Posts by Neil Ferguson

The 1980s are often seen as a musical sinkhole – a time when synthesizers, white suits and bad hair ruled. There is plenty of truth in that perception, at least in the mainstream, but for every Flock Of Seagulls there were loads of small bands around the world making real music that was challenging, exciting, […]

Led by the charismatic and magnetic frontman Ziek McCarter, San Francisco’s Con Brio are onto big things with their carefree, contagiously danceable blend of funk, soul, and R&B. Back in May the group stopped by Napa, California for a performance at the Bottle Rock Music Festival. While there, they managed to film an intimate (and most likely sweltering hot) […]

Trixie Garcia is in a bit of a daze when she answers the phone. This is understandable since she’s just gotten back from Chicago where she finished off a run of concerts marking the final (supposedly) performances featuring the surviving members of the Grateful Dead. By all accounts, the shows were a massive success, and […]

The eccentric, oddball artist Daniel Johnston has always attracted musicians from all walks of life to his catalogue of strange yet perfectly written songs. There’s an honesty and straightforward dishing of emotions presented from an almost childlike perspective, as well as a devotion to pop structure, that gives Johnston’s songs a timeless, catchy quality. His […]

Waylon Jennings passed away over a decade ago, yet his presence seems to be felt more than ever these days as a younger generation of artists embrace his legacy. Maybe this is in rebellion against the debauched landscape of pop country trash, or maybe it’s just because outlaw country is too damn good to ever […]

You can read all the reviews written by those trying to analyze every detail of the final 5 shows the surviving members of the Grateful Dead will ever play together, and all of that has its place. But sometimes the best barometer of what really went down is to listen to the people, or in […]

What comes to mind when you hear the name Blinddog Smokin’? Maybe a skanky blues club bathed in red light, curling plumes of cigarette smoke, and a healthy dose of late night debauchery. This seems to be the intended effect from the Southern California-based band, who throw funk, blues, soul, and roots rock and roll […]

[rating=10.00] Box sets have a tendency to be exhaustive in the way they are often just a way to re-release an artist’s work to get more money. Don’t worry, this is not the case with the new box set, Directly From My Heart: The Best of the Specialty & Vee-Jay Years. On the set’s cover […]

Dawes has never been a flashy band. Throughout the course of their four albums, the California quartet has always been anchored by a humble modesty, a sentiment aligned with their folky Laurel Canyon forebears. Musically this translates to hip easy listening entrenched in the rock and folk of the Seventies. Their lyrics are about love, […]

In each installment of Easy Answers (get the reference?) we will question a different musician or band, ranging from the obvious to the not so obvious, about the importance of Grateful Dead on their own life and musical path. We could easily keep this column within the jam band community – and we will most […]

Power pop is not a musical style that comes to mind when talking about the Drive-By Truckers. But fans of the band may not know that it happens to be a passion for Jay Gonzalez. Jay’s work as keyboardist and pedal steel player has added an invigorating dynamic to the Truckers’ gothic Southern rock since […]

On June 23rd Portland, Oregon-based Chris Marshall & The August Light will celebrate the release of their latest full-length, Some Kind of Dream. The album is a departure from the alt. country/Americana of their previous works, and an expansion of the new ground they started to chart on 2012’s Waltz EP. Kicking off with a grandiose wash of orchestral sounds, Some Kind […]

In Vinyl Lives we spotlight and profile record stores around the country who offer music lovers an experience that goes beyond an iTunes purchase or a Spotify playlist. Vinyl has found a new resurgence and the good folks behind independent record stores are on the front line, directly responsible for curating a unique collection of […]

Back in December, the members of Minneapolis soul band Sonny Knight & the Lakers each selected their favorite live albums for a special feature right here at Glide. The members were excited to share personal favorite live shows because they were getting ready to record their very own live album. If you read that piece […]

In each installment of Easy Answers (get the reference?) we will question a different musician or band, ranging from the obvious to the not so obvious, about the importance of Grateful Dead on their own life and musical path. We could easily keep this column within the jam band community – and we will most […]

Boulder, Colorado’s Otis Taylor just released one of this year’s most profoundly psychedelic albums. Hey Joe Opus/Red Meat is a sprawling work anchored by the guitarist’s “trance blues” takes on Jimi Hendrix’s “Hey Joe”. Taylor’s gruff vocals combined with his otherworldly guitar tones and playing are as haunting as they are electrifying, and the music sounds as if […]

Who would ever expect a stout bearded fellow of Albanian descent from Queens, New York to be one of the freshest, most exciting faces in hip-hop today? Sure, stranger things have happened, but nonetheless, the cannonball that is Action Bronson is one of the more interesting characters in the scene today. The fans recognize this […]

[rating=7.00] For any band that lasts thirty years, the notion of a greatest hits compilation is almost silly. Even the best of these rarely do justice in capturing a band’s catalogue and respective eras. On their newly released vinyl compilation, Georgia alt. country legends Drivin’ N’ Cryin’ took a decidedly different approach to the “best […]

Believe it or not, the Grateful Dead had a far-reaching influence that stretched way beyond their inner circle of improvisational minded bands.  Since playing their first shows 50 years ago the Dead have earned their place in the lexicon of culture as perhaps the quintessential American band. In light of their final shows, which take […]

Few artists are nailing Southern roots rock and roll better than Jimbo Mathus these days. This is a fact that is solidified by the Mississippi artist and his band the Tri-State Coalition’s impressive output of three albums in the last three years, all of which will leave you floored and wondering why the hell he’s […]