Back in the early 70’s there was something in the air in the music industry. Well, besides that. Multi-band shows were evolving away from several bands crammed into a 3 hour schedule in a ballroom or dance hall. In particular, the acoustic music scene was embracing longer sets and extended solos, no doubt influenced by […]
Matthew Milia of Frontier Ruckus on Tour Van Names and His Dad’s Guitar
Matthew Milia of indie folk band Frontier Ruckus talks about working in advertising, winning a battle of the bands, and making salsa in a hotel sink.
Hannah Connolly – Shadowboxing
Making mixtapes for friends was an active hobby for those of us working in college radio back in the day. Turns out hoping to broaden someone else’s musical horizons wasn’t unique to FM DJ’s, and the mixtape, albeit no longer a tape, is still thriving. So it’s kind of heartwarming that even musicians find inspiration […]
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 […]
Jake Trevor Song Premiere – Coffee and Wine
I’ve always admired talented buskers. I can’t imagine a harder audience than a bunch of people who just view you as an obstacle to getting where they’re going. And yet, there is almost always a music fan or two who delay their plans to just stop and enjoy the song. Sometimes you see a few […]
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 […]
Alastair Caplin of The Langan Band on Rehearsals in the Scottish Highlands and Keeping a Journal
Fiddler Alastair Caplin of Scotland’s The Langan Band shares a tour lesson learned and talks about eating healthy while on tour and time spent teaching horse-back riding.
Mira Goto – Before
Humans have always spent a lot of energy trying to outdo each other, and social media has supercharged all the motivations causing that. So it’s a nice change to run across someone who’s comfortable with just who they are. Santa Cruz, CA, native Mira Goto acknowledges “there are always going to be better guitar players […]
SXSW 2024: The Sounds, Part 3
The Lottery Winners My last official SXSW set was delivered by one of my fave new artist discoveries – England’s The Lottery Winners. The band’s energy, combined with the positivity of their songs, made for a cathartic experience. Ben Kweller Kweller treated a Friday night crowd to a set filled with rockin’ fan favorites. Power […]
Monday Morning Video – Todd Snider
Todd Snider is an American original, a songwriter rooted in folk who has followed his own path since the start of his career more than 30 years ago. In that vein, Snider is embarking on a journey through his entire catalog, storyteller style. Starting with Songs for the Daily Planet, his debut album released in […]