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Yasmin Williams – Urban Driftwood : Listen
Northern Virginia guitarist Yasmin Williams just released the eponymous single from her upcoming album, Urban Driftwood, out on January 29th via Spinster Sounds. As a lover of acoustic guitar, Yasmin’s style thrills me – it’s far from the usual ambient fare that I often play in the background while I work, her combination of fingerstyle and lap-tapping is dreamy and highly engaging. Watching her play is absolutely enthralling – truly hope to see her live one day. “With all of the political & social discord that is happening in the US, I felt it was extremely important to include a…
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Adeline Hotel – “Photographic Memory” and “I Have Found It”
Adeline Hotel makes me feel the way I felt when I “discovered” Yo La Tengo in junior high – such a warm fuzzy feeling, quiet but so big, delicate and unassuming. When Dan Knishkowy told me he was releasing an acoustic, instrumental companion piece to last year’s Solid Love, I squealed out loud. Solid Love quickly shot to the top of my favorites of the year list, with its warmth and tenderness. Dan has this refined sensibility, a way of using spaces and silence as part of the sonic experience, rather than simply trying to fill it. Good Timing by…
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A La Sombra De Un Árbol : A Mix Curated by Buck Curran
I love acoustic guitar more than almost anything, especially gorgeous, intricate, finger-style work. So when Buck Curran introduced himself, I was immediately enamored with his playing – thoughtful and deliberate, intensely intimate, moody and sensual. In 2020 he put out No Love is Sorrow, his third solo release after many years as half of psych-folk duo Arborea. It’s a lovely, meditative album with an organic feel, with instrumentals interwoven with deeply personal songs about his loved ones and past lives. Morning Haikus, Afternoon Ragas, the preceding album, has become something of a go-to for me in recent months, Buck’s complex…
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Gwenifer Raymond – Hell For Certain : Listen
The Welsh guitar phenomenon has released the second single and video from her forthcoming album, Strange Lights Over Garth Mountain. Her playing is intense, intricate, and absolutely enrapturing. Not a song for soft background noises – this song’s enough to rouse some spirits, clearly. The album is composed of 8 tracks Raymond recorded herself in a basement apartment. Raymond says “I tried to take something of Welsh folk horror to make my own ‘Welsh Primitive.'” Pre-order Strange Lights Over Garth Mountain here. Out November 13th on Tompkins Square.
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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 instrumental command into masterful songcrafting. While you’re waiting, check out his 2017 album Wintres Woma, as well as Ambsace, his release with fellow fingerstylist Nathan Salsburg. Stream the singles and…
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Steve Gunn at Industry City in Brooklyn
Every time I’ve seen Steve Gunn has been so special and unique. I’ve seen him four times this year, the first two with fellow guitar virtuosos William Tyler and Ryley Walker, respectively, and once more solo. I didn’t think anything could top the latter – the audience was rapt. You could have only heard a pin drop aside from his silvery vocals and intricate fingerpicking. This show may have done it! Accompanied by a full band this go-round, including fellow guitar master and lap steel Jim Elkington, the music that came from these musicians with talent that quickly proved to be…
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Steve Gunn at Rough Trade : Listen
I’m getting really excited to see Steve Gunn perform this weekend at Industry City with Hand Habits. To prepare, I’m reliving this performance at Rough Trade. The audience was rapt – you could hear a pin drop. His expert playing and haunting voice are absolutely transfixing. This will be my fourth time seeing him this year and the first time with a full band. I only discovered him this year and I’m pretty glad I moved to New York because it encouraged me to explore some tunes outside my west coast comfort zone. Video credit: Richard Wolf
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Steve Gunn – The Unseen In Between : Album Review
This review was initially published on a now-defunct review site, hence the odd formatting. Artist Name: Steve Gunn Album Name: The Unseen In Between Standout Song: Lightning Field Deep Cut: Paranoid Five free-association words: Stark, stripped, silvery, psychedelic, spiriting Feeling of album in one word: Hope Your Review (1000 characters max): I listened to this album the day I got some really bad news, which is why I chose “hope.” Gunn’s unique voice which is at once youthful and filled with soul is both mysterious and soothing, layered over his masterful fingerstyle and slide guitar playing. Seeing Gunn live is…
