Guitarist Eddie Angel of Los Straitjackets talks about why he avoids restaurant salad bars, why one shouldn’t rent a Kia, and the time he was a guest bartender in Moscow, Russia.
Monday Morning Video – Michigander
Michigander, the nom de plume of singer-songwriter Jason Singer, have been plying the trade for a decade yet only released a debut album earlier this year. The self-titled release remains one of the best power pop albums of the year. Here are two songs from said album performed acoustic style (“I’ll Be OK” and “Giving […]
Readers’ Pick: Rodney Crowell – Airline Highway
You picked Rodney Crowell – Airline Highway as your favorite new release for the week of August 29, 2025.
The Pleasures – Enemy Of My Enemy
At last year’s Folk Alliance I had the pleasure (pun intended) of seeing a new-ish duo from Australia, Catherine Britt and Lachlan Bryan, who now perform as The Pleasures. Both had already established themselves at solo artists, Britt as an internationally respected country music award winner, and Bryan as a veteran rock and roll road […]
Dar Williams – Hummingbird Highway
Over the years I’ve heard many singers comment about how to write good songs. Frequently it’s a variation on the theme of “live the life you want to write about.” In the case of Hudson Valley, NY, resident and folk music icon Dar Williams, that’s a life of traveling troubadour and social crusader. In addition […]
KP Hawthorn on Having a Great Guitar Tech and the Value of a Mentor
Nashville singer-songwriter KP Hawthorn talks about the documentary she’s producing about the history of California country music and what happened before she played her first gig.
Monday Morning Video – Woody Guthrie
It feels especially fitting to talk about Woody Guthrie on Labor Day. The iconic folk singer was a tireless champion of the working class, giving voice to their struggles and triumphs through song. This new collection captures Guthrie at home in Brooklyn in 1951 and 1952, recording on a reel-to-reel machine gifted by his publisher. […]
Readers’ Pick: Kathleen Edwards – Billionaire
You picked Kathleen Edwards – Billionaire as your favorite new release for the week of August 22, 2025.
Grant-Lee Phillips – In the Hour of Dust
I looked up the word “cinematic” and, not surprisingly, all the definitions center around visual elements. Yet, it’s one of the first words that came to my mind as I listened to the new record from Grant-Lee Phillips, In the Hour of Dust. The album’s title is taken from an 1800’s painting of cattle being […]
East Nash Grass – All God’s Children
A few years ago a friend of mine told me about a Monday night bluegrass show at Dee’s in East Nashville. He said it was like a romper room for string band musicians, where fun was favored over taking the traditions of bluegrass too seriously. The lineup was always a little different, but had a […]