Tim O’Brien Continually Lives the Dream Tim O’Brien intended for Paper Flowers to be a lighthearted record, a pleasant distraction from worldly strife, following a period of more serious songwriting. Onstage, he playfully embraces the material’s cheerful tone. “This album and these songs just create a good time,” said O’Brien. “I think we were looking […]
At Peace While Observing: The Life of Samantha CrainBy Brian D’Ambrosio Language quenches Samantha Crain’s flaming fire. An exceptionally potent songwriter, Crain finds that her spirit, affections, desires, and disposition live and reign in language. Her nuanced writing is something that she sees as both a gift and a demand. Crain was born, raised, and […]
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Tami Neilson Neon Cowgirl is a true roots celebration Her own roots, that is, which she has continued to care for, nurture, and give water. Neilson jumped into the music business more than 35 years ago as a member of the family band. The Neilsons mostly toured in a motor home, and recently Tami and […]
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Bear Rinehart photo by JM Collective Driven To Keep Creating: A Life of William “Bear” Rinehart Son of a preacher, William Rinehart grew up in Seneca, South Carolina, at the high foothills of the Appalachians. His mother taught piano lessons. His father played the trumpet. Music was a mixture of gospel, rural hillbilly, bluegrass, and […]
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Screaming Out The Blues: A Life of Kelli Baker There is a line from renegade author Charles Bukowski that Kelli Baker said that she likes to live by.“If it doesn’t come bursting out of you in spite of everything, don’t do it.” For the budding blues artist, the Bukowski reference serves as her reminder to […]
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The Aussie-Americana of Jordie Lane by Brian D’Ambrosio Jordie Lane’s first visit to the United States was in 2010. He traveled to the Mojave Desert before exploring the High Desert of California and Joshua Tree. He stayed in Room 8 at the Joshua Tree Inn, near Joshua Tree National Park, the spot where Gram Parsons […]
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The Tried and Tested Believability of Amy Speace For Amy Speace it all whittles down to believability. Her shows are comprised of rich stories, and her richest stories are filled with the most reflective insights, connecting honestly enough for people to find themselves in the songs. “It’s all about do I believe you?” said Speace. […]
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Jeffrey Martin: Emissary of Heartrending Songs By Brian D’Ambrosio Through the nights of doubt and sorrow, music burns as the guiding light. Faithful to the last flicker, Jeffrey Martin, a true emissary of heartrending songs, may be found standing clear before us through the darkness. Indeed, for the past ten years, Martin, a former school […]
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Chuck Prophet photo by Michael Aarons Wake the Dead: The Recovery, Reinvigoration of Chuck Prophet By Brian D’Ambrosio Chuck Prophet’s new album is as much about illness and recovery as it is about aspiration and experimentation. But perhaps more so than all of these things, it’s immersed in vision. Vision allowed him to harvest everything […]
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The Soulful, Spirit-Driven Affection of Kelley Mickwee By Brian D’Ambrosio Though her home is Austin, Kelley Mickwee’s heart is tied to her roots in Memphis. The singer-songwriter acknowledges this attachment in her second solo album, Everything Beautiful, a pulsating, irrepressibly good recording with a heavy emphasis on all aspects soulful, each song an object of […]
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