Vinyl Musings
The browning leaves and cooling temperatures of fall bring to mind The Band's famed self-titled'Brown Album' for me, which, along with Music From Big Pink and The Basement Tapes is widely considered a cornerstone of the rootsy and rural rock 'n' roll offshoot that has become known as Americana in the years since. Much like… Continue reading Now Spinning: James Talley
One of the first suggestions I'd offer to any collectors of old blues records - always buy Arhoolie Records releases. Arhoolie Records was formed by a young blues aficionado Chris Strachwitz, who traveled to Texas as a young man to record Lightnin' Hopkins, Mance Lipscomb and many more, beginning with simple field recordings. From those… Continue reading Now Spinning: Juke Boy Bonner
The world lost one of the very best lyrical poets last week with the death of Robert Hunter, principle lyricist for the Grateful Dead as Jerry Garcia's longtime songwriting partner. Though Hunter was fairly reclusive compared to the rest of the band, he was, apart from Garcia, the most quintessential member, combining folk imagery, strains… Continue reading Now Spinning: Robert Hunter – Tales of the Great Rum Runners
Blaze Foley, affectionately referred to as the Duct Tape Messiah thanks to his habit of decorating his outfits with duct tape, toiled in near-complete obscurity during his life but recently his music has had a minor renaissance moment due to a growing underground buzz, with popular culminating in 2018 with the Ethan Hawke-produced biopic, Blaze.… Continue reading Now Spinning: Blaze Foley – Duct Tape Messiah
This is a bit of an overlooked oddity in the catalog of Gram Parsons. Considering the near-mythic status Parsons' career soared to in the years following his death, with everything from Byrds outtakes to the International Submarine Band's earliest singles reverently sought out, it's a bit surprising at the lack of popular or critical attention… Continue reading Now Spinning: Gram Parsons – The Early Years Vol. 1
The real Mississippi blues One of those summer nights.... thunderstorms have cooled the day's suffocating humidity down to a near-balmy 80 degrees and I trot out to my backyard for some gardening work, a favorite hobby to pass the time, with the sounds of Bukka White echoing from my turntable inside. It's a Friday night… Continue reading Now Spinning: Bukka White
