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With a Rebel Yell: An Interview with Amy Ray
Amy Ray is a rebel. The South is her heritage and rule-breaking is her birthright. As the darker half of Indigo Girls (with Emily Saliers), Ray has always infused her songs with a certain measure of defiance, either personal or political — or both sewn into one seamless, artistic tapestry. That\’s the folk singer way, though,…
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Small Batch Presents: Nashville at Its Finest
To understand what Nashville is all about, you have to look past the neon signs on Broadway, you have to listen beyond the stage at the Grand Ole Opry, and you have to dig deeper than the videos on CMT.
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Ashley Monroe Gets Glory-Bound at Music City Roots
While I understand that country music is a big tent genre, as I stood in the Loveless Café\’s barn last night listening to Ashley Monroe, I couldn\’t help but think, \”This is how country music is supposed to sound.\” That\’s also the thought that fills my brain when I listen to Like a Rose, Monroe\’s fantastic…
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Megan McCormick Takes Flight with "Angel"
Most Nashville insiders know what a guitar phenom Megan McCormick is, but not all of them are aware of her songwriting prowess. Over the past seven or so years, what started as roughly hewn talent has been honed into a brilliantly burnished craft. The edges are smoother, the finish is finer. McCormick has always exhibited…
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Julie Lee: Till and Mule
With her past few releases, Nashville singer/songwriter Julie Lee has explored old-timey folk and various other pathways in and out of roots music. But with her new Till and Mule, she has truly hit her stride. While this set draws from the wisdom gleaned from those previous explorations, it stands as its own work, through and…
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Kelly Does Her Best: Top 13 of '13
**Updated 01.05.13 after listening deeper to some of the late-year releases. 1. Jason Isbell – Southeastern 2. Holly Williams – The Highway, Brandy Clark – 12 Stories, and Ashley Monroe – Like a Rose (tie) 5. Phosphorescent – Muchacho 6. Trent Dabbs – The Way We Look at Horses 7. Kacey Musgraves – Same Trailer, Different…
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Trent Dabbs: The Way We Look at Horses
Both great songs and big hits come out of Music City, and the two categories aren\’t mutually exclusive. By putting his craftsmanship front and center, Trent Dabbs echoes the Nashville ethos that the song always comes first. Dabbs\’ artistry, though, digs deeper than most big hits ever dare to. He isn\’t content to sing about…
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Lissie: Back to Forever
With Back to Forever, singer/songwriter Lissie takes a nice step forward in her artistry. Though it forsakes a bit of the rough and tumble charm of her previous releases — most notably Catching a Tiger — this effort feels more consistent both in tone and content. And, it\’s Lissie, so there is still plenty of…
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Sea Stars: The Unknown
Fans of The Swell Season, Mazzy Star, and even Trinity Sessions-era Cowboy Junkies now have a local band to get behind in Sea Stars. The duo, comprised of Katie Gray and Kurt Baumann, have gathered all the ethereal ambiance they can muster into their new, nine-song release, The Unknown. To put it simply: If Ojai…
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Susanna Hoffs on Hotness, Aging, and Love
I have known the Bangles\’ Susanna Hoffs — aka Sue Hots — for round about 23 years. I can honestly say that she is as lovely inside and out as you would hope her to be, moving through the world with humility and kindness as her guides. She\’s sort of the anti-rock star rock star,…
