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
From Silent Seeds Grow Mighty Trees : Mighty Poplar, Bluegrass Super group, announced Music Features by Brian Carroll - February 1, 2023February 1, 20230 About five and a half months ago I tucked into a tiny house backstage at Green Mountain Bluegrass & Roots Festival with five juggernauts of roots music (and personal musical heroes of mine) and filmed a few, very guerrilla style, live performances of a few tunes. Today, those five artists officially announce the forming of the beyond genius bluegrass ensemble 'Mighty Poplar'. The new all-star roots project features Andrew Marlin of Watchhouse, Noam Pikelny and Chris Eldridge of Punch Brothers, bassist Greg Garrison (Leftover Salmon) and fiddler Alex Hargreaves (Billy Strings) today announced a record with 10 tracks that includes bluegrass and folk classics and a few deep cuts. A canvas stretched and painted with a combination of virtuosic abilities, tempered with the laid back nature of song swapping
A Beautiful Salute: The Songs of Billy Conway Music Features by Brian Carroll - January 24, 20230 I didn't have the honor of knowing Billy Conway personally, but the impact that his musical journey has had on my own personal musical journey is profound. His imprint is forever left as the thumping heartbeat on some of my favorite records in Caitlin Canty's "Reckless Skyline" and Jeffrey Foucault's "Salt as Wolves". His uncanny ability to be so incredibly subtle, yet so impactful, with his playing is a phenomenon and testament to an artist in the truest fashion. Always adding to and never taking away from or overshadowing. Hi-n-Dry records, of which Billy was a key player, was a namesake that produced records for some of my heroes and favorite local artists at the time in Jimmy Ryan, Session Americana
A Look Back : The Locals Covering Locals Compilations Locals Covering Locals Music Features by Brian Carroll - January 18, 2023January 22, 20230 As we head into a decade of Red Line Roots being around (in some capacity), I wanted to re-visit...and quite frankly, try to remember...some of the milestones and pivotal experiences, projects and moments for this labor of love. For those who don't know, Locals Covering Locals is a three album compilation recording project of local New England musicians covering songs from their favorite local New England musicians. The idea being that Red Line Roots gets a bunch of studio time and invites local songwriters to come into the studio and cut a song that one of their friends and/or local heroes wrote, further expanding and perpetuating the rich tapestry of local music, sharing audiences and spreading the songs of local artists
Six (and a half) Years of Spruce: The Old Spruce Sessions Music Features The Old Spruce Sessions Uncategorized by Brian Carroll - January 12, 20230 Just over 6 and a half years ago I moved to a small town in Central Vermont. About a month after that a friend's band came and crashed at our place between gigs in Boston and Burlington. We went out the night before to the gig at one of our (new) favorite venues, The Light Club Lamp Shop. We got up the next morning brewed a strong French Press of coffee. As we sat there catching up, the sun was peering through the hemlock and spruce outside in beautiful cascading rays and I said to my friend Connor "would you want to go out there and film something quick?" And, in that moment, The Old Spruce Sessions were born out
Where Magic Lives: Joe K. Walsh’s “If Not Now, Who?’ Music Features by Brian Carroll - January 9, 20230 In the days of streaming and having thousands of songs on your cell phone, I still cling to two hard copy CDs that I keep in my car and spin constantly when on a drive around the hillsides and valleys here in my home town. One of those is Joe K. Walsh's "Borderlands". Joe returns with a brand new record of original tunes called "If Not Now, Who?" (released on January 6th). We are inundated on a daily basis with messages of "buy this" and "listen to this". There is an unending swamp of content to wade through to find a sturdy rock to support you and hold you up. In the murky mess of this modern age bog of bombardment,
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