Nashville-based singer-songwriter Dana Cooper talks about the view from his rehearsal space and becoming the lead singer of his high school band (and what happened after he did).
Crowes Pasture – Don’t Blink
I love a good origin story. In the case of Massachusetts’ duo Crowes Pasture, they met in their careers as corporate attorneys. Guitarist Andy Rogovin and banjoist Monique Byrne, by now married, didn’t really discover their vocal harmony talent until they started singing to their young kids. They describe their music as a “banjo-guitar romance”, […]
Monday Morning Video – Jimmy Buffett
We lost another legend this weekend with the passing of Jimmy Buffett. Buffett’s legacy stretches beyond music that is revered by countless fans. He also helped shape the business of music, creating an empire that made him a cultural icon. It’s hard to pick just one classic from a catalog that is filled with them. […]
Birds of Play – Birdsongs of the American West
There are plenty of examples where a musician’s geographical home bears no resemblance to the music they’ve made their own. City boys playing outstanding country music or kids from Minnesota inhabiting the sounds of musica Norteña from Mexico, for example. In the case of western Colorado-based, string band Birds of Play, the relationship seems to […]
Monday Morning Video – Clay Pigeons
Blaze Foley was a songwriter’s songwriter. As John Prine says in his introduction to his cover of the classic “Clay Pigeons”, “I heard him sing this song here and it blew me just right out of my chair, I thought ‘”‘my God, that sounds like I should have stayed awake and wrote that some night.’”
Ashton Nyte on Yoga, Miscellaneous Poltergeist Activities, and Performing at Walgreens
Ashton Nyte talks about his old war on sleep, technical difficulties at his first gig, and instrument strings that die of natural causes.
Bonus Monday Video – The Meadowlark Festival
Our friends at The Meadowlark Festival have something special cooking. Let’s start with the setting – the Stone Ridge Orchard and Farmers Market in New York’s Hudson Valley. Pick some apples (and maybe grab some cider…) as you enjoy a wonderful and eclectic weekend of music. Among their featured performers are renowned folk/blues singer-songwriter Chris […]
Monday Morning Video – Robertson, Rodriguez, and O’Connor
It’s been a rough couple of weeks in the world of the music. The passing of Robbie Robertson, Sixto Rodriguez, and Sinead O’Connor have taken from us three artists who, each in their own way, made an indelible mark on audiences around the world. Here is a brief video playlist that features just small pieces […]
Newport Folk 2023 – Sunday
Every year I am lucky enough to attend Newport Folk Festival, and I have attended six, there’s a moment where the music takes on a full sensory experience. Time stops. When Gregory Alan Isakov took the Quad Stage, that moment occurred. Gregory Alan Isakov and his band including banjo, fiddle, keys, and percussion. Isakov’s new […]
Newport Folk 2023 – Saturday
In its 64th year, the 2023 Newport Folk Festival boasts the longest and most distinguished history of any currently running music festival dating back to 1959. With all that history, the festival has stayed relevant with its place as one of the most trusted venues for Americana, folk, rock, singer/songwriter, and everything in between. With […]