The first riff of “Five Dollar Bill,” the opening track of Anna Tivel’s sophomore album, made my brain turn somersaults. Don’t worry — it was in a happy way. Tivel manages to capture the performance styles of my favorites: Kendl…
Carolina is an album of exceptional beauty. I don’t mean to say that this is a carefully crafted Old Master hung up somewhere in the Met. It’s more like a painting from the Hudson River School: thoughtfully composed, but earthy…
I’m such a fuck-up. American Opera (a.k.a. John Bee) and Sad and French opened for Two Cow Garage back in February. I didn’t take the time to research American Opera and skipped the set. I spoke with Bee after the…
I wasn’t really sure how I felt about Adam Faucett the first time I listened to “Day Drinker.” I was at work, I was stressed, I was listening on laptop speakers. Faucett’s opening, plaintive wail seemed more like interesting caterwauling.…
The other day I though, “Huh. What ever happened to Kent Goolsby?” The former frontman of The Only Sons released a remarkable debut album last year, and I hadn’t heard much since. Turns out he got himself hitched, the main…