Chatham Rabbits: Old Souls (podcast) Interviews Music Features Podcast by Ken Templeton - June 15, 20220 Sarah McCombie describes herself and her husband, Austin, as “old souls.” They like old things, old people, and old songs. It’s no surprise then, that many of the songs on their new album, If You See Me Riding By, feel timeless. This record has kept me good company this spring, and it’s exciting that as of June 3, it’s out in the world for everyone to hear. We had a wonderful chat a couple of months back as Sarah and Austin braved the New Jersey Turnpike on a spring tour. Take a listen and check out the new record!
SHOW REVIEW: The Lumineers / Caamp (5/24/22 Coastal Credit Union Music Park Raleigh, NC) Concert Reviews Music Features by Ken Templeton - June 1, 20220 In April of 2012, I went to Bull Moose Music in Brunswick, Maine, to get the CD of this band I’d been obsessed with since hearing their four-track session on daytrotter. The guy behind the counter looked it up on the computer. “The Lumineers? Hmmm…we should have one.” They’d ordered one, because this was before The Lumineers were The Lumineers. I looked on youtube for clips of shows, and found mostly house concerts in Denver: Jeremiah, Wesley, and Neyla in the middle of a small mob of their already-devoted fans. Fast forward ten years and they’re playing to a crowd of 20,000 in Raleigh, NC. And unlike many bands that have had this kind of success, The Lumineers have not really
Video Premiere: Valorie Miller, “Only The Killer” Interviews Music Features by Ken Templeton - May 3, 20220 From the first notes I heard Valorie Miller sing, I was hooked. She has a voice that you can’t ignore. Valorie’s album, Only the Killer Would Know, has been in heavy rotation for me. It’s an honor to host the video premiere for “Only The Killer” here on Red Line Roots. As readers of this site know, Brian and I care deeply about the musical communities that we call home. This record, exploring the environmental devastation of the land she used to live on, near Asheville, NC, is a powerful representation of what it means to take care of, or to abuse, our communities. In this case, a company called Chemtronics, put so much toxic waste into the ground that,
Song Premiere: “Big Dig,” by The Still Point Featured Track Music Features Reviews by Ken Templeton - March 18, 20220 At Red Line Roots, we pay attention to community. This whole thing started when Brian decided to lift up some of the artists he admired in Boston by writing about their work. Brian lives in Vermont now, and I live in North Carolina. So, our definition of what RLR is about has shifted a bit over the past few years. We will always love Boston, but we’re also mindful of our new communities and making sure to attend to what’s happening in our respective backyards. This time of year, my backyard is full of songbirds and Brian’s is full of snow. Anyway, imagine my delight when I received an email about The Still Point’s new record, Full Circle. Hayes Cummings,
The Tallest Man on Earth Daughter of Swords (Haw River Ballroom – February 26, 2022) Concert Reviews Music Features by Ken Templeton - February 28, 20220 There’s just no other word: this show was cathartic. After two years of postponements and cancellations, Kristian Mattson, aka The Tallest Man on Earth, is back on stage, and he brought everything he had. There were times when his performance evoked the title of his last album–I Love You. It’s a Fever Dream–in the best possible way. Daughter of Swords opened the show, and she is a totally transfixing singer, often seeming transfixed, channeling a sound out of time. She holds notes, and bends them in unexpected directions. “Long Leaf Pine” was a highlight of her opening set, and the final song reminded me of Richard and Linda Thompson’s ability to say so much with a simple, telling turn of phrase.
Aoife O’Donovan: Show Me The Heart on Your Sleeve (podcast) Music Features Podcast by Ken Templeton - February 4, 20220 Aoife O’Donovan’s new record Age Of Apathy came out on January 21, and it is sure to be one of the great records of 2022. I have already spun these songs so many times that they’ve become good neighbors in this new year. One of the things I love about this record is the songs shift as they need to–Aoife isn’t afraid to follow the emotional quality of her songs into territories that break some patterns and find new ground. It’s the type of experience that, when the last song, “Passengers,” ends, you can’t wait to hear the first song, “Sister Starling,” again. This record bears repeated listening extremely well, no skips. It was such a pleasure to talk with Aoife
Scott Hirsch: Love is Long (podcast) Music Features Podcast by Ken Templeton - January 5, 20220 As we head into a very tenuous 2022, maybe it will help you to know about a great album that was released in 2021! Scott Hirsch’s Windless Day is a fantastic record for stepping outside yourself a little bit. As Scott talks about in this episode of the Red Line Roots podcast, he thinks deeply about the songs on his records in relationship to each other, to create a coherent experience. In an era of singles and streaming, Scott prefers to think about how the album will be on vinyl–not as a vinyl snob, but as a creative expression of how to invite listeners in, how to take them someplace over the course of sides A and B. I loved getting to chat
6 more good things from 2021 Columns Editor Picks Music Features Reviews by Ken Templeton - December 22, 20210 As we shift into a whole new phase of things that could have been prevented, it’s helpful to know about some good things from 2021. Brian wrote about 7 Good Things the other day. Honestly, every single one of his recommendations is on my list too. So, I thought I would just add 6 more, to bless you with a lucky 13 to close out this year. Here are six records that sustained me in 2021. Allison Russell, Outside Child In a year that has required all of us to expand our capacity for grace, this album is an object lesson. Allison Russell’s autobiographical expression of abuse, liberation, and forgiveness is testimony to the power of love. When I say love, I’m thinking of
Joe Troop: Making Mistakes (podcast) Interviews Music Features Podcast by Ken Templeton - December 2, 2021December 2, 20210 When Joe Troop talks about cancel culture, he isn’t just talking about the right wing folks who don’t want any books in school about gay people or racism. He’s also thinking about the people more committed to saying the right words about issues than they are about taking the right actions. It’s complicated--I know he’d be the first to say that what you say matters, and we should be accountable for what we say and do. And, at the same time, there can be this version of equity work that is much more about posturing than it is about changing things. I have seen other white people do this in spaces for racial equity--trying to prove that they’re the best white
Alisa Amador: Right Again (podcast) Interviews Music Features Podcast by Ken Templeton - November 25, 20210 This has to be one of my favorite conversations that I have been lucky enough to have as part of this podcast. Alisa Amador is an amazing musician and shares so much insight into her work on this episode. Red Line Roots was founded as part of the Boston music community, and Alisa has quickly become one of the most important voices in the Boston roots/folk scene. She’s been in music her whole life, playing in her parents’ band, Sol y Canto, since she was a kid. Alisa released her latest EP, Narratives, in September, and it is one of my favorite records of this year. It has such a range, and I can listen to it all day long.