So much to do today so get out and play at Caine's Arcade, learn about Woody Guthrie's legacy or check out a bunch of art openings in Chinatown. more ›

Acoustic guitars made from cigar boxes, shower drains, old-school keyholes and other found parts make sweet Appalachian folk sounds. Meet two local cigar box guitar makers in this video sent in by Lisa Rau. more ›

Every now and then when the wind blows just right and the planets align, an opening band will blow the headliner out of the water. It is an extremely rare occurence, but every so often, you arrive at a venue early and have your mind blown. If any of you were at the Troubadour on December 10th, 2010, you know exactly what I'm talking about. All thirty of you. more ›

Sometimes the stars align when you least expect them to. After Laura Burhenn's previous band Georgie James broke up, the singer picked up from her native Washington D.C. and headed west to Omaha. The goal: creating an album that sounded like Neil Young if he had been put out on Motown. And then while looking for a name a sign arrived. "My friend who was pregnant sent me a list of names and I went from Mina to Myna to Mynabird," Burhenn explained. "When I went to check if that name had been used it turns out that Neil Young and Rick James were in a band that came out on Motown in the sixties called The Mynah Birds. And I thought "That's it!" We caught up with Burhenn over the weekend to discuss The Mynabirds' debut album The Things We Lost In The Fire We Gain in the Flood. Here is some of what was said. more ›

It was a night of new beginnings at the Music Box (formerly the Henry Fonda Theater) on Thursday night. The revamped theater sparkled with all the seduction of a private night club. The walls newly painted with woodland creatures and nymphs and the foyer draped with golden lamps. What better place for two fresh new bands who are both riding those fickle waves of critical success to play? Both The Middle East and Mumford & Sons are enveloped in that golden halo of achievement that only comes when your first release is received well. It's before (heaven forbid) your sophomore disk slumps and the drugs problems become too much and the inner band fighting destroys everything. But there's this amazing moment when bands get it right and it seems like nothing could possibly stand in their way. hat is what Thursday night was all about, and it was gorgeous. more ›

The depressing joint on Pico and La Cienega Blvd known as The Mint rarely books bands that will rock your socks off. I blame the chairs. Any place that calls itself a music venue and has chairs and tables on the dance floor, is sure to be a subdued affair. Not to mention an establishment that makes you buy a drink for the privilege of sitting down even though you just paid a cover to get in there. Add those elements together and you've got a pretty stale atmosphere most nights. Unless! Every once and awhile, if you're really really lucky, you get a traveling band coming through town who doesn't know any better and books a gig there. On those very rare occasions, the Mint shakes off its cobwebs and people actually get to dance. more ›

Warm, hearty, back-porch folk is back in town tonight. That's right. Durham's own Megafaun will be gracing the Echo in support of their new mini-album, Heretofore, which will be out on HomeTapes later this spring. Since the disbanding of their previous band DeYarmond Edison (with Bon Iver's Justin Vernon) in 2006, the trio: brothers Phil and Brad Cook and drummer, Joe Westerlund, have acquired a reputation for raucous live shows that are heavy on audience participation. We caught up with Brad Cook, before his show in San Francisco last night and chatted about what a mini-album actually was, his jazz ambitions, and Gram Parson's corpse. Here is some of what was said. more ›

If all had gone according to plan Peasant (aka Damien DeRose) wouldn't have an album, let alone two. Heck, he probably wouldn't have bothered writing songs all, but as we all know, things rarely go according to plan. The cosmos usually finds some reason or other to throw us a curve-ball or in DeRose's case a sea lion. more ›

A.A. (Auguste Arthur) Bondy knows all about second chances. When his former band Verbena imploded just after signing to a major label in 2003, Bondy took off into the wilderness of the Catskills. Four years later he emerged back into the music scene with his lovely solo debut American Hearts which incorporated blues, folk, and a country twang,which he had recorded in his barn. This year, his second album When The Devil's Loose impressing critics and audiences a like with it's rough hewn edges and earthy melodies, influenced by music that came a time before rock n' roll was even a concept. We caught up with A.A. Bondy (or as he's known to his friends, Scott) before his show at the Echo. Here is some of what was said. more ›

Nils Edenloff wrote most of The Rural Alberta Advantage's stunning debut album Hometowns in Toronto, homesick for his native Albertan prairie. The touching album of folk anthems was built and honed at a open mic night in 2005 at a local bar where Edenloff met drummer Paul Banwatt. The duo gradually acquired a band and headed out on the road. We spoke with Edenloff from the road yesterday mostly to find out what the devil is the advantage is of living in Alberta. more ›

Don't let Grace Potter's good looks or age fool you. This woman has a pair of pipes that would knock over a steam engine and a soul of a woman three times her age. I saw her on a whim at the Roxy last year, and the show was carved onto the stone walls of my memory as one of the best shows of 2008. (The only other competition being Sigur Ros. Yes, I'm serious.) And hands down the best show that I have ever seen grace the Roxy's stage. more ›

I don't know if you've noticed, but there seems to be a very healthy country/folk scene growing in Los Angeles. Which is a little unexpected, LA is not the first city that you think of when you think of Americana, but the developing sound is nothing short of wonderful. From Olin and the Moon, to Dawes, to Leslie and the Badgers, The Whiskey Saints, Parson Red Heads, and Mississippi Man, there is definitely something in air. To add to that list, please include Lissie (Maurus) a young lady originally from Rock Island, IL who has been calling LA home for the last five years. Her debut EP Where You Runnin' has been making huge waves. In fact, I don't think I've seen critics this excited about an EP since Bon Iver's Blood Bank EP earlier this year. And for damn good reason too. more ›

In 2001 The Appleseed Cast found themselves in a sticky situation in Germany. Their booking agent had told some promoters at a record store that the band would do an acoustic set. Lead singer, Chris Crisci explains, "Prior even going over to Europe we had had this discussion with our agent. He wanted us to do an acoustic show. We said no. He asked again. We said no. So we get to this record store in Germany, and they were like "So you're playing this acoustic thing?" I was so pissed. How much more clear could we be? But it turns out that people really liked what we were playing." Crisci decided to try out some of the new material he had been writing on the side, and it went really well. So well, he decided to form his own folk side project, Old Canes. more ›

Most people spend New Years Day wallowing in self pity under the weight of a beastly hangover or trying desperately to piece together the foggy series of events from the previous evening. The three members of The Low Anthem: Jeff Prystowsky, Josie Adams, and Ben Knox Miller set off to a tiny cabin on Block Island, RI on the first day of 2008 to record an album. The result was Oh My God, Charlie Darwin a folk album released in June of this year, which is chocked full of intelligent lyrics inspired by America's past and present laid gently on top of harmonies that make your heart ache. We caught up with bassist, Jeff Prystowsky, in Seattle as he was waiting for his pancakes this morning to talk about his latest album. Here is some of what was said. more ›

Elvis Perkins is back with a brand new sophomore album, Elvis Perkins in Dearland and this time he's ditching the solo act and bringing his band with him. The result is this delightfully eloquent collection of songs about live, love, and death is inspired by the New Orleans tradition of having a raucous band follow a funeral march. We sat down with Perkins before his show at the Troubadour and asked him a few questions about his new EP Doomsday and the end of the world. more ›

Some people go green by driving Priuses. Others brag about their bio-diesel conversions. Don't get me wrong. These are both admirable attempts at meaningful earth friendliness, but when you really want hardcore bragging rights, nothing beats abandoning the auto altogether. For their first West coast tour, The folk-pop duo known as Blind Pilot decided to head from Vancouver to San Diego by...bicycle. more ›

Like so many teenagers before him, when Ryan Sollee was fifteen he asked his parents for a guitar. Due to his less than perfect grades, they turned him down, but young Sollee was not to be deterred. He went down to the garage and built one from scratch with some of his dad's fishing line and some balsa wood. "It sounded horrible," he admitted, "But my parents were so impressed, that they broke down and got me one. Either that or the noise was getting to them." more ›

If you're like me, the very word "folktronica" makes you cringe as if someone had dragged their fingernails down the chalkboard of your heart. Folk and electronica? Could anything be more horrible than putting synth beats on top of Nick Drake? Or adding some banjo and slowing down Justice's tempo? The two genres seemed to be like beef jerky and Pop Rocks, two substances who were delicious apart but shouldn't ever ever be mixed together. more ›

Are you the sort of person who goes weak at the knees when you hear a killer banjo solo? I am too. Which is why you should get your folk fix at Spaceland tomorrow night. Hailing from Ontario, Great Lake Swimmers' were in town haunting brand of melodic folk has captivated audiences all over North America. Founding member and sole singer-songwriter for the group, Tony Dekker, was kind enough to speak with us over the weekend about his latest album, Lost Channels. Here is some of what was said. more ›

Looking like a rockabilly dandy with James Dean hair and a Clark Gable mustache, The Tallest Man on Earth otherwise known as Kristian Matsson took the stage last Thursday night looking like the most American Swede I had ever seen. With his neatly rolled up sleeves, tight jeans, and old fashioned shoes, Matsson dressed the part of a troubadour from the early 1960s reminiscent of a young Johnny Cash. So much so that at one point someone yelled out Cash's name for no apparent reason to which Matsson smiled and said, "I think he's dead, sir." more ›

Founding member of the folk group Kingston Trio Nick Reynolds died Wednesday in San Diego of acute respiratory disease and other illnesses. The band is credited with jump-starting "the revival folk scene of the late 1950s and paved the way for artists such as Bob Dylan and Joan Baez," according to the Associated Press. One of the groups more popular songs--M.T.A.--which is about the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, interestingly enough still rings true with Los Angeles's own MTA, otherwise known as Metro. Check out the first words about it in this YouTube video. more ›

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