Peep This: Zach Schmidt “I Can’t Dance” music video Music Features by Brian Carroll - March 17, 20210 Its no secret here that I've long been a fan of Zach Schmidt's songs and live shows. There is something very "heart on the sleeve" honest and open about his words and delivery. Music and records that can move between a slow burning and deeply moving waltz into a shit kicking bar brawl from one track to the next and still feel cohesive and flow with the smooth nature of silk, well those artists are few and far between, but Schmidt commands that rare ability without breaking a sweat. The new video for the first single off his forthcoming release "Raise a Banner" (out April 16th) just dropped this week and while I've heard this tune everywhere from intimate and quiet
A Marvel of Mandolin: Andrew Marlin’s “Fable & Fire” Is A Stunning Collection Music Features Reviews by Brian Carroll - February 22, 2021February 22, 20210 I believe the last time I used the term "masterpiece" to describe an album was probably in discussing Andrew Marlin's first collection of instrumental work, "Buried in a Cape". It's not a term that should ever be used lightly, but in this case and most that involve Marlin's work, it's a title that holds steadfast and true. In just a few weeks time the songwriter, composer and multi-instrumentalist released not one, but two incredible collections of instrumental songs. Each of which is a unique listening experience, two separate journeys really. I said it previously, but these two records are a pot-pourri of instrumental arrangements for both the types of folks who adore instrumental music and those who have not yet acquired
Show You Should Know: Folk Alliance International’s ‘Folk Unlocked’ virtual fest February 22-26 Music Features by Brian Carroll - February 19, 20210 Worldwide. 800+ Hours of performances. 5 days. 1 screen. A HUGE online virtual music fest will be taking place in just a few days from our friends at Folk Alliance International.What can only be described as "SXSW meets Newport Folk Fest meets globalFEST meets MusiCares", the event will play host to literally 1,000+ artists. Let that marinate for a minute: 1,000+ artists. While the usual "up all night, consume as much music as you can in a long weekend" even sadly cannot take place in person this year, I'd say this is a fine consolation prize. Most likely the largest virtual festival that we have experienced thus far, highlight artists include Los Lobos, Terrance Simien, Cedric Burnside, Keb’ Mo’, Jim Lauderdale, Latin
Hope Continues…Green River Fest Announces Updated 2021 Festival Dates Music Features by Brian Carroll - February 18, 20210 We of course don't want to get ahead of ourselves, but with the current administration saying vaccines will be available to full population by July, music festivals are starting to announce potential updated 2021 dates. Green River Fest is the next in the line of fests to announce adjusted dates for this year and give music lovers a bit of hope for the future of live music. We would be remiss if we didn't have the slightest bit of hesitance and urge everyone to take proper safety precautions for themselves, but we hope to be seeing folks out there in fields, grooving to tunes and enjoying those festy vibes when the time is right.
Sh*t I Should’ve Written About in 2020… Music Features Reviews by Brian Carroll - February 18, 2021February 18, 20210 2020. It was a lot of things. Most of them containing some form of expletive to properly convey the overall despair, shittiness and all encompassing frustration...but here we are. It was a year I personally took a giant step away from this publication to focus on other projects, my own mental health and relationships outside the realm of the interwebs (when I was able to). For better or worse, I just didn't write about music and art, with the exception of a very small number of articles throughout the shit-storm that 2020 gave us. Thats not to say that a ton of incredible music wasn't released or that I still didn't benefit greatly from consuming what artists were still miraculously able
Singled Out: Mark Elliot “Talk To Yourself” Music Features Reviews by Brian Carroll - February 9, 20210 The initial comparison is a perhaps a bit too cliche or obvious, but Mark Elliot's vocal enters the track as a slightly less gristled Chris Stapleton. Heart and soul exuding in his voice, but there is a soft kindness that also seeps in. My dude can sing. The slow snare rim hits and bass notes that carry on and reverberate over the track. The message heartfelt and honest as he sings "it will all work out if you try". Elliot seemingly a "heart on the sleeve" kind of a writer. In a day and age where in some circles a label of "country music" can mean plastic, packaged up and shipped off to masses of fans who aren't truly listening
Hope With a Side of Roots Music: Freshgrass Announces 2021 Festival Dates Music Features by Brian Carroll - February 4, 20210 We have all been waiting and waiting for it. A return to normalcy. A line in the sand. A day when live music again becomes a part of everyday life. Cue this ... Freshgrass just announced via their socials the following message: The folks behind the scenes are communicating their full commitment to safety and making the right calls when the time comes, but if nothing else this gives music fans a glimmer of hope for music in our future. You can go on and pre-order tickets and the line up is planned to roll out in the coming months. Head to https://freshgrass.com/faq/ to read more about the plan and rollout and chin up friends...
Singled Out: Kyle O’Brien “Good Time Old Time” Interviews Music Features Reviews by Brian Carroll - February 4, 2021February 4, 20210 It took me a bit to draw some kind of line between what exactly Old Time vs Bluegrass vs Trad music is in the realm of American Roots. But its one of those things you know when you feel the vibe. Kyle O'Brien's new single straddles the lines between the lot, but with instrumental breaks bordering on the old time edge, sing-songy speed in the verses and a holler along chorus that is infectious, it doesn't matter what you call it. Its just music that gets you moving and makes you want to listen over and over. Its tunes like "Good Time" that keep me hopeful (but longing) for those late night jams at festivals. Dancing in the field to
Fresh Track: Ben Cosgrove “The Machine in the Garden” Music Features Reviews by Brian Carroll - February 2, 2021February 2, 20210 There is something completely transportive that is done to my mind and soul when I listen to Ben Cosgrove's compositions. There is a lifting feeling, a feeling of being pulled away from the drudgery of the day and forced into a different frame of mind. Immersive. Enlightening. Enchanting. That is not to say that all of Ben's songs are bright yellow, blinding sunshine rays of jubilance. There are, of course, some of those in his arsenal, but it's the lilt and the drone, the pushing and pulling of opposing forces, the flow and blue-gray tapestry of his heavier arrangements that I find myself drawn deeply into. All that considered, it's the very fact that the brush he paints his sonic landscapes
Mando-win: Andrew Marlin to Release Two New Instrumental Records in February Music Features by Brian Carroll - February 1, 2021February 1, 20210 January had been a month where we saw a bit of light on the horizon and then it got better with the announcement that songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Andrew Marlin will release two new instrumental albums, which will be available in the coming weeks. Witching Hour will be released on February 5 and Fable & Fire on February 19. If you have not yet been acquainted with Marlin's solo instrumental work through his 2018 release Buried in a Cape, I can try and summarize in as straightforward a way as possible. Its instrumental music for both the types of folks who adore instrumental music and those who have not yet acquired a taste for it. His instrumental songs have a way of