There’s an axis on the songwriting philosophy spectrum that ranges from serious and important to fun and lighthearted. Country musician Grant Langston, originally from Alabama, but residing in LA for the last couple of decades, has spanned that entire range. His first couple of records leaned toward serious ballads, but his new one, aLAbama is […]
Monday Morning Video – Twangville in NYC on June 6th
We may have a show problem. The problem is that we can’t help showcasing great artists, both new and long-time faves, that we’ve encountered on our musical journey. Case in point, we’re taking over New York City’s The Bowery Electric on June 6th for a special showcase featuring Ward Hayden & the Outliers, The FBR, […]
The Texas Trio – The Texas Trio
You could probably write a pretty interesting book on how bands were formed. It runs the gamut from high school friends to answering ads in newspapers or from guitar shop bulletin boards. In the case of Texas trio Kyle Park, Jason Roberts, and John Michael Whitby, thoughtfully named The Texas Trio, they’ve been playing one-off […]
My Black Country – The Songs of Alice Randall
What do you get when Allison Russell, Rhiannon Giddens, Valerie June and others get together to sing songs by an underappreciated black songwriter on John Prine’s label? My Black Country – The Songs of Allice Randall. Alice Randall has been writing country music songs for decades. Though hers isn’t exactly a household name, she’s been […]
Jared Deck on Road Sandwiches and Working Two Jobs
Oklahoma singer-songwriter Jared Deck talks about road sandwiches, developing a business model, and the inspiration for his first band.
Sarah Gayle Meech – Easin’ On
I am not a fan of Nashville’s Lower Broadway. While authentic country music may be the claim, drunken bridesmaids are in much greater abundance and are what’s setting the atmosphere. Every rule has an exception, though, and Robert’s Western World fits the bill here. On a recent trip to Music City, a pitstop at Robert’s […]
Monday Morning Video – John R. Miller
I caught John R. Miller and his band live a few weeks ago when they passed through NYC. It was my first time seeing him and he sure didn’t disappoint with a mighty fine mix of country and rock. This song – “Nobody Has to Know Your Mind” from 2023’s Heat Comes Down – was […]
Travis Book on “Money-Vans”, Oysters, and Keeping Overhead Low
Travis Book of The Infamous Stringdusters talks about why the Chrysler Town & Country is the mullet of vans, the importance of picking a band name carefully, and working on a golf course.
Clayton Ryan Song Premiere – Wild Man
Ray Wylie Hubbard once said that good poets didn’t have good childhoods. I’m sure that was a broad commentary on how adversity can be the inspiration an artist of any kind uses to shape their work. A brilliant case in point is the upcoming album from Minneapolis singer/songwriter Clayton Ryan, entitled Ghost Town. He took […]
Victoria Liedtke and Jason Ringenberg – More Than Words can Tell
Victoria Liedtke and Jason Ringenberg have paired their voices to create an album of duets. However, why just do ordinary duets when you can dial up the challenge? They decided to take on the duets of legends Dolly Parton and Porter Wagoner for a new album, “More Than Words Can Tell”. Outside of George Jones […]