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Farmer Dave Scher
Farmer Dave called me and immediately the call dropped. I called back. “I’m in a canyon!” he pronounced. Of course he was. With roots in California dating back to the mid-1800s, Farmer Dave admits that California is an easy place to fall in love with, whether you have roots or not. He speaks like an ancient person from the future. I had a feeling he might be able to shed…
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Bonny Light Horseman at Rough Trade and Levon Helm Studio
It may be 2020 but the spirit of the 1800s is alive and well. I heard Wild Mountain Thyme three nights in a row this week, performed by two different bands. There’s no chance of traditional music being forgotten any time soon, if Anais Mitchell, Josh Kaufman, and Eric D. Johnson have anything to say (sing) about it. It’s an education. Bonny Light Horseman continues the long tradition of reinventing…
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James Elkington – Nowhere Time : Listen
James Elkington announced upcoming album Ever-Roaming Eye, out April 3rd on Paradise of Bachelors. Elkington is one of the best living guitarists today, but he’s also a multi-instrumentalist of staggering talent, adept at instruments I haven’t even heard of (mandola?). You can hear his brilliant playing on some of my recent favorite albums by Joan Shelley, Steve Gunn, Itasca, and Michael Chapman. “Nowhere Time” proves Elkington’s musical prowess extends beyond…
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GospelbeacH : On Tour
GospelbeacH is bringing the sunshine to Europe this February. You can’t miss it, especially if you’ve never seen them. They’re the reason I go to shows in an almost insatiable, they brought me to so many other artists I love, Brent is probably the reason you’re reading this website! I’m listening to Let It Burn while I relay this story. After seeing hundreds of whoever came through my small town…
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Mapache – Life On Fire
Hell yeah. Some summery seventies vibes bringin’ some sun on a winter’s day. Mapache’s self-titled debut was an instant California classic, and this tune promises that their upcoming release will demonstrate their detailed historical knowledge and maturing musical prowess with effortless rhythms and intricate guitar playing that’ll have you flying past the palm trees on Sunset Boulevard in Echo Park, the Hollywood sign in view on a sun-lit day in…
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Vetiver : On Tour
In the wake of the release of the astonishingly gorgeous Up On High, Vetiver just announced their east coast tour dates. Andy Cabic and his band, a tight-knit 😉 four-piece, put on a stellar show, one that I rearranged massive plans and traveled state lines to see again. Understated but intricate, they perform a lovely blend of old and new material. Despite Vetiver’s mellow, laid-back melodies, the band certainly rocks…
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Top 10 Most-Listened Artists of 2019
Musically, 2019 was set to be a banner year, and it was. It was also the most gutting. I think I went to more shows than ever before this year, I saw so many amazing bands and musicians and traveled all over the country to do so. Many of my favorites released gorgeous albums, and I discovered new favorites. I was able to meet so many new friends and talk…
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Songs of the Year : 2019
Spotify’s Wrapped feature delivered today, and although I obviously recognize the irony that I’m about to use their service to self-promote my vain tastes, it’s become increasingly clear that it’s a necessary (emphasis on) evil in the streaming age. I try to support artists by going to shows, buying merch, buying vinyl directly and using Bandcamp. Plus, you know, starting this website in hopes that my niche and small readership…
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Prana Crafter
Will Sol’s experimental, interstellar sonic scapes are hallucinogenic enough to make you shut your eyes and find yourself transported to his native Pacific Northwest woods. The man known as Prana Crafter‘s early life sounds like something out of an old-timey classic country album, murder-ballad included, but as we chatted, things in his life got spacier and spacier, much like his catalog. Tell me about your relationship to the Pacific Northwest.I…
