Welcome Autumn with Tyson Motsenbocker’s “Someday I’ll Make It All Up To You”
In Nashville where I live, the first autumn leaves have fallen. They’re a little premature, of course – it’s supposed to be back up near 100 degrees this week. But the last two weeks were cool enough to fool a few leaves into dying early, and my yard is lightly scattered with them. Group that […]
You Need to Know About slimdan’s “Second Dinner”
“How have I never heard of this guy?” That’s what I said to my friend after I had listened to slimdan’s Second Dinner front to back on his recommendation. Danny Silberstein has his fingerprints all over some beloved music. As a producer and writer, his credits include songs all over the map of pop and […]
When Was R.E.M. at Their Peak?
I was always jealous of the older guys who could remember when particular Beach Boys songs came out. But when REM came along, I had that pleasure. The band emerged as college radio darlings just as I started, releasing the Chronic Town EP and their five LP’s on the I.R.S. label, all while I was […]
Imogen Clark Masters “The Art of Getting Through”
(Photo by Michelle Grance Hunder) I’m not sure about a lot of things. Not sure if the Middle East is heading for an all-out war. Not sure if the stock market is teetering. But I am sure that Imogen Clark’s The Art Of Getting Through is the best album of this decade so far. The […]
What freedom means on “Cheap Wine (And Expensive Conversation)” by Jon Foreman and Abby Holliday
The introduction to “Cheap Wine (And Expensive Conversation)” comes from what sounds like a couple of ukuleles with inaudible whispered conversations behind them. Jon Foreman sings a line, and then Abby Holliday sings one, and they carry on one after the other until the chorus. Foreman’s voice has lilt of an accent and almost a […]
Innovation and Emotion on Animals in Denial’s “Crash Course Vol. 2: Tickets to Dreamland”
“The name of this volume, “Tickets to Dreamland” comes from an Area 51 reference, and it honestly just spoke to me and exuded the vibe of new tech new ideas new perspectives infusing new life and bringing the sound that was in my head into the world, how it sounded to me in my head,” explains […]
Hunter Metts is Iconic on “Monochrome”
(Photo: Travis Shinn) Listening to Hunter Metts’ debut EP Monochrome made me wonder: what does Zach Bryan have that this guy doesn’t have? Nashville-based Metts writes great songs and has a hypnotic, Bon Iver-type voice. When people hear this new collection of songs, he could easily become our next breakthrough indie-folk sensation. Metts’ songs remind […]
Coldplay Go Large (Again) With “feelslikeimfallinginlove”
How do you feel about Coldplay? It’s a question that has become similar to discussing political leanings. It can split friendships and start angry discussions one way or the other. I don’t quite understand why. Sure, by anyone’s standards, Coldplay are a huge band and yet they come across as ordinary, everyday people. With the […]
Courtney Farren Ponders “Will I Ever Love Me?”
(Photo: Garrett Borns) Some albums – like Kacey Musgraves’ Golden Hour – have enduring beauty. You enjoy listening to them from beginning to end, year after year. I’m sure that Courtney Farren’s new debut album Punchlines will likewise sound just as marvelous in 2034. On the strength of her songwriting alone, Farren is already in […]
Valley Remembers to “Water the Flowers, Pray for a Garden”
The title of Valley’s “Water the Flowers, Pray for a Garden,” could have been taken from someone’s to-do list. The character conjured seems to need reminders of how to move forward – they’re “honestly, all out of options.” This song gives us an inside view of what loneliness sounds like. The vocals are compressed as though […]
