Reviews

  • New Richmond Town – Cox’s Army

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    There’s a clear distinction between confidence and cockiness. The former is a reflection of effort, ability and familiarity with a genre. The latter is indicative of the desire simply to grandstand and tout one’s image, often to the detriment of

  • A Mountain To Climb – The Churchmen

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    There’s no doubt, even from the opening notes of I’d Like to be Your Neighbor, the initial song on this, their 10th album, that The Churchmen live up to their name. Likewise, it’s especially evident that the title of their new

  • NC BanjoFest makes its mark in the dark

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    Assembled banjo pickers at the 2019 North Carolina BanjoFest - photo by Gary Hatley The show must go on and it did, despite a two hour power outage during a rainstorm, at the North Carolina Banjofest this past weekend in Clemmons,

  • Every Bit Of Me – Ali Shumate

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    There may be no more successful song incubator than the Lil House songwriting workshops conducted by Donna Ulisse, Jerry Salley, and Rick Stanley at Donna and Rick’s farm in Lebanon, Tennessee. The Family Sowell, Ulisse, and a handful of others have

  • Pictures – Hammertowne

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    There’s something to be said about putting one’s music where one’s mouth is. Simply put, that means not only tapping into a traditional template but also sharing the stories that are compatible  with its vintage origins. That’s the mantra that Hammertowne

  • New County Grass at The Kentuckians of Michigan

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    New County Grass at The Kentuckians of Michigan (11/15/19) - photo © Bill Warren The Kentuckians of Michigan have presented bluegrass music through the fall, winter, and spring months for over twenty years. This past Friday night the club showcased one

  • City on a Hill – Mile Twelve

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    The Boston-based band Mile Twelve take inspiration from their allegories. Their name refers to a mile marker on their hometown’s southern parameter, while their sophomore set, City on a Hill, references the fact that Boston boasts a long held reputation

  • Breaking In Lonesome – Rick Faris

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    I had a hard time coming to grips with the fact that Breaking In Lonesome is Rick Faris’s first recording as a solo artist. Part of it is his decade-long presence in Special Consensus, where his agreeable vocals and stellar