Latest Articles and Interviews
To say that Lyle Lovett has a great new album in "Natural Forces" is a newsflash akin to announcing that oxygen is now available for mass consumption at no charge. Lovett's musical quality is as automatic as a politician's promise and infinitely more trustworthy, which might lead one to believe that, at a certain level, the Texas singer/songwriter has become slightly jaded by the consistent accolades thrown his way. One would be very mistaken.
"After years of making records, I feel so, so lucky to be able to do something I like to do," says Lovett from the comfort of his bus on his current tour. "Playing music is something I still do for fun, and it's really fun to have a new record because it gives you something to talk about and a reason to go out on the road." Lovett makes it crystal clear that he doesn't take one moment for granted in his career, nearly a quarter century between his amazing 1986 self-titled debut and his freshly released "Natural Forces,"... »»»  Much like her heroes, Dolly Parton and Emmylou Harris, Patty Loveless' music has evolved and enjoyed a few reincarnations over the course of her career. Loveless began working with Dolly Parton and Porter Wagoner while still a teenager, before dabbling in North Carolina rock and roll bands for several years. She then joined MCA's Nashville roster from 1985 until 1992, releasing songs like That Kind of Girl and Chains.
Later she signed with Epic Records and won the CMA's Album of the Year for "When Fallen Angels Fly." She then broke from her commercial success to record a couple of bluegrass albums, "Bluegrass and White Snow" and "Mountain Soul" in 2001. When "Mountain Soul" became a critical success, it wasn't long before fans began requesting a follow-up. "They were questioning last year when I was ever going to do another record such as the first ‘Mountain Soul,'" Loveless says. " So, Saguaro Records came to me about doing another record with them, and we suggested doing one to coincide with the popularity of what the first one did."... »»» Deer Tick vocalist/guitarist/songwriter John McCauley III is clearly a guy who lets his music do the talking. And on the day of our interview, the Providence, R.I. native is letting his talking do the drinking as he simultaneously enjoys a sunny Colorado afternoon and a margarita before getting ready to drive to Portland, Ore. for the next night's show.
"Wasting away again," says McCauley with an audible smile. Given Deer Tick's fast track evolution and their fairly relentless road ethic - their current tour has them criss-crossing the country until early November and then heading off to Europe weeks later; they play in Amsterdam on Thanksgiving Day - wasting away isn't something that they do with any regularity. When he contemplates the shifts from the first Deer Tick album, 2007's "War Elephant," to the band's latest, the June-released "Born on Flag Day," McCauley's answer is reflective of the fact that he doesn't spend an inordinate amount of time navel gazing about his work.... »»» If they were asked to list iconic rockabilly artists, whether pioneering originals or revivalists, it would be easy for serious fans of roots rock to name off the great men of rockabilly. But the job of compiling a similar collection of special women rockers would not be quite so easy and obvious.
For instance, if you look up Rosie Flores' name on allmusic.com under the 'influenced by' section, you'll only find one name, Wanda Jackson. Where are Brenda Lee and Lorrie Collins? And yet, you can make the case that Flores is the Wanda Jackson of her generation, as this talented singer and guitarist has been rocking since the late '70s and has recorded solo albums under her name since 1987. Maybe it's tough to list Flores' influences because she covers so much stylistic ground. She played in Screaming Sirens, back when cow-punk wasn't (yet) cool. She also helped turn Los Angeles, that underground roots rock town south of Bakersfield, into a flourishing alternative... »»» Since Scott and Seth Avett traded in the shredding indie rock sound of their first band, Nemo, for the front porch bluegrass vibe of the Avett Brothers nearly a decade ago, the North Carolina trio (Scott on banjo/vocals, Seth on guitar/vocals and stand-up bassist Bob Crawford) has come to define the DIY ethic.
The Avetts recorded and released their own albums (10 full lengths and EPs over the past 10 years, including 2007's acclaimed "Emotionalism"), booked their own tours and negotiated their first label deal with tiny Ramseur Records 5 years ago. The Avett Brothers altered their formula somewhat when they signed with Columbia, but not because of their newly established major label status. In fact, the trio already had close to 30 songs written before meeting with legendary producer Rick Rubin, who eventually helmed the sessions that resulted in their amazing new album, "I and Love and You." "We had all but one," says Scott Avett. "We had started recording before we met with Rick."... »»» Time and tide do funny things to memory. When Matt Ward thinks back to how Monsters of Folk - the new multi-genre indie super group featuring Ward, Bright Eyes' Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis and My Morning Jacket's Jim James - came to be christened, he recalls that the name blinked into consciousness as though "it just came down out of the sky."
As poetic as Ward's description sounds, the explanation probably lies a little closer to Mike Mogis' recollection. "Our tour manager was like, "You guys are like the monsters of folk,'" says Mogis. "It was very organic." The general consensus of how the group actually got started seems to be consistent. Various touring combinations of MMJ, Bright Eyes and M. Ward (Matt Ward's solo persona when he's not with actress Zooey Deschanel in the duo She & Him) resulted in after show jams and eventual we-should-do-something-together-sometime discussions. "When people ask, "Who thought of the idea?,' I honestly can't remember, and I don't think anybody can," says Mogis. "It was that synonymous in our feelings and thinking. We all kind of felt that it already existed."... »»» Hot Club of Cowtown is a complex band filled with surprises. Evidence: The two singers trade off lead vocals, but the band also plays a lot of instrumentals. They've been successful as a traditional guitar, violin and stand-up bass combo, but recently added a drummer to mix things up on their latest CD, "Wishful Thinking."
The band, which reformed after a hiatus, is complicated not only musically, but also logistically. Founding members Elana James and Whit Smith live in different states: James in Texas and Smith in Oklahoma. Catching up with the James and Smith on their last night in their respective homes before they continued their tour in the United Kingdom revealed potential good news for the band. James, who lives in Austin, was delighted when Smith announced he might move from Tulsa, his home of two years, back to Austin. That would leave bassist Jake Erwin in Dallas, but the prospect of a shorter commute for all three to rehearse left James enthusiastic.... »»» For an artist, a famous name could be both a blessing and a curse. But Holly Williams does not see it that way. The Williams in question is the daughter of Hank Jr., which also would make her the granddaughter of Hank Sr. She also is the half-sister of Hank III. The pressure presumably would be there, but Williams, who just released her second disc of country, rootsy and singer/songwriter sounds, "Here With Me," after a five-year gap due largely in part to a bad car accident involving her sister, is not shy about embracing the family mantle.
"I don't really feel the pressure of an expectation to live up to," she says while en route to Nashville from eastern Tennessee. But after a major car crash with Hillary, Williams was unsure about her musical career. Her debut , "The Ones We Never Knew," was out in October 2004 on Universal South, but it wasn't happening. After more than a year of touring, "I just wanted a change of pace," she says, indicating she was ready to leave the label. "I decided to see if anything else was out there."... »»» After first coming to the attention of the bluegrass world with his head-swiveling, jaw-dropping rhythm and lead guitar work in Ricky Skaggs' band a decade and more ago, North Carolina native Bryan Sutton, 35, finds himself among the most in-demand session players in Nashville.
But he also spends time on his own career, having just released his fourth solo Sugar Hill release, "Almost Live," on which he's joined by an ample cast of his peers, billed as "and Friends." The disc is the first since 2006's "Not Too Far from the Tree." "I'd always wanted to be a session player. I spent a lot of years when I was in high school hanging around recording studios in Asheville and just got the bug to do that kind of work. (I) never had much desire to be on the road a lot, so the move to Nashville was really about pursuing the career of a session musician." One of the marks of a superior flatpick guitarist is the ability to command as much attention when playing rhythm as playing... »»» When last heard from, Charlie Robison released "Good Times " back in 2005 on Dualtone. No new music since, and in this day and age with the music business in dire straits, waiting so long could be a death sentence for a singer. Fans move on and often aren't so ready to come back.
But the long tall Texan has a ready-made reason for his absence from the scene, which ended in June with the release of the optimistically titled "Beautiful Day" on Dualtone. Unfortunately for him, the "good times" didn't exactly dominate all phases of his life. "Three kids and a divorce," says Robison during a telephone interview, explaining the delay. "That does consume a helluva lot of time." The split was from Dixie Chicks member Emily Robison in what seems to be a remarkably friendly divorce. Consider that just a few weeks prior to the interview, the two went to a restaurant together with a couple, who they used to get together with when married.... »»»
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