Tag: Mipso

The BGS Radio Hour – Episode 189

Posted on by Amy Reitnouer

For the first time, we are so excited to bring to you the BGS Radio Hour in podcast form! Since 2017 the BGS Radio Hour has been a weekly recap of the wonderful music, new and old, that we’ve covered here on BGS. Check back in every Monday to kick your weeks off with the best of BGS via the BGS Radio Hour.


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Shemekia Copeland – “Clotilda’s on Fire”

Highly awarded modern blues artist — and our current Artist of the Month — Shemekia Copeland brings us a new release, Uncivil War, offering us a number of topical songs with perspectives on gun violence, LGBTQ+ rights, and more.

StillHouse Junkies – “Mountains of New Mexico”

Colorado-based StillHouse Junkies bring us a classic murder ballad inside an ode to the American West.

Marc Scibilia – “Good Times”

Recent 5+5 guest Marc Scibilia brings us a song from his new release, Seed of Joy.

Leyla McCalla – “Song for a Dark Girl”

Leyla McCalla (who you may know from folk supergroup Our Native Daughters) brings us a song from her new Smithsonian Folkways re-release, Vari-Colored Songs: a Tribute to Langston Hughes.

My Darling Clementine – “I Lost You”

UK-based duo My Darling Clementine brings us a new interpretation of an Elvis Costello/Jim Lauderdale co-write.

The Caleb Daugherty Band – “Daylight’s Burning”

The Caleb Daugherty Band pays tribute to Aubrey Holt of the acclaimed Boys From Indiana with a cover of “Daylight’s Burning.”

Madison Cunningham – “The Age Of Worry”

Madison Cunningham is back on BGS with a brand new EP, Wednesday, an interpretation of a handful of cover songs chosen by the California-based singer, songwriter, and guitarist.

Adam Hurt – “The Scolding Wife”

“Clawhammerist” Adam Hurt was a recent feature on Tunesday Tuesday with a solo gourd banjo rendition of “The Scolding Wife.”

The Avett Brothers – “Victory”

Everyone’s favorite roots music brothers — that is, the Avett Brothers — are back with The Third Gleam, a follow up to the first and second Gleam EPs. Much like their earlier sounds, the new record is stripped down, with timely discussions of gun violence, mortality, and the human condition. Check out our conversation with Scott, Seth, and Bob Crawford.

Jeff Cramer and the Wooden Sound – “Aimless Love”

Denver-based singer-songwriter Jeff Cramer brings us an edition of The Shed Sessions along with his band the Wooden Sound, and a wonderful tribute to the late, great John Prine.

Max Gomez – “He Was a Friend of Mine”

Regular friend of BGS, Max Gomez brings us a timely, social justice-inspired song.

Mipso – “Your Body”

Pop string band Mipso is just one of so many great North Carolina groups that we’re proud to feature this month in our Made in NC playlist for #NCMusicMonth!

Julian Taylor – “Love Enough”

Julian Taylor was the guest of honor on our most recent episode of Shout & Shine, a series that serves as a platform for Black, Brown, Indigenous, Asian, LGBTQ+, and disabled musicians, who are so often marginalized in genres to which they’ve constantly contributed.

Tony Trischka – “Carry Me Over The Sea”

Quintessential banjo legend Tony Trischka was featured this week with a new single from his 2021 release, Shall We Hope, that also features Irish singer Maura O’Connell.

Susan Werner – “To Be There”

Like many, Susan Werner is currently hoping for better times. And better times is what this Carter Family-inspired number is all about.

Photo credit: (L to R) Tony Trischka by Zoe Trischka; Shemekia Copeland by Mike White; Leyla McCalla by Rush Jagoe.

BGS & #ComeHearNC Celebrate the Cultural Legacy of North Carolina during #NCMusicMonth

Posted on by Editor

On the national music scene, North Carolina sets itself apart by blending the heritage of traditional roots music with the innovation of modern indie and Americana sounds. The bluegrass canon of North Carolina encompasses pioneers like Charlie Poole and Earl Scruggs, as well as groundbreaking musicians like Elizabeth Cotten, Alice Gerrard, and Doc Watson. Today’s spectrum of talent spans from modern favorites such as Darin & Brooke Aldridge, Balsam Range, and Steep Canyon Rangers, and the progressive perspective of the Avett Brothers, Rhiannon Giddens, Mandolin Orange, Hiss Golden Messenger, Mipso, and many more.

One example of how the state is merging past with present is the recent opening of North Carolina’s only vinyl pressing plant — Citizen Vinyl in Asheville.

 

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Built over 15 months in 1938-1939, The Asheville Citizen Times Building (@citizentimes) was designed by architect Anthony Lord as the grand center for the city’s two newspapers and radio station WWNC. Located at 14 O’Henry Avenue, the massive three-story building of reinforced concrete, granite and limestone, utilizing 20,000 glass bricks, is considered Asheville’s finest example of Art Moderne design. In 2019, Citizen Vinyl claimed the first floor & mezzanine of this iconic landmark as the future home of a vinyl record pressing plant, as well as a café, bar and record store – and is reviving the historic third floor radio station as a modern recording and post-production facility.

A post shared by Citizen Vinyl (@citizenvinyl) on

According to press materials, the building’s third floor played host to Asheville’s historic WWNC (“Wonderful Western North Carolina”) which was once considered the most popular radio station in the United States. In 1927, the station hosted live performances by Jimmie Rodgers and made his first recordings shortly before he went to Bristol, Tennessee.  In 1939, the station featured  the first ever live performance by Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys during its Mountain Music Time segment.  Citizen Vinyl expects to keep the live music tradition alive in this former newspaper building, too.

Here at BGS, we’ve been committed to North Carolina music from our launch, notably with our Merlefest Late Night Jams, which are always worth staying up for. And how much do we love the IBMA World of Bluegrass week in Raleigh? Looking back on our archive, we gathered these songs from the artists we’ve covered over the years — and looking ahead, you’ll see all-new interviews with the Avett Brothers and Mipso, examine the classic country stars with roots in North Carolina, and spotlight some rising talent with video performances at the state’s most scenic destinations.

In the meantime, you can discover more about the North Carolina music scene through their website and on Instagram at @comehearnc

Editor’s note: This content brought to you in part by our partners at Crossroads Label Group.

The Show on the Road – Mipso

Posted on by Shelby Williamson

This week, we feature one of the leading roots-pop bands working today: Mipso. An affable and endlessly-creative quartet formed in Chapel Hill, NC, they are made up of fiddle player Libby Rodenbough, mandolinist Jacob Sharp, guitarist Joseph Terrell, and bassist Wood Robinson.


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Despite the anxious mood of their swing-state home base, it’s quite an exciting time for Mipso. Host Z. Lupetin was able to catch up with Libby and Jacob (via Zoom of course) to discuss their lushly orchestrated, self-titled record which just dropped last week; and if you walk down 8th Avenue in Nashville this week, you might catch a billboard with their sheepish grins large in the sky.

How did they get here? It’s hard to find a group where every member can effortlessly sing lead and write genre-bending songs that fit seamlessly on six acclaimed albums — and counting — in under ten years. Earlier standout records like the breakout Dark Holler Pop, produced by fellow North Carolinian Andrew Marlin of Mandolin Orange, and Edges Run, which features a veritable online hit in the broken-voiced, emotional “People Change,” show how Mipso appeals not only to folk fest-loving moms and dads, but also their edgier kids, who appreciate their subversive turns of phrase and playful gender-ambiguous, neon-tinted wardrobe.

As Z. found out during his conversation with Libby and Jacob, the band nearly broke up after a series of grueling 150-shows-a-year runs, a scary car wreck, and the pressure of putting out Edges Run for their rapidly growing fanbase. The forced slower pace of this last year and a half has been a gift in several ways — allowing the group to catch their breath and hole up to write more collaboratively than ever. The shimmering sonic backdrop that gifted producer and musician Sandro Perri was able to bring to the Mipso sessions at Echo Mountain studio in Asheville really makes the songs feel like they could exist in any era.

You wouldn’t be alone if you heard the connection between the honey-hooked newest record with the timeless, mellow-with-a-hint-of-menace hits of the 1970s (looking at you James Taylor and Carly Simon). Songs like “Never Knew You Were Gone” show off Terrell’s gift for gently asking the deepest questions, like where he might go when he transitions to the other side in a “silvery fire,” or the sardonically nostalgic “Let A Little Light In,” which wonders if the soft-focused images we have of the peaceful, boomtime 1990s (when Mipso was growing up) could use some real scrutiny. Rodenbough’s silky fiddle work stars throughout –and her courageous, vulnerable lead vocal on “Your Body” may be the most memorable moment on the new work.

Stick around to the end of the episode to hear mandolinist Jacob Sharp introduce his favorite contribution, “Just Want To Be Loved.”

Photo credit: D.L. Anderson

LISTEN: Libby Rodenbough, “How Come You Call Me”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Libby Rodenbough
Hometown: Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Song: “How Come You Call Me”
Album: Spectacle of Love
Release Date: May 29, 2020
Label: Sleepy Cat Records

In Their Words: “I’ve always been able to navigate living pretty easily, both because I ride in the lane reserved for white well-off people, but also because I can handle little boxes better than some. I’m talkative and good at standardized tests and if I go through dark times, I can keep it tamped down. This is a good disposition for survival, but it’s something I’ve always felt self-conscious about, like being good at tolerating the intolerable is the sign of an empty soul, and maybe that’s why I’m drawn to people who don’t fit into this world so well. Everybody I’ve ever dated has been a good guy. This song isn’t about shitty boyfriends; it’s about the way you fall into particular slots in a relationship and rarely come out of them again, so if you happen to be the better navigator, you end up usually leading the way.” — Libby Rodenbough

Photo credit: Courtesy of L. Rodenbough

BGS Long Reads of the Week // April 17

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 are pioneering, longsuffering, triumphant, innovative, and so much more.

Old, New, Borrowed, and Blue: A Conversation with Sam Bush

April 13 just so happens to be the birthday of this bluegrass pioneer, a man who has had an incredible impact on the genre over the course of his lifelong career. So of course we started off the week in long reads with this 2016 interview with Sam Bush, written by Mipso guitarist and vocalist, Joseph Terrell. Sam talks New Grass Revival, Bluegrass Alliance, the future of mandolin, and so much more. It’s worth a read, birthday or not! Happy Birthday, Sam! [Read more]

Canon Fodder: Loretta Lynn, Van Lear Rose

It just so happens, we’re featuring two birthday long reads in a row! On Tuesday this week we wished country legend Loretta Lynn a very happy birthday with a revisit to an archived edition of Canon Fodder on Van Lear Rose, her 2004 critically-acclaimed collaborative album made with Jack White. Lynn has changed and innovated upon country music in many more ways than one, and she continues to do so as her career goes on! Just like with Van Lear Rose. [Read more about the album]

Eric Gibson’s Family Shares Autism Story in New Film

We love a two-fer. With this look back into the archives, you get a film choice for tonight or this weekend, too. The Madness & the Mandolin is a documentary following the many challenges and breakthroughs of Kelley Gibson’s (son of The Gibson Brothers’ Eric Gibson) journey and evolution with autism. The film explores methods like exercise, meditation, reading, and music as tools that, combined, can often be the most powerful treatment. We spoke to the project’s producer/director Dr. Sean Ackerman last year. 

The Madness & the Mandolin is available to rent on Amazon Prime. [Read the interview]

Like Father, Like Sons: Del McCoury & the Travelin’ McCourys

2019 was a banner year for The Del McCoury Band and The Travelin’ McCourys, Del celebrated his 80th birthday, his Opry anniversary, and DelFest conquered the mid-Atlantic once again. While 2020 is certainly off to a rockier start, the entire bluegrass world — and roots music altogether, too — are so glad to still have this legend of bluegrass making music, laughing a lot, and killing the hair game. At BGS, we’re grateful we got a chance to chat with Del backstage at the Opry last year. [Read more]

Rose Maddox: The Remarkable Hillbilly Singer Who Made Bluegrass History

She’s not in the Country Music Hall of Fame or the Bluegrass Hall of Fame, and Hollywood has never adapted her story for any sized screen. She’s certainly more than deserving of the former — regarding the latter, you’ll just have to read our feature to see why Rose Maddox deserves to be canonized and then some for her myriad contributions to country, bluegrass, and every other genre in between. [Read about this musical pioneer]

 

MIXTAPE: Anthony da Costa’s Quarantine Chill Out Roots-Grass Mix-Up

Posted on by Editor

I know what you’re thinking, Anthony da Costa doesn’t really bluegrass…but hey, I live in Nashville and I have friends and I even say “y’all” now. And there’s something about roots music that cuts to the core of everything and deeply influences what I do…even if it doesn’t always sound like it. Here are some tracks to not go outside to! — Anthony da Costa

David Francey – “Border Line”

David Francey is one of my favorites ever and nothing will change that. I lucked out by sharing a stage with him at the Tønder Festival many years ago. He blew me away with his simple approach, golden voice, and powerful storylines. He stood there like a bard and held our hearts in his hand. After our show, I asked his guitarist which album I should start with and he emphatically stated Torn Screen Door. “Border Line” is track one from David’s debut album, which he made when he was 45 years old. Let’s take a journey with him, since we can’t really go anywhere else.

Jordan Tice – “Chicken Dog”

This playlist has a lot of mood, interspersed with that spontaneous dance party that we could all use right now. You don’t even have to put on real clothes, just dance. Jordan Tice is one of my best friends and also happens to be my one of my favorite acoustic guitar players on planet Earth. He has a fabulous new album that will be coming out soon… but until then, let’s jump to this scorcher of a bizarre bluegrass song called “Chicken Dog.” I still don’t know what it’s about, but also, like, who cares?

Molly Tuttle – “When You’re Ready”

This playlist wouldn’t really be complete without something from Molly Tuttle. I had the pleasure of touring with Molly for her album release in 2019. When the bluegrass kids all told me that Molly had made a “pop” album, my first thought was “ALRIGHT. Calm down, kids. What, are there drums or something? Are you scared?” But the young “queen” of the bluegrass world and honestly craziest picker out there made one of the best albums of last year: pop in the ’90s Aimee Mann singer-songwriter kinda sense. Molly knows how to write a poignant, catchy chorus — and then somehow squeezes in some pretty insane bluegrass runs –in the SAME SONG. Are you ready?

Bill Frisell – “I’m So Lonesome, I Could Cry”

Because, you know, quarantine sucks, right? And I live alone. And it HAS gotten lonesome at times… so lonesome that I could pull up this great compilation entitled The Best of Bill Frisell, Vol. 1: The Folk Songs and just mellowly and totally NOT CRY to myself. ♥

Sam Amidon – “Blue Mountains”

Speaking of Bill Frisell, he features on this pretty mesmerizing track from Sam Amidon. This record made me a believer. I don’t know that anyone else can do what Sam does with folk music. I don’t even know what this music is. It’s Sam Amidon music.

John Mailander – “Forecast”

John Mailander is one of the nicest people in the world, but PLEASE don’t tell him that I said that… it might go to his incredibly large and insufferable ego. All kidding aside, John released his debut solo album (as far as I’m aware) last year. It’s called Forecast and this is the title track… and it’s one of those “get up off your couch and dance” songs I was talking about before. John is as versed in Phish as he is the oldest of old-time fiddle and bluegrass. He is very dear to me and his music endlessly inspires me to push things further.

Rachel Baiman – “Something to Lose”

I met Rachel Baiman within the context of her duo with Christian Sedelmeyer, 10 String Symphony (check them out, they’re out of this world). I’m so glad that Rachel has been doing a lot of her own music these days in addition. This record, produced by Andrew Marlin from Mandolin Orange, has a warm, “right there in the room” kinda feel to it. This song makes me cry. There, I said it. Love is fine, OK? Will I ever see anyone again!?

Aoife O’Donovan – “Pearls – Live”

I recently revisited this live album I got to make with the inimitable Aoife O’Donovan. Lots of people know Aoife from her work with Crooked Still, as well as her more recent recordings and travel as part of I’m With Her. I toured with Aoife as her guitarist and harmony singer from 2016 into 2017. We toured her album In the Magic Hour, which was produced by Tucker Martine and features gorgeous arrangements of strings, horns, fuzzed out guitars, drums, voices… We had to recreate Aoife’s music live with three people and no bassist… which means we made it our own. This particular song is a favorite deep cut of mine.

Paper Wings – “As I Walk Down”

I’ve been saying to anyone who will listen, and I will say it to you now: Paper Wings is currently my favorite band. This is as rootsy as I get and I’m quite alright with it. Wilhelmina Frankzerda and I met when we were touring in Joy Williams’ Front Porch band. One night in Houston, Wilhelmina gave me a pair of headphones and showed me some mixes from what became Paper Wings’ Clementine album. It’s my favorite album of 2019. They’re clearly drawing from a very deep well of tradition but with new, crooked and inventive melodies…plus, they’re writing SONGS! New songs. Great, great songs.

Mipso – “Coming Down the Mountain”

Because we’re all going to come out of this eventually, right? Here’s a song to take off your mask to. See you all on the other side. ♥

Photo credit: Jacqueline Justice

WATCH: Mipso Show a Different Angle on Loss in “People Change”

Posted on by Editor

At the crossroads of traditional acoustic music and contemporary songwriting, you’ll find Mipso. This four-piece group from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, has made an admirable career for themselves by blending their folk and bluegrass roots with a modern writing style that is reminiscent of groups like The Postal Service and The Head and the Heart.

Of the song’s sensitive lyrics, band member Jacob Sharp explains, “A lot of what I write is centered around articulating loss. My mother died when I was young, and I’ve had a normal amount of romantic relationships end… ‘People Change’ is a different angle on loss, that of a friendship fading away. In some ways it’s a lot more difficult to process because the loss feels more within your control — the situation less futile — but the impact of the absence is pretty much the same.”

The band enlisted Jake McBride to create the illustrated video, of which band member Libby Rodenbough says, “‘People Change’ is about the kind of growing apart that is not vindictive or righteous or one-sided—about the untraceable ways your world disconnects from another’s world. We wanted a video that would convey the quiet tangle of feelings that comes along with that variety of heartbreak. It’s not accusatory, not an explosion of emotion, neither brightly colored nor totally dark. I think so much of your struggle with yourself and other people is like that as you get older.”

Their fifth album, Edges Run, was released in April 2018, and they’ve signed to Rounder Records for their next release. In preparation for an upcoming fall tour through Europe, Mipso just released an animated video for the song “People Change.”

ANNOUNCING: Bourbon & Beyond Reveals Bluegrass Situation Stage Lineup

Posted on by Editor

We’re thrilled to announce Greensky Bluegrass, The Travelin’ McCourys, and Dustbowl Revival will headline the Bluegrass Situation stage at this year’s Bourbon & Beyond, to be held September 20-22 in Louisville, Kentucky.

Greensky Bluegrass will appear on Friday night, following sets by Mipso, the Po’ Ramblin’ Boys, and Amythyst Kiah. On Saturday, the Travelin’ McCourys will share the bill with Fruition, Cedric Burnside, and Ben Sollee. Dustbowl Revival will play on Sunday, along with performances from Birds of Chicago, the Lil Smokies, and Front Country.

2019 marks the third year of Bourbon & Beyond and the BGS stage. Tickets are now available — stay tuned for more information and BnB content, a festival preview, and the full schedule announce. Find out more: Bourbon & Beyond.

Full Schedule:

Friday

5:20 PM Greensky Bluegrass
3:45 PM Mipso
1:40 PM The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys
11:45 AM Amythyst Kiah

Saturday

4:20 PM The Travelin’ McCourys
2:55 PM Fruition
1:25 PM Cedric Burnside
12:05 PM Ben Sollee

Sunday

4:15 PM Dustbowl Revival
2:40 PM Birds Of Chicago
1:20 PM The Lil Smokies
11:50 AM Front Country

Bourbon and Beyond Music Lineup Revealed

Posted on by Editor

Bourbon & Beyond, the world’s largest bourbon festival, will return to Louisville, Kentucky, on September 20-22, expanding to three days full of incredible music, unique culinary events, and unmatched experiences from the region’s best distilleries at the new Highland Festival Grounds At Kentucky Expo Center.

In total, more than 45 artists will play on three stages, including Alison Krauss, Del McCoury Band, Lukas Nelson & Promise Of The Real, and Margo Price. The bluegrass stage will be curated by the genre’s leading authority, The Bluegrass Situation. The BGS lineup includes Greensky Bluegrass, Mipso, Amythyst Kiah, The Travelin’ McCourys, Cedric Burnside, Ben Sollee, Dustbowl Revival, Lil Smokies, Front Country, with more to be announced.

The event will be headlined by Foo Fighters, Robert Plant And The Sensational Space Shifters (returning after originally being scheduled to appear in 2018) and the Zac Brown Band. Additional acts include John Fogerty, Daryl Hall & John Oates, and many others.

Bourbon & Beyond exclusive VIP packages, General Admission tickets, camping and hotel packages, as well as special event tickets, go on sale Friday, March 15 at 12:00 PM EDT.

The current music lineup for Bourbon & Beyond is as follows (subject to change):

Friday, September 20:
Foo Fighters, John Fogerty, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, The Flaming Lips, +LIVE+, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, Lukas Nelson & Promise Of The Real, Greensky Bluegrass, Blackberry Smoke, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Pearl, Mipso, Amythyst Kiah

Saturday, September 21:
Robert Plant And The Sensational Space Shifters, Daryl Hall & John Oates, Trey Anastasio Band, Alison Krauss, Grace Potter, Squeeze, Jenny Lewis, Del McCoury Band, Samantha Fish, The White Buffalo, Maggie Rose, Patrick Droney, The Travelin’ McCourys, Cedric Burnside, Ben Sollee

Sunday, September 22:
Zac Brown Band, ZZ Top, Leon Bridges, Edward Sharpe And The Magnetic Zeros, Kurt Vile And The Violators, Margo Price, Little Steven And The Disciples Of Soul, Edie Brickell & New Bohemians, White Reaper, Whiskey Myers, Southern Avenue, Caroline Jones, Dustbowl Revival, The Lil Smokies, Front Country

The Best of Sitch Sessions: 13 Must-See Musical Moments

Posted on by Amy Reitnouer

As we enter the new year, we look back on our favorite moments shared with some of our favorite artists in 2018. Check out our top Sitch Sessions, filmed in Los Angeles, Nashville, Philadelphia, and beyond.


“Ain’t That Fine” – I’m With Her

Fresh off the release of their debut full-length album See You Around in February, Sara Watkins, Aoife O’Donovan, and Sarah Jarosz serenaded us among the palms of the Fairmont Park Horticultural Center in Philadelphia.


 “Mal Hombre” – Rhiannon Giddens

Rhiannon Giddens brought Tejano to East Nashville with her powerful version of the legendary Lydia Mendoza’s classic “Mal Hombre.”


 “Long Gone Out West Blues” – Joe Mullins & the Radio Ramblers

Traditional bluegrass proselytes Joe Mullins & the Radio Ramblers joined us in Nashville, gearing up for the return of Huck Finn Jubilee in Southern California last October.


“The Traveling Kind” – Rodney Crowell and Emmylou Harris

Looking back on their 40+ years of friendship and collaboration, with no intention of stopping, Rodney Crowell and Emmylou Harris claim to be members of an “elite group” of those from their generation still traveling, touring, and performing. They laugh, “We’ve traveled so far, it became a song, at last”.


“Islands in the Stream” – Love Canon

How can you not smile from this bluegrass-inspired version of this Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton classic?


“Rygar” – Julian Lage and Chris Eldridge

The duo gifted us with the building, joyous “Rygar”, off their album Mount Royal, which they describe as being comprised of “experiments” — songs that allowed them to explore their own capabilities and push the boundaries of what can be done on the acoustic guitar.


“The Restless” – The Lone Bellow

With this stunningly stripped-down rendition of “The Restless,” The Lone Bellow reminded us to keep our heads up and our hearts open in the face of adversity, something to hold on to for a fresh start in the new year.


“Alison” – Jamie Drake

Gearing up to release her solo album Everything’s Fine in 2019, alt-folk singer/songwriter Jamie Drake joined us in Los Angeles and regaled us with her immaculate tune “Alison.”


“Different, I Guess” – Lilly Hiatt

Lilly Hiatt, in the way only she can, ponders the dangers and glories of being vulnerable and allowing yourself to fall in love.


 “Coming Down the Mountain” – Mipso

Mipso muses on retreating from the madness of society in this beautiful song, taken from their 2017 album of the same name.


“Took You Up” – Courtney Marie Andrews

Courtney Marie Andrews’ breathtaking vocals stunned us once again in a solo acoustic version of this track from her latest album May Your Kindness Remain.


“Thirty” – The Weather Station

The Weather Station (AKA Tara Lindeman) gave us the haunting and tense, yet fluid, “Thirty” from their self-titled album. They met us to perform the song at BOK, a historic Philadelphia trade school, closed five years ago, now re-purposed for its space to be used by the community for small businesses, job training, non-profits, and more.


“Firestarter” – Andrew Combs

And to close out the year, we have singer/songwriter Andrew Combs with a solo acoustic performance of this captivating, previously unreleased tune.