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1 month ago | 
americanahighways.org | John Apice |Gary Schwind |Eric Thom
Antonio Andrade – Here We Go!
No one can say Antonio Andrade doesn’t have a sense of humor. He boldly starts his set with a “Looney Tunes Medley” (Tracks 1-4) & while one would take this with a grain of salt & dismiss it as novelty shtick – it isn’t. Antonio’s arranged & performed these melodies with a good sense of medley & with enthusiasm & a few shots of harmonica. Each tune is short, concise & nostalgic.
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1 month ago | 
americanahighways.org | Eric Thom |John Apice
The Seldom Scene – Remains To Be Scene (Smithsonian Folkways)
Much more an institution than a band, the original Seldom Scene came together in 1971, as dobro player Mike Auldridge, bassist Tom Gray, mandolinist John Duffey, banjo player Ben Eldridge and guitarist John Starling descended upon the Washington, D.C. area and immediately started something new and noteworthy.
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1 month ago | 
americanahighways.org | John Apice |Eric Thom |Americana Highways
The Scarlet Goodbye – El Camino Adios
This showcase, according to its press, is a collaborative effort produced by Minnesota musicians Jeff Arundel (acoustic guitar/organ/vocal) with additional production by Daniel Murphy (ex-Soul Asylum & Golden Smog on electric guitar/vocal). The vocals on the opening tune “To Feel the Sun” are sung vigorously in unison to good effect.
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1 month ago | 
americanahighways.org | Eric Thom |Mark Joseph Engleson |John Apice |Americana Highways
Kris Delmhorst – Ghosts In The Garden (Big Bean Music)
If you knew nothing of New England-based Kris Delmhorst, your first take on Ghosts In The Garden might conclude that she pays rent to live on the more dreary side of the singer-songwriter spectrum.
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2 months ago | 
americanahighways.org | Eric Thom
Joy Buzzer – Pleased To Meet You (Wicked Cool Records)As long as there are power chords, good singers and harmonies, well-crafted melodies – together with an endless supply of girl’s first names and relationships – both good and bad….there will always be power pop. And, with this strong debut release from New York’s Joy Buzzer Pleased To Meet You, lovers of power pop have something to write home about.
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2 months ago | 
americanahighways.org | Eric Thom |John Apice
Endrick & The Sandwiches – Straight Up (Big In The Garden/Warner)When you think of music and Montréal, Québec you likely think of jazz – thanks to the world-wide reputation for excellence established by the city’s International Jazz Festival. Yet ‘jazz’ is only a fraction of what’s going on, given the city’s lustful embrace of the arts – in both official languages. What you might not expect to discover is a band who – as in days past – seem to celebrate the sheer joy of making good music.
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Nov 5, 2024 | 
americanahighways.org | Eric Thom |John Apice
Steve Robinson – Window Seat (Sunshine Drenchy Records)Life is rich when you completely stumble upon an artist you know nothing about and fall head over heels for a body of music which has, up to now, cruelly escaped your library. Don’t let this happen to you. Steve Robinson isn’t a name to ring many bells. Yet, this release threatens to rejuvenate your every reason for falling in love with near-perfect music.
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Oct 1, 2024 | 
americanahighways.org | Eric Thom |John Apice
Randy Lee Riviere – Concrete Blues (New Wilderness Records)
Randy Lee Riviere is anything but an acquired taste – he just deserves a much wider exposure. Quietly releasing a slew of recordings – under his own name and as Mad Buffalo, his is relatively simple fare. Which is largely its appeal. Great guitar (with some devilish slide). A tough-sounding lead vocalist. Easily digested lyrics. And a rhythm section who pulls much more than their expected weight.
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Sep 12, 2024 | 
americanahighways.org | Eric Thom |John Apice
Michael McDermott – Lighthouse on the Shore/East Jesus (Pauper Sky Records)
When Michael McDermott first released 620 W. Surf in 1990, he was cruelly slagged off as just another Springsteen Wannabe – in the same harsh fashion which hobbled so many promising singer-songwriters tagged as the new Dylans in the same era. Vicious and unusual – and usually wrong. We are all so quick to try and categorize all artists.
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Aug 29, 2024 | 
americanahighways.org | Eric Thom |John Apice
Tab Benoit – I Hear Thunder (Whiskey Bayou Records)
When Tab Benoit launched his career with 1992’s Now & Then, he introduced something fresh into the world of ‘swamp blues.’ With nods to both Slim Harpo and Lightnin’ Slim, Tab Benoit seemed a high-energy dose of Earl King with a distinctive spice all his own. His gritty, soulful vocals provided the rich cream to balance and complement a fiercely robust, tone-rich, Telecaster brew.
