Home >> December, 2007

Free Music Friday

Posted on: Friday, December 21st, 2007 in: Music News

My daughter loves Crocs–yeah the shoes. Well today I have good reason to like them too.
Sharkbitten correspondent Mikel Derby pointed out that our favorite quasi-plastic shoe company is offering a free download of Big Head Todd and the Monsters’ latest disc entitled All the Love You Need.
Before you get confused let me explain. [...]

A Family Holiday

Posted on: Monday, December 17th, 2007 in: Music News

Inspired, he tells me, by his stint at Silent Night 2005, New York City-based Authentic artist Benjamin Wagner just released his own charity compilation CD A Family Holiday.
Ben executive produced the fourteen-track album of NYC singer/songwriters and bands, and pulled everyone together for a big release party last Wednesday night. The CD kicks of with [...]

Grant’s Rants

Posted on: Monday, December 17th, 2007 in: Music News

To refer to No Depression as a “good little music magazine” is like calling Superman a gifted athlete. There’s little doubt that No Depression is the seminal source of alt-country criticism and news. I know I take many cues from Peter and Grant.
Grant has a blog which is great to see. I’d [...]

What do we call it?

Posted on: Saturday, December 15th, 2007 in: Music News

One of the more difficult things to wrap you mind around in this genre is how to refer to this loosely-related form of music. No Depression even acknowledges this issue as they refer to themselves as “The Alternative Country (Whatever that is) bi-monthly magazine page.”
Naturally, as a bit of an old-timer I pay attention [...]

The Complete Wilco

Posted on: Tuesday, December 11th, 2007 in: Music News

According to Billboard Tweedy and the boys of Wilco will attempt to play their entire catalog over the course of five nights in February at the Riviera in their hometown of Chicago.
To consider Tweedy prolific would be an understatement. By my count Wilco has released at least 100 tracks including the Mermaid Avenue cuts. [...]

Lost Guthrie Recording

Posted on: Friday, December 7th, 2007 in: Music News

Scant recorded material from Woody Guthrie exists so it comes as quite a surprise that a recording of a live concert from the late 1940s turned up. Turns out that a college student grabbed a bootleg, preserving for generations an American icon’s live work.
Paul Braverman, a student at Rutgers, managed to capture the recording [...]

Hoge/Isbell Tour!

Posted on: Friday, December 7th, 2007 in: Music News

BIG news for fans of Hoge and Isbell. And for those of you who are unfamiliar with either/both, I HIGHLY urge you to read this short article, check out the 38(!!!)-city tour schedule; and GO SEE A SHOW OR TWO!! This link to a Harp magazine article sez it all.
How cool that [...]

2007 Year-end Lists

Posted on: Friday, December 7th, 2007 in: Music News

I’ve always read year-end lists with some enthusiasm (more than Stephen King apparently) but finding them is always a bit like fighting for the right pair of jeans at Filene’s. Well my wishes have been granted: Largehearted Boy has a master list.
Now you too can spend your working leisure hours checking out everyone’s [...]

Washed by the Water

Posted on: Wednesday, December 5th, 2007 in: Music News

You all bought the last Will Hoge album right? If you haven’t then you might want to check out my earlier post that allows you to listen to the whole disc before you buy it.
We all know the heartache that Katrina brought to our modest shores. Many of us (including those in the [...]

Rock-n-roll Will Never Die

Posted on: Wednesday, December 5th, 2007 in: Music News

Someone on a mailing list was offering criticism for Tom Petty’s new record. While I’ve not heard it I’ve heard the accusations before: mainstream rock kind of stinks and we need the second-coming of grunge.
Sure Tom Petty is among my favorites but it’s not like I expect him to change radio singlehandedly. [...]