Libido and Loathing In America: Father John Misty Live in Detroit
In a recent interview, Father John Misty was quoted as saying, “I just wanted to write about love without bullshitting.” What resulted of course is I Love You, Honeybear, the former Fleet Foxes member's second solo effort and one that has a stronghold at the top of my
Los Lobos: A Social Comment on the "Gates of Gold"
A cartoon strip by Brian McFadden that ran in The New York Times on Sept. 6 depicted a forlorn Statue of Liberty greeting a boatload of immigrants with a sign reading “Huddled Masses No Longer Welcome.” It’s timely, considering a new groundswell of build-a-border-wall, anti-immigrant
Boz Scaggs: His Road to the Blues
Boz Scaggs, best known in mainstream pop music for his classic ’70s disco-era album, Silk Degrees, has always drawn his roots, influence, and musical expression from Texas blues.
He began with a blues guitar in his hands as a teenager in Texas. The distinctly American music has been his
Weighty and Serious: Mandolin Orange - Such Jubilee
In my previous Vinyl Roots column, I talked about the reasons I came to vinyl in the first place. I don't necessarily have an audiophile perspective -- I listen to my vinyl records on a crappy Numark turntable with mediocre bookshelf reference speakers. It's more about the
Todd Snider’s Gothic Masterpiece “Train Song”
"Sing a Train Song": this deft and touching tune by one of East Nashville’s finest – or maybe its finest – is easy to hear as a familiar trope; train songs abound in American music for good reason. But in this song, trains do more than usual, as a
"We're All Criminals Here": Today's Best Artists Cover Uncle Tupelo
Recorded music makes standards a funny thing. Songs themselves don't really need to stand the test of time anymore -- until we reach that point of technological no return like Zion in The Matrix, it's safe to assume that we can listen to any song we could