The Philadelphia Folk Festival, which has been around for 54 years, isn’t your grandfather’s folk festival. While there is still a smattering of venerable acoustic solo folksingers on its program like Arlo Guthrie, Bruce Cockburn and Tom Paxton, the festival has become a great platform for Americana artists of all flavors as well as for […]
Monday Morning Video – Whitney Rose with Raul Malo
Last month we featured Eilen Jewell and the Sweetback Sisters paying tribute to the Ronettes with a performance of the “Be My Baby.” Not surprisingly the legendary song is a favorite of many artists. Singer-songwriter Whitney Rose recorded the song for her new release Heartbreaker of the Year. Joining her on the track is album […]
Mea Culpa! A Special Summer Playlist, Part 1
Mea culpa! So last year I made a commitment to myself to write a monthly playlist and publish it within the month for which it was named. I gave myself a hearty pat on the back when I met that goal. Thankfully, I didn’t set the same goal this year as I would have failed […]
Kevin Sekhani Talks About a First Gig Filled with Hard Rock Covers and Bad Clothes
Louisiana native Kevin Sekhani reflects on a career that has spanned more than 20 years, surprisingly recalling the lyrics of the first song that he wrote, the time he lost both a band and a van simultaneously and the varied rehearsal spaces that he has occupied.
Monday Morning Video – Fred Eaglesmith “Spookin’ the Horses”
We’ll kick off this week with a haunting yet beautiful song from Canadian singer-songwriter Fred Eaglesmith. I can hear the gears grinding, where you make the turn // And up on the skyline, those headlights just burn And the horses go running, and my heart just screams // You’re spookin’ the horses, and you’re scaring […]
Elephant Revival – Sands Of Now
To listen to Elephant Revival is to hear everything you’ve ever heard in acoustic music and yet nothing you’ve ever heard in acoustic music. The Colorado-based quintet will bring you to the edge of your chair in a pristine listening room, trying to capture every nuance. Â They will force you back in your lawn chair […]
Tweed River Talk – A Few Words with JP Harris
Nashville by way of Alabama musician JP Harris is pretty clear about what type of music he plays – country music. His most recent release, 2014’s Home Is Where the Hurt Is, hearkens back to the genre’s classic era with tales of hard livin’ and heartache. The self-taught musician promises to bring the honky-tonk to […]
Mayer’s Picks: The Best of 2015 (So Far) the Songs Part 2
Everybody Talkin’ ’bout the All American, JD McPherson (from the Rounder Records release Let The Good Times Roll) Let’s just call this the dance hit of the year. One listen and you’ll know what I mean. You Got To Me, James McMurtry (from the Complicated Game Records release Complicated Game) On a given day I’d […]
FY5 – Eat the Moon
An hour north of Denver in a bend of the St. Vrain river sits a beautiful amphitheater and campground, home to Rockygrass and the Rocky Mountain Folks Festival, among other events. Â The far bank of the river is a cliff of Colorado red rock that positively glows in the afternoon sun. Â The river itself has […]
Mayer’s Picks: The Best of 2015 (So Far), the Songs Part 1
For me, at least, this year has been more about songs than albums. Here are just a few of my favorites from the first half of 2015. If Still It Can’t Be Found, Joe Pug (from the Lightning Rod Records release Windfall) A melancholy ode to perseverance and pursuing one’s dreams. Simply magical. Don’t Let […]