Snow White Knuckles, Jaimee Harris (from the Ruby White Records release Red Rescue) Music can be a powerful thing. At its best, it not only meant to entertain, it strives to provoke an emotional reaction in the listener. Red Rescue, the debut album from Austin singer-songwriter Jaimee Harris, is a welcome reminder of music’s potency. […]
Katie Cole On Touring with the Smashing Pumpkins and Writing Her First “Good” Song
Australian singer-songwriter Katie Cole talks about the path to finding her songwriting voice, the one “real” day job that she’s ever had and the importance of finding people that you can trust.
Sweet Caroline – A Special Boston Playlist
By Degrees, Mark Erelli & Friends (from the benefit single By Degrees) Several of Mark Erelli’s longtime friends and collaborators join him for a special song written in response to the tragic gun violence in America. While the artists are an impressive group – Rosanne Cash, Sheryl Crow, Lori McKenna, Anais Mitchell, and Josh Ritter […]
Taylor Barton – House Of Light
“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”  That could be the motto for the latest album from journeyman singer-songwriter Taylor Barton, entitled House Of Light.  Barton, husband G.E. Smith, her daughter, and producer Tony Shanahan, all had personal tragedy strike while working on the project.  Out of that pyre came a record that manages to balance […]
Jacob Groopman of Front Country on the Lure of Combo’s Baked Snacks and Why Music is a Full-Time Job
Front Country’s Jacob Groopman talks about yelling, crying and light wrestling at rehearsals and a future that will either be more money or hellscape.
Peter Holsapple Reveals One of the First Songs That He Wrote and the Advice That His Mother Gave Him
Peter Holsapple (dBs, Continental Drifters) talks about touring with a heavily laden snack drawer and reflects on his first experience “living the dream” of a rock and roll lifestyle.
Brett Dennen Talks About a Leaky Tour Bus and the Value of Making Lots of Mistakes
Singer-songwriter Brett Dennen explains why he splurges on healthy food, recalls a favorite day job at a natural history museum and shares his garage rock origins.
Tanked Up on Elm Street – a Special Dallas Playlist
Polite Conversation, Cut Throat Finches (from the Hand Drawn Records release Polite Conversation) The best music offers a thoughtful, and often marked, point of view. In that context, the Cut Throat Finches latest hits pretty hard, lambasting the social upheaval that grips our world today. The make their point quite clearly on “New Age,” the […]
Steve Poltz Wins AMERICANAFEST 2018
As a newbie to AMERICANAFEST I have to say that looking at the schedule beforehand I was a bit overwhelmed. Throw in the fact that it had been about 10 years since I’d been to Nashville and that made it even more so. But once I got there and settled into the pace and learned […]
Americana 2018: Mayer’s Picks (Part 2)
Every fall, The Americana Music Association gathers members, artists and music fans together in Nashville for its annual conference. Starting with the annual Americana Music Awards and continuing through several days of showcases and panel discussions, it is a tremendous celebration of Americana music. Here are but a few of my favorite performers and performances […]