One of the challenges of being a musician is coming up with new content. Sometimes the best thing to do is to re-interpret previously recorded material. That is what Karen Jonas has done on her most recent album Lucky, Revisited. The idea behind this is to take songs that have lived on the road over […]
Sometimes you listen to an album and it comes across as a little formulaic. Other albums keep you guessing as to what’s coming next. Good Time by Ranky Tanky is definitely one of the latter. The only thing predictable about this album is that every song will get you moving. The first thing you hear […]
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Fans of country music were treated to a good show on July 10 at The Wayfarer in Costa Mesa, California. Jade Jackson opened the show accompanied by Julian Ness on electric guitar. She played her acoustic guitar with a lot of energy as she went through a 40-minute set that included songs such as “Motorcycle” […]
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When you see an artist listed as something like Americana/soul/alternative, you have to wonder if he or she really lands in all of those categories. On the new album These Are My Whiskey Dreams (produced by Andros Rodriguez), Christina LaRocca shows that an artist can land firmly in a variety of categories – and deliver […]
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The good thing about Americana is that it is a pretty all-encompassing term. It can range from country and bluegrass to jazz. Story of My Life by Kevin West is an album that embraces a lot of the various facets (including jazz in the last two songs) of Americana. The EP kicks off with “Best […]
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Shane Smith is an artist who is known to create songs that are slices of life with his band The Saints. The previous album Geronimo was a good showcase for that, as is the new album Hail Mary – an album that has been released in a non-traditional way. By phone, Smith discussed releasing the album […]
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As music fans, we listen to different albums for different reasons. Sometimes we listen for the beat. Sometimes we listen because it’s the soundtrack for a road trip. Sometimes we listen for the lyrics. Stratford by Austin Plaine is one that should be listened to for the lyrics. The best storytellers know how to create […]
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Countless albums have centered on or declared love for a person. On the new album Assiniboine and The Red (named for the confluence of two rivers near the band’s home of Winnipeg), The Small Glories declare their love for their home country (among other things). One philosophy in music is that volume is needed to […]
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Being in a band is not the model of longevity. Bands generally come and go more quickly than anyone can notice. As a result, it’s hard not to be impressed when a band makes music for 20 years. Believe it or not, Hackensaw Boys is a band that has been together for 20 years. On […]
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Throughout its history, blues has been something of a boys club. That of course is not to say that women can’t play the blues. Queen of My Castle by Diana Rein is all the proof you need that women play the blues as well as anyone. You don’t have to listen long to the album […]
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