There’s definitely a generational thing that happens with music. You grow up listening to what your parents like until you’re old enough to develop your own style. Frequently that’s the opposite of what you heard through childhood. By early adulthood you start to appreciate the older music, and by midlife it’s part of your playlist […]
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.
Monday Morning Video – Stevie Nicks
Let’s start the week with a legend. Here’s a double play from Stevie Nicks that features videos from two stages of her career. First up is a 1975 performance by Fleetwood Mac of her classic “Landslide”. Then, a 2019 Rock Hall of Fame induction ceremony performance of her solo hit “Edge of Seventeen”.
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 […]
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 […]
Ruth Moody on Her Band Scrüj MacDuhk and an Epic Trip to Louisiana
Ruth Moody, solo artist and a founding member of The Wailin’ Jennys talks about touring with a portable kettle (oatmeal in the mornings, tea for the day) and shares a tip on how to revive droopy vegetables.
Tim Easton on Thai Food and the Importance of Songs
Nashville singer-songwriter Tim Easton shares tales of his tour van, recalls the first song that he wrote, and the food on which he spares no expense while touring.
Monday Morning Video – The Suitcase Junket
The Suitcase Junket is a one man extravaganza. One moment he’ll deliver a bruising rock anthem, the next a beautiful ballad. It had been several years since I’ve seen him live so I jumped at the chance to reconnect when he passed through NYC last week. He didn’t disappoint with a performance that was as […]
Ruby Joyful – The Pie Chart of Love
Bluegrass has always had a large family element to it. From sitting around picking with friends and relatives to packing the clan into the camper for a weekend festival, it’s frequently a multi-generational activity. That’s as true today as it was fifty years ago–witness the story behind Colorado duet/band, Ruby Joyful. Co-founder Dan Rubinoff lived […]
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 […]