Eleanor Whitmore and Chris Masterson have had a great career as the Mastersons, and as a duchess and duke respectively in Steve Earle’s band. We caught up with them in Kansas City at the Folk Alliance International Conference and talked about their latest album “Transient Lullaby” and the most buzzed-about song of the conference “Don’t Tell Me to Smile.”
Category: Americana Music
Robbie Fulks to play the Bluebird Cafe March 22
Robbie Fulks is coming to the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville this Thursday, March 22. It’s an unusual evening because the Bluebird typically features four songwriters sitting in the round, swapping songs and stories. But Robbie clearly doesn’t need any reinforcements.
Video Premiere: Chris Smither’s “By The Numbers”
There’s a tireless – arguably timeless – quality to Chris Smither’s work. The consistently impressive artist has released 18 albums over a half-century, but wasn’t satisfied with just a single album with his latest “Call Me Lucky.” No, he recorded it and then did it again from start to finish with different versions of all the songs in the same album. That’s either very inefficient or very cool. We’ll go with the latter.
Show #7: Mary Gauthier on “Rifles and Rosary Beads”
Mary Gauthier has just released a truly special album of her performing songs she wrote with veterans and their families. “Rifles and Rosary Beads” is a moving collection, drawn from “Songwriting:withSoldiers” sessions. We had the pleasure of hearing more about this important project in a conversation with Mary at the Folk Alliance International conference in Kansas City.
New release: Jenny Van West’s “Happiness to Burn”
This week’s mail contained a pleasant surprise – the new Jenny Van West album “Happiness to Burn” due for release in April . We love this Maine-based artist’s voice and admire the sentiment of “Live in a New Way,” inspired by the protests surrounding the death of Freddie Gray.
Detroit bluegrass: Escaping Pavement at the Americana in Houston
Escaping Pavement – Emily Burns and guitarist-mandolinist Aaron Markovitz, – both veterans of what they described as a thriving Detroit bluegrass scene, were undeterred by the sparse turnout, playing three enthusiastic sets that showcased their strong vocals and instrumental skills.
Lisa LeBlanc in Nashville March 10
We happened upon Lisa LeBlanc at the Folk Alliance International Conference in Kansas City last weekend. For those who haven’t attended, it’s four days of great music and you end up stumbling from one showcase to another, like cruising the honky tonks on Lower Broad in Nashville. That’s the last time we’ll be so nonchalant about seeing her.
New release: Maggie Valley Band’s “The Hardest Thing”
The Maggie Valley Band, hailing from Maggie Valley, NC, features the harmonies and musicianship of sisters Whitney and Caroline Miller. Here’s the title track from their folk and bluegrass-laden new album.
Ruby Boots in Nashville this Saturday
One of the most intriguing artists we saw at the Folk Alliance International Conference in Kansas City last weekend was Ruby Boots, a West Australian singer-songwriter with a real rock edge. We’re confident she was the only performer at this folk music conference who led people to say “Does that sound like T.Rex?”
The Mastersons’ “Don’t Tell Me to Smile”
You couldn’t walk more than a few steps at last weekend’s Folk Alliance International Conference without seeing someone wearing a “Don’t Tell Me to Smile” button. It’s a statement for the times, but also doubled as a bit of promotion for the new Mastersons video of the same name. From “Transient Lullaby:”
Cayamo 2018 review – A week of high points
Any weeklong music festival tends to turn into a blur of overlapping shows, and this year’s Cayamo festival-at-sea was no exception. The annual charter cruise, held aboard Norwegian Cruise Line’s Pearl and produced by NCL subsidiary Sixthman, featured 40-plus performers and something like 100 shows over the course of six days and seven nights.
Quotable Cayamo
Some of the most memorable onstage comments on the Cayamo 2018 cruise:
“Good God, you are a morose bunch.” – John Prine, commenting on some of the songs suggested by passengers for his all-request show
Show #6 Bill Lloyd’s new “It’s Happening Now”
Bill Lloyd, along with partner Radney Foster, were fresh voices in country music as the duo Foster and Lloyd. Today Bill skews more pop and rock than country, as evidenced by his ambitious new album “What’s Happening Now,” Bill talks about the Foster and Lloyd years and his career since then in this Americana Music News podcast.
Show #5 Ashley Cleveland’s “One More Song”
Ashley Cleveland, a 3-time Grammy winner for rock gospel, has just released ‘One More Song,” a powerful and personal album that mirrors the honesty of her memoir “Little Black Sheep.” She talks about her once-tumultuous life and music in this episode of the Americana Music Podcast.
Show #4 Doyle and Debbie and the “Opry on acid”
Interview with Doyle and Debbie stars Bruce Arntson and Jenny Littleton, who embody this unusual country duo with a singular back story. It seems that Doyle, a regional country star with enormous personal baggage, is mounting his comeback with his “third Debbie.” Yes, it’s drawn from Shakespeare.
Folk Alliance International 2018 set for Feb. 14-18
One of our favorite events of the year is the annual Folk Alliance International conference. There can’t be any place on the planet with more talent per square foot.
Lee Ann Womack’s “All the Trouble”
Yet another track we admire from Lee Ann Womack’s “The Lonely, The Lonesome & The Gone”:
Show #3 Chip Taylor and his new release “Fix Your Words”
There’s a good case to make that Chip Taylor is a godfather of Americana music. His ’70 albums – particularly “Chip Taylor’s Last Chance” – foreshadowed the genre to come. Chip has had an astonishing career as a Hall of Fame songwriter (“Wild Thing,” “Angel of the Morning”), as a partner with Carrie Rodriguez and as a solo artist of great integrity. In this conversation on Grammys weekend in New York, Chip tells us about his latest album “Fix Your Words.”
Show #2 Band of Heathens and the inspiration of Ray Charles
Episode 2 of the Americana Music News podcast featuring Gordy Quist of the Band of Heathens. Recorded on board Sandy Beaches cruise 2018. Subscribe on iTunes.
Podcast 1 Raul Malo of the Mavericks
A conversation on board the Sandy Beaches Cruise with Raul Malo of the Mavericks about the band’s new label and projects.