By Terry Roland — The sophomore effort from Ashley Monroe, Like a Rose, is a remarkably consistent and well-crafted album. She is a gifted country vocalist and a skilled songwriter. At 26 she is just embarking on what hopefully will be a long career. Monroe’s background includes work with Miranda Lambert as one of the three Pistol Annies, whose album, Hell on…
Duos dominate Americana music airplay chart
Americana Music News — Duos top this week’s Americana Music Association airplay chart, with Buddy Miller and Jim Lauderdale’s Buddy and Jim in the number one slot, followed by Kasey Chambers and Shane Nicholson’s Wreck & Ruin and the fast-rising Cheater’s Game by Kelly Willis and Bruce Robison. Other pairs on this week’s chart: Ben Harper with Charles Musselwhite, and…
Review: Terry Allen at McGonigel’s Mucky Duck
By Paul T. Mueller –Terry Allen played most of his Jan. 19 late set at McGonigel’s Mucky Duck in Houston with a small, secret smile on his face, as if anticipating the punch line to an upcoming joke. Fortunately for the standing-room-only audience (the second of the evening), he didn’t keep the humor to himself, sharing it generously over the…
Sun209: The week in tweets
RT @wmarocks: JUST ADDED: John Hiatt (@johnhiattmusic) will be performing at Honoring A Legend: A Tribute to Cowboy Jack Clement Jan 30th! 1 hour ago RT @DailyCharleston: Shovels and Rope on Letterman on Jan. 30: Can we just say that it’s about time? Just about everyone in Charleston.. … 1 hour ago RT @Again_Today: Shovels and…
Review: Drew de Man & Old Custer’s “¡Vámanos pa’l Monte!”
by Paul T. Mueller It’s not always easy to tell what singer-songwriter Drew de Man is trying to say. The subtitle of his Tumblr site reads “Exploring and expanding the roots and branches of rocknroll poetry.” His lyrics tend toward imagery that’s often obscure and sometimes seemingly random. All this may have something to do with geography: de Man is…
Charting: Kelly Willis and Bruce Robison, James Hand
Americana Music News — The hottest album in Americana music this week is Cheater’s Game by Kelly Willis and Bruce Robison. The album breaks in at number 6 on this week’s Americana music radio airplay chart, and was also the most added release, with 46 stations picking it up. At number 1 for a second week is Buddy & Jim,…
Shadowboxers step into spotlight with new album
By Ken Paulson — Nanci Griffith cancelled her show this afternoon due to illness, giving the Shadowboxers a chance to step up to the 30A Songwriters Festival’s biggest venue. The young Atlanta band charmed the crowd at Gulf Place Amphitheater with a well-paced set fueled by in large part by ’70s era soul and funk. When is the last time…
Review: Mary Chapin Carpenter at the 30A Songwriters Festival
By Ken Paulson — Mary Chapin Carpenter’s first band date of the new year came this afternoon at the 30A Songwriters Festival. She’s still touring in support of Ashes and Roses, an album she described today as being dark and serious in tone. Still, she said, the album does take a hopeful turn midway through. That said, she proceeded to…
Suzanne Vega at 30A Songwriters Festival
Americana Music News — Suzanne Vega played a brisk set at the Gulf Place Amphitheater today, the first headliner at the 30A Songwriters Festival. It was a career-spanning set and the audience listened attentively under surprisingly dark skies. The sun broke through, along with the hits, at the set’s close. “Luka” and a spirited “Tom’s Diner” (complete with top hat) closed…
Sun209: The week in tweets
Tommy Womack had jaws dropping at@30AFest tonight. Total original.24 hours ago Tift Merritt and Marti Jones making my spell-check crazy. @A30fest 24 hours ago Tift Merritt and Marti Jones jumped on stage to join Mary Chapin Carpenter on “I Feel Lucky’ at 30A Songwriters Festival. @30AFest 24 hours ago 30A Music Festival: Nanci Griffith and Lucinda WIlliams sun209.com/30a-music-fest… @30AFest 24 hours ago Suzanne Vega wrapped up a…
30A Songwriters Festival: Nanci Griffith and Lucinda WIlliams
Americana Music News — The 30A Songwriters Festival wraps up on Sunday with headliners Nanci Griffith and Lucinda Williams, two highly respected artists who have carved out long and successful careers by following their own creative paths. Griffith is touring in support of her new album Intersection and will perform at 1:30 p.m. at Gulf Place Amphitheater. We saw Lucinda…
Saturday’s Best Bets at the 30A Songwriters Festival
Americana Music News — The 30A Songwriters Festival is clearly trying to corner the market on female singer-songwriters. There are literally dozens in Walton County, Florida, this weekend, including Saturday’s headliners Mary Chapin Carpenter and Suzanne Vega, both appearing at the Gulf Place Amphitheatre Saturday afternoon. Ashes and Roses, Carpenter’s latest album, stakes out somber turf, but her live shows…
Opening night at the 30A Songwriters Festival
Americana Music News — The 30A Songwriters Festival in Walton County, Florida opens tomorrow with a varied and intriguing line-up. Some of the best bets on Friday night: – Webb Wilder, Jimmy Hall and Parker & Parker at the Boathouse at 7:30 p.m. – David Olney and Don DiLego at Shorty’s Topside at 7:30 p.m. – Freedy Johnston and Charlie Mars at…
Buddy and Jim at #1, Carrie Rodriguez, Colin Linden chart
Americana Music News — The Americana music radio airplay chart is back after a holiday hiatus, so there’s plenty of new talent on this week’s list. In the top spot is Buddy and Jim, from Buddy Miller and Jim Lauderdale, followed by Kasey Chambers and Shane Nicholson’s Wreck & Ruin. Carrie Rodriguez’s Give Me All You Got posts an impressive…
30A Songwriters Festival: Lucinda Williams, Mary Chapin Carpenter
Americana Music News — There’s an impressive line-up booked for this year’s 30A Songwriters Festival in Walton County, Florida. The festival, set for Jan. 18-20, will feature Lucinda Williams, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Nanci Griffith, Will Kimbrough, Jeffrey Steele, Suzanne Vega, Fastball, Tift Merritt, Allison Moorer, Webb Wilder, Eliza Gilkyson, Freedy Johnston, Gretchen Peters, Tommy Womack, Brigitte DeMeyer and many more. Here’s a link to…
Ian Hunter featured on “Here and Now”
Thanks to NPR’s Here and Now for citing Sun209’s review of Ian Hunter’s When I’m President during a recent show. The program re-visited an earlier interview of Hunter. You’ll find that segment on the Here and Now site and our review of his latest album here. Follow Sun209 on Twitter at @sun209com.
Sun209: The week in tweets
RT @Dreamspiderweb: Show review –> Appalachian Jamwich » Leftover Salmon and The Lee Boys – 12-27-12 = The Vogue – Indianapolis, IN … 7 hours ago Robert Earl Keen In concert – Home ksat.com/insideksat/blo… 2 days ago RT @Conqueroo1: A last-minute look at worthy CDs including @ChrisStamey and @CarrieNewcomer: sun209.com/?p=4425 @yeproc @rounderrecor … 2 days ago RT @Conqueroo1: Ray Collins…
Steeldrivers plan two Nashville dates
Americana Music News — The SteelDrivers will be home in Nashville for two shows in February, showcasing their new album, Hammer Down. The band will appear on Feb. 6 on the Music City Roots show beginning at 7 p.m. at Loveless Cafe and again at the Station Inn on Feb. 8 at 9 p.m. You’ll find the Sun209 review of…
Tennessee Waltz: Patti Page at the Ryman
Americana Music News — We’ve seen many special shows at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, but one of the most memorable was from a woman in her late ’70s whose biggest hits were recorded a half-century earlier. Patti Page passed away this week, and obituaries inevitably mentioned ’50s hits “How Much Is That Doggie in the Window?” and “Tennessee Waltz.”…
In review: A last-minute look at worthy albums
By Ken Paulson —So much music. So little time. At the close of 2012, we find ourselves staring at a stack of albums we intended to write about. Here’s a quick take on some of the best: I first saw the duo of Bright Littlefield in 2010 at Nashville’s Family Wash and was amazed by their ukulele covers of Replacements…