Dawn Landes: The Songs Hold Truth (podcast) Music Features Podcast by Ken Templeton - April 10, 20240 A chance encounter in a used book store has brought us a stunning new record from Dawn Landes. Years ago, she came upon The Liberated Woman’s Songbook, a 77-song collection curated by Jerry Silverman, who authored more than 200 music instruction books and was music editor for Sing Out! Magazine. Recently, Dawn teamed up with Josh Kaufman to produce an album by the same name, and has curated some truly spectacular live shows to celebrate both these songs from our history and some of the most amazing women in music today. The album came out on March 29, and Dawn has tour dates coming up, including one May 4 at Playmakers Theater in Chapel Hill. This was a fantastic conversation
Muddy Ruckus: It’s a Ride (Podcast) Music Features Podcast by Ken Templeton - January 30, 20240 Ryan Flaherty and Erika Stahl are the powerhouse duo out of Maine, Muddy Ruckus. Last year, they released Vacationland, which demonstrates just how expansively two people can make music. We got to chat with Ryan and Erika and really enjoyed their reflections on process and following where the music is leading, as well as their thoughts on how an album has to ebb and flow to be engaging to listeners and satisfying to musicians. Thanks for listening to the podcast–share it with friends who like good music! You can also revisit Muddy Ruckus on the Old Spruce Sessions–check out their performances of “Sweet Unknown” and “Restless Ryder!”
Show Review: Hiss Golden Messenger (9/17/23 Haw River Ballroom) Music Features Reviews by Ken Templeton - September 25, 20230 Towards the end of their phenomenal set at Haw River Ballroom last Saturday, Hiss Golden Messenger frontman MC Taylor said, “You know, this is the first time many of these songs have been played live,” and the crowd roared. Most of the set list was drawn from Jump For Joy (Merge Records), which came out August 25. If you just watched the audience, though, you wouldn’t have known these songs were making their debut. People were singing along; they were visibly excited to hear their new favorite songs. After leading off with “Biloxi,” from the album Heart Like A Levee, the band launched into “I Saw The New Day in the World,” from the new record, and then shifted back to
Chayim Newman: From the Ground Up (podcast) Music Features Podcast by Ken Templeton - June 15, 2023June 15, 20230 Anyone who has talked to a musician, tour manager, guitar tech, front of house engineer, or the many other people who pile into a van or bus and hit the road to bring live music on tour knows that it is a unique, exciting, strange, and challenging experience. And most will tell you that it takes a toll. Dr. Chayim Newman and Zack Borer, founders of Amber Health, have studied just exactly what that impact is on artists and those who support a tour. And even though we knew, intuitively, that touring is hard on a person, I’m not sure we really knew the extent of its impact. Newman and Borer found people working in the music industry have rates of
Show Review: Josh Ritter, Amythyst Kiah (The Carolina Theatre May 16, 2023) Concert Reviews Music Features by Ken Templeton - June 1, 20230 “I’m singing for the love of it, have mercy on the man who sings to be adored.” This line from Josh Ritter’s song, “Snow is Gone,” seems to sum up who he is as an artist. In the twenty years I’ve been going to Josh’s shows, I have never once seen him be anything less than jubilant on stage. He loves it, he is grateful for his audience, and he is unabashed in his joy. He brought the latest iteration of The Royal City Band to The Carolina Theatre in Durham last week, with mainstays Sam Kassirer (piano), Zack Hickman (bass), and Ray Rizzo (drums) joined by Jocie Adams (clarinet) and Matt Douglas (saxophone, lead guitar). I loved the songs
Larry & Joe: Honest Music (Podcast) Music Features Podcast by Ken Templeton - May 5, 2023May 5, 20230 On March 24, the virtuosic duo Larry & Joe released their album Nuevo South Train in Durham, NC at The Fruit. Joe Troop, the guitar, fiddle, and banjo player from the Grammy-nominated band Che Apalache, did a residency series at The Fruit and Larry Bellorín, a harp player from Venezuela had been encouraged to connect with Joe. Their connection was immediate and what results is a vibrant, joyful sound. In our podcast interview, we talk about that show at The Fruit. I was there, and loved every minute. Joe told the audience that we are “the Nuevo South.” Like the South (but unlike many roots music concert audiences) this audience was diverse! The title track of Nuevo South Train encourages everyone
Video Premiere: “Cast Iron Kettle,” Joseph Terrell Featured Videos Music Features by Ken Templeton - March 8, 2023March 8, 20230 Joseph Terrell (Mipso) recently announced his debut album, Good For Nothing Howl, on Sleepy Cat Records, set for release on May 5. We are thrilled to premiere the video for, “Cast Iron Kettle,” the first single. Joseph wrote about the process for this record. He said, “i quit trying to write all together, quit playing for a while too. then at the beginning of spring i started dragging a chair under a tree in the yard. wherever i was i would try to spend the morning outside with a guitar. i found a lot of songs that way, like they were already there, waiting for me to sing them out loud. i hope that sounds as strange as it felt.” On “Cast
Show Recap: Sierra Hull & Justin Moses – Down Home Concert Series (February 24, 2023 Raleigh, NC) Concert Reviews Music Features by Ken Templeton - March 3, 20230 When Sierra Hull and Justin Moses took the stage last Friday night, they didn't waste any time. After a brief hello to the crowd, Sierra said, “Well let's get picking.” From the first note, their effortless virtuosity was on display. For most of the evening, Justin played guitar and Sierra played mandolin. However Sierra also played guitar brilliantly, and Justin showed off his range by also playing mandolin and dobro. Sierra was the 2022 IBMA mandolin player of the year; Justin is the reigning IBMA dobro player of the year. Needless to say, this is a couple who push and stretch and encourage each other to new musical heights with each song. Most of the songs on the setlist were from
Max García Conover: I Saw The Devil (podcast) Music Features Podcast by Ken Templeton - October 20, 20220 Max García Conover’s new record, “Deer,” (Son Canciones) came out on June 3. It feels like a collection of poems in the best possible way. As Max talks about in our most recent podcast, not poems like the ones you read in school–“intelligence tests,” meant to be obtuse. No, these are songs that keep you awake to yourself and the world. They are mostly quiet, and there is a tendency for uncertainty, or, at least, a questioning of what makes us so certain. The songs, to borrow a line from Frank Burroughs, “won’t keep still,” and that’s what I like about them. Sometimes when I listen, they’re sorrowful, sometimes joyful, and that’s life, isn’t it? As MC Taylor sings, “It’s
Thomas Rhyant: Further On (podcast) Music Features Podcast by Ken Templeton - October 11, 20220 Thomas Rhyant recorded his debut solo album, Love Lifted Me, in about forty-five minutes of first-takes. I guess when you’re this good, you just walk in the studio and make a record. I had the good fortune to hear Thomas perform at Newport Folk Festival last summer, as part of the Spiritual Helpline Gospel Revue. Thomas played guitar and sang in the group that also featured Sister Lena Mae Perry, The Union, Phil Cook and the Guitarheels. And when he sang–well, I’m not sure I’ve seen people that surprised and awed in a long while. He can hit falsetto notes that are simply out of reach for the vast majority of singers. Love Lifted Me is a spare, gorgeous record. Most