Locals Covering Locals: Mark Whitaker Covering Noam Weinstein Locals Covering Locals by Brian Carroll - June 19, 2014January 21, 20160 When I first heard about Mark Whitaker I honestly said to myself “uh oh, a songwriting banjo player…this should be interesting”. No joke. We were sharing a songwriter’s in the round gig at Tommy Doyles. Jay Basinger (of North of Nashville), Mark and myself were slotted to swap songs and play upstairs, which was then moved to the basement where no one knew we were playing, during the presidential election announcements, on a Tuesday. Needless to say the crowd was less than stellar in size, but a recently engaged couple was there and we serenaded them all night. From the second Mark launched into his first song I immediately regretted my “songwriting banjoist” thoughts. Ever since I heard the first
Locals Covering Locals: Jenee Halstead Covers Danielle Miraglia Locals Covering Locals by Brian Carroll - June 11, 2014January 21, 20160 The first time that I heard Jenee Halstead sing I was mesmerized. The perfect amount of twang and heart spiraling together and outward to the audience. The poor audience doesn’t know what is going to hit them, but when it hits they too are sent into a helix of wonderful things. I believe it was her song “Damascus” that just had me hooked and reeled in. It was a moment of “why can’t every female songwriter just sound exactly like this?” that overtook me and I immediately got it. By the time I first heard Jenee’s take on Dolly Parton’s ‘Jolene’ I was already sold, but when she launched into that first repetition of the song’s namesake I was lining
Locals Covering Locals: Mark Kilianski, Amy Alvey, Lukas Pool Cover Maya de Vitry Locals Covering Locals by Brian Carroll - June 10, 2014January 21, 20160 It’s no secret to those who know me best that my heart lies deep in the bluegrass realm of the musical world. Some of my most favorite pickers of all time live right here in town and I even get to play with them on some occasions. One of those folks just happened to have recorded an old Flatt and Scruggs tune with me at the same studio we recorded the Locals Covering Local project at…and that gent’s name is Mark Kilianski. Mark and I first met when he was still at Berklee and I was just a songwriter around town looking for people to play with. Something about him always made me want to play better. He is an intensely
Locals Covering Locals: Ian Fitzgerald Covers Will Houlihan Locals Covering Locals by Brian Carroll - June 5, 2014January 21, 20160 There’s an itch that I often can scratch musically speaking. Something in the songwriting realm that is beyond my reach. A sound that is equal parts gorgeous and despair.Songs that are not merely written, but crafted. Intensely and purposefully penned. Ian Fitzgerald is the backscratcher that helps me rid the itch. Although I haven’t known Ian personally all that long, it certainly feels like I have known him for a lifetime. Both through his music and through our own personal friendship, he, like many other folks came into my life via the blog and a review. He very quickly became one of my favorite songwriters or all time, never mind simply locally. He has some of the most thought out, self
Locals Covering Locals: Danielle Miraglia Covers Jenee Halstead Locals Covering Locals by Brian Carroll - May 30, 2014January 21, 20160 I honestly don’t remember the very first time I met Danielle Miraglia. Every time I see her perform I am so floored by her voice, her attitude, her music that is always feels like the first time I am seeing her and meeting her. With a sound and vibe that is deeply rooted in blues…and I mean as deep as you can dig a thumb into the low E string of a vintage Gibson…she is really unlike any other solo songwriter I have seen. There aren’t many gals out there pickin’ like Robert Johnson and pounding on a giant stompbox. The rhythm, the beat, the feel. Her sound and talent is raw and emotional. Hearing her sing is a real
Locals Covering Locals: The Bean Picker’s Union Covers Sean Staples Locals Covering Locals by Brian Carroll - May 28, 2014January 21, 20160 For a long while I knew “of” The Bean Picker’s Union. A collective of musicians centered around the songs of one of my (now) favorite songwriters, Chuck Melchin. Chuck and I first met on craigslist…insert creepy comment here. I was looking to get back into mandolin and Chuck needed an archtop that wasn’t his vintage Gibson to bring to gigs at dives where beer would surely be spilled on it. We traded instruments, and we traded copies of our own records. I must have spun Potlatch until the disc wore all the way through. I was totally engulfed in his prose, in the way he annunciated and how friggin sad a song he could craft. Just in awe. Chuck and I
Locals Covering Locals: Matt Chieffo Covers The Fantastic Liars Locals Covering Locals by Brian Carroll - May 20, 2014January 21, 20160 Matt Chieffo is the lead singer, songwriter, guitar/percussion/banjo/banjolin/etc, etc, etc for the haunting folk group “Man Alive!”. His songs tell stories about life, about death, and always seem to be able to blend a truly spooky vibe with sounds that make you want to dance and stomp your feet. I am not sure how he does it, but it never ceases to amaze me. He is one of those writers that manages to incorporate great stories, poignant lyrics, but always get a great hook in there (“the first time I got high was with YOU Andy”…consistently runs through my head). His vocal is one of the most unique out there and is the strong thread in the sonic feel to
“Locals Covering Locals” Album Release Show: July 5th, Club Passim Locals Covering Locals by Brian Carroll - May 8, 2014January 21, 20160 I am very proud to announce that the “Local Covering Locals” CD release show tickets have officially gone on sale. More information below and to come, but I will say this…we are printing a very limited public quantity of these albums. The cover artwork was done by the incredibly talented artist and songwriter Dan Blakeslee. You definitely want one of these albums. The album will be FREE. That’s right, FREE, but the only way for you to get your hands on one is to come to this release show. All of the audience members will get a free copy of the record. So take home a piece of (what I hope becomes) a little bit of Red Line Roots and
Locals Covering Locals Video Roll Out… Locals Covering Locals by Brian Carroll - April 10, 2014January 21, 20160 Seven years ago I was a frustrated, alone, self loathing artist playing any gig that would have me, subsequently becoming more frustrated as a result of playing shitty gigs to no one, and just overall unhappy with music. Since then, and the past year in particular, a lot has changed. Music has changed my life. It has shaped my life, personally, professionally, emotionally, socially. Pretty much most aspects of my life are touched or impacted by music on some wavelength. I have met incredible human beings and proudly consider a lot of them my closest friends as a result of music. These people have affected me in a way that I cannot truly explain nor begin to comprehend. Some of my
Cover Your Friends Feature: Wise Old Moon Locals Covering Locals by Brian Carroll - March 14, 2014January 21, 20160 I came across Wise Old Moon via Idlewilde Creations. Connor Millican and Corey Pane run this multi-media organization specializing in everything from video to photography to screen printing and drawing/painting. It truly is a multi-media landscape that these boys cover. I participated in a video shoot for their Old Guitar series about a year ago or so (other amazing folks like Ian Fitzgerald, Steve Allain, Kerri Powers, and Jonah Tolchin have as well!), then they came and shot a bunch of footage for last year's New England Americana Festival. I had been so impressed with their work and their attitude about music and community that I wanted to bring Idlewilde in to help with our Locals Covering Locals recording project