Ah Tom Waits, arguably one of American music’s most idiosyncratic artists but unequivocally one of its most distinctive voices. Here’s a 1986 live performance from Italy that includes so many of his “hits” – “Jersey Girl”, “Looking for the Heart of Saturday Night” and “Tom Traubert’s Blues (Waltzing Mathilda)” to name just a few. Classics […]
E.Z. Shakes/ The Wolf video
If you’re an NPR junkie like me you probably know about their Tiny Desk Concert Series. If not, check it out. Here’s an entry from a couple of months back from one of the best singer/songwriters here in South Carolina, Zach Seibert, these days going under the moniker E.Z. Shakes. He has a new album dropping […]
Monday Morning Video – Billy Preston and The Band
There are very few members of the rock pantheon with whom Billy Preston hasn’t performed. Famously referred to as “The Fifth Beatle” for his contribution to “Get Back” and their final albums, he has also worked with others ranging from Sam Cooke to Eric Clapton to the Rolling Stones and even the Red Hot Chili […]
Monday Morning Video – Tracy Bonham
“All Thumbs,” Tracy Bonham‘s ode to the idiosyncrasies and complexities of love is as riveting as it is wistful. This solo piano version plays into the song’s pensive notes, making it even more alluring in the process. You can find the song on Bonham’s impressive 2005 release Blink the Brightest.
Monday Morning Video – James McMurtry “Levelland”
There’s perhaps only one thing better than hearing James McMurtry play his remarkable “Levelland” and that’s watching him perform it in a pastoral setting that is so fitting for the song.
Monday Morning Video – Brent Cowles “The Fold”
This song embodies much of what I love about music. The song marries lyrics of substance, in this case about dealing with anxiety in the quest to find one’s self paired with a melody that is uplifting and anthemic. Most of all it just radiates honesty and authenticity. Brent Cowles will release his debut full-length […]
Monday Morning Video – Keep On Rockin’ in the Free World
It’s one thing to have a special guest join a band for a song. It’s quite another when it’s Neil Young joining join Pearl Jam to perform Young’s classic “Rocking in the Free World.†The video itself is something special – pieced together from different audience video clips.
Monday Morning Video – Brother Dege
Late Saturday night at this year’s SXSW, I was making my way back to the hotel after the official showcases had wound down. Or so I thought. Walking by Antone’s I heard the unmistakable sound of a slide guitar. It would have been wrong to not step in and check it out, right? Inside I […]
Monday Morning Video – Travis Meadows Is Waitin’ on Springsteen
Travis Meadows recently provided a welcome reminder that some of the best songs come directly from the artist’s own life experience. At a Dallas show a few weeks ago, Meadows introduced this song with tales of his youthful quest for love cruising the streets of his Mississippi hometown while listening to classic rock on the […]
Monday Morning Video – A Heavenly Premiere from Jeff Plankenhorn
Guitarist Jeff Plankenhorn has become something of an Austin institution, sought after by many artists to lend his musical talents to their albums and performances. Calling him a guitarist doesn’t quite do him justice, though. Sure, he’s designed his very own guitar – a custom lap steel guitar called, perhaps not surprisingly, “The Plankâ€. Give […]