A few years back I put together a series of special playlists featuring my favorite kiss off songs. Despite what some may think, I’m really not that cynical. Rather, I just appreciate how some songwriters can tackle the topic with humor and bite. It’s kind of like a genre unto itself. Over the past year […]
Bernard Allison – In The Mix
Bernard Allison has a tough act to follow. The son of legendary bluesman Luther Allison, Bernard Allison has inherited his father’s energy and skill, but he has forged a sound of his own. When I saw the elder Allison perform live in the early 80s, it was like watching pure energy. Luther Allison’s guitar work was […]
Miles Nielsen Talks Tour Strategies and Why There Are Seven Members of his Five Piece Band
Miles Nielsen talks about how he might have approached touring differently when he started his career in music and why he is more focused on the financial side of music.
Monday Morning Video – Josh Ritter “Snow Is Gone”
So yesterday we broke the record for seasonal snowfall in Boston. That means we can transition to spring now, right? Well, we’re not quite there yet, but this classic from Josh Ritter seems appropriate. Or is it just wishful thinking?
Lilly Hiatt – Royal Blue
The skeptics tend to come out of the woodwork when the progeny of a well-known musician launches a career. To be true, their caution is often warranted. One listen to Lilly Hiatt’s new release “Royal Blue†silences all doubt. This is her second album; and it firmly establishes Hiatt as a gifted artist who is […]
Josh Erwin of Packway Handle Band Talks Hotel Breakfasts and Why Bands Are Like Communist Organizations
Josh Erwin of Athens, GA’s Packway Handle Band chats about engine troubles with the group’s Ford passenger van, a rather interesting day job and the distractions to be found while rehearsing at musician Jim White’s house.
Monday Morning Video – The 1967 Stax Volt Soul Revue!
Need a powerful pick-me-up for a Monday morning? It won’t get much better than this classic set of performances from 1967. Booker T. & the MGs, Sam and Dave and a host of stars from the legendary Stax label. And did I mention Otis Redding? It doesn’t get much better than this. Performances include: Booker […]
Lindsay Lou & the Flatbellys – Ionia
In small rural towns across America Friday night is high school sports night. Â Everyone collects at the field/gymnasium about 6:30 and watches the local kids take on the town-down-the-road kids. Â In autumn it’s football, winter means basketball, and spring is for track & field. Â Because the school is so small, all the kids play all […]
Folk Alliance Conference 2015: Say What?!
One of my favorite things about attending music conferences and festivals are the crazy comments that you hear along the way. Here are a few choice selections from this year’s Folk Alliance Conference. Playing for other musicians is not always the greatest experience. ‘I would have done that differently.’ Dan Bern No fucking songs about […]
Adam Aymor of Cheap Girls On Buying an Auction Lot Van And an Eviction Inducing First Gig
Adam Aymor, guitarist for Cheap Girls, talks about the hazards of buying a van from an auction lot and the virtue of the Johnny Ramone “power stance.” He also shares the surprising and remarkable way that he spends his time when the band isn’t touring.