throw a whiskey bottle in Austin, TX without hitting two great songwriters. Now I know you can’t even throw the whiskey bottle unless you’re a kick-ass songwriter. Where do these guys come from? Does Austin offer free beer to songwriters? I’m talking about Graham Weber, who blew me away last night […]
Paul Thorn – Pimps & Preachers
You can always count on Paul Thorn to provide a picture of life in the margins. His new effort Pimps and Preachers paints many different portraits. There are catchy singer-songwriter story songs like the opener “You’re Not the Only Oneâ€, which shows that the problems and trials of life are not unique to the family […]
Hoots & Hellmouth – Singin’ Up in the Trees
For my second experience at the uber-intimate Treehouse literally just steps from the DC/MD border, I had the pleasure of enjoying a bluegrass spiritual. Now I’ve seen Sean Hoots & the boys on a few other occasions but this time it was something special. A living room filled with approximately 30 seats felt just right. […]
The White Buffalo – Prepare for Black & Blue
Wow. Upon seeing the name, The White Buffalo, visions of indie-hipsters attempting achieve some sort of irony for irony’s sake, were dancing through my head. Thankfully, an irony-seeking hipster The White Buffalo isn’t. It was too good to be true that The White Buffalo would be this artist’s given name. According to our friends at […]
Turnpike Troubadours – Diamonds & Gasoline
Busting out of Oklahoma, The Turnpike Troubadours are here to breathe new life into what is too often a stale environment in the world of Red Dirt music. Sure, this quintet does their fair share of rocking out, why wouldn’t they? It’s the added country (shocking!) dimensions of their tunes that lend the album, and […]
Kickstart American Gun’s New Record
Twangville house band and all around bad-asses American Gun are looking for a little help getting their 4th full length off the ground. Recorded in producer Mitch Easter’s (REM, Pavement, Suzanne Vega) North Carolina studio The Fidelitorium, the album promises to find the band moving in new directions. The departure of co-founding singer-songwriter Donald Merckle […]
Michael Quinn & the Bourbon Kings – Whiskey Rebellion
Irreverence can have many forms. There’s the quiet humor in the face of strict authority. The passive-aggressiveness of simply ignoring a direct order from a superior. And then there’s the kind Michael Quinn & the Bourbon Kings sing about in their latest release, Whiskey Rebellion. Having had one more toke for the road, they tell […]
Nicole Atkins Digs Bonnie and the Beard
In October I stumbled upon a righteous crew called Bonnie and the Beard at the Larimer Lounge in Denver. Tip your bartender, because if you’re in Denver and love music, you’ll be here again and again. They do it right. Rising star Bonnie and the Beard opened for risen star Nicole Atkins and the Sea—the […]