ALBUMS OF THE MONTH: Living in the Aftermath, by Chris Mills Brooklyn-by-way-of-Chicago musician Chris Mills is a pop classicist. Spend time with Aftermath and you’ll hear a guy well versed in retro-1960’s pop but with a proper contemporary attitude. His latest release takes the production richness of his 2005 orchestra-backed “The Wall to Wall Sessions” […]
Billy Bragg: Live at the Fillmore
Barack Obama campaign rally or live music show? Hmm, hard to tell. On the other hand, anyone who expects a Billy Bragg show to be just music without any social or political commentary has found themselves a nice, isolated cave to live in. Billy was on a west coast tour swing in support of his […]
The Middle Class – Deep in Debt
Some call it Old-Timey, New-Grass, Jam-Grass, Rootsy, Pre-WWII, Folk or hell, some label junkies may even dream up a title like Appalachian Dumpsta-Funk (not bad actually, can’t it be as useful as “Alt-Country”?) The fact is, in the last few years we have witnessed an Ellis Island-style rush of young, unique, and quality hard-to-define acts […]
The Atkinsons – American Gothic
When I pop in a disc from a band based in Virginia (West, or just the plain one) or North Carolina, I get excited and my mind fills with preconceived notions of good ol’ smokey mountain boogie, complete with Dueling Banjos and Foggy Mountain Breakdowns. Unfair? Sure. True? Not really, I don’t think that all […]
Old Settler’s Music Festival Highlights
I’m from northern California where “layering” your clothing is a mantra more than a conscious thought. Sure came in handy this year for Old Settler’s Music Festival in Driftwood (Austin), Texas, where there was driving rain, freezing cold (at least it felt that way), and warm, late-spring sunshine. Oh, and lots of good music, which […]
In Memory of Chris Gaffney
No Depression reports that Chris Gaffney has succumbed to pancreatic cancer in a double dose of sad news this week. Among other things, Chris was known for his fine body of work with the Hacienda Brothers. Our thoughts and prayers are with family, friends and fans of Chris Gaffney.
Helping a Hacienda Brother
Hacienda Brother Chris Gaffney was diagnosed with liver cancer earlier this year. He is about to begin an extreme course of chemotherapy in hopes of eradicating the disease. Although he has health insurance, it will not cover all the costs associated with his treatment. To help defray the costs, friends and family have created a […]
Mayer’s Playlist for February 2008, A Video Companion
What’s a monthly playlist without a video companion? This month we start and finish with a pair of incredible acoustic performances by the Jones Street Boys. In between we’ve got clips from Tift Merritt, Nada Surf, Butch Walker, Joe Jackson and Greg Trooper, among others. Don’t miss the haunting J. Tillman & Emily Loizeau duet […]
Cartridge Family – Shine Like a Bottle
“I still remember what you look like, buck naked riding your bike.” I am not a songwriter myself and it is hard to pin down exactly what constitutes a good roots rock song. However, I know this; if you write a song that involves someone getting buck naked and riding something, you have succeeded. The […]
Kathleen Edwards + More, Releases 3/4/08
You could be doing any number of things this week. For instance, you could be playing superdelegate ping pong in your mind while you watch the latest news coming out of Ohio and Texas regarding who’s hot right now, be it Barack or Hillary (or John). You might also be joining us in mourning the […]