After 30 years, Old 97’s came in more unprepared than ever. On their 13th album, American Primitive, the Dallas-born band holed up with producer Tucker Martine to celebrate three decades as a musical brotherhood with zero pre-production for the first […]
After 30 years as a band, the Old 97’s have learned to rely on what comes naturally to them. For their new album, American Primitive, they gathered in a Portland, Oregon, studio and just let ’er rip. “This was […]
With Gold on the Horizon, Alex Ellis, a.k.a. Our Man in the Field, builds on the lyrical proficiency and vocal depth displayed on his 2020 debut, The Company of Strangers. Frequently addressing the prerequisite subjects of love and heartache, Ellis […]
Although this is Layng Martine Jr.’s debut album, he’s no stranger to the country music scene. The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Famer’s songs have been recorded by Reba McEntire (“The Greatest Man I Never Knew”), Elvis (“Way Down”), and Trisha […]
There’s a lot to be learned at a band’s soundcheck. The band gets a feel for the room, the sound engineers find out each band member’s preferences and needs, lighting gets calibrated, stuff gets plugged in and taped down […]
Laura Veirs’ new album, Found Light, shows the Oregon-based singer-songwriter drawing musically from the folk, pop, and rock stylistics of her previous work. Lyrically, she reflects on her personality and default patterns, embracing newfound freedom while acknowledging the loneliness that […]
At the beginning of April, I flew out to Portland, Oregon, for a couple of weeks to attend the mixing sessions for my new record with engineer and producer Tucker Martine. In some ways, it felt like the most […]
Matt the Electrician’s warm rasp is like perfectly softened leather, enveloping you like a warm hug and getting better and better with time. Though it was recorded in the before times —October 2019 to be exact — his latest outing, […]
“In another space and time / California’s not burning / and the seas don’t rise,” Laura Veirs sings on her new solo album My Echo, her 11th. “I’ll meet you there and I / will remember the day / that […]
Carl Jung coined the term “synchronicity” to describe “meaningful coincidences,” such as thinking of someone and then seeing them the same day. While I’m not sure I subscribe to the concept of synchronicity, except as a really good album by […]
