“Homeless” with Parker Millsap (vocals, guitar and harmonica), Michael Rose (bass) and Daniel Foulks (violin), recorded during the O2 Sessions at Breathing Rhythm Studio in Norman Oklahoma.

Barely 20, Parker Millsap is an old soul, with a seeming history of life lessons, with which to turn well-told stories into well-crafted songs. He is a son of the Oklahoma red dirt music tradition that melds rock, country, blues, folk and roots into a genre of it's own.

There are obvious influences by Tom Waits, Lyle Lovett, Robert Earl Keen, Ry Cooder, Howlin’ Wolf and Mississippi John Hurt... but Parker's music is distinctively his own. He has a gravel-worn, whiskey-soaked vocal delivery that remains pleasantly smooth.  His bandmates include Michael Rose on standup bass and Daniel Foulks on violin.  They are both extremely accomplished musicians, but provide for sparse arrangements... perfectly suited to the songs.

His debut CD Palisade is garnering national attention.  Parker says of it: “I’m proud of the silence on that record, the space on that record, the moments when we let it breathe. It’s tempting to fill everything up, but that was the best service to the songs,” he said. “That record is us building our fort, saying, ‘This is what we do.’”

Barely 20, with a full life in front of him, and the makings of a legend.

Enjoy!

Parker and Michael Rose are good friends of ours and former Tuesday Night Music Club regulars. Happy to see them touring along with another friend John Fullbright. We spent Saturday at a cd release party for the Red Dirt Rangers newest release, 'Lone Chimney'. Great music. 

I'd be honored! Thanks. John!

are you all going to woodyfest? i know our margaret kraft is going!

Amy Speace (featuring John Fulbright) performs The Sea and The Shore from her new CD How to Sleep in a Stormy Boat (Wind Bone Records 2013).  The song was written by Amy Speace and Robby Hecht... the video was directed by Korby Lenker, and filmed on a bitterly cold day in Nashville, this past January.  The lyrics narrate the story of a failing relationship, acted out by two marionettes, courtesy of the Nashville Puppet Theater.

Speace recorded How To Sleep In A Stormy Boat in Nashville with producer Neilson Hubbard. The album’s 11 songs reflects themes of lost love throughout, with Speace drawing inspiration from the classic works of William Shakespeare. In addition to Fullbright, special guests include singer/songwriter Mary Gauthier and cellist Ben Sollee. 

Amy landed in New York City after college to pursue a life in theater. She studied acting at The National Shakespeare Conservatory, toured the US with the National Shakespeare Company, started her own theater company to direct and produce the plays she had written, and in the midst of her early 20’s, picked up a pawn shop guitar, wrote her first songs, and found herself with steady gigs at such storied venues as The Bitter End and The Living Room.

2012–2013 has been a groundbreaking period for John Fullbright, and the Grammy nomination for his latest CD From The Ground Up was just one of many highlights.  He is a young man who finds love, beauty and pain in the here and now, and skepticism and disdain for those who would take advantage of the dreams of those hoping for a better world. That he can articulate his worldview with an almost otherworldly precocity makes his debut studio album worthy of attention. From the fertile ground of Woody Guthrie’s Oklahoma, another songwriting legend may be blooming.

I   saw Amy earlier this month when she was here in Houston. She is one classy lady and gets better every time I have the good fortune to see her perform. 

Last weekend I heard Carrie Elkin and Danny Schmidt at Wyldwood House Concerts in Austin.

The weekend before that Raina Rose had her CD release party at the PartyShack OutBack in the Heights here in Houston. Rebecca Loebe was there also.

And the weekend before that it was Sara Hickman at the Bugle Boy in La Grange. She had that old army barrack rocking so hard the roof tried to get up and leave twice.

All the singers are in my 'ToDo' bucket that says I will drive 200 miles one way to hear them play. 

Dave, you and I share some similar taste in singer-songwriters.  I love everyone you mentioned.  I have not been to the PartyShack Outback yet, but my son just moved to Houston this week... so it sounds like I have a reason to come check it out.

Parker Millsap and Michael Rose were here a couple of weeks ago. I heard cuts from the new as yet untitled CD. Good Lord it's hands and heads above his last project and I thought that was a fine piece of work. And the Amy Speace/Fullbright video is a fine piece of work itself. 

i love your participation in this, guys! thanks...word gets around, and you're helping folks get more attention!

We had a local family musical group do a performance at our Winema Theater in town..they were joined by Spanky McFarland of the Spanky and Our Gang group..(later 60's).  Spanky went on to replace Mamma Cass with the Mamma's and Papa's... Only about 50 people attended an incredible show...  "California Dreaming"... and more...

what a pretty theater that is, mark!

John Cook....

search for PartyShack OutBack on Face Book and ask to get on their invite list.

It was formally known as Club Dub Dub and before that as Club JellyFish.

Sara Hickman is at the Mucky Duck on the 26th. Raina and Rebecca had something going at the Duck in November but I see it is now missing from RL website and MD calendar.

These two youngsters met here at our place a couple of years ago. Toured west coast recently. https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=2YfTaDD...

Julie Fowlis - Bothan Àirigh am Bràigh Raithneach

Brought up on North Uist in Scotland’s Outer Hebrides, Julie Fowlis has been a proud standard bearer for Gaelic music and culture over the course of her career.  The following video is of the song Bothan Àirigh am Bràigh Raithneach which is contained on her album Uam.  The word Uam translates from Gaelic to “from me” in English.  The idea of passing a song, a tune or a story from one person to another is a common one throughout Gaelic Scotland, and Julie feels being given a song is like being given a gift. One you can use and enjoy yourself, but one which ultimately must be passed on to someone else. The song is always more important than the singer and must be passed on to survive.  If you just can’t stand not understanding the lyrics in Gaelic, I have provided the English translation below.  But trust me on this… the music and song are beautiful just as they are.

Julie Fowlis - Vocals

Bruce Molsky - Harmony Vocals & Fiddle

Aly Bain - Fiddle

Michael McGoldrick - Whistle

Russ Barenberg - Mandolin

Phil Cunningham - Piano

Jerry Douglas - Slide

Sharon Shannon - Button Accordion

A Sheiling on the Braes of Rannoch

It was my love and my treasure

who went yesterday to Glengarry,

the man with hair like gold

and kisses that taste of honey.

You suit your clothes

better than any man on earth;

you look better in your garments

than any man I've ever seen.

You look better in stockings

and comfortable laced shoes,

a dark blue London coat

that cost many crowns to buy.

When you arrive at the fair,

you'll bring home my gear,

my small belt and my comb

and my little narrow fastening head-band.

My belt will come from Edinburgh

and my marriage head-dress from Dunkeld,

we'll get cattle from the Mearns

and sheep from Caithness.

And we'll rear them in a sheiling

in Bràigh Raithneach,

in the brush-wood enclosed

hut of dalliance.

The cuckoo will sing

its song to us from the trees,

the brown stag and its roaring

will wake us in the morning.

Lori McKenna is a mother of five from Stoughton, Mass about 20 miles outside Boston. She has been writing songs since she was 13 but didn't perform her originals for an audience until she was 27, encouraged by her husband and children. I believe she is one of the greatest living songwriters in America today.  In this short video she talks about how she writes and sometimes chases songs… and about the need to create her latest work MASSACHUSETTS in the community of songwriters and musicians who gave her the opportunity to learn her craft.  If you ever have the opportunity to see/hear her live… don’t miss it.

DARLINGSIDE, with HEATHER MALONEY

Last week I attended Folk Alliance International, in Kansas City Missouri.  This is a gathering of thousands of top-notch independent singer-songwriters and musicians representing the genres of Folk, Americana and Roots music.  There were over 2700 separate performances over 5 days and nights.  It was a time for incredible music, accomplished players, strong songwriters, wonderful friends, surprising collaborations, and very late night jams.  In the middle of his Keynote address, Graham Nash advised everyone to not miss seeing/hearing a showcase for a group named Darlingside, with Heather Maloney.  I took his advice to heart.

Darlingside is a Massachusetts-based indie folk quartet. With four distinct voices clustered around a single microphone, their tightly-arranged tunes draw from the unexpected, featuring strains of bluegrass, folk and classical. Accompanied by an arsenal of classical strings, guitars, mandolin, and percussion, these four close friends swap instruments from song to song.

Heather Maloney is a beautiful free-spirited singer-songwriter has a near unlimited vocal range and the ability to write songs with serious melodic tunes that ride the line between playful folk/pop and depth-defying soul and boasts her own distinct charm.

Heather joined Darlingside for a few sets.  All of the songs were great… but their cover of Joni Mitchell’s Woodstock is as good as anything I have heard.  It became obvious that Graham Nash was acknowledging that fact with his endorsement during the Keynote.

Enjoy this video performance and then check them out at their respective websites… you will be glad you did.

Fabrizio Cammarata - "Misery" | Concerts from Blue Rock LIVE

Fabrizio Cammarata is a singer-songwriter from Palermo, Sicily… but you will discover the rhythms of Cuba, Africa, Mexico, India and many other international destinations.  You will recognize the influences of Ben Harper, Nick Drake and even Bob Dylan.  This is true world music that is heartwarmingly beautiful and intensely compelling.  His songs are well crafted, beautifully composed and sung with a powerful and expressive voice. 

This video is from Blue Rock Studio’s 8^th Birthday Showcases during SXSW 2014.

thanks so much for this, john!! is there anywhere  on earth that has more fascinating rhythms than cuba??

House concert t his past weekend i n Austin.

Landon Pigg, young but has great potential.

Io & Lili Hickman, following in their mothers footsteps. Either as a duet or solo these ladies will be an awesome force to be watched in the near future.

Dave,  I take it you were at Sara and Lance's house for the Landon Pigg show.  I wish I could have made it to Austin for that.  Speaking of Lili and Io... I just signed them yesterday to open for their mother at Uncle Calvin' (Dallas) and I presume they might sit in with Sara for a song or two during her set. They have musical DNA.

Your right Lisa... Cuba has rhythm.  I am also hooked on the rhythms of Africa and India.

Wow! I have only checked out pages 1, 2 and 3 and I have to say that there is an amazing amount of talent that has been posted here! You folks have great taste!! Bubo posted I Belong To You by Ryan Lerman and Lauren McConnell. So good! 

I saw that someone had mentioned seeing Liz Longley. I saw her at a house concert last year. She is amazing! I love this song and I love how this video is filmed outside probably near Harvard in Massachusetts. She has a dreamy voice and puts so much thought into her lyrics. She has another really good one about Alzheimer's and her grandmother.  That one is called Unraveling. 

I am not sure when or if Rosie Thomas will be touring again. I saw her at a house concert here in Seattle about two years ago. Before she went on tour with Iron and Wine. Her singing voice is amazing. She also made my very favorite Christmas Album called A Very Rosie Christmas where she sings River by Joni Mitchell and an outstanding version of Silent Night AND a cover of the Chipmunks Christmas Don't Be Late that is super sad! I love it! Anyway...this is one of her songs from her last album With Love. She is a sweetie and she just had a baby and I hope she keeps on singing! 

thank you so much for this!!

who have you seen recently, folks?

John Moreland......not to be missed. A youngish Oklahoma talent who is quietly stunning in his lyrics, his solid performance and vocal sureness.  And Parker Millsap. A friend of mine. Preparing to tour witih Old Crow Medicine Show, Patti Griffin and Emmy Lou Harris this summer. 

The Milk Carton Kids | Michigan | The Warm Up: Ardent Studios

Every great once in a while a duo comes along that were meant to be.  Such is the case with The Milk Carton Kids with Kenneth Pattengale and Joey Ryan.  When they reached a fork in the road in terms of their respective solo careers… They made the decision to pool their talents and have never looked back.  The formula that works so well is the blending of rich vocal harmonies held together by Joey’s clean fingerstyle and Kenneth’s incredible flat picking.  To compare them to other famous duos such as Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlings, Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel, and even Phil and Don Everly is not an over statement.  If anything, that is what some listeners quibble about… they possibly sound too much like their obvious influences.  But their sound is no imitation as their ever-escalating success has shown.  They are opening for major acts like the Lumineers and Punch Brothers.  Thy have 3 songs in the soundtrack to Promised Land.  T Bone Burnett and the Coen Brothers have included them in the new concert film Another Day/Another Time which celebrates the music of Inside Llewyn Davis.

thanks, you guys! 

Here's a clip from Austin City Limits on John Fullbright. He'll be somewhere on the east coast this week. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkV_Nr5R-xw

And here's Parker Millsap. One of my favorites of his.....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83kLXZ8xoyg

And here's a clip of John Moreland. Noisy crowd. But you get the idea. His album 'In the Throes' is mesmerizing.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5al3VnwdVQQ

My absolute favorite place to enjoy live music is at the incredible destination recording studio and artist ranch, Blue Rock, in the singer-songwriter enclave of Wimberley in the Texas Hill Country.  During their 8^th birthday bash during SXSW 2014… Robby Hecht sang a beautiful duet of the Townes Van Zandt song “If I Needed You”… with Liz Longley.  If this doesn’t move you… you need to make sure you are alive and awake.  Enjoy.

Sarah Jarosz - Build Me Up From Bones

At 10 Sarah Jarosz picked up a mandolin… at 11 she won the Old Settler’s Music Festival youth competition.  At 16 she was signed to Sugar Hill Records… now 22, she has released her third CD “Build Me Up From Bones” which is nominated for a Grammy for Best American Roots Song and Best Folk Album. A graduate of the New England Conservatory of Music... she has been called a student of all things stringed, which includes octave mandolin, guitar, and banjo. She can also play keyboards and violin. She also has an incredible voice and songwriting chops to match her instrumental prowess. This video was recorded as part of the Newport Folk Sessions live from the Paste Ruins in 2013.

Katie, I knew you liked Liz... I didn't know you knew Robby.  They are both really humble folks and great songwriters.  Robby finds himself in the position of being the "buzz" many Nashville songwriters are talking about.  And they are wonderful together.

Ruth Moody - Trouble & Woe

Australian born Ruth Moody is a five-time nominee and two-time Juno Award winning singer-songwriter from Winnipeg, Manitoba.  A founding member of the The Wailin’ Jennys… Ruth is an artist of exceptional depth and grace in her own right. Critics have lauded her ethereal vocals, impressive multi-instrumentalism, and her talent as a songwriter. Written with a maturity and wisdom that belies her age, her songs are timeless, universal, and carefully crafted, all sung with an intimacy and honesty that is unmistakably her own.  She was classically trained, beginning with piano, then guitar, and finally banjo.  Enjoy Ruth Moody and her band as they perform 'Trouble & Woe' inside The Great Hall, in Toronto, for Wood & Wires.

Tom Prasada-Rao - Gitanjali

Tom Prasada-Rao is one of the best singer-songwriters out there - bar none… and hearing is believing.  Born in Ethiopia of Indian parents, raised in Washington, DC and currently based in Austin… TPR is a musician's musician, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer. The respect he is afforded by other songwriters and musicians is a testament to his talent.  He began studying violin at age seven, then piano and finally guitar. With a shelf full of writing awards, he brings groove and spirituality to the stage and studio, with a mix of Pop, R&B, and World Music.  He has been described as a virtual World Music ensemble rolled into one guy.  His voice weaves incantations, and the guitar, violin, piano and electric sitar are like magic wands in this incredible musician's hands.  Regardless of the instrument, Tom's playing is highly rhythmic.  His songs are well crafted, his voice soothing and soulful, and his stage presence will leave you transfixed. Enjoy “Gitanjali” performed by TPR, accompanied by David Allen Wilcox and Patty Prasada-Rao at the Institute of Musical Traditions in Takoma Park, Maryland.

LENNON & MAISY - That's What's Up

Lennon and Maisy Stella are sisters and incredible singers with a real vocal maturity and that beautiful sibling harmony.  They play Connie Britton's daughters on ABC's "Nashville"… have played on the Grand Ole Opry… their YouTube Channel has had over 50 million views and has over a half million subscribers. They were born in Oshawa, Ontario but now reside in Nashville, Tennessee. Enjoy their cover of the Edward Sharpe And The Magnetic Zeros song “That’s What’s Up.”

agreed that tom prasada-rao is a fine singer songwriter. he's been a guest at wiffledust many times. he has a smooth voice and guitar style that is uniquely his own

PETER BRADLEY ADAMS – I May Not Let Go

The music and songs of Peter Bradley Adams are low key, emotionally resonant, subtle, yet powerful.  They are also evocative and exquisitely poetic. Originally from Birmingham, Alabama… Peter earned a B.A. and Master's Degree in composition and eventually wound up in Los Angeles, where he worked as a freelance film and TV composer.  Peter's songs are obviously born from his intimate personal experiences, but are written and delivered in a universal voice that allows us to hear them as our own.  A lot of his work has found their way into indie movies and television shows.  Adams and fellow songwriter Caitlin Canty collaborated on a side project, Down Like Silver, who released a six-song EP of songs they wrote together. Adams launched his own record label, I Me Mine Records, in 2014 with his fifth solo album, The Mighty Storm, which was recorded in Nashville at the legendary RCA Studio A.  This video is of a performance of “I May Not Let Go” at WNRN's studio in Charlottesville, Virginia.

these are great, john….so appreciated!!!

I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For

Jenny & Tyler (featuring Sara Groves & Virtual Choir)

I am not usually a big proponent of cover songs… but this is an exception.  In November of 2013 husband and wife duo Jenny & Tyler Somers released For Freedom: A Covers EP. Included in that EP is this cover of U2’s I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For.

They are committed to compassion, charity and justice, evidenced, in part, through their ongoing support of International Justice Mission, a non-profit organization dedicated to ending human-trafficking throughout the world.   This EP benefits that organization.

Their original material is based on the entire human experience… both good and bad… such as love, joy, loss, doubt, pain and redemption.  Instead of glossing over personal and global problems, they wrestle with issues like poverty, injustice, and apathy, starting with their own hearts. 

thank you so much for this, john!!! 

"Window" - The Shook Twins

One of my favorite discoveries at this year’s Folk Alliance International Conference were Identical twins, Laurie and Katelyn Shook… aka The Shook Twins.  Quirky, whimsical, amusing and damn fine players and singers… these girls have not only a unique sound, but the stage presence to draw you in and keep you interested.  Kyle Volkman and Niko Daoussis are the other two pieces of the main quartet… while Anna Tivel and Russ Kleiner are sometimes added to form a full band.

Central elements of the Shook Twins’ sound are a wide range of instrumentation, including banjo, guitar, electric and upright bass, mandolin, electric guitar, electronic drums, face drum (beatbox), glockenspiel, ukulele, banjo drumming and their signature golden EGG. Beautiful twin harmonies, layered upon acoustic and electric instrumentation coupled with Laurie’s inventive use of percussive and ambient vocal loops, and Katelyn’s repurposed telephone microphone, set their sound apart, creating a unique and eccentric blend of folk, roots, groove and soul.

They are currently touring in support of the latest work… “WHAT WE DO.”

Noah Gundersen “Dying Now” – A White Session

Noah Gundersen was raised in a strictly conservative and religious home.  Although he is no longer religious, “The spiritual element of music is something I’m very much draw to and motivated by,” says Gundersen. “Religious imagery was a large part of my upbringing. It’s still beautiful, powerful and timeless. I believe in the elevation that music and art can bring to people, but I’m still trying to define myself as an individual outside of structures or organized religion. I’ve come to a place in my writing where I’m less focused on the outside forces of spirituality and more on how it relates inwardly to my own life.”

In February, Noah released the self-produced full-length CD “Ledges” which weaves together personal tales of faith, temptation, redemption, death, and doubt, offering the kind of perspective usually found in much older tunesmiths.  An impressive personal work, Ledges co-mingles the sensual and the sexual with the spiritual, often using religious and biblical imagery like Leonard Cohen to plumb the depths of everyday emotions and feelings.

“Much of the album was written toward the end of a period of being single and reckless,” he says. “I’ve lived a great deal compared to most people my own age. I’ve traveled the country playing music, doing what I love for a living. But, in terms of emotional experience, I’ve swept a lot of things under the rug. I started asking questions to people I respect about what it means to be a man and, in a larger sense, a decent human being. This record is the culmination of that process.”

His sister Abby plays violin, cello and piano and sings harmony.  The two have been playing together since he was 15 and she was 12… and it shows.  “The chemistry Abby and I have is unlike any other I’ve experienced in music” he says, pointing to the album closer, “Time Moves Quickly,” as a song she wrote the music for and plays piano on. “She’s an essential part of what I do.”

Video by Joel Sadler

Audio by Sarah Schutzki

THE VESPERS – “Lawdy” (The Fourth Wall)

The Vespers are an Americana/folk/roots band from Nashville, TN. The band is made up of two brothers, Taylor and Bruno Jones, and two sisters, Callie and Phoebe Cryar. Bruno plays upright bass, guitar, a little banjo, ukulele, and mandolin. Taylor Jones plays drums, percussion, vocals, and mandolin. Callie plays guitar, ukulele, banjo, electric bass, lead vocals, and low harmony. Phoebe plays guitar, banjo, accordion, mandolin, ukulele, lead vocals and low harmony.

Sisters and Brothers, the band's third album, will be released in mid-2014.