I have no doubt the first secular song ever written was a love ballad. I’m equally certain the second tune was about being away from home and longing to return. Denver’s Clay Street Unit just released their debut full length album, and while they don’t call that out as any kind of unifying theme, a […]
Now & Then: Natalie Del Carmen’s Pastures and the reach of Our Endless Numbered Days
Los Angeles is not exactly famous for quiet. It’s famous for traffic that hums in B-flat and palm trees that look like they’re always posing for a headshot. So when a 24-year-old songwriter from L.A. drops an Americana record called Pastures, the first surprise is the title. The second surprise is that it actually sounds like one: open air, creaky wood, and time moving at a human speed.
John Francis O’Mara Video Premiere – Jesus Walked On Water
One of my favorite albums of last year was John Francis O’Mara’s Forbidden Hymns. It’s a plea for humanity to dig deep into their soul and find the empathy and kindness that’s been mocked as a weakness by many in power today. Set to a soundtrack of outlaw country hymns and Southern rock R&B ballads, […]
Folk Alliance Int’l 2026 – Shawn’s Favorites
Folk Alliance International isn’t your typical music conference. Held this year in New Orleans, days include industry panels, seminars, and public showcases in hotel ballrooms, but the real magic happens late at night when up to 100 hotel rooms transform into intimate “private showcases”—artists who normally fill 500-seat theaters performing for 20 people at a […]
2026 Folk Alliance International Conference
From gold-plated toilets in the White House to $5000 burgers, society’s pendulum is clearly swinging well into the conspicuous consumption range. For a respite from all that money can buy, I heartily recommend the annual Folk Alliance International conference. Held a couple of weeks ago in the downtown Sheraton in New Orleans, it’s a haven […]
It’s Cold Outside – a Premiere From Cold Chocolate
There are guitar-drum duos who sound like guitar-drum duos. And there are those that do something special. Cold Chocolate are firmly in the latter category. The Boston duo blend folk, rock, funk and bluegrass into something that honors tradition while kicking up a ruckus with scruffy guitar and driving rhythms. They don’t limit themselves to […]
Now & Then: Sophie Gault’s UNHINGED and the shadow of Miranda Lambert’s Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
There’s a specific kind of record that sounds like it was cut with the venue’s back door still propped open. You can hear traffic. You can smell the bourbon. Somebody’s laughing a little too loud and nobody’s apologizing for it.
The Naked Sun – Mirror In the Hallway
One of the vivid memories I have as a child is the annual county fair and carnival where I experienced my first hall of mirrors. As a kid it’s a wonderment: you see yourself fat, skinny, multiple eyes, all kinds of variations of what you know is you. Philadelphia’s The Naked Sun took a very […]
Matt Charette Shares One for a Friend and One for the Fight
There’s a certain style of DIY rock and roll that thrives in cities and towns across the country—gruff, edgy, and deeply heartfelt. No pretense in the songs, no bullshit in the attitude. And often, some of the kindest people you’ll ever meet. Two artists who embody that spirit – and represent its geographic reach – […]
Now & Then: Zach Bryan’s With Heaven On Top and the shadow of Heartbreaker
There’s a funny thing happening in 2026: Zach Bryan can drop a 25-track album and people still talk about it like it was passed hand-to-hand on a porch.