ROOTS & BRANCHES: Rachael Yamagata Soaks in People and Places Along Her Way
Her eyes are alive, her hair a radiant curtain, her smile a Klieg light. Her voice alternates between smoke and fire. She’s a fine guitar player, but her forte is the piano. Sitting on the bench at a baby grand, Rachael Yamagata grins, flexes her shoulders, and lays her
Emily Scott Robinson Winds Down a Road of Folk Truths on ‘Traveling Mercies’
Emily Scott Robinson’s Traveling Mercies defines the notion of a pure folk album, as she conveys the simple beauty of life across 12 reflective songs.
While the first half of the album finds Robinson making intrinsic observations — whether describing herself as a “White Hot Country Mess” who pays her
Gary Clark Jr. Stakes His Claim
“This Land,” the title track from Gary Clark Jr.’s third studio full-length, opens with a Parliament/Funkadelic-style otherworldly keyboard that sounds as if the mothership is landing — landing “right in the middle of Trump country.” Over a reggae groove and containing elements of Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings’ take
Ryan Bingham Sings of Himself and His Country
It feels like Ryan Bingham is a touch underappreciated. Yes, that’s kind of a crazy thing to say about someone who’s won a Grammy, Golden Globe, and Academy Award for one of his songs (“The Weary Kind,” in the motion picture Crazy Heart) and who was named the
Ryan Adams, I Will Not Marry You: Rescinding My Proposal in the Wake of Female Musicians’ Allegations
I proposed to Ryan Adams in 2005. That offer is officially rescinded.
News broke in The New York Times just shy of Valentine’s Day of the allegations from several women that Ryan Adams offered career opportunities alongside sexual overtures, in addition to claims of manipulation and emotional abuse. The
Rosie Flores' 'Simple Case of the Blues' Showcases Depth of Playing and Influences
Rosie Flores is one the top ten guitarists playing today, and on her new album she displays her versatility and her pure, clear, always-on-the-note playing. Produced by Charlie Sexton, Kenny Vaughan, and Dave Roe — all of whom also play on the album — Simple Case of the Blues illustrates Flores’ ability