Back in the aughts, Virginia native Rebecca Frazier started gaining acclaim for her bluegrass flat-picking guitar, first with the band Hit & Run, followed up with her 2013 solo release, When We Fall. Then, as they say, life happened, and a career on the road as a bluegrass musician took a back seat to local […]
David Luning – Lessons
I think it’s rare when someone can look back on their life and point to a single event that made them change course. It’s more likely a series of things building up to something that becomes the proverbial straw. In the case of Californian David Luning, it was having friends turn him on to the […]
Steve Cropper on Soundchecks, Sock Hops, and Selling Groove
Legendary guitarist and songwriter Steve Cropper talks about touring with the Blues Brothers, getting better tables at restaurants, and the experience of hearing your work played on the radio for the first time.
Monday Morning Video – Bird Streets and Amy Vachal
Let’s start the week with this breathtaking new cover of John Waite’s classic “Missing You”, courtesy of Brooklyn’s Bird Streets and Amy Vachal.
Readers’ Pick: The Cactus Blossoms – Every Time I Think About You
You picked The Cactus Blossoms – Every Time I Think About You as your favorite new release for the week of August 30, 2024.
“Play Another Record” – a Premiere from Brandon Callies
With his latest single, Dallas singer-songwriter Brandon Callies offers the kind of advice that we all should heed. Originally recorded for his last record, the 2021 pop gem Sunrise Diner, the song celebrates the joy of listening to music. Although he doesn’t specify, I’d like to think it about putting some vinyl on the record […]
Larry & Joe – Manos Panamericanos
One of my highlights at Folk Alliance a couple of years ago was seeing a couple of sets from Larry & Joe. Their subsequent album, Nuevo South Train, was one of my top 5 that year. So when I heard they had a new record coming out, I had a little trepidation about whether their […]
Review: Big Star Quintet Celebrate Radio City’s 50th Anniversary @ Union Stage, Washington, D.C. (8-25-2024)
“We like harmonies,” joked REM’s bassist Mike Mills at one point during the 50th anniversary show of Big Star’s Radio City recently at Union Stage here in Washington, D.C. Harmony, humor, and a celebration of songs that influenced so many musicians for decades were the theme of this sold out show. A smaller crew than […]
Willie Watson on Touring in the “Wanderlodge”, Odetta, and Working in Vineyards
Singer-songwriter, poet, actor and multi-instrumentalist Willie Watson talks about 2 days spent at West Virginia’s Hillybilly Truck Repair and recalls his first gig, playing Bianca’s Daughters, an Italian restaurant in Watkin’s Glen, NY.
Monday Morning Video – John Prine “Summer’s End”
Summer has nearly come to an end and I can’t think of a better way to acknowledge it than with a song by one of the masters. Here are two versions of John Prine’s “Summer’s End”, from 2018’s The Tree of Forgiveness, to close out the season. First is a solo acoustic performance, shot backstage […]