With a rumble of southern rock guitar shaking the rafters, a hush fell over the expectant crowd at Nashville’s Marathon Music Works recently. With one of the widest stages in town—one side filled end to end with The Magpie Salute’s array of artists, the other side lined with expectant fans—the scene was set. The Magpie…
“The first time you go overseas, and you’re playing in France, or England, and people are singing your songs—for a guy who couldn’t get people to sing his songs in his own hometown for most of his life, that’s a mind-blower,” recalls The Record Company’s Chris Vos in a rare moment of reflection. “Having our…
“Never been to hell and back, I can’t imagine it’s pretty,” coos Sc Mira’s Sadye Cage in the band’s recent single, “Mexico.” Lead by a voice like a White Rabbit in Wonderland that lures listeners into an unpredictable adventure, this Canadian band has the corner on cool. “A few years back. we recorded and released…
Ohio-based rock outfit Brian Lisik and The Unfortunates will release their new album, We’re Sorry, on September 15th. Recorded in a whirlwind six days inside the former Gardner Pie Company factory (a space that also doubles as a scuba diving training facility and occasional rehearsal space for Black Keys’ guitarist, Dan Auerbach) the album’s spontaneity…
Los Angeles-based enigmatic R&B/soul artist Vector Xing began life as a musical sort, but never dreamed he could make a career of making his own art. After graduating from Princeton, the undercover singer entered the management side of the music industry, working for the legendary Quincy Jones for several years. “I managed artists and saw…
Nick Pankey and Kaston Guffey, who seem more like brothers than life-long friends, met each other in the Ozark, Missouri middle school equivalent of home economics class. “It was a great class, and of course we met girls,” says Pankey with a laugh. The pair bonded over music in high school, and made basement recordings…
“Sleep is the key. Wherever and whenever. I’ll throw my backpack down in the airport and catch a catnap,” laughs Michael Franti of his hectic tour schedule. Franti and his band, Spearhead, are currently in the midst of a worldwide trek across the globe on their Love Out Loud Tour, which began in June and…
It’s 1992. I’m too young for a license, but my cousin volunteers to teach me to drive his blue Chevy Cavalier on a dusty dirt road in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. From the tape deck, this gut-punching Southern rock n’ roll music surges into the car, and I am mystified. “What is this??” I think…
With the clear summer sky came a touch of balmy heat that didn’t go unnoticed on the Musicans Corner stage. “Pretty soon we hope that your tears will mingle with the drops of sweat running down your face,” quipped Laura Rogers, who, with her sister Lydia, composes Americana duo The Secret Sisters. “We are going…
New Jersey indie rockers The Break Lights, who recently landed on NPR’s radar with an impressively ear-catching Tiny Desk Concert submission, will release their self-recorded/self-produced new album, The Bright Life, on September 22nd. Today, the band reveals their latest single, “Step Into The Light,” which follows their Beatles-esque head-bobber, “Why Don’t You Call Me?,” shared…