independent thoughts on indie rock, alternative, and indie pop music
This January, The Whistles & The Bells, the new incarnation and creation of multi-instrumentalist Bryan Simpson, did an intra-city tour of Nashville, with the last show taking place at legendary and intimate venue The Basement (the last two shows were supposed to be at The Basement actually, but Nashville was in the midst of Snowmageddon,... Continue Reading →
Richmond, Virginia-based indie rockers Those Manic Seas are going on tour again!  The band has been in a quick period of transition in the two months since their last tour, losing a member, gaining an awesome new one, revamping their live show, and seeing their tour van through multiple rounds of open-heart surgery (which, quite honestly, was... Continue Reading →
“I found my mother’s nylon string classical guitar in the basement of our house in San Francisco, and I started messing around on it. I never had any formal training or lessons, which part of the reason why I play my guitar upside down and backwards, I’m a left-handed person playing a right-handed guitar," says Shadwick Wilde,... Continue Reading →
This was going to be no ordinary interview.  On the other end of the phone was none other than John Rayne, a techno-evangelist bard from a post-apocalyptic American future, here in Nashville's present to tell us the truth through his eclectic style of modern folk music, which is created by his disembodied spirit, Boom Forest.  This,... Continue Reading →
Singer/songwriter Marchelle Brandanini, a.k.a. Pony Boy, grew up in a town in northern California called Vacaville, a name which literally means "Cow Town." Her hometown was small, but close enough to San Francisco that she could study classical music and opera.  One day, she heard the raspy roar of Janis Joplin, thought "Wow! I want to... Continue Reading →
Nashville-based Americana singer/songwriter Patrick Kinsley will be celebrating the release of his new LP, For A Thousand Miles, by performing with his band, A Fistful Of Dollars, at legendary Nashville venue The Basement on Wednesday, July 15th.  The forthcoming album was recorded at Blue Duck Studios by Jesse Thompson of Forlorn Strangers in Nashville.  Kinsley's shakey voice and sad lyrics... Continue Reading →
Once upon a time, I walked into Grimey's record store in Nashville to browse and heard music that widened my brown eyes and stopped me in my tracks. Â I approached the counter, asked whose record was on rotation, and the clerk pointed to an album called Young & Old by a band named Tennis. Â I... Continue Reading →
If you are familiar with Nashville, you've probably heard of Grimey's, a.k.a. Grimey's New and Preloved Music (owned and operated by Mike Grimes and Doyle Davis), my favorite local record store, located in a big, old, creaky house on 8th Avenue South...and if you've heard of Grimey's, chances are you've heard of The Basement, the... Continue Reading →
Nashville-based indie rock band The Lower Caves, comprised of Aaron Ahlstrom (vocals) who may or may not be a spy in real life, Jon Shearer (guitar/keys), Sean Savacool (bass), Jonathan Williams (drums), and an occasional fifth member, whom Aaron mysteriously refers to as 'The Beard'), will be playing at The Basement this Friday with Yumi and The... Continue Reading →
I've seen a lot of things in my days, and there aren't too many things that truly surprise me anymore....until I was introduced to a band called Those Manic Seas from Richmond, Virginia. "But Susan," you ask, "what's the story? Why the intrigue?" Well, friends, it's because the lead singer for Those Manic Seas is... Continue Reading →
