Last week was another tough one in the music world with the passing of both Donnie Fritts and Neal Casal. Fritts Fritz was the longtime keyboardist for Kris Kristofferson and a renowned Alabama songwriter while Casal was the guitarist in groups ranging from the Chris Robinson Brotherhood to Ryan Adams & the Cardinals to the […]
David Wax Museum on the Economics of Touring and Life as Creative Entrepreneurs
David Wax Museum talk about “El Burro Blanco”, their quirky tour van, share a recipe for road salad and explain why their rehearsals are often disrupted.
Jody Stephens and Luther Russell Talk Those Pretty Wrongs, Big Star and Life in a “Grassroots” Enterprise
Luther Russell and Jody Stephens of Those Pretty Wrongs share stories about their tour strategies, varied rehearsal studio experiences and songs written together and alone.
Monday Morning Video – Vincent Neil Emerson
Country singer Vincent Neil Emerson’s debut was a long time in the making. For several years the East Texas native has been honing his craft the old school way, playing honky-tonks across Texas and beyond. One can hear the miles, not to mention the honky-tonk dance floor dust, pulsing through the songs that make up […]
Mayer’s Playlist for Summer 2019, Part 2
Have You Seen My Girl, Todd May (from the self-released Let’s Go Get Lost) There are certain albums that were meant to be heard on vinyl. While the latest from Todd May isn’t available in that format, one can hear both its inherent warmth and insistent crackle in every song – even when streamed or […]
Video Premiere: Eleni Mandell
Earlier this summer, L.A. folk music fixture Eleni Mandell came out with her 11th album, Wake Up Again. Between some of her songwriting students and collaborations with musicians like Tom Waits, Chuck E. Weiss, and Tony Gilkyson, she’s developed a real knack for telling stories in her songs. Frequently they’re about people and places that […]
Monday Morning Video – Austin Lucas and Garrett Owen
As one might imagine (and some actually know), I see a lot of shows. And by that I mean a lot. In that realm there are some artists who I get to see a lot. Then there are others who, unfortunately for various reasons, I don’t get to see often enough. Austin Lucas fits in […]
Newport Folk Festival 2019 – Looking Back at the New Faces
Newport Folk Festival has made it a practice to bring fresh faces in front of a discerning crowd of music fans. The 2019 edition was no different and the new artists certainly made a splash. J.S. Ondara only needed one song to bowl me over. I heard him sing “Saying Goodbye” as his last song […]
Mayer’s Playlist for Summer 2019, Part 1
Love Is Dangerous, Dalton Domino (from the Lightning Rod Records release Songs from the Exile) Dalton Domino does more than wear his heart on his sleeve; he lays it bare. Much of his latest release finds him cycling through the various stages and emotions of heartbreak, from bitterness to self-reflection. He opens with the brooding […]
Newport Folk Festival 2019 – Looking Back at the Big Names
Surprise guests are really nothing new at Newport Folk Festival but the 2019 edition highlighted a particularly timely legendary performer in Dolly Parton. The emcee of the Saturday night performance was Newport Folk Festival stalwart Brandi Carlile (introduced by Executive Produced of the Newport Folk Festival Jay Sweet) who introduced the country legend. Parton regaled […]