Nice joint,†proclaimed Steve Earle as he walked onto the Carnegie Hall stage to kick-off an extraordinary tribute to the music of Bruce Springsteen. Over the next two hours, a diverse roster of twenty artists performed songs from the Springsteen canon, the best of which included the artists description of Springsteen’s influence or a reflection […]
Kevin Lawson, On the Radar
It’s unlikely that you’ll find me in the Christian section of the record store. Its not that I’m anti-Christian. To the contrary, I’m quite comfortable and proud of my faith. Its more a case of my lack of knowledge in Christian music. Unlike my friend Stephen over at Fishtones.net (shameless plug) I haven’t been exposed […]
The Liabilities/The Liabilities
The Liabilities are a 4-piece from Macon, Georgia consisting of Aaron Irons (lead vocals, guitar), Justin Smith (bass, backing vocals), Brandon Fickler (lead guitar, vocals) and Josh Smith (drums). From listening to their debut self-titled disc, you’d have no idea it was recorded in a 10×30 foot storage shed in Columbia, South Carolina during the […]
Old Crow Medicine Show/Big Iron World
In what a big iron world we live. Or so think Old Crow Medicine Show. On their second disc, again produced by David Rawlings, the boys would like to take us back to a much simpler time. A time before Leo Fender and Les Paul’s “electric” guitars. This is a time when the banjo and […]
Low Stars, On the Radar
Harmony, harmony, harmony. Apparently, its back in style and it sounds great. Witness foursome Low Stars with their debut album. I know what you are thinking… these guys are a CSN ripoff. You’d be right, but they don’t hide from this. In fact, they embrace it. “We wanted to make an authentic-sounding record that was […]
Looking Back at SXSW 2007
My first SXSW experience ended abruptly on Friday, but that doesn’t mean that a good time was not had. Chaperoned by some of the foremost Southby experts around, Mayer Danzig and John Anderson, my week starting on Saturday the 10th and ending on Friday the 16th was absolutely incredible. Highlights included Tuesday Night at the […]
The Young Dubliners – The Irish Sessions
Though they orginated in Dublin, the Young Dubliners’ turbo charged sound owes more to Alternative Pop than Irish Pub Rock. Over the years, they have merely peppered their six albums and their concerts with traditional Irish tunes; but when they DO perform authentic Irish, the results have been outstanding, and fans have cried out for […]
Luke Doucet – Broken (And Other Rogue States)
In this album, Doucet takes the listener on a ride through the waning emotions of a relationship and into the pain of ending it, recovering, and moving on. One critic said something along the lines of, “Doucet makes a broken heart and a bottle of whiskey sound new again.” Truer words could not have been […]
Last Train Home, Looking Back
Here’s a brief follow up from the Last Train Home cd release party at IOTA in Alexandria, VA on February 17, 2007. I don’t have a full review from the Last Train Home show ’cause I was just having too much fun to worry about breaking down the show into a blog post. You’ll have […]
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 […]