Thanks to No Depression‘s year-end roundup, I spent the day acquainting myself with Aaron Lee Tasjan’s Silver Tears — a fine set of songs I’m just now hearing even though…
Ten years ago today, I spearheaded the launch of Popdose, a pop culture site dedicated to the idea that every piece of art is worth discussing and the fervent hope…
I didn’t set out to be a writer. Like countless others who’ve gone on to carve out a living in cultural commentary, my youthful dreams centered around making art myself;…
Weeks and weeks ago, I was tagged in one of those “name 10 albums that have stuck with you” Facebook posts. You aren’t supposed to think too much about the…
When James Taylor released his 12th album, Never Die Young, in January of 1988, I was 13 — just the right age to have little to no awareness of his…
I don’t care what’s included, there’s absolutely no possible configuration of Pink Floyd’s The Division Bell that could justify charging $135 for a deluxe box. I’m admittedly not a huge Floyd fan,…
I’d never heard of Secret Stash Records before the ever-indispensable Heavy Soul Brutha hipped me to the existence of Sonny Knight and the Lakers’ new I’m Still Here LP, but…
There’s just something about sibling harmony.
There are artists whose music I love, but whose output I find too prolific to follow — guys like Bill Mallonee, who I think is a genius songwriter but blasts…
The old man reached under his bed and pulled out an ancient cardboard guitar case. Opening it slowly, he removed the oldest Gibson guitar I had ever seen and strummed…
The ukulele might be the official instrument for YouTube cover artists and Zooey Deschanel wannabes, but I’ll tell you something else it’s good for: Aging writers who have always loved…
“Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about the nature of my art,” wrote my friend Arend Anton in a recent Facebook post. “I used to ride the waves of creativity,…