Waxahatchee’s “Tigers Blood” is my favorite album of the year for its raw emotional depth and strikingly beautiful production.
Effie Zilch – Multitudes
We are all, to some extent, a product of our environment. When it comes to music that frequently manifests itself in a favored genre. But what if you’ve worked with artists from Leon Bridges to John Legend to the Rolling Stones? And you’ve scored and acted in a Sam Shepard play and written a movie […]
Schmoon Song Premiere – Not A Girl
Remember when people asked kids what they wanted to be when they grew up, like they would have a single career, maybe even a single job? At this point in society’s arc that seems more nostalgic than realistic, witness the career of Portland, Maine (by way of Connecticut and NYC), artist Matt Cascella. His first […]
Fancy Hagood on Chase Rice, Cracker Barrel, and Being an Independent Artist
Singer-songwriter Fancy Hagood talks about “yes men” and “no people” in the music industry and names his favorite Nashville rehearsal space.
Monday Morning Video – Hothouse Flowers
A gospel choir joining in for an uplifting classic? Yes please. Here’s Ireland’s Hothouse Flowers singing “Give It Up”. Well, this song’s inspired by a good man and his tuneDoing good for others, sing “Amazing Grace” for you, yeahIt doesn’t really matter if you’re all jumbled up insideAs long as you know that love is […]
Readers’ Pick: Best of 2024
It’s the season to ask you, our beloved readers, what your favorite album of 2024 was. To help, we’ve created a poll with over 100 nominations.
Iain Matthews – How Much Is Enough
A lot of the albums I review are from artists still early in their arc. Part of that is to try to expose less well known acts, but some of it is because what new are you going to say about someone who has 20+ records out in the public for people to hear. So […]
“Dropped the Ball” – A Premiere from Matthew McNeal
2024 isn’t quite over but it’s not too early to start thinking about 2025. Fort Worth’s Matthew McNeal, alongside his long-time collaborator Andre Black, tease an album to be released next year with a gem of a song. A sublime melody, the wail of a pedal steel guitar, and McNeal’s plaintive vocals come together to […]
Mayer’s Playlist for Fall 2024, Part 2
Behind The Eight/Count Your Blessings, Michael McDermott (from the Pauper Sky Records releases East Jesus and Lighthouse on the Shore) For nearly a decade, Michael McDermott has been on a creative tear, releasing more albums in that period than many artists create during their entire careers. And apparently he’s not interested in slowing down; rather, […]
Ben Chapman on Guy Clark, Chick-fil-A, and the “Wantcha Back Blues”
Nashville singer-songwriter Ben Chapman talks about the time his tour van was almost stolen, the band he performed with at his first gig, and the business of the music.