It’s the little things. And Dolly Parton, known for big hair and country music’s most iconic silhouette, is a master of detail, right down to the opening of her new album, Rockstar, which begins with the essence of rock and roll: rebellion. Specifically, that of a child from her parents.
Read MoreAnn Wilson, who rose to fame with her rock band Heart, which starred her six-string playing sister Nancy, takes her time before bringing her torrential voice to the forefront on her newest solo LP, Another Door, with her band Tripsitter. As a moody, almost tribal beat and guitar play, the listener’s ear is thirsty for her voice. Then…POW! She hits.
Read MorePoison Ivy: Thorns, the new graphic novel dedicated to the familiar DC Comics villain, Poison Ivy, is as much traditional origin story as it is potential for a new Netflix miniseries in the vein of The Queen’s Gambit. The book portrays both the buzzy contemporary superhero intrigue as it does the de-evolution of a compelling, beautiful, modern, and free thinking character—and one, in particular, many will likely wish they had for reference as younger people.
Read MoreWith their forthcoming record, The Jazz EP, Grammy-winning, virtuosic Mexican guitar duo Rodrigo y Gabriela have created a sonic stage play in three acts. Recreating covers for a trio of songs by three unique groups, the two six-string players have composed a coherent story through the EP’s combination of tunes. If you listen carefully, you may learn something about socio-political dynamics and find a way to embrace diversity for the sake of harmony.
Read MoreWhen an artist represents both the nostalgic and the brand new, she has something that makes a home in memory. When she can imbue the numinous and demand immediate recognition, she is assuredly of some special stuff. The music of Sharon Van Etten offers this strangely familiar ethic and aesthetic. She is Patti Smith finishing a pint of Pilsner as the pool cue cracks in the back of the dive bar. She is the next star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Van Etten’s newest release, epic Ten, is unlike any other. In one sense, it’s a reissue of her 2010 sophomore record, Epic. But it’s also much more. The reissue includes covers of each song from the original release from such heavyweights as IDLES, Lucinda Williams, Courtney Barnett, and Fiona Apple. In this way, epic Ten is two albums at once in a compact 14 tracks, ranging in creative impact from Van Etten’s ghostly harmonies to IDLES’ industrial wallop.
Read MoreAustin, Texas rock ‘n’ roll duo, Black Pistol Fire, is known for its raucous instrumentation, exasperated-and-wild live shows and waves of energy that emanate into a crowd like solar flares. But when life slows you down and gives you lemons, you must then create a stripped-down, jaunty version of a song that could otherwise blow doors down and roofs off.
Well, that’s what Black Pistol Fire did, anyway. And we’re happy to premiere that spare homemade video here today on American Songwriter for the reimagined single, “Level.”
Read MoreAll of a sudden, you feel your eyes and ears working again. You reach out and you touch the walls. Lights flash on brightly and you immediately realize you’ve been dropped into a house of mirrors. You walk up to a distorted looking glass and your body stretches tall, short, wide, and thin. You walk to another and you see yourself as a completely different person. Music plays like a haunted carnival soundtrack overhead. You’ve found yourself physically inside the new record, Songs for the General Public, from the Long Island-based rock band, The Lemon Twigs.
Read MorePearl Jam’s new LP, Gigaton, is a warning. A one billion ton-sized one. If you choose to digest the 14-track record on YouTube, as I did, that warning is even more evident. Each song is accompanied by a Planet Earth documentary worthy visual experience that depicts some of the most magnificent scenery in nature, from giant oceans to volcanic rock and bubblegum sunsets. But, when listening to the record, we understand that this beautiful scenery is in peril, at risk, and so is the rest of the world. Human greed will have its consequences. And those consequences have arrived at our collective doorstep.
Read MoreThe Slow Rush, the latest LP from Kevin Parker, aka the mastermind behind the psychedelic band, Tame Impala, is as much a self-reflective open letter to the world as it is a beautifully obfuscating, transmuting, rippling piece of music. On the 12-track album, the band's fourth, Parker reminisces, offers notes on where he's come from, where he's been, and what the future might hold for his psyche, all amidst Tame Impala's signature dreamy, 1960s-retro-through-a-million-pedals sound.
Read MorePeople change. If nothing else, this is evident on the latest release from producer Kanye West, Jesus Is Born, performed by the West-led Sunday Service Choir. The album, which is not a Kanye West album, per se, but is very much of the musician in his contemporary creative state, is his latest homage to Christianity's God and Jesus Christ. It is also a drastic shift from the earlier days of West in the center of the spotlight, with shirt collar popped, sunglasses on, and a general sense of "look at me" about him.
Read MoreProduced in part by NBA All-Star and former Seattle Super Sonic Kevin Durant, Q Ball profiles a handful of men whose crimes range from domestic abuse to gun possession to murder. While many of their crimes are severe, Q Ball paints a picture of at-times broken people in real need of love, support and rehabilitation. Prison, after all, is a place where people should reform and at San Quentin, for many, that reformation happens through sport and competition.
Read MoreA year ago, Fiona Pepe was in search of inspiration. The Seattle dancer and photographer had left a 10-year career as one of the head performers at the sultry and beloved Can Can cabaret theater. On an excursion to France, she found herself strolling through the Parisian streets one morning. Looking for any decent book, Pepe picked up a tome titled The Mistress of Paris, which would quickly change her creative aspirations.
Read MoreWhitney Mongé’s voice cracks, crumbles, aches and breaks your heart. It’s one made of 100-year-old salvaged northwest wood, complete with embossed grains, nicks, and honest imperfections. Often compared to the great Tracy Chapman, Seattle’s Mongé, though, is unique and stands sturdily on her own two musical feet. And never has this been more evident on her upcoming EP, the six-song Carry On, an intimate window into the artist’s songwriting, which is set to be released November 27th and 28th at Jazz Alley with co-headliner Naomi Wachira. To preview that release, we have the honor of premiering Mongé’s lead single from the new record, “Be Mine,” a romping, joyous tune about the excitement and confluence of new love and lust. And to accompany this premiere, we caught up with Mongé to ask her about her new album, what she’s learned since releasing her last record and how many takes it took to get the perfect vocal scream on tape.
Read MoreTalking about the Holocaust is difficult, especially if you’ve lived through it. Yet, that’s precisely what 92-year-old survivor Sonia Warshawski does every day. She talks with people about the details of her time in concentration camps and being freed. It’s one of the many remarkable aspects of her vibrant daily life, which includes running a small tailor shop in Kansas City, Kansas, and, more recently, advocating her message of “love over hate” to the U.S. Congress.
Read MoreProduced and set in Seattle, Northern Belles is a web series that follows the quirky friendship and hilarious misadventures of two millennial women portrayed by Emerald City comedians Isabela de Campos and Maddie Downes. In some ways, it’s reminiscent of Broad City, but with an obvious local angle, and a more endearing and honest depiction of friendship. Among the many highlights of the fantastic series, there’s a talking vagina cookie, a human-banana condom demonstration, and a near-sexual experience with a plumber. It’s the type of show you put on after eating an edible, or when you just want to smile at a hilarious (locally-made) show.
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