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Lizzie No – Holidays : Review
Lizzie No is the monarch of wide-eyed, bedroom folk pop, writing earnest, heartfelt songs filled with candid sincerity. Holidays is no different – a short and sweet collection of songs that capture a very relatable array of emotions felt throughout celebratory seasons. As a terminal grinch, I balked upon seeing the title of this EP, but Lizzie reassured me: “This isn’t a holiday EP in the traditional Christmasy sense, but rather…
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Aaron Lee Tasjan – Computer of Love
One of my favorite modern rockers announced a new record, Tasjan! Tasjan! Tasjan! out February 5th on New West. I love ALT’s cinematic writing and recording style, his lyrics that speak directly to experiences of my own, and his big-hearted persona. “Computer of my Love” is the third single, a comical yet poignant commentary on the dangers of existing as disconnected social media avatars. Says Tasjan, “Social media and our phones…
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Mojohand – Easy Daisy
New Jersey cosmic Americana soul-rockers Mojohand have released a new song today, again featuring that celestial steel playing from Dan Horne! These guys can certainly jam but I’m loving all these slower grooves they’re busting out lately. Really shows their influence of Beachwood Sparks, a band we both love. This is also the first song they’ve released written by keyboardist Ian Darcy, who says the track is an ode to…
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Greg Loiacono : Seed
Wow this song is a MOOD. I love this Greg – that edge, grit, and angst! This is the sound and the vibe that made so many young audiences fall head first for the Mother Hips 30 years ago. Greg relays a sentiment we can all relate to, “We don’t have a choice about being born. But we are expected to live certain ways. Parents who create us, school teachers…
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Dirt Reynolds – The Day David Duke Came to Destrehan
Dirt Reynolds is the alter-ego of Louisiana native and East Nashville resident Chris Watts. As a young man, he was stabbed in a barfight and a judge told him to join the military. So he did. Then during Hurricane Katrina, he was shot in the Superdome while serving in the National Guard, he went back to college, and began educating himself about political science and re-examining the values he was…
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Sounds from the Bardo Vol. I : Experience!
This is not a song – this is a psychedelic experience. Last time we talked to Prana Crafter, he was writing his PhD dissertation on psychic communication in music. Makes perfect sense that he’d partner with the “misfit seekers” that make up Psychedelic Sangha, an NYC-based collective that offers peer-supported psychedelic experimentation, and hosts soundbaths, guided meditation, and spiritual arts programming. “Sounds from the Bardo” is a new album-based series…
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Olivia + Harrison – The Shadow : Listen
I met Harrison Flynn in 2017 standing in line at Amoeba in LA, waiting to get our copies of Barefoot in the Head signed by Chris Robinson and Neal Casal. If I recall correctly, I think we talked a lot about Sweetheart of the Rodeo maybe, the Dead, the usual suspects. I tried to get him to start a band with me actually but luckily, he held out to work…
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Finding Dark Peace with Leslie Mendelson
Leslie Mendelson is one of my favorite singer-songwriters. She writes really powerful songs that can break your heart like a twig in a mere second; she exudes confidence onstage but her lyrics, on her latest album particularly, are oh so vulnerable. She put out a great record, sparse yet heavy, just at the precipice of the pandemic that was all too timely, entitled If You Can’t Say Anything Nice… The…
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Neal Casal – Everything is Moving / Green Moon : Listen
This morning I had a dream about literally getting a message from Neal – I dreamed that I got an Instgram DM and I thought, “hmm this probably isn’t actually him but wouldn’t it be nice if you could DM from beyond the pale?” Before I got to read the message, my eyes shot open. I immediately looked at my phone, and the first thing I saw was this email…