South Austin Jug Band has found itself. They have always been talented and creative song-writers. However, they were stuck somewhere between traditional and contemporary acoustic music. They were too much on the fence. With Strange Invitation they have created self-described “progressive – acoustic” music. Maybe this clear break was due to the fact that the […]
The Atkinsons – American Gothic
When I pop in a disc from a band based in Virginia (West, or just the plain one) or North Carolina, I get excited and my mind fills with preconceived notions of good ol’ smokey mountain boogie, complete with Dueling Banjos and Foggy Mountain Breakdowns. Unfair? Sure. True? Not really, I don’t think that all […]
Old Settler’s Music Festival Highlights
I’m from northern California where “layering” your clothing is a mantra more than a conscious thought. Sure came in handy this year for Old Settler’s Music Festival in Driftwood (Austin), Texas, where there was driving rain, freezing cold (at least it felt that way), and warm, late-spring sunshine. Oh, and lots of good music, which […]
National Record Store Day – Good Records, Dallas TX
Being a fan of free in-store performances, vinyl and many of the bands from Denton, Dallas & Ft. Worth Texas, this national holiday provided me with a chance to enjoy these treasures all at once. There didn’t seem to be a downside to this day of celebration, as even with Christmas, there is always the […]
Jim Lauderdale – Honey Songs
Jim Lauderdale has been alternating between Country and Bluegrass projects for the last several years. As far as Jim Lauderdale’s country albums go, my favorite is The Other Sessions from 2001. The song “What’s on My Mind†is in fact one of my favorite country songs period. His new project Honey Songs is on par […]
Drive-By Truckers ‘Brighter Than Creations Dark’, a Giveaway
**NOTE: Contest is now closed. You can still participate but will no longer be eligible for the giveaway.** The Drive-by Truckers had to make ‘Brighter Than Creations Dark‘ in the way that they did. Consisting of 19 songs comprising 75 minutes of twanged up tell-it-like-it-is rock n’ roll. I’m sure the band will attribute the […]
Griffin House: Flying Upside Down
In this day and age, Singer-Songwriters are often compared to other similar artists from both past and present. For Nashville-based performer Griffin House (offical / myspace), the chief comparison seems to be Josh Ritter or Ryan Adams. Griffin’s latest offering, Flying Upside Down (April 29 – Nettwerk) opens with the track “Better Than Love†and […]
SXSW 2008 – John’s Sunday Night Highlight: Alejandro Escovedo
For all intents and purposes, SXSW turns into a pumpkin at 2 a.m. Saturday night, but true aficionados know that it ain’t really over until the legendary Alejandro Escovedo leaves the Continental Club stage after his unofficial closing night show on Sunday. We knew going in that this year’s set was going to be something […]
SXSW 2008 – John’s Saturday Night Highlight: The Airborne Toxic Event
My Saturday night started strong and finished monumentally, though in the middle was an unfortunate lowlight in the form of the only showcase I didn’t get into this year due to the length of the line (it was an acoustic Nada Surf performance, but don’t cry for me, Twangville Nation — I’m seeing them at […]
SXSW 2008 – John’s Saturday Afternoon Highlight: Kate Nash and Billy Bragg
Saturday afternoon began for me with a touch of deja vu, as I once again started my day at Cedar Street Courtyard for the kickoff of day three of the Filter throwdown there. I didn’t know it at the time, but I’d be bookending my day parties with Filter on this day. Kicking things off […]