Joe Stickley's Blue PrintSmoke Leaves TownPeola Records By Al Kaufman Joe Stickley examines this American life as only a Midwesterner can. Backed by a group that can hold together a rag-tag melody like great Americana bands such as Wilco and The Gourds can, Stickley examines love, loss, and life in subtle, graceful ways.
Heather Greene Sweet OtherwisePaved Earth Music By Al Kaufman Alcohol and music have successfully co-mingled since the invention of both but never in a way as they do with Heather Greene. The fledgling singer/songwriter decided to move to Scotland to work on her music and explore her heritage. What she found was whisky. She discovered […]
The Kentucky HeadhuntersLive/Agora Ballroom — Cleveland, Ohio — May 13, 1990Mercury By Al Kaufman With all these terms out, such as "outlaw country," "renegade country," or the tamer "Americana," to describe country artists too original to be played on the ultra conservative (in format as well as politics) country radio stations, it's easy to forget […]
Jer CoonsSpeak By Al Kaufman Jer Coons missed his chance at becoming a national star when he slept through his audition for American Idol. But who knows how far he would have gone? After all, people with actual talent and songwriting skills don't generally win on that show. Jer Coons, at the tender age of […]
Monsters of FolkMonsters of FolkShangri-La Music By Al Kaufman Supergroups are often hit-or-miss affairs. For every successful Traveling Wilburys (George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Roy Orbison and Jeff Lynne), there are two or three extremely disappointing Thorns (Matthew Sweet, Sean Mullins, and Pete Droge). Monsters of Folk would certainly fall in the former category.
Whip ItSoundtrackRhino By Al Kaufman "This soundtrack is my mix tape for you," writes Drew Barrymore in the liner notes for the soundtrack for Whip It, the film she directed about an indie girl in Texas who falls in love with roller derby. This collection sounds like Drew Barrymore. It's got fun, attitude, feminism, sappy […]
By Al Kaufman They're everywhere. Those people who like to say, "I saw REM in a small club before Chronic Town, before they even had a record contract." Music fandom is sometimes a competitive sport. It's important to be the first to notice somebody, to say that you saw someone before anyone else even knew […]
They Might Be GiantsHere Comes ScienceDisney Sound By Al Kaufman Since the band's inception in 1986, many have accused geek rockers They Might Be Giants (namely, John Linnell and John Flansburgh) of being a kids' band. Between silly songs, such as "Purple Toupee," they put songs about American history, like "James K. Polk," or social […]
Blue Mother TupeloHeaven & Earth By Al Kaufman Ricky and Micol Davis are so happy and in love that you just want to smack them upside the head. He sings to her, "I like it when you smile," and she returns to him, "You make my life worth while," on the track "Tupelo." Their liner […]
Gordon Gano and the RyansUnder the SunYep Roc by Al Kaufman In 1983, when the Violent Femmes put out their self-titled debut album, they changed music. Their folk-punk sound, Gordon Gano's staccato whine, and his lyrics that mixed sex, violence, humor and God equally spoke to almost every alienated (read every) teenager. The Femmes didn't […]
Pete Yorn & Scarlett JohanssonBreak UpAtco By Al Kaufman Actress Scarlett Johansson's CD of Tom Waits' covers, 2008's Anywhere I Lay My Head, met with mixed reviews. Be that as it may, kudos should be given to Johansson for choosing the way-too-talented-and-cool-to-be-commercially-successful Waits as the artist she wished to cover. She plans on doing it […]
Chris KnightTrailer IIDrifter's Church By Al Kaufman Usually when an artist returns to the well that brought him success, the water does not taste as crisp. For Americana musician Chris Knight, that is most certainly not the case. When Knight released The Trailer Tapes, solo acoustic demo tracks he laid out in 1996 before he […]
Mark KnopflerGet LuckyReprise By Al Kaufman Mark Knopfler has come a long way since “Sultans of Swing.” The 1977 hit for Knopfler’s band Dire Straits created that trademark fuzzy guitar sound that would serve Knopfler well for the next 30 or so years. Yes, Knopfler has grown and changed over time. His music often has […]
By Al Kaufman Beer and rock and roll is as American a combination as baseball and hot dogs. One just isn't as good without the other. The creators of HOToberFest understand this, and have brought a great music line-up to this year's beer festival.
Frank Sinatra Seduction: Sinatra Sings of LoveReprise By Kevin C. Madigan You can never have too much Sinatra. This fine collection happens to coincide with the new Twyla Tharp production Come Fly With Me, which opens this month at Atlanta’s Alliance Theatre. The album features a cross-section of impeccable Sinatra standards built around the theme […]
Have Your Say (Latest Comments)