St. Lenox Offers a Fifth Installment of Modern American Songs
St. Lenox’s new LP reveals there’s always time for new beginnings while working toward the greater goal of a worthy existence. It’s a sardonic masterpiece.
Steve Horowitz
Steven Horowitz has a Ph.D. in American Studies from the University of Iowa, where he continues to teach a three-credit online course on "Rock and Roll in America". He has written for many different popular and academic publications including American Music, Paste and the Icon. Horowitz is a firm believer in Paul Goodman's neofunctional perspective on culture and that Sam Cooke was right, a change is gonna come.
Loose Cattle Scare the Herd with ‘Someone’s Monster’
Country-rockers Loose Cattle’s Someone’s Monster suggests that we may all be somebody else’s demons while the songs imply we might be our own worst enemies.
Tish Hinojosa Sweetly Sings ‘With a Guitar & a Pen’ in Hand
Tish Hinojosa understands the importance of perspective. Her lyrics look at life from more than one side, knowing we are happier if we search for good.
Diana Panton Sings Soft and Easy Songs of Love
Jazz singer Diana Panton’s voice suggests the present tenuousness is part of love’s charm. That’s vital to its truth and beauty (“soft winds and roses”).
Amy Speace Remembers Her ‘American Dream’
Amy Speace needs to look deeper into herself. What she doesn’t say makes her well-crafted songs easy to swallow. That’s a blessing as well as a curse.
Kasey Chambers Displays Her ‘Backbone’ in a New Bundle
One can take the songs on ‘Backbone’ as a whole to understand how Kasey Chambers sees the world and her relation to it from various points of view over time.
Kelley Mickwee Finds ‘Everything Beautiful’ When You Are in Love
Kelley Mickwee has a smokey voice mixed with honey that expresses pain and pleasure at the same time. The ache in her throat suggests she’s been through it all.
Grayson Capps Finds the Joy in ‘Heartbreak, Misery & Death’
These songs will lift your spirit by sharing their sorrow with you. Misery loves company. Grayson Capps’ new album invites one to sing along.
Bo Ramsey Revisits the Past in the ‘Sidetrack’ Lounge
In a world full of shredders, Bo Ramsey reveals the splendor of simplicity in his blues-laden Sidetrack EP. He lets this guitar do most of the talking.
Kevin Gordon Finds That We Live in ‘The In Between’
Alt-country/Americana artist Kevin Gordon’s The In Between provides evidence for the grandeur of keeping on even when everything seems wrong.
What If They Had a Folk Festival and Nobody Protested?
What if they had a folk festival and nobody protested? Evanston, Illinois hosted its first folk festival without politics from its stages.
MJ Lenderman Finds the ‘Fireworks’ in Everyday Life
MJ Lenderman creates sounds that somehow cut into his listeners’ heads and hearts, even when the songs’ sonics resemble that of the garage band next door.