is a contributing writer living in Athens, GA. He podcasts at <a href="http://www.the68comebackspecial.com">the68comebackspecial.com</a>. <a href="http://the68comebackspecial.tumblr.com/tagged/Best+o
turnpike troubadours
Turnpike Troubadours – Good Lord Lorrie Nashville has this backwards notion that if life hands you a lemon, you’ve gotta write a song about lemonade. “Key his truck, that’ll make you feel better.” But that’s bullshit because the great country songs were always about lemons. Modern country has
Sam Means
[bandcamp track=2861583533 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=grande] There once was a band called the Format. For a time they were my favorite band… they introduced me to Harry Nilsson, & I guess Cat Stevens, too. At some point, I guess Sam wanted to go back to Phoenix &
mando diao
Mando Diao – I ungdomen [I]n 2011, Mando Diao vocalist Gustaf Norén was asked to set a poem by Swedish poet Gustaf Fröding to music on occasion of his death centennial. Encouraged by this experience, the band chose 9 more poems to arrange as Infruset, their first native language record.
Chuck Prophet
[I] want to describe this album for the initiated as one that wears it’s influences on it’s sleeves, but Chuck has been doing this so long I don’t want to suggest that he doesn’t have a “sound.” It’s just tough to describe because it sounds
the temperance movement
[bandcamp track=631111918 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=venti] [P]hil Campbell (not the Motörhead guitarist) could be likened to a Scotch Ryan Adams, rivaling the yankee as both a singer/songwriter & substance abuser, only Phil’s personal problems always kept him from ever really achieving Ryan’s level
Ben Kweller
The following appear in no specific order. Todd Snider – Agnostic Hymns & Stoner Fables [S]ometimes I wonder how many songs exist that I’d love if I ever just got the chance to hear. This is certainly what drives people to blog about music. “People need to hear Todd
The conventional wisdom is that if you’ve got 4 ladies & a dude in a band, you’ve got a girl group. Well it may have taken a few years, but Jeremy Byrd has slowly worked his way from behind the drums to the front line, & Travelin’ Band
“Every young band wants to build a wall, but a real rock record’s like a wrecking ball.” Joel’s been on a mellow streak as of late, but Scrappy Happiness proves that he & his Emergency haven’t forgotten how to plug in & rock out. Scrappy Happiness packs
Kenneth Aaron Harris
[W]hen the Films (the coolest band of all-time, for the uninitiated) broke up, Mike was already back in Charleston with his soulmate, Cary Ann Hearst, working on what would become Shovels & Rope (not to mention a couple solo records). Jake took up residence at Butch Walker’s studio
You might recognize Cody ChesnuTT from his cameo on the Roots’ hit The Seed 2.0. Or if you’re really down, you might remember a sweet little jam from ten years ago called Look Good In Leather. Well, Cody finally got around to releasing a follow up to the
Can I gush for a minute? If Matt Mays brings one thing to the table, it’s a hard groove, & Indio’s got as a deep a pocket as anything he’s released. It’s just locked in so hard… those bongos underneath the middle 8 are fucking relentless.
[R]ivertown is a murder ballad of epic proportions. It’s about loyalty & heritage, indignation, revenge, redemption, self-destruction & pine trees… everything that real Southern American music should cover. It’s the kind of song that makes you well up. Radiolucent checks off church harmonies, slide guitar, & b3