St. Vincent's Performance : Art : Life
Last weekend over brunch, I was talking with a contemporary country songwriter and a former boy band member about the various “arts” within music: There’s the art of crafting a … Read More
Robert Ellis Throws Down Full-Throttle Freeform at The Basement
In a year that’s shaping up to be another great one for music, an early contender for various ‘Best Albums of 2014’ lists is, no doubt, The Lights from the Chemical … Read More
Matthew Perryman Jones: Land of the Living (vinyl LP)
The opening cut of Land of the Living is about as close to sonic perfection as you can get. The composition, the production, and the performance on “Stones from the … Read More
Sarah Jarosz Lends Deft Musicality to Station Inn
It was another sold-out night at Nashville’s Station Inn, this time for Sarah Jarosz, the fresh-out-of-college bluegrass/folk phenom. Flanked by a couple of string players (Nathaniel Smith on cello and … Read More
Robert Ellis: The Lights from the Chemical Plant
If country music is defined merely by the presence of pedal steel guitar and vocal twang, then, sure, Robert Ellis fits the bill. But to limit expectations or opinions of The … Read More
Old Black Kettle Brings a Harmonic Convergence to Station Inn
For the past few years, the folk and Americana genres have been infiltrated by a bunch of artists who are far more flash than substance. This “Genericana” trend is full … Read More
Sugar + the Hi-Lows with Nashville Ballet
It’s easy to imagine why both Sugar + the Hi-Lows and the Nashville Ballet would share an affinity for the work of Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash. To interpret and … Read More
Peter Bradley Adams: The Mighty Storm
There are some artists who continually push and pull themselves into new artistic terrain with each release. And there are some artists who stay within their creative comfort zone and … Read More