Tag: Folk

BGS Long Reads of the Week // April 24

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

We’ve so enjoyed looking back into the BGS archives with you every week for some of our favorite reporting, videos, interviews, and more. If you haven’t yet, follow our #longreadoftheday series on social media [on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram] and as always, we’ll put all of our picks together right here at the end of each week.

Our long reads this week examine entire careers, dive into different versions of new classic songs, revisit a lost hero, and more.

Glen Hansard: A Career in 12 Songs

We spend a lot of time at BGS immersing ourselves in the music, sounds, and careers of our favorite artists — what can we say, we love a deep dive! For this aural long read choice (if such a thing exists?) we unpack twelve of Glen Hansard’s essential songs from myriad points in his globe-crossing career, from rock bands and movie soundtracks and confessional songwriting and more. [Read the entire list, and listen, too]

Rose Cousins Shares Her Truth More Freely With Bravado

In a strangely prescient interview from late February, Canadian singer/songwriter Rose Cousins offers some insight and wisdom for being alone — the difference between loneliness and solitude, for instance — and for being present in each moment, as well. Their themes she’s explored in-depth in her music-making across the years, but in some newfound ways on her most recent album, Bravado. [Read our interview]

Glen Campbell’s Final Coda: An Interview with Carl Jackson

April 22 marked what would have been Glen Campbell’s 84th birthday. The rhinestone cowboy passed away a short couple of months after releasing his final album, Adiós, in 2017. Campbell’s long-time friend, collaborator, and bandmate Carl Jackson produced the project, and helped coax Campbell through the recording process as Alzheimer’s disease made his singing, playing, and performing increasingly difficult. To honor his birthday, we revisited our conversation with Carl Jackson. [Read] 

Steve Wariner’s Signature Hit? That’s Tricky

One of Nashville’s good guys, Steve Wariner was inducted into the Musician’s Hall of Fame last year, recognized for his versatility as a lead guitarist, as a sideman, and a singer/songwriter, too. Over more than four decades the Grand Ole Opry member has had numerous charting singles, so we wanted to explore that catalog and ask Wariner himself: “Do you think you have a signature hit?” [Read the interview]

My Love Will Not Change: Four Versions of a Modern Classic

After Americana singer/songwriter Aubrie Sellers gave a flawless, stripped-down performance of this song on our first episode of Whiskey Sour Happy Hour this week we’ve been returning to it over and over! Written by Shawn Camp and Billy Burnette, Del McCoury and Steve Earle have both been involved in recordings of this modern classic over the years. [Check out four different versions]

 

WATCH: Midnight Skyracer, “Average Faces”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Midnight Skyracer
Hometown: Stroud, UK
Song: “Average Faces”
Album: Shadows on the Moon
Release Date: June 5, 2020
Label: Island Records

In Their Words: “I got the seed of inspiration for this song after overhearing a conversation outside a pub: a man’s futile attempts to chat up a woman starting with ‘I’m sure I know you from somewhere,’ with her response being ‘I don’t think so, I’ve just got one of those average faces.’ A couple of days later I wrote a rough outline of a chorus and a first verse and then roped in my twin sister (and guitarist in the band), Charlotte to help form it into a full song before sending it to the rest of the band.

“This one really came together in the studio when we added the drum track, the only part on the album not played by a band member. It was actually one of the very last things we did. We were in our final couple of hours at Real World Studios and had packed down all the mics and dividers we’d had set up for the week so that our brilliant engineer, Josh Clark, could get his drum kit set up. He was just about to go in for his first take when he smacked his head hard on one of the heavy counterweights used to balance the overhead mics. Josh may have been slightly concussed, but he nailed the part all the same!

“For the video for this song we had initially booked in to use quite a different venue, but having waited outside that one for an hour or so (eventually it turned out that the owner had had a family emergency and left their phone at home) Eleanor and Leanne started wandering about town asking in every pub, bar, and restaurant, if we could use their space to film a music video. The wonderful people at Cru Wines, Bradford on Avon, very kindly obliged and let us use their upstairs room for the day. We were all very good and held off drinking the delicious glasses of wine we used as props until we’d finished filming!” — Laura Carrivick (fiddle and dobro), Midnight Skyracer

Photo credit: Elly Lucas

STAY ON YOUR ASS: BGS is Open so Your State Doesn’t Have to Be

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

At this point, you know the routine. We say something like, “LOL, remember when we used to get off our asses?” Then we pause. Then we say, “NOT ANYMORE!”

Stay on your ass, okay? We’ve got plenty of musical time-fillers for you while you do, including the debut episode of Whiskey Sour Happy Hour, a livestream show from our friends at Music City Roots coming out of a long hibernation, and much more.

Did we miss something that’s helping you stay on your ass this week? (We probably did.) Let us know in the comments and on social media!

Whiskey Sour Happy Hour, Episode 1

After technical difficulties gave us a somewhat rocky start last night, Whiskey Sour Happy Hour’s debut episode was a smashing success! A surprise appearance from comedian Jenny Slate, Ed sang three-part harmony with himself on “Ocean of Diamonds,” Watkins Family Hour played through a window pane — if you missed it, you missed a joyous hour and fifteen minutes of quarantine bliss.

Good news. You can watch the entire thing on YouTube! So no cryin’ over spilt whiskey sour, get watchin’ — and get DONATING at this link.

Free Dirt Records Revue, April 25

Ardent BGS fans will recognize many of the artists on Free Dirt Records’ Revue lineup, given almost all of them have found themselves within the wordpress “pages” of the Bluegrass Situation over the years. Tune in on Free Dirt’s Facebook page on April 25, 2-7pm EDT for some of the best of folk, bluegrass, Americana, string band, country, and beyond. Your donations will directly support the out-of-work creators on the lineup.

And, you can read along on BGS while you watch! We’ve got articles and content on Allison de Groot & Tatiana Hargreaves; JP Harris; Rachel Baiman; Jake Blount; Western Centuries; Che Apalache; and plenty more, too.

Marcus Mumford: “You’ll Never Walk Alone” (Tonight Show: At Home Edition)

It has been truly remarkable to see the efforts of artists all around the world during this unusual time in history. Marcus Mumford was recently featured on Jimmy Fallon’s adapted Tonight Show: At Home, singing a masterpiece from a legendary songbook. Paying homage to two of the greatest composers to ever write for theater and film, Mumford performs a softened rendition of “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” a selection that he recently recorded for television.

In classic Mumford fashion, the performance grows from a delicate melody into an earnest decree, offering hope and comfort. Jimmy Fallon and co. are hosting a slew of performances such as this on the Tonight Show, which has been continuing with a new, socially distant M.O. With all this time to Stay On Your Ass, it’s nice to see regularly programmed content is taking strides to not only keep us entertained, but to do so in a socially responsible manner.

The Milk Carton Kids’ Sad Songs Comedy Hour

Joey and Kenneth of the Milk Carton Kids take their dry, wry, sly style of music and wit to the internet with their formerly brick-and-mortared show, Sad Songs Comedy Hour. Episodes have featured, yes, Sarah Jarosz, as well as Mythbusters’ Adam Savage, Sara Bareilles, Cecile McLorin Salvant, and others.

Each episode will champion a different charity, chosen by each week’s guest artist. Watch them all and give at sadsongscomedyhour.com.

Music City Roots Live from Quarantine, April 23

If you’ve been missing Music City Roots as much as we have, here’s a true silver lining from this COVID-19 crisis: MCR is back! Their online version of the popular Nashville radio show and weekly gathering — which had been on hold for months as they searched for their new soon-to-be home at Madison Station — will debut tonight, April 23, on YouTube, right here. Also raising money for MusiCares’ COVID-19 Relief Fund, the bill features some folk, country, and bluegrass clout.

We have read along links for MCR, too! Sam Bush; Jim Lauderdale; Sierra Hull & Justin Moses; John Oates; and Lillie Mae, too.

Justin Hiltner and Jonny Therrien contributed to this article.

WATCH: Clem Snide & Scott Avett, “The Stuff of Us” (Live From Just Beyond)

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Clem Snide & Scott Avett
Song: “The Stuff of Us” (Live From Just Beyond)
Album: Forever Just Beyond
Release Date: March 27, 2020
Label: Ramseur Records

In Their Words: “‘The Stuff of Us’ for me is a gleeful advocation of spirit over body. As my dying friend once said, ‘Death is not a wall but a doorway….’ I was raised by atheists so I’m hardly a qualified defender of any faith, but it seems to me that the ‘scientific’ framing is just as magical in its attempts to explain why there’s something instead of nothing. I mention dark matter/dark energy in the lyrics because, as I understand it at least, something like 95 percent of the universe is actually held together by this mysterious force or energy that is completely invisible and impossible to detect. Maybe Richard Dawkins would disagree but that sounds an awful lot like God to me. And for something to be truly real it would also have to be eternal…and free.” — Clem Snide

Photo credit: Crackerfarm

LISTEN: Casey Van Beek and the Tulsa Groove, “Since You Said Goodbye”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Casey Van Beek and the Tulsa Groove
Hometown: Tulsa, Oklahoma
Song: “Since You Said Goodbye”
Album: Heaven Forever
Release Date: April 24, 2020
Label: Little Village Foundation

In Their Words: “I’ve been performing JJ Cale songs beginning with his very first album. When [producer] Walt Richmond suggested ‘Since You Said Goodbye’ as a cover, I was in with both feet. We were extremely pleased with the outcome. We were especially happy with the performances of Steve Hickerson on guitar and Steve Bagsby on steel guitar. I hope Cale would have approved.” — Casey Van Beek

Photo credit: Susan Webb

The Show On The Road – Kat Edmonson

Posted on by Chris Jacobs

This week on The Show On The Road, we bring you a two-part conversation between host Z. Lupetin and folk-jazz visionary Kat Edmonson. The first part was captured backstage before a show at Largo in LA, right before the beginning of the COVID-19 shutdown. In the second part, Z. caught up with Edmonson during her anxious but creative quarantine in New York City. 


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Initially turning heads for her dreamy and futuristic interpretations of great songbook classics like Gershwin’s “Summertime,” which have been listened to over ten million times and counting, Edmonson broke through with playful original works a decade ago, self-producing one of Z.’s all-time favorite records, Take to the Sky. She quickly found powerful fans in folks like Lyle Lovett, who she toured with wildly. Major label releases followed. Edmonson soon migrated from her home state of Texas to Brooklyn, with her elfin chanteuse look and sparkling vintage sound (think Blossom Dearie with some Texan muscle).

Z. and Edmonson sat down to discuss her newest record, Dreamers Do, which may just be the shot of pure cinematic nostalgia we all need right now. Does she cover Mary Poppins, Alice In Wonderland, and Pinocchio and somehow make them deeply cool, sonically subversive, and somehow brand new again? She sure does.  

LISTEN: The Roseline, “Better to the Bone”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: The Roseline
Hometown: Lawrence, Kansas
Song: “Better to the Bone”
Album: GOOD / GRIEF
Release Date: April 3, 2020

In Their Words: “There’s an old songwriting adage about not putting the word ‘ring’ in a song because it might alienate listeners who are not married or coupled up. I decided to write a whole song about a ring and the decision to offer said ring to a person who truly enhances you and your life exponentially. It’s an ooey, gooey, sticky, sweet love song. A true rarity in our catalogue. Apologies if it alienates anyone.” — Colin Halliburton, The Roseline

Photo credit: Lindsey Kellenbarger

WATCH: Rising Appalachia, “Stand Like an Oak”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Rising Appalachia
Hometown: Atlanta, Georgia
Song: “Stand Like an Oak”
Release Date: April 22, 2020 (Earth Day)

In Their Words: “I wrote this song for a loved one going through the wave and arc of depression and anxiety, someone whom I wanted to sing a reminder to to find her roots and footing when the wind blows strong. Mental health is a gripping mountain for so many people to climb, and this song honors that journey as well as the people who pull us up out of it. Now, in the time of corona, we are seeing the necessary roles of music and healing practices in our abilities to see through this pandemic and stay steady on our course of compassion and strength. This song sings, like the mighty oaks, of claiming your little piece of earth fiercely when the storms pass through.” — Chloe Smith, Rising Appalachia

“‘Stand Like an Oak’ is a song to remind us of our innate sturdiness and deep roots in this vital dark soil of earth, the innate presence and stability of the oak tree as our model and muse of calmness in the great storms. In a time of so much unknown and anxiety around what is to come we must remember that we always have the tools of the deep ground beneath us, and the ritual for rushing waters to wash away that which does not serve us. Lean into this quiet, earthly realm to fortify and strengthen. ‘Leave it by the angels of the water…'” — Leah Smith, Rising Appalachia

Photo credit: Hemmie Lindholm

LISTEN: Vanessa Peters, “Florida”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Vanessa Peters
Hometown: Dallas, Texas
Song: “Florida” (Patty Griffin cover)
Album: Mixtape
Release Date: April 24, 2020
Label: Little Sandwich Music

In Their Words: “We began this covers album more than three years ago, and this was one of the first songs we tackled. It was winter when we began this project and we were cooped up inside for several days. The dreary, icy weather outside reminded me of this song and the lovely juxtaposition between the idea of Florida as a sunny, summery place and the actual song, which talks of escapism and sadness and has such a melancholy melody. I’ve always loved this song; the chorus of ‘Isn’t it hard sometimes/isn’t it lonely/how I still hang around here/when there’s nothing to hold me’ is just so perfect.” — Vanessa Peters

Photo credit: Giulia de Gregori

LISTEN: Pert Near Sandstone, “Castles in the Air”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Pert Near Sandstone
Hometown: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Song: “Castles in the Air”
Album: Rising Tide
Release Date: June 12, 2020
Label: Pert Near Music

In Their Words: “Although this is not a biographical song, it has reflections of the real experience moving away from my hometown. In this story the idea of a garden is used to represent the innocence and nostalgia of youth, but is shadowed by castles in the air, the lofty ambitions that drew the character away from home but were possibly unfulfilled. I wrote the music to string the listener along a sonic journey — the blues-influenced main riff leads to a fiddle ensemble playing a theme based on a folk melody, while rock hooks and rhythms keep urging the song along. From this perspective it’s an exploration of my own musical background. Pert Near Sandstone has always been eclectic in our approach to string band music and ‘Castles in the Air’ is a great illustration of fusing influences that we succeeded with throughout the Rising Tide album.” — Nate Sipe (fiddle/mandolin)

Photo credit: Nate Treedome