The Kentucky Gentlemen: Love Language (podcast) Music Features Podcast by Ken Templeton - July 12, 20220 It was such a pleasure to talk with Brandon and Derek Campbell, also known as The Kentucky Gentlemen. The twin brothers moved to Nashville in 2013 and started writing songs. Years of hard work are paying off, as they release their EP The Kentucky Gentlemen, Vol. 1. They’ve had videos featured on CMT and have been featured in showcases sponsored by The Black Opry, an organization dedicated to changing the fact that Black people have been overlooked in country music, as artists and as fans. The Black Opry Revue set at Newport Folk Festival on Saturday, July 23 is sure to be a highlight of the weekend. We spoke with the Campbell brothers ahead of their appearance at Newport and we can’t wait to see them live! Photo Credit: Laura
Show Review: Andrew Marlin at The Nightlight (Chapel Hill, NC June 9, 2022) Concert Reviews Music Features Reviews by Ken Templeton - June 16, 2022June 16, 20220 “I’ve seen a lot of shows here, and it’s real nice to finally get to play The Nightlight,” Andrew Marlin said last week. The Nightlight, in Chapel Hill, has low ceilings, a few skylights, a bar, and a reading nook in the back corner with a couple of couches, a coffee table, and bookshelves with paperbacks tumbling onto each other. It kind of felt like we were in a ship bottom, so even though I knew the music would be excellent, I was curious if the room would swallow up the sound. It was awesome—as I was walking out, I heard three different people go up to the sound engineer and thank him. Nightlight is one of the few venues I
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,
A New Shine: Maya de Vitry’s “Violet Light” (podcast) Music Features Podcast by Brian Carroll - March 1, 20220 For episode 5 of season 2 we catch up with Maya de Vitry. I first came across Maya in her time with The Stray Birds. They were playing a midday concert series put on by Berklee and I strolled over to eat my lunch and catch a tune or two. I ended up sticking around for the entire set. The band was excellent, but there was something that just stuck with me about Maya's voice. She has a tone and timbre that is purely her. No one else sounds like Maya. Its undeniably unique and intriguing. Maya recently released a brand new record titled "Violet Light". Its a beautifully collaborative collection of songs recorded during the pandemic. Two things that usually
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.
Billsville House Concerts at The Coffee Bar (Bennington, VT) Music Features by Brian Carroll - February 7, 20220 Living in a place like Vermont, we are lucky to have 'pockets' that have a soil rich with creativity and people wanting to capture the essence of it. The Shire Towns of Southwestern VT is an area ripe with riches in that realm. My favorite summer music festival. A beautiful backdrop with multiple ski mountains within a stones throw of one another. And an ol' friend's incredibly special home concert series. A few weeks back, Doug Hacker (aforementioned ol' friend) announced a new partnership for his home concert series, Billsville House Concerts. From their newsletter: We've been missing live music so much. Given COVID issues and the size of our house, we have held off on hosting any indoor shows again this
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