Tallahassee: Old Ways
Tallahassee is: Brian Barthelmes (Vocals, Guitar, Banjo, Resonator), Scott Thompson (Guitar, Banjo, Keys), Shawn Carney (Electric Bass, Upright Bass) and Matt Raskopf (Drums, Percussion), and they are from Rhode Island, not Florida. Despite taking their name from a Native American word meaning “Old Town” and calling their most recent record “Old Ways,” this is not … Read more
Two Songs from: Lance Whalen
Lance Whalen is singer/songwriter from Nashville via Kentucky. The tracks below are from Sweet Sugar Pie, his latest EP. It is a collection of fan favorites, and, y’all, his fans have excellent taste. There are four songs on the EP, and it was hard to choose two to share because they are all just delicious. … Read more
El Sportivo & the Blooz, Nights & Weekends
Nights & Weekends, the new record from El Sportivo & the Blooz, is aptly named; this could be music for the after-hours, for unwinding and spinning down. Or it could be company for the dark hours of the third shift. It definitely is high-quality smooth country funk – sippin’ whisky for the soul, if you … Read more
Two Songs From: Night Engine
Night Engine are from London, England. They only have four songs; I’ve picked these two because I listened to them and immediately wanted a) acquire all of their music and b) lace up my boots and go out dancing. This is I’ll Make It Worth Your While, and, darlings, THEY WILL. Click that button, you … Read more
Empires: Live in Chicago
Empires, scrappy little band of my heart (North American division) have made a live album. Recorded last September at Lincoln Hall in Chicago, it showcases Empires in all of their grimy, bluesy glory. Check it out: Surrenderer (Live) by empires Hello Lover (Live) by empires We Lost Magic (Live) by empires … Read more
Willow Sea: Across the River and Into The Trees
The songs on Across the River and Into The Trees by Willow Sea (Willy O’Connor) are, collectively and individually, balm for the weary soul. I listened to them a lot this winter, because this winter was very, very long. Here are two I especially like. This one is a ray of cheery sunshine on cold … Read more
White Fence: To The Boy I Jumped in Hemlock Alley
A couple of years ago, I went to a White Fence show for New Year’s Eve. They were in the middle of the bill. At the end of the show my friends and I agreed, that while the headliners were good, we would have been happy to listen to Tim Presley and friends noodle around … Read more
Mud, Blood & Beer: The Sweet Life
On their second record, Mud, Blood & Beer have added some hard rock muscle to their country bar band sound, and the results are fantastic. For example, there is this tune, which I love in part because they manage to make nasturtiums sound kind of dirty: Nasturtiums in Bloom by Mud, Blood & … Read more
The Big Nowhere: Don’t Burn the Fortune
Pull Down the Moon (2012) rollicked and rolled; Don’t Burn the Fortune, the second record from The Big Nowhere, is contemplative, quieter, and a little melancholy, more evocative of a piano bar than a frontier dance hall. Whatever kind of heartbreak you have, they probably have a song for you. The following are three … Read more
[strangers], Something New
Something New, from [strangers] featuring Eleanor Fletcher (Crystal Fighters), music for: Here we go over the falls, one more time. Maybe this is a terrible idea, but we don’t care. We can see the white water and the rocks but it doesn’t matter, we have each other. We’re too busy making new universes every time … Read more