There must be something in the air or water again in northern Alabama.  Home to the legendary Fame studio in Muscle Shoals, site of innumerable hits in the 60’s and 70’s, this part of the country is breeding future stars again.  This time, though, it’s not the studio musicians adding brilliance to an outsider’s record, but […]
Photos that ROCK! Girls Guns & Glory
Over the past few months, I’ve gone on a bit of a Girls Guns & Glory binge. I saw them first at the Sinclair in Cambridge, MA, then at a Church coffeehouse in Franklin, then at an arts center in Natick, all in a fairly short amount of time. These boys are always on the […]
Nickel Creek – New Day in Boston
Although my recent interest in bluegrass has certainly been controlling lots of airtime on my  stereo, Nickel Creek bridge the gap of old and new. Somehow, they managed to sneak into the Americana/Indie Rock section of the record store in my college days and I’ve been a fan for the near decade of their existence. When I […]
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 […]
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 […]
Levi Lowrey – Levi Lowrey
My favorite album of last year was Jason Isbell’s Southeastern. Â It was an exploration of a man’s demons, some of them intense enough to sometimes weigh in on my decision whether to hit play or go for something a little lighter on the mind. Â Levi Lowrey, with his second, self-titled, album, has also chosen to […]
Photos that ROCK! Best of 2013!
Photos that ROCK! Best of 2013! I am INSANELY lucky that I get to listen to amazing music AND take pictures- 2 of my favorite things. Here are some of my favorite shots from various venues around Boston in 2013. What a year! Tom McBride @ Lizard Lounge, March 2013 Josh Ritter & The Royal […]
The Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash – New Old Story
With the increasing popularity of the various genres of music loosely grouped under the label “Americanaâ€, there has been a proportionate increase in the number of Honky-Tonk and traditional Country bands. The Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash are best described by the former. Although Honk-Tonk music is on the rise, the true Country bar is […]
Three Recent Gems
Sometimes records find their way to my inbox that I really enjoy, but for some reason I don’t get a review written up.  It could be  they’re an EP and short of material for a full review.  Or they showed up at the same time as a bunch of other good material.  Occasionally it’s the […]
Dudesmash
Pawtucket, RI. Truth be told, I’d never been. But Providence’s Americana breakthrough artist Deer Tick was throwing a party and I figured I would have to stop by. When the 20 somethings of Toy Soldiers, an up-and-coming band from Philly, walked on stage I immediately thought of a poor mans Panic at the Disco! But […]