BEN KWELLER After a multi-year hiatus from music and, at least on this night, was in a feisty mood. In power trio format, he unleashed a boisterous pop fury. Welcome back, Ben. DEATH BY UNGA BUNGA This was the band that I saw that I saw the most at SXSW, catching three of their six […]
SXSW 2019 – The Sounds, Part 1
BALTO I was sold on Balto as soon as I heard the blistering slide on “Black Snake, Mojave Blues”, the sample track that they shared on their SXSW profile page. Seeing them live provided an exclamation point – I caught two exceptional raucous and greasy outdoor sets in the afternoon sun. The LA-based quartet were […]
SXSW 2019 – The Scene
For me, the true harbinger of spring is the arrival of the SXSW Music and Media Conference in Austin, Texas. Or rather, spring begins for me when I arrive in Austin for SXSW. With upwards of 2,000 bands and more than 20,000 attendees from around the world, SXSW is the world’s premiere music conference. Even […]
Hittin’ the Road with Johnny Chops – a Special Premiere
This isn’t your normal travelogue. Singer-songwriter Johnny Chops and his wife spent two weeks last summer on a road trip from Austin, TX to Southern California and back. Ostensibly the drive was a Chops solo acoustic tour. The video footage that they took along the way, however, paints a romantic picture of life on the […]
Elise Davis on Chick-Fil-A and Her Approach to Social Media
Singer-songwriter Elise Davis shares the story behind her first song, an exhilarating first gig and a spectrum of day jobs.
Monday Morning Video – Kathleen Edwards “The Cheapest Key”
Kathleen Edwards provides us with an adult version of the A-B-Cs on this classic track from her 2008 gem Asking For Flowers.
Son Volt – Union
The previous two Son Volt albums explored leader Jay Farrar’s musical groundings in country and blues with Honky Tonk and Notes Of Blue respectively. Â On his latest record, Farrar and his bandmates are showing some of their folk roots. Â That’s not to say Union is a folk record: far from it, this is a return […]
Ryan Bingham on Working at Disney World Paris and the Key to More Rewarding Live Shows
Ryan Bingham talks about finding apples at truck stops, rolling his tour van off the side of a mountain in Montana and early gigs playing for tips and beer.
Ray Benson on the Day Job He’s Had for 49 Years and an Eclectic First Gig
Steve Poltz Shares a Dirty Little Secret and Explains What “Eff” Means
Steve Poltz, troubadour, talks about being an opportunivore, touring like a millennial and why goats don’t play guitar.