independent thoughts on indie rock, alternative, and indie pop music
It’s an exciting day in this music writer’s world when raw talent makes its way to my admittedly cluttered inbox—when I get to hear someone making music, the sound of which is so pure that it makes the hair on the back of my neck stand at attention. Those instances make writing worth the effort—like... Continue Reading →
Several months ago, New York-based singer/songwriter Shlomo Franklin found himself in a vintage guitar shop in Teaneck, New Jersey called Lark Street Music, sampling a 1940s-era Gibson and quietly singing a song he had never before sung. Little did he know, the owner of said shop was listening, thought it was a record playing in the back of the... Continue Reading →
"This song means a great deal to me and was one of the first songs I wrote that I was really proud of lyrically, emotively, and musically," says Nashville's Tim McNary of the title track to his latest EP, released earlier this year. The video, filmed and directed by CRFT/SVCS is a stunning interpretation of... Continue Reading →
Aussie folk duo Hollow Coves has released a new single, "Coastline", the second from their forthcoming debut EP, Wanderlust, set for release on February 3, 2017. The pair see travel and adventure as their inspiration for their debut; introspective and understated, "Coastline" taps into a universal yearning for escape to a simpler, more beautiful life. The song was penned... Continue Reading →
“My dad told me he sang to my mom’s stomach when she was pregnant with me, and he’d sing to me a bedtime when I was little. Music has always, for me, represented a soothing and calming expression of love,” explains indie folk songstress Nicolette Smith. The Southern California native hails from a large musical... Continue Reading →
Singer-songwriter Tanya Gallagher will release Virginia, a collection of seven songs recorded three years ago with friend Brandon Hoffman, on September 30th. "I had just moved to Vancouver and after recording them I felt that the songs were a bit too fresh to release immediately," she explains. "They needed time to breathe and settle a bit."... Continue Reading →
Tim McNary is a seeker; always with a book in tow—Rainer Rilke, Beat poetry from the likes of Lawrence Ferlinghetti as of late, and facing challenges with resolve and curiosity. After college, he ventured alone to South America, backpacked through Peru and Bolivia, eventually landing in Brazil, teaching English to children. “I got my mom... Continue Reading →
Gathered together around a microphone or two, Darlingside, masters of vocal harmonies and conquerors of all things stringed, dazzled and delighted a rapt City Winery audience; currently on tour with Mexo-Americana group David Wax Museum, the busy Boston folk quartet brought "more Doug" to the Music City. Friend and new Nashvillian, Americana songstress Caitlin Canty, joined the group onstage for a... Continue Reading →
When I last spoke with indie folk ensemble Darlingside--with whom I had a philosophical post-Thanksgiving discussion about the difference between "dressing" and "stuffing"--they had just released their latest album, Birds Say, and had been on tour with the likes of Patty Griffin, King Cardinal, The Ballroom Thieves, Tall Heights, and Caitlin Canty. Since then, they have continued to... Continue Reading →
If you follow this site (and if you don’t, you really should), you saw that we recently covered the Savannah Stopover Music Festival, which was, in a word, amazing. I had the chance to chat with Martin Earley, Devin Mauch, and Calin Peters, a.k.a. indie folk trio The Ballroom Thieves, who had, only a few... Continue Reading →
