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
Music Reviews
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City on a Hill – Mile Twelve
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
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Breaking In Lonesome – Rick Faris
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
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Calling After Me – No Time Flatt
The fact that Western Tennessee’s No Time Flatt chose to name themselves after a true bluegrass icon says something about their commitment to the cause. However it also doesn’t negate the fact that this band isn’t wholly tied to tradition.
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Closing The Gap – Molsky’s Mountain Drifters
Fiddler Bruce Molsky has always been an ardent archivist. A former street kid from Brooklyn, he traded the bright lights of the big city for the rural environs of Virginia at a relatively early age. Over the years he’s gained a respected
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Originalist – Audie Blaylock and Redline
The title given the latest release by the veteran combo Audie Blaylock and Redline may, at first, seem something of a misnomer. While Blaylock (guitar, vocals) and his compatriots in Redline — Even Ward (banjo), Mason Wright (fiddle) and Reed
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Inner Journey – Darin and Brooke Aldridge
Every year or so, I convince myself that Darin and Brooke Aldridge’s streak of making a record that’s better than the last one will come to an end. It’s nothing more than the law of averages, really, and it happens
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Salem Town – Backline
With the two previous albums they’ve recorded so far, Backline have clearly made a formidable impression on their newfound fans and admirers. Singer Katelyn Ingardia is the band’s prime presence, and her stunning vocals electrify every song that finds her
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Renaissance – Billy Droze
As has been noted on these pages previously, Billy Droze has all the makings of a superstar. With any number of hit singles to his credit — which he’s penned for The Grascals, Junior Sisk, Flatt Lonesome, Darryl Worley, Shenandoah,
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Fireweed – Natalie Padilla
It would be hard to imagine an album more genuinely inspired or better imbued with sincerity than Fireweed, the latest offering from Natalie Padilla, a musician, educator, and enthusiast whose career has found equal standing in the worlds of both