Great Labor Day weekend. But I'm already thinking about next weekend's destination -- The Chicago stop for the Renegade Craft Fair in Wicker Park -- Music, food, and of course crafts! See you there September 11 & 12.
Hundreds of today’s finest indie-craft talents will be setting up shop at The 8th Annual Renegade Craft Fair in Chicago, where our FREE TO ATTEND craft, art, design and DIY spectacular was born and raised!
Lollapalooza 2010 lineup announced: http://bit.ly/9aNGHR Top acts include: Lady Gaga, Soundgarden, Green Day, Arcade Fire, the Strokes and Phoenix. The festival will be held Aug. 6-8 in Chicago's Grant Park (Greg Kot, Chicago Tribune).
Great first listens now on the NPR roundtable, including a preview of Joanna Newsom's new three-disc set "Have One on Me." Also check out "first listens" from Clem Snide, and many more.
Johnny Cash's American VI, due out February 26 was recorded just before Cash's death in September 2003. The album is produced by Rick Rubin, often credited with helping revive Cash's recording career during the last decade of his life. Tracks include Kris Kristofferson's "For the Good Times," Sheryl Crow's "Redemption Day," Tom Paxton's "Where I'm Bound," Bob Nolan's "Cool Water," the new Cash original "First Corinthians, 15:55," and closes with Queen Lili'uokalani's "Aloha Oe." Here's a round up of recent reviews and news coverage:
According to the Nashville Skyline column on CMT.com, the Alan Jackson's new album, Freight Train features a title track penned by Fred Eaglesmith, one of my favorite singer songwriters.
The original version appears on Eaglesmith's classic album Drive-In Movie. It's a rave-up roots classic featuring sharp, gritty lyrics of love lost, but not quite forgotten.
Wish I was a freight train baby
Wish I didn't have a heart
And you'd need a shovel for the coal
Just to get me started
Check out live performances by Eaglesmith on YouTube and various live versions of the song, as well as the original. And check out Alan Jackson's take on his latest album when it's released March 30 (available for pre-order on Amazon.)
This one starts with the "famous" Eaglesmith elephant joke:
Just a little more than halfway through my first listen of Patty Griffin's new album, 'Downtown Church' and I admit, I was smitten by this collection of sweet, soulful gospel-infused music.
High priests of roots music including Emmylou Harris, Buddy Miller and Jim Lauderdale come to worship at Griffin's Downtown Church, which sounds more like a church in a flower-filled, sun-soaked valley at the foothills of an Appalachian hillside. Just based on the company they all keep, I expected Robert Plant and Alison Krauss to wander in just after the sermon.
Downtown Church's beautiful songs suit Griffin's honey-smooth voice and both inspire and encourage introspection. There's not a cut I don't like on the album, but favorites --again on first listen -- include "Wade in the Water," the bluesy, bawdy "I Smell a Rat," "Never Grow Old," and the smoking "If I Had My Way."
Have faith, take heart, and let Griffin's wonderful new album fill you with sweet peace.
