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
Show You Should Know: Sarah Shook & The Disarmers at Club Metronome (Burlington, VT) Uncategorized by Brian Carroll - November 11, 20190 "There is something so authentic, raw and untroubled about her delivery of each tune on this record. Seemingly ok with heartache and despair, or at least accepting that its part of being human. A deadpan delivery and a break in her voice that could collapse mountains with its benevolence, that even when she sings the most scathing of her lyrics, a certain vulnerability and realness seeps through..." That's how I felt about Sarah Shook's 2018 release "Years" and the fact that it is still a mainstay that breaks through the new noise in my inbox every day says something. Its a constant for me and Shook's mix of emotions that boil down into this completely human emotion and experience, well thats
Peep This: R.D. King “Rain and Ash” Music Features Reviews Uncategorized by Brian Carroll - January 24, 20190 I first came across R.D. King a few years back at a show in Cambridge. He was sandwiched in between a few other acts, songwriters in the more traditional sense where the songs had verses, choruses, maybe a bridge and lyrics. When King took the stage and began to perform his instrumental songs the room fell to a deafening silence and the entire audience was entranced by each note. It was a special thing that he was able to do with just his instrument. He furthers the display of that power on his latest self titled release. The music is exciting, while retaining a sense of beauty and landscape. A trip across the fret board as notes flurry out, then he pulls
Watch This: Laura Cortese & The Dance Cards “Pace Myself” Featured Videos Uncategorized by Brian Carroll - January 31, 20180 I have a wife. I have 2 sisters. I have a mother. But I could never fool myself into thinking that I can truly comprehend how it feels to be a woman in society today (or since the dawn of time). I can only try my best to be there for the strong females in my life, march alongside them and be so grateful for their grace and poise in world that kind is (excuse my language) really fucking terrible to the female gender a lot of the time. Its this reason why I am incredibly grateful for a band like Laura Cortese & The Dance Cards. The latest effort from the group is a 3 minute and 38 second empowering
Peep This: Magen Tracy & The Missed Connections “Color the Air” Featured Videos Uncategorized by Brian Carroll - September 22, 2017September 22, 20170 Magen Tracy has seen her share of genre and bands. The last album, produced by Nate Leavitt (who Magen also performs with in a band) may have bordered on the more rootsy end of the spectrum, but it dovetails nicely with this latest single off of the upcoming release from her and The Missed Connections. A smokey speakeasy vibe with rock n' roll and a bit of glam rock. All influences that seemingly have seeped into this latest effort from the pianist/songwriter's other projects in some fashion and made for a fresh sound that she commands particularly well. The first single off the new record, "Color the Air" is, at the heart of it all, a lost love song about a
Fresh Track: Say Darling “One Man Band” Featured Track Music Features Reviews Track Reviews Uncategorized by Brian Carroll - August 30, 20170 What do you get when two juggernauts join forces, combining talent and styles? One answer could simply be: Say Darling. Another could be a brutal force of badass bluesy goodness intertwined with jazzy licks and a swing backing that will get you moving, shaking and shatter all your reservations about getting down...you know, if you had reservations about that. Its the power of music in its finest form and its ability to overtake your body. A power that Celia Woodsmith and Chris Hersch command with robust and straightforward capability. The duo recently released their debut EP back at the end of June and this one song is speaking to us particularly deep. Just one of those tunes that gets you moving.
Opening Your Eyes: Muddy Ruckus Releases “Awakening Enkindled” EP Featured Album Music Features Uncategorized by Brian Carroll - August 23, 2017August 23, 20170 In the time that I have known Ryan Flaherty and Erika Stahl one thing has been abundantly clear about the duo known as Muddy Ruckus: no matter what they are doing; be it performing on a stage, watching others make music or just giving you a hug to say hello; they put their whole hearts into it. Sometimes what the heart feels, however, isn't joy or jubilance or positivity. Its can be pain or frustration or anger. Flaherty has been justifiably upset with the current state of affairs within the country and to project those emotions and feelings he did what he knows how to do best, write about it and pour his heart into playing the songs that sprang forth
Fresh Track: The Beagle Brothers “Hearts Go By” (ftr. Kayla Schureman) Featured Track Uncategorized by Brian Carroll - August 4, 20170 I love when an artist friend shares another artist with me. I pay even more attention when that artist released my favorite record of the year. The new single (and record) from The Beagle Brothers features our pal Kayla Schureman and that faint cry of the pedal steel and Schureman's gorgeous honeyed voice are the perfect accoutrement to the band's countrified sound. Sorrowful at first, then picking up the pace and seamlessly dovetailing to a more uptempo driving rhythm for the second half of the tune. There is surely something in the water down there in Pittsburgh (maybe it's whiskey?) as some great country tinged acts seem to be coming out of there and The Beagle Brothers just add a bit
Green River, In Black and White : Day 1 Festivals Music Features Uncategorized by Brian Carroll - July 18, 20170 They say a picture is worth 1,000 words, right? So, rather than a long drawn out review of each set from Green River this weekend I have decided to let the images speak for themselves. I will, however, say that this was a mighty special weekend in Greenfield, MA. I may very well have found my new favorite festival this weekend. With so many friends performing all over the place it felt a bit like a reunion of sorts and I undertook a very different mindset than I typically do during a music festival. Rather than running around trying to catch a little bit of as much as I could, I tended to stay a bit longer during sets and really
Show You Should Know: Molly Tuttle At Club Passim Tonight (7/13) Featured Concert Uncategorized by Brian Carroll - July 13, 2017July 13, 20170 We live in an age where modern day bluegrass music isn't necessarily what Grampa Bill originally started all those years ago. 'Grass has been a fusion genre in many respects. Mixing and mingling with in depth and complex story telling or over the top instrumentals that are almost athletic feats of impossibility in what many have aptly named "chamber-grass". Molly Tuttle's music falls somewhere in the middle of all those things. Tuttle, being raised on the style in which her music breathes, surely embraces the history and roots of the genre, but extends past the surface of the style. Her playing is head turning and will leave you awestruck. The way in which she handles her instrument is astounding and witnessing