Archive for January, 2012
Lydia Goes to NAMM: Postgame Highlights
After attending almost 40 NAMM shows over the past 22 years, this most recent one—held from January 19-22 in Anaheim, Calif.—somehow turned into my favorite. It had been three years since my last visit, and this time I just got to have fun visiting with old friends and take my time seeing all the new […]
Happy Birthday, Sarah McLachlan!
Every once in a while an artist like Sarah McLachlan comes along who not only creates great and lasting music, but also great and lasting change. It’s the kind of change that happens with an inordinate amount of personal investment, sacrifice, good will and the ability to lead. When Sarah founded Lilith Fair in 1997, […]
Gretchen Peters: Hello Cruel World
Gretchen Peters’ “Hello Cruel World” is a shining display of exceptional and poetic songwriting. She sets the bar high with this release. Don’t miss it.
Happy Birthday, Neil Diamond!
Songwriting is a sanctuary for Neil Diamond, just as it was when he first put pen to paper as an intense, sensitive teenager at Abraham Lincoln High School in Brooklyn. Scarcely had he learned his first chords on the guitar his parents gave him as a 16th birthday present than the songs began to pour […]
Jessie Baylin: Little Spark
Jessie Baylin’s new “Little Spark” is a delightful blend of modern pop and the classic sounds of ‘60s Brill Building. From soulful orchestrations to quirky juke-joint sounds, it’s a treat from beginning to end.
Barbara Kessler: What You Keep
On “What You Keep” Barbara Kessler offers up 10 gems wrapped in her exquisite voice and shining with joy.