Category Archives: folk

#103 – Homegrown by Neil Young

Our Kevin Bacon game, so far: The Black Keys’ Patrick Carney produced – and is the husband of – Michelle Branch, who was featured on Santana’s “The Game of Love.”  On a later album, Santana collaborated with Metallica, who backed up Lou Reed, who was in The Velvet Underground with John Cale, who wrote anContinue reading “#103 – Homegrown by Neil Young”

#93 – Diamonds & Rust by Joan Baez

I have never been a huge fan of putting covers on your studio albums.  I’m sure I’ve mentioned this before, because it has come up time and again in my daily selections.  There certainly are great, recorded versions of other people’s songs out there.  Johnny Cash’s last few albums have some great examples of this. Continue reading “#93 – Diamonds & Rust by Joan Baez”

#83 – Closer Than Together by The Avett Brothers

I first heard The Avett Brothers live at what was then the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles.  We showed up late, about halfway through Brandi Carlile’s set, which was a disappointment because she was the reason that we were there in the first place.  What we saw of her was excellent, but the headliners, TheContinue reading “#83 – Closer Than Together by The Avett Brothers”

#26 – Paris Live 1969 by Ritchie Havens

As Los Angeles goes under curfew for a second night of demonstrations, I decided to listen to some Ritchie Havens, who was probably the first activist/musician that I was exposed to.  I remember seeing footage of him from Woodstock when I was young and was blown away by how one man with an acoustic guitarContinue reading “#26 – Paris Live 1969 by Ritchie Havens”

#19 – Ladies of the Canyon by Joni Mitchell

I was going through the Nick Drake catalog this evening and it somehow led me to Joni Mitchell.  I knew she was a legendary songwriter and a really interesting guitar player, but had never spent any time on her albums.  For a long time, the only performance of hers that I had seen was fromContinue reading “#19 – Ladies of the Canyon by Joni Mitchell”