The crass first track on Nathan K‘s Methodist Girls is a phenomenal authentic engagement with life as it’s lived. He realized that his love was “the selfish kind.” It’s not exactly the kind of track that you’ll want to share with the whole …
Tag Archives: spotlight
Folk Music Double Feature: Portland’s Goose and Fox, Jacksonville’s Four Families
The early 21st century is a great time for folk music. There are some incredible bands making inspiring music. Two of those bands are Goose and Fox as well as Four Families. They are double featured here for their different styles but excellent …
Goodnight, Texas – Uncle John Farquhar – An American Music Masterclass
2012 saw Goodnight, Texas take home my Album of the Year with A Long Life of Living. Back then, I wrote that “A Long Life of Living is a shining example of how to mix vocals and music, cartharsis and intimate personal stories, tradition and modernity …
The Return of Ragtime
It’s impossible to write about ragtime without mentioning Scott Joplin, who would be proud to know the art form that he popularized is alive and well today. In fact, the 21st century has a resurgence in an abundance of classic American music. The …
Kelsey Waldon – The Goldmine – Classic country singer songwriter finds emotions you forgot you ever had
Kelsey Waldon is as authentic as Jack Daniels himself. It might be tempting to say she sounds like classic country greats (Kitty Wells, anyone?), but frankly Kelsey Waldon is so good she deserves her own place in the pantheon of great country artists. …
Follow Apollo – Muscle Shoals rockers kicking some neo-soul
Let me get right to it, this is an awesome album. If Muscle Shoals, Alabama soul music doesn’t mean anything to you… well, sit down, friend and a get an education. One of the deepest, most soulful traditions in American music is still …
Artist Interview – NoEL
Take a moment to meet Birmingham, Alabama’s NoEL, a singer-songwriter formerly of the band The White Oaks. Enjoy listening to a few of his tunes while reading this interview about his debut solo album. 1) When did you get your start in music? …
Br’er Rabbit–adventurous, mountain music.
The story of Br’er Rabbit has been rewritten. Instead of a racially insensitive folk tale set in the Deep South, it is a story of growing up in the Pacific Northwest;three kids running through the woods and around their small city like they …
Falls – Into the Fire – Australian folk duo album of the year candidate
There’s a place in my soul that waits for a band like Falls to drop every year. They are, for me, what Penny and Sparrow was last year and what the Civil Wars were a few years ago. They are exceptionally talented musicians …
The Stillwater Hobos – My Love, She’s in America
Every once and a while, we get a band that’s making music they have no business making and just absolutely killing it. Think Mumford and Sons. Marcus and the boys have no business being as good at traditional American folk music as they …
