O.A.R.’s MikelParis Showcases His Unique Writing and Performance Style On New Solo Effort ‘GuitarDrumming 01’ (ALBUM PREMIERE/INTERVIEW)
On March 28th O.A.R keyboard player MikelParis is releasing his fourth solo album, GuitarDrumming 01. Though he has released previous solo work, this marks his first album release focused on his unique style of guitar playing, which he calls GuitarDrumming, to write and record songs. The original songs also include contributions from friends Vernon Reid, […]
Reed Turchi Serves Up Potent Gospel-infused Americana with “Lay My Burden Down” (SONG PREMIERE/INTERVIEW)
Reed Turchi, the Brooklyn-based musician, producer, and poet announces his new record World On Fire, a collection of vintage blues and spiritual tunes Turchi picked up along the way on his circuitous route through the music industry. Some of the songs are traditional with no documented authors, others performed by so many artists with so […]
Hannah Cohen Talks Working With Sufjan Stevens Finding Her Muse On Stellar New Album ‘Earthstar Mountain’ (INTERVIEW)
An artist going from the country to the Big City is kind of a cliché. But the inverse? From the Big City to the country? One thinks of Bob Dylan and The Band retreating to Woodstock, or the Grateful Dead moving to Mickey Hart’s ranch. And that’s just what happened to singer/songwriter Hannah Cohen. Heck, […]
Imperial Triumphant’s Zach Ezrin on Entering a New Era with ‘Goldstar’ and Ramping Up Their Live Act (INTERVIEW)
New York-based Avantgarde Death Metal trio Imperial Triumphant are releasing their sixth full-length album, Gold Star, on March 21st, via Century Media Records. The album’s cover, logo, and the iconography of their live show are all tied to a “new era” of the band, but also build on their art deco-inspired identity. Fans can expect […]
Lilly Hiatt Keeps Her Music World Profound, While Aspiring For That Hopeful Tour Bus (INTERVIEW)
Lilly Hiatt, the sensational Nashville singer-songwriter who has been creating exciting and eclectic music for years, is now back out on tour in support of her latest release, Forever – a fun and intimate collection of new tunes that celebrate her ever-growing voice as a female artist and her current state of mind. Recently, Glide magazine caught […]
Mike Watt and Mike Baggetta of mssv Talk Epic Touring Schedule, Collaborative Writing, and Recording New LP ‘On and On’ (ALBUM PREMIERE/INTERVIEW)
What began as an experimental live session in 2019 evolved through live play into an experiment-driven project called Main Steam Stop Valve, or mssv. The recording band and live band are currently the same group, including multi-genre songwriter and guitarist Mike Baggetta, mike watt (MINUTEMEN, fIREHOSE, Stooges), and Stephen Hodges (Tom Waits, Mavis Staples, David […]
Denison Witmer Talks Channeling New Life Perspectives on Sufjan Stevens Collaboration ‘Anything At All’ (INTERVIEW)
Lancaster, PA-based Singer/Songwriter Denison Witmer recently released the album, Anything At All, through Asthmatic Kitty Records. It was co-produced and recorded by Sufjan Stevens, who also performs throughout the record. The two have been friends for over twenty years, and for this album, what started out as, possibly, a more casual collaboration led to the […]
Steve Okonski Talks About Trusting The Process For Enchanting New Album ‘Entrance Music’ (INTERVIEW)
It’s a Venn diagram of jazz: composed and improvised, formal and loose. And listeners never know which fragment of Okonski they’ll see at any given time or if there’s even a meaningful distinction. The piano jazz trio, who dropped its new LP, Entrance Music, on February 28th, laid all its musical cards on the table. […]
Mike Farris Dials In A Legendary Sound With ‘The Sound of Muscle Shoals’ (FEATURE)
During those long school bus rides in Franklin County, Tennessee, Mike Farris entered a different planet. It was the world of radio. The bus driver fixed the dial to WCDT (1340 AM). From country to rock and roll to Motown and soul, from Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn, to the Staples Singers and Al Green, […]
NEEDTOBREATHE’s Bear Rinehart Digs Deep For The Energy of New Wilder Woods LP ‘Curioso’ (INTERVIEW)
Wilder Woods is the solo project of NEEDTOBREATHE co-founder/frontman Bear Rinehart. On February 12th, Wilder Woods will release its third album, titled Curioso, via Dualtone, cementing a carefully excavated sound and live show feel that Wilder Woods has built up through touring with a full band. It’s also a collaborative album that not only builds on […]
Peter Holsapple Finds a Rock ‘n Roll Reflection in ‘The Face of ‘68,’ Shares New Track “She and Me” (SONG PREMIERE/INTERVIEW)
On April 18th, Peter Holsapple will release new solo album, The Face of ’68, via Label 51 Recordings. It follows 2018’s solo album Game Day, but also finds its place among his many collaborative projects, such as with Chris Stamey and with The dB’s, whose recent reissue program was followed by a tour. Holsapple’s long […]
Multi-faceted Songwriter Will Dailey on the Non-Release Model and Intimate Conversations of ‘Boys Talking’ (INTERVIEW)
Indie artist Will Dailey’s seventh album Boys Talking, is currently available as physical media like vinyl and CD directly from him, as well as by direct download. But only a limited number of the tracks from the album will be made available on streaming, and those releases will be spread out over time with fan […]
Lauren Mayberry of CHVRCHES Controls Her Pop Destiny On New Solo Tour (INTERVIEW)
Lauren Mayberry didn’t want to play it safe artistically on her adventurous new solo album, Vicious Creature. But she didn’t want her real life to be in danger before the supporting tour even started literally. When we talked on Zoom to the CHVRCHES singer and solo artist, the Scottish singer/songwriter was sitting comfortably in the […]
Al Schnier Reflects on 35 years of moe., New LP ‘Circle of Giants,’ Next Generation of Jam Bands, Touring Challenges & More (INTERVIEW)
When I speak with Al Schnier, he is on his way (to quote one of his band moe.’s most famous tunes) down to Mexico to join jam band peers The String Cheese Incident along with a slew of others for a few days of musical revelry on the beach. The shows will be among the […]
John McCutcheon on Creating Timeliness and Reflection on 45th Album ‘Field of Stars,’ Role of Appalachia, and Folk Inspirations (INTERVIEW)
Folk singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and educator John McCutcheon recently released his 45th album, Field of Stars, encompassing a wide array of moods and storytelling, but carrying his songwriting stamp of the genuine and focused. It’s also a testimony to masterful musicianship from McCutcheon and longtime collaborators like like Tim O’Brien and Stuart Duncan. The further features […]
The Tried and Tested Believability of Amy Speace (FEATURE)
For Amy Speace it all whittles down to believability. Her shows are comprised of rich stories, and her richest stories are filled with the most reflective insights, connecting honestly enough for people to find themselves in the songs. “It’s all about do I believe you?” said Speace. “If I do, then I’ll go to all […]
Ropeadope Looks Back On 25 Years Of Jazz Innovation (INTERVIEW)
The city of Philadelphia has become known for many things. The rich history that lines the streets, the passionate sports fans, but if you ask us, the city of brotherly love doesn’t get nearly enough credit for their contributions to modern music. Sure, when you think of Philadelphia music, you can think of The Roots, […]
Luna Honey’s Maura Pond Explores The Adventurous Mood of ‘Bound’ (INTERVIEW)
The experimental, Philadelphia-based band Luna Honey, recently released their album Bound, which arrived on cassette, CD, digitally, and via streaming. It marks their first collection since vocalist and lyricist Maura Pond, guitarist Benjamin Schurr, and bassist Levi Flack geographically reconvened in Philadelphia after a period of long-distance collaboration that made their work more challenging. Each […]
Kevin Shields From 80s Punk Band Detention Reflects On Humor & Emotion Behind ‘Dead Rock ‘N Rollers’ (INTERVIEW)
Left For Dead Records has issued a significant archival release gathering the music of early to mid-80s New Jersey Hardcore Punk band Detention. While the group only spanned a few years, they nevertheless captured a nationwide surge in genre-pushing and often satirical music that influenced other bands, particularly through their rowdy and theatrical live shows. […]
The Greyboy Allstars: Three Decades of West Coast Boogaloo (FEATURE)
Once upon a time in San Diego, a group of up-and-coming musical badasses served as a backing band for their friend, DJ Greyboy, at his album release show, where they performed live interpretations of his acid jazz, neo-soul grooves. “We thought it was just a one-off gig,” says guitarist Elgin Park (a.k.a. Michael Andrews), but […]