March 2017 - For Ken Haferman, a true American iconoclast

in

"Ken knew a lot about a lot of stuff. He was a self-educated cantankerous iconoclast in a classic mold. He could be a pain in the ass, I'm sure. The main event for me, though, was getting to back him on guitar while he spun old-timey American gold on his banjo. Ken was one of my all time favorite musicians to play with. I can't say exactly why. It was just always fun."

Featuring: Tamikrest, Wheelchair Sports Camp, alt-J, Gorillaz, and more.

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May 2016 ~ Halfway to Eighty

in

"This month was my 40th birthday. Leading up to my birthday, my friend Robb jokingly told me I was 'halfway to 80.' I think it was partly meant as a needle, but it has actually served as a pretty great way to put everything in perspective. "

Featuring: Har Mar Superstar, ANOHNI, Bee Gees, White Denim, and more. 

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Aug/Sept 2014 ~ Free At Last

in

"Graceland has always been an outlier in the happy pasture of my love for Paul Simon. I'm not exactly sure why. I think it might have partly to do with the way a lot of the production hasn't really aged well outside of the 80's. Maybe it's the way the album sometimes seems to openly invite the "cultural appropriation" critique (which I consider to be somewhat hackneyed anyway). Maybe it's the saxophone. Okay, it's probably the saxophone. "

Featuring: Robbie Fulks, alt-J, The Soup Dragons, The Coasters, and more.

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Stevie Rocketship

in

Fully ambivalent to whatever is de rigueur, Steve tends to fall deeply for an artist or group of artists and listen to them a lot.

Featuring: White Denim, Zemfira, Metallica, and more.

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May 2013: Hello, Hyde Park

in

I've never been a big fan of Vampire Weekend, although it always seemed to me like I should. But I love this new record.

Featuring: Death, Huey Lewis and the News, K-Os, Rick James, and more. 

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