JOHN FOGERTY “I just got my songs back and I’m gonna play every one of them,” said Fogerty at the start of his show, celebrating the return of his song publishing rights. He wasn’t kidding. He and his band cranked through hit after hit, culminating with a bruising “Fortunate Son”. The icing on the cake? […]
SXSW 2025: The Scene
For me, the true harbinger of spring is the arrival of the SXSW conference and festival in Austin, Texas. Or rather, spring begins for me when I arrive in Austin for the annual event. With upwards of 1,000 artists and tens of thousands of attendees from around the world, SXSW is the world’s premiere music […]
Shane Alexander on European Hotels and Being Entrepreneurial
Los Angeles musician Shane Alexander talks about the song that he wrote for his grandmother, the robbery at his old rehearsal space, and time spent shaping Christmas trees.
Monday Morning Video – Levon and Friends
Ok, so the occasion was really Ringo Starr’s All-Starr Band but it’s hard not to think that Levon Helm didn’t steal the show with this one. Here’s Levon singing The Band’s classic “Up On Cripple Creek” backed by Ringo Starr, Clarence Clemons, Rick Danko, Dr. John, Jim Keltner, Nils Lofgren, Billy Preston and Joe Walsh.
Ashleigh Flynn & the Riveters – Good Morning, Sunshine
Organizing an album around a theme is, of course, nothing new. It’s easy to cite examples from as far back as the 60’s, and I have no doubt the historically astute can point to even earlier projects. What’s far less common is organizing a band with a theme. That’s just what Portland, Oregon’s, Ashley Flynn […]
Olivia Ellen Lloyd on Apples, Joni Mitchell, and Monel Guitar Strings
County singer Olivia Ellen Lloyd talks about avoiding the toxic feedback loop of the music business, the time she out guitar-guyed a guitar guy, and the story behind the first song that she wrote.
Monday Morning Video – Andy Frasco and the U.N.
Ain’t no party like an Andy Frasco party… I caught Frasco and company in NYC a few weeks ago and the crew put on one hell of a show. Here’s a clip of the band performing “Dancin’ Around My Grave” from their Boston show a few nights prior. The sound quality is not pristine but […]
Pug Johnson – El Cabron
As a rule I believe you don’t have to grow up with a style of music in order to write it and play it well. I’ve heard great Americana music out of Scandinavia; some authentic country music from people who lived their whole life in Los Angeles; Bela Fleck grew up in that hotbed of […]
Kira Annalise of The Waymores on Gas Station Pizza and Touring in Wheelie Nelson
Kira Annalise of Atlanta-based The Waymores talks about the pro and the con of how music distribution works today and shares a favorite line from the first song that she and partner Willie Heath Neal wrote together.
Monday Morning Video – The Dreaming Spires and Antonio Lulic
I’m excited to be headed to Austin, Texas tomorrow for the annual SXSW music conference and festival. I take the assignment seriously, doing a fair amount of research before I arrive. That effort has resulted in some really great discoveries. Here are a pair from SXSW’s past. First up is the UK’s The Dreaming Spires […]