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Chapel Hart received a big career boost when they were included in CMT’s “Next Women of Country, Class of 2021.” Yet, in actuality, the trio—Danica Hart, her sister Devynn Hart and their cousin Trea Swindle— has been steadily gaining more and more attention for the past three years, thanks to their vibrant live performances and…
After playing together as The Duo for the first time in almost four years at Relix’s New York City studio space, the keyboardist and drummer look back on a year full of pauses and stops—and a lifetime of musical mind-reading. This piece originally appeared in our June issue, which is available in the Relix Marketplace.…
JP Harris is well known in Nashville, both as a carpenter and a clawhammer banjo player with deep roots in traditional music. He prefers to pick out tunes on the fretless instruments he’s made himself and, on this album, he delves deep into the folk roots of American music. Singer and fiddle player Chance McCoy,…
On Sept. 15 and 16, New York’s Brooklyn Bowl hosted High Holidays 2021, commemorating Yom Kippur with virtual appearances by Disco Biscuits’ Aron Magner, Strangefolk’s Reid Genauer, Bonnie Light Horseman’s Josh Kaufman, singer Annie Nero and more. Sept. 15 highlights included Guster’s Brian Rosenworcel playing percussion during a prayer with guitarist Bryan Grone. On Sept. 16, Magner led…
Disco Biscuits’ Aron Magner, Strangefolk’s Reid Genauer, Bonnie Light Horseman’s Josh Kaufman and singer Annie Nero have joined the lineup for the suite of musically inclined High Holiday services that will be streamed on Fans.live. The musicians will all contribute remotely to the Yom Kippur streams, which will be filmed at The Relix Studio. In addition, Guster’s Brian…
photo credit: Alison Narro The latest album from Matt Sever (aka Matt The Electrician) is set for release on November 5. The singer-songwriter enlisted Tucker Martine (Decemberists, Neko Case, First Aid Kit) to produce We Imagined an Ending. Sever observes, “On all of his records, Tucker creates this wider space. There’s just this natural wide…
George Wein at the 2010 Newport Jazz Festival (photo credit Ayano Hisa) *** Following the passing at age 95 of New Orleans Jazz & Heritage, Newport Folk and Newport Jazz founder George T. Wein, we present this conversation from 2014. For more with George, check out this piece from 2019, on the occasion of Jazz…
Betty Cantor working with the Grateful Dead in Herouville, France, 6/21/71 (Photo credit: Rosie McGee) *** “It was an interesting period. We didn’t quite slow down; we just went in different directions. A lot of stuff was happening,” Betty Cantor says, as she thinks back on the Grateful Dead’s creative output from the late ‘60s…
photo credit: Patti Collins “The power of the one breaks down barriers,” Bootsy Collins told Relix earlier this year, when discussing his latest studio record, The Power of the One. “The goal is to bring everybody together, without the name calling. We’re all on one planet—spinning around in space—and we have to work and live…
George Wein receives the key to the city of New Orleans from Mayor LaToya Cantrell at Jazz Fest 2019, Photo by Dino Perrucci George T. Wein, co-founder and creator of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Newport Jazz Festival and the Newport Folk Festival, died peacefully in his sleep on Sept. 13, 2021. He…
Photo credit: James Joiner A key moment in the making of Modest Mouse’s new LP— and, from the sound of it, Isaac Brock’s entire life—was the burning of ibogaine, a hallucinogenic African tree bark. “I wanted to get past some recovery things and quit smoking—shit like that,” the songwriter recalls. “The pandemic hit and, by…
Over the course of the coronavirus pandemic, many bands have found unique ways to relocate to different remote areas in order to focus on their musical vision. Yet, The Nude Party were way ahead of the curve—they were already collectively living in a house in the Catskills when the concert industry went on pause. The…
On Sacred Ceremonies (TUM), the brilliant trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith duos and trios with drummer/herbalist Milford Graves and electric bassist Bill Laswell. Recorded in 2015-16, the three-disc box set serves as testament to the percussive genius of Graves, who died earlier this year, and to the late-period brilliance of Smith, whose recent discography includes uncompromising…
The BottleRock Festival took place from Sept. 3-5 in Napa Valley, Calif. And while headliner Chris Stapleton canceled last minute, The Highwomen took over his Friday night slot in style. Other standout performances included Foo Fighters, Turkuaz with Jerry Harrison and Adrian Belew, Megan Thee Stallion, Spafford and more. Guns N Roses made the biggest…
photo credit: Neil Krug *** Brandi Carlile has a great excuse for being late for this interview: She was helping a friend with a new song. And, not just any friend—Elton John. “With him, it’s just like, ‘Can you sing on this?’ and I’m like, ‘Yep!’” the singer says with a grin, sitting in the…
On Sunday, Sept. 5, the 10th annual Greenwich Town Party took place in Connecticut with performances by Zac Brown Band, The Eagles and more. Traditionally, the party is held over Memorial Day weekend, but COVID forced cancellations and rescheduling. Earlier in the day, New Orleans’ legendary Preservation Hall Jazz Band – led by Mr. Charlie…
My intention, when Relix kindly offered me this space to write about whatever I wanted, was to write something that would obliquely tie into my new band, Ghost of Vroom, and our new album, Ghost of Vroom 1. We made a record; it’s really good, and you should listen to it. It sounds more like…
Photo by Jay Sansone On Nov. 12, Gov’t Mule will drop Heavy Load Blues, a new collection of studio tracks that includes originals by Warren Haynes as well as covers of Tom Waits, The Howlin’ Wolf, Elmore James, Junior Wells, Ann Peebles, Bobby “Blue” Bland and the Animals. To give fans a taste of the…
Running through Oct. 11-13, Oct. 18-20 and Oct. 29-31, Phil Lesh’s upcoming Halloween run at The Capitol Theatre is sure to be a scream. Now, the bassist has revealed the lineup for each stretch of the run. The Q (Jimmy Herring, John Molo and Rob Barraco) will head up weekend one, whereas a rotating cast…
On Sept. 2, Futurebirds made their debut at Atlanta’s new venue, The Eastern. The show opened with the band’s 2021 cut “College Try” and closed with a four-part encore of “My Broken Arm,” “Virginia Slims”> “Ski Chalet” and finally “Yur Not Dead.” Stay up to date with Futurebirds via their official website. Adam Smith shares…
Peaceful Uneasy Feeling T. Hardy Morris had a set of songs demoed and ready to go for a new album when the novel coronavirus brought him to a sudden halt. And that’s when the Athens, Ga.-based singer/ guitarist decided to scrap everything and start over. “The songs came quickly— I stumbled on a different guitar…
If the title Sunrise Reprise gives the impression that it’s a redo, a continuation of something that took place before, that’s somewhat true, but not in a bad way. In 2019, the renowned jazz saxophonist Chris Potter released Circuits, a bold session that expanded his reach as player and composer. Accompanied by two equally forward-thinking…
From Sept. 3-5, Al Di Meola returned to New York City’s Blue Note to play a batch of shows “Back by Popular Demand.” The guitarist was backed by special guests Amit Kavthekar and Richie Morales, and played a total of six shows over three nights. PhotogrpheDino Perrucci shares his shots from Friday night below:
Arcade Fire/Antibalas saxophonist Stuart Bogie and Armo will lead after-service jams at New York’s Brooklyn Bowl following the High Holidays on Sept. 6 and 7. Bogie, who has also collaborated extensively with Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, will lead a jam session following the conclusion of Monday night’s First Night Rosh Hashanah service while Armo, which…
Photo credit: Dean Budnick “Thank God this came along,” Oteil Burbridge says while discussing his Osiris podcast, Comes a Time. The bassist, who launched the series during the pandemic, along with his co-host, stand-up comedian Mike Finoia, has been able to explore a mix of pertinent social justice issues, as well as some more arcane…
On Aug. 25, GZA wrapped up his two-night, four show sold-out run at New York City’s famed Blue Note jazz club. Talib Kweli also stepped onstage with the Wu-Tang rapper and his live band, acting as the evening’s special guest and performing “a number of classics that have shaped the sound of hip-hop.” Dino Perrucci…
The odds of Mdou Moctar becoming a psych-rock icon were impossibly small. The guitarist hails from Agadez, Niger, a rural city located in the Sahara desert—and he only broke through internationally after Christopher Kirkley, a label owner from Portland, Ore. happened to discover his music via Bluetooth during a trip to West Africa. Then there’s…
If there’s a prevailing notion—a thesis, if you will—to Quietly Blowing It, Hiss Golden Messenger’s latest album, it’s that, no matter how bad things seem, hope springs eternal. “So forward, children/ Never back down,” frontman M.C. Taylor remarks on the optimistic singalong “Hardlytown.” “What used to hurt you can’t hurt you now/ The world feels…
photo credit: Shervin Lainez One day in 2014, The Antlers frontman Peter Silberman found himself living what is surely one of every musician’s worst nightmare—his left ear just went kaput. “When it happened, it felt super random,” he recalls. “I wasn’t able to get explanations from doctors as to what might have caused it. They…
Bonnaroo will not take place in 2021, due to excessive water in the wake of Hurricane Ida. Initally organizers scaled back campgrounds, and asked fans to step forward for full refunds, but the news came on Tuesday, Aug. 31 that the Sept. 2-5 event will be canceled entirely. “We are absolutely heartbroken to announce that…