We’ll start this week off right with a bit of classic country from new traditionalist Sturgill Simpson. The song is “Could You Love Me One More Time” and it was recorded at the Pickathon Music Festival in Portland, Oregon last year.
Old Settler’s Music Fest – 2014 Edition
Every spring, a couple of weeks after the madhouse of SXSW, the music festival season kicks off with Old Settler’s Music Festival, about a half hour outside of Austin. Â Started as a bluegrass festival, Old Settler’s now embraces a broad spectrum of Americana. Â Organizer Jean Spivey has a magic touch for consistently mixing old with […]
Jesse Winchester, In Memoriam
April is shaping up as a difficult world in the world of music. This past week we lost Jesse Winchester, whose soft-spoken style belied the power of his songs. Here are two magical Winchester performances. The first is an early (and often covered) classic “Defying Gravity.” The second is the celebrated appearance on Elvis Costello’s […]
SXSW 2014 — The Sounds, Part 2
DAVE AND PHIL ALVIN I’m a big Dave Alvin fan. Unfortunately for me I discovered the Blasters, the seminal band co-founded by Dave and his brother Phil, after they went their separate ways. I was hooked, though, on their encyclopedic knowledge of American music — everything from folk to country and from blues to vintage […]
SXSW 2014 — The Sounds, Part 1
THE HOLD STEADY While I may not be as crazy as my friend who chased the band around Austin for the band’s 7 planned shows, I wasn’t going to pass up a chance to see the Brooklyn rockers celebrate their first album in 4 years. I accompanied said friend to the front of the stage […]
In Memoriam – Dave Lamb
Dave Lamb of the Providence, RI-based duo Brown Bird passed away this past weekend. The circumstances are heart-wrenching. Lamb fell ill with mysterious symptoms while touring Texas last year. In a tale that is all too familiar, Lamb had no insurance. Fortunately, he was able to get home and secure insurance for what became a […]
Southern Soul Assembly at the Saenger Theatre, Mobile, Alabama
So I’m in Mobile, AL this week for my day job. As I’m eating lunch Tuesday I look up and see a poster for the Southern Soul Assembly, featuring JJ Grey, Luther Dickinson, Anders Osborne and Marc Broussard. And it’s that night at the Saenger Theatre about a block from my hotel. I rush out […]
Trevor Alguire – Miles Away
Staring out the window, it’s only the middle of the afternoon and yet darkness has started creeping in.  A cold wind howls out of the north and  the trees seem to be wrapping their branches around themselves in a futile attempt to stay warm.  Even the good things going through your mind seem to have […]
Monday Morning Video: Steve Earle and John Prine cover Townes Van Zandt
Plenty to love here. Steve Earle and John Prine teaming up to cover Townes Van Zandt’s “Loretta.” Recorded live at the legendary Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.
Lost & Nameless, Cody Jasper
Empty Spaces, the latest EP from Lost & Nameless opens with a title track that is perhaps best described as an Americana tango. Â So right from the get-go you know this is going to be an interesting listen. Â The remainder of the record does not disappoint. Â Lost & Nameless is an Austin-based group composed of […]