Reviews
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Robby Hecht: Robby Hecht
Some might say that, while the likes of Paul Simon and James Taylor are still alive and kicking, there\’s no need for successors. But that would be wrong-headed and naïve. Besides, the successors — Robby Hecht among them — have been issuing fantastic records for years now from underneath the shadows of those giants.
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Lissie Flies Solo at 3rd and Lindsley's Backstage
As a pop/rock artist, Lissie is accustomed to performing with a band… a really solid, hard-rocking band. So, for her to step on stage by herself, with some borrowed gear, and power through 12 tunes was an admirable feat.
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Korby Lenker Is Wonderful and Wiggly at the Rutledge
No matter what style of music you like, chances are Korby Lenker will play it during one of his sets. That was certainly true last night at his Nashville CD release show at the Rutledge. He started the show on his own, with an acoustic rendition of a long-standing favorite, \”Cedars of Lebanon,\” from his 2007 King…
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Ten Out of Tenn Brings Heartfelt Goodness to Thistle Stop Café
Almost everything in life is better when it\’s shared — no matter if it\’s a sunset or a supposition. When kind-hearted, like-minded people come together, goodness abounds. And that\’s exactly what was on the menu last night for Ten Out of Tenn\’s four-strong performance at Nashville\’s Thistle Stop Café.
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Amy Ray: Goodnight Tender
After years of swinging her artistic pendulum between folk singer (Indigo Girls) and punk rocker (solo artist), Amy Ray has added a midway stopping point to her arc — country raconteur. Although completely pre-meditated, the shift feels absolutely organic as Ray works her way through the 12 cuts on Goodnight Tender, seeming right at home…
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Holly Williams Offers Flawless Renderings at 3rd and Lindsley
There\’s one group of artists who make solid records but can\’t, for the life of them, translate that into their live performance. Alternately, there\’s a whole other group whose artistry really comes alive on the stage, leaving their records in the dust. But Holly Williams belongs in a category all her own. Her last album, The Highway,…
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Hayes Carll, Parker Millsap Blow the Roof Off Nashville
On the latest installment of their current Club Crawl tour, Hayes Carll and Parker Millsap camped out in Nashville for five nights — well, technically, it was four plus one in Cumberland Caverns. First stop, the Loveless Barn for Music City Roots on March 5. Now, it\’s worth noting that the Barn is a tough…
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Robert Ellis Throws Down Full-Throttle Freeform at The Basement
In a year that\’s shaping up to be another great one for music, an early contender for various \’Best Albums of 2014\’ lists is, no doubt, The Lights from the Chemical Plant by Robert Ellis. For the record, Ellis has shaken off the shackles of country music and his new sound defies definition.
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Matthew Perryman Jones: Land of the Living (vinyl LP)
The opening cut of Land of the Living is about as close to sonic perfection as you can get. The composition, the production, and the performance on “Stones from the Riverbed” are all pitch-perfect… even the lazy groan that Jones emits as he rounds out the first verse couldn\’t be more spot-on.
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Sarah Jarosz Lends Deft Musicality to Station Inn
It was another sold-out night at Nashville\’s Station Inn, this time for Sarah Jarosz, the fresh-out-of-college bluegrass/folk phenom. Flanked by a couple of string players (Nathaniel Smith on cello and Alex Hargreaves on fiddle), Jarosz opened her first set with the Appalachia-tinged \”Tell Me True\” which found her deftly handling a banjo. Indeed, the whole…
