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The Indigo Girls' Art and Activism: An Interview with Emily Saliers
Indigo Girls Emily Saliers and Amy Ray have always worked — and lived — at the intersection of art and activism, supporting myriad great causes and organizations. On May 15, they\’ll be in town to play a benefit for Thistle Farms at Thistle Stop Café. Though the show is sold out, it will be streamed…
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elbow: The Take Off and Landing of Everything
Even after more than 20 years with the same roster, elbow shows no signs of letting up. With their latest effort, The Take Off and Landing of Everything, the British quintet has created a hypnotic and intriguing collection of mini-masterpieces. Rather than writing the songs together, as they have in the past, the band members intentionally…
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Sturgill Simpson: Metamodern Sounds in Country Music
In addition to being a tip of the hat to Ray Charles, the title of Sturgill Simpson\’s new album is more than a little ironic considering that he is known to rock one of the most retro sounds out there. In fact, a quick pass of the first track might have you thinking you\’ve uncovered…
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Brandy Clark's Heroine Finds a Light in "Get High"
On her fantastic debut album, 2013\’s 12 Stories, country singer/songwriter Brandy Clark presented exactly that… 12 stories of women just trying to move through the world as best they can. Topics like poverty, infidelity, prescription drug abuse, divorce, alcoholism, and just all-around tough lives mark the starting point for Clark\’s songs, but not necessarily the…
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Amy Ray Earns Her Country Stripes in Nashville
After 35 years of performing, Amy Ray should exhibit some small measure of cynicism, some slight indication that this whole thing is getting old. Nope. Not a chance. Quite the opposite, actually. Her genuine enthusiasm for music and its makers is apparent to anyone lucky enough to be in the same room with her, including…
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On the Complexities of Love and Hate: An Interview with Joan Osborne
On her new record, Love and Hate, singer/songwriter Joan Osborne delves deeply into matters of the heart. It\’s a lovely, sensual work that reflects her as a woman and an artist. For the bulk of the set, Osborne partnered with long-time friend and collaborator Jack Petruzzelli as a co-writer and co-producer. Together, they fashioned a sound…
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Frankenstein Drunk Dials His Bride in Robby Hecht's "Soon I Was Sleeping"
Back on March 25, singer/songwriter Robby Hecht released his eponymous third album. It’s a stunner, in the grand tradition of perennial favorites like Paul Simon, James Taylor, and Shawn Colvin. One of the songs, “Soon I Was Sleeping”, steps a little bit outside of Hecht’s normal folk borders and into country ballad terrain. But, hey,…
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Art's Evolution and Expression: An Interview with Katie Herzig
When she first started out, Katie Herzig was a guitar-slinging folk singer crafting heartfelt melodies filled with equal parts melancholy and optimism. Flash forward 10 years and, while the sentiments remain largely the same, the soundscapes in which they live have been altered dramatically. Pulsing drum loops, soaring synthesizers, and fuzzy bass lines provide the…
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Joan Osborne: Love and Hate
As a singer, Joan Osborne has one of those voices (along with Susanna Hoffs, Bonnie Raitt, and Brandi Carlile) that makes any song she interprets that much better. Where she has sometimes struggled, though, has been in writing original compositions worthy of her considerable vocal prowess and in finding a musical style broad enough for…
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Five Questions: Kris Orlowski
With his new album, Believer, Seattle\’s Kris Orlowski steps forward in two new directions. First, it\’s a full-length record (after three EPs) and, second, he\’s a band (not just a singer/songwriter). Listening to the depth and breadth of Believer, both points ring out loud and clear — it\’s a solid collection of songs rendered in big sonic fashion.
