We lost Sam Phillips in 2003, but his spirit filled the CMA Theater at the Country Music Hall of Fame on Saturday. Margo Price, JD McPherson, Webb Wilder and the Planet Rockers showcased the Sun Records sound with songs from the […]
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A remarkable new exhibit just opened at the Country Music Hall of Fame honoring a singular figure in American music. The title says it all: “Flyin’ Saucers Rock & Roll: The Cosmic Genius of Sam Phillips.” In fact, it was […]
Bobby Bare Jr. knew this wasn’t going to be a fair fight. “He’s playing nothing but hits and I ain’t got no hits,” he said in mock exasperation, recalling the first time he shared the stage with his father, Bobby […]
I first saw Tim Carroll perform at a Nashville festival in the late ‘90s, where he shared a set with Amy Rigby and Kevin Gordon. All three impressed and clearly had bright futures, fueled by remarkable songs. Over the past […]
By Ken Paulson Stories’ “I’m Coming Home” was a fresh burst of pop on AM radio in 1972, rivalled only by Emitt Rhodes’ “Fresh as a Daisy,” for simple exuberance. Unfortunately, it aired on too few stations and the single […]
By Ken Paulson It’s remarkable that the composer of one of pop’s most shallow hits now writes and records some of America’s deepest and most reflective songs. “Wild Thing/You make my heart sing/You make everything groovy” is light years away from Chip […]
– By Rich Gordon What’s Americana music? Is it “American roots music based on the traditions of country”? That’s how the Americana Music Association defined Americana in 2003. Or “music that honors and is derived from the traditions of American […]
By Ken Paulson Spanky and Our Gang, a harmony-driven group whose best moments rivaled the Mamas and Papas, are celebrated in The Complete Mercury Singles, a new collection from Real Gone Music. Lead singer Spanky McFarlane and the group had eclectic […]
By Ken Paulson We loved the Shovels and Rope album O’ Be Joyful and have looked forward to the follow-up. The wait is over. Last week, Cary Ann Hearst and Michael Trent released Swimmin’ Time, a comparably striking album that melds folk, […]
By Ken Paulson I braced myself for the first listening to Jesse Winchester’s A Reasonable Amount of Trouble. After all, this was his final album, recorded while he was dying of cancer. And the cover image of his painting of […]
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