-
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…
-
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…
-
Maria BC – Adelaide : Listen
Brooklyn-based artist Maria BC releases their first single from upcoming EP Devil’s Rain today. Made in the midst of quarantining, Maria BC had to record quietly so as not to disturb housemates and neighbors, resulting in a collection of songs with an intimate, sparse, lullaby-like quality. Maria explains Adelaide as a song inspired by a friend but addressed to their self, “A friend of mine used to work as a…
-
Albums We Loved This Year
Another banner year for music. I have grown to dislike ranking albums, as if art was mere sports. Ugh! I’ll get right the point. Please buy these albums and support the artists! It’s more essential than ever to pay the folks who are likely sustaining you culturally this year. I won’t tell you which I liked most but I will tell you which new releases I listened to most, in…
-
Songs of the year – 2020
Here’s a list of 60 of our favorite songs from this year, some of them from our favorite albums, some not, all fantastic. We wrote about fifteen of them, too, because we usually look at albums holistically and don’t get to spend a lot of time normally examining a song at a time. It was fun! Talking about music is fun. Music is great, you should buy it! On a…
-
Neal Casal Music Foundation Livestream Benefit
On Saturday, December 5th, TOF Productions will host a livestream benefit for the Neal Casal Music Foundation. Eric Krasno, Jaime Wyatt, Brent Rademaker, Kenny Roby, Ross James, and Aaron Lee Tasjan will all perform. In addition, Dave Schools will give a status update on the Highway Butterfly tribute record, Joe Russo and George Sluppick will chat about drums, and Jay Blakesberg will talk photography. Neal played a Swope guitar during…
-
Toadvine – She : Listen
Toadvine “blends weirdo garage rock energy with alt country-tinged sweetness.” They recorded and mixed their debut self-titled EP themselves, featuring four originals and this tribute to one of their many influences. It’s rare that I hear a Gram Parsons cover that I approve of. I heard this song before I read the blurb and was pretty enchanted with this Chicago band’s sweet rendition. Toadvine · She From the band themselves…
-
Dan Horne
You know Dan! He’s everywhere, especially this year. He’s produced, played on, or written on so many favorite albums – to name just a few from 2020 – Circles Around the Sun’s self-titled, Mapache’s From Liberty Street, Trummors’ Dropout City, Pacific Range’s High Upon the Mountain, some badass tracks from Mojohand, and now, his debut solo EP, The Motorcycle Song EP, is officially streaming everywhere. Tell me a little bit…
-
Tim Bluhm – Hag Heaven
Tim Bluhm releases his eighth solo record, an 11-track tribute to Merle Haggard, on November 20th. A portion of all revenue from album sales will go to the Blue Rose Foundation, which provides pre-school scholarships to financially disadvantaged children. I tapped my good friend and fellow critic Jon Siembieda to help listen to this album. Jon is way into the Tim Bluhm/Norther California scene, so he was able to provide…
