Features
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Sweet Freedom: Jason Isbell Hits His Stride
Although its neighbors to the north in Tennessee get more ongoing acclaim, the upper reaches of Alabama have a deep, rich musical history tucked within their borders. The Muscle Shoals scene alone shaped the sound of artists ranging from Aretha Franklin to Lynyrd Skynyrd, from Bob Dylan to Wilson Pickett. Somewhere in the middle of…
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The Thread of Me: Brandy Clark Weaves Songs and Self
It\’s hard to not be charmed by Brandy Clark. Whether it\’s her sly smile, her casual conversation, or her tremendous talent that gets you, you\’re going to get got. People who love the country music they grew up on love her music. Even folks who don\’t love country music at all love her music. Some…
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Karmen Buttler's Path of Passion
Sacramento native Karmen Buttler grew up in, essentially, the Partridge family — minus the bus. Her grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles… everyone had musical inclinations, if not outright talent. So it seemed quite natural that a 9-year-old Buttler would join the school band and, eventually, start writing songs as a young teen. Buttler marked another major…
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Michelle Malone: 30 Years On
As part of the Atlanta music scene that yielded the Indigo Girls, Shawn Mullins, Sugarland, and John Mayer, singer/songwriter Michelle Malone has come a long way, musically speaking, since making her 1988 debut. “When I started, we all did it because it was a stepping stone to the next level,” she recalls. “Amy [Ray] and…
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The Real Deal: Whitey Morgan and the 78’s
Country music fans, perhaps more than those of other genres, suffer from a sentimentality disorder. No matter their generation, they long for the good old days when country was country. They want nothing to do with pop-country or bro-country or any other hyphenated outcropping of the form. If it ain’t Cash, Haggard or some other…
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Jerry Was There: Neal Casal and the Grateful Dead’s Swan Song
Recently, the Grateful Dead celebrated its 50th anniversary and bid the world adieu with five Fare Thee Well performances split between Santa Clara, California, and Chicago, Illinois. The lineup onstage featured Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann along with Trey Anastasio, Bruce Hornsby and Jeff Chimenti. Offstage, another band came together to…
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Ashley Monroe Is On to Something
Throughout its history, country music has found itself at a crossroads where opposing forces want to push its boundaries with one hand and limit them with the other. That\’s certainly the case these days. So, what should a contemporary traditionalist like singer/songwriter Ashley Monroe do? Follow the lead of their musical heroes and keep it…
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The Indigo Girls: Time Makes a History of Us
Even as the internet pulls citizens of the world closer together, issues push us further apart. At the heart of both matters are the ideas of connectedness and commonality. Whether a community is online or on the ground, the age-old search for belonging continues to be a driving force in society. We all want to…
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Alabama Shakes Give It All Away
In case you don\’t know the story of the Alabama Shakes\’ meteoric rise to glory, it all started when Brittany Howard approached Zac Cockrell in an East Limestone High School psychology class about jamming together. She played guitar and sang; he played bass. Soon enough, they added drummer Steve Johnson and, later, guitarist Heath Fogg.…
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The Hard-Won Happiness of Brandi Carlile
While it\’s true that girls with guitars are far from an endangered species, every now and then, one comes along that is truly special. That happened in 2005, when Brandi Carlile announced her arrival with an eponymous debut. Carlile is the whole package — a singer, a songwriter, an entertainer, an activist, and, yes, a…