'Don’t Skip Out On Me' by Willy Vlautin: "The Book Just Felt Like Music."
Seems the fat lady hadn’t sung after all. 2016 brought down the final curtain on Richmond Fontaine after two decades, 11 albums, unremitted touring, minimal staff changes, and an international fan base that grew unswervingly in number and devotion over both those decades. Theirs was a special kind of
Harry Smith's Anthology of American Folk Music at 66
Several months ago when I transitioned from an owner of music to a renter via streaming, the first selection I imported into my cloud-based digital library was a collection of folk music I first heard when I was just a little sprout. I was introduced to Harry Smith's
Murdering the Murder Ballad: Misogyny in Country Music
[Content warning: general discussions of sexual assault and violence. There is a brief description of a personal experience at the beginning of the third section. I’ll put another reminder at that point in the article.]
I. Imagine me, an awkward red-headed twelve-year old, singing this at the top of
Chicken Scratch out of Humboldt County
In the upper left corner of California, what they call the Lost Coast, there's a commercial radio station called KHUM that has very eclectic playlist. They call themselves "Radio without the Rules," and one of their feature shows is The Chicken Scratch Show, hosted by Darren
NaNa unite ethereal atmospherics and bittersweet melodies on new EP
Fascinating atmospheres blend in with classy, dreamy melodies on Remember Me, the new EP from the Japanese duo NaNa. Featuring vocalist Chikako Watanabe and guitarist/producer Shigeo Tamaru, NaNa is an eclectic music project with a passion for dream-pop. Their sound blurs the lines between different influences, with a passion
Andy Griffith's Mayberry: Americana Lost and Found
When most people think back to the ’60s, some things that might come to mind could be the social, cultural, and political changes; exploration of recreational drugs; the sexual revolution; and otherwise turbulent times. And yet, as the world was caught up in Sputniks and satellites and a rapid rush