M J Lenderman has no idea where to go. It’s mid-July and downtown Durham, North Carolina, is hot and empty. The first bar we try is closed, so now we’re searching Google Maps for another. “The Pour Taproom — looks kind of bright in there,” he says with deadpan concern. …
Read More »Lana Del Rey Shines, James Taylor Comes to the Rescue: The Best Things We Saw at Newport Folk Festival 2023
What is a folk festival to do after becoming a global news story? That was the central question for this year’s Newport Folk Festival, which over the past half-decade has drawn increased attention with a slew of surprise guests, world premieres, and special appearances — from Dolly Parton to Chaka …
Read More »Indigo De Souza Doesn't Have All the Answers, and That's OK
“I don’t have answers — no one does/I’ve been finding comfort in that,” Indigo De Souza sings on the title track of her third album, All of This Will End. “There’s only love/There’s only moving through and trying your best.” It’s a welcome revelation for the North Carolina-based artist, whose …
Read More »Afrobeats, Música Mexicana, and a Canadian Hologram Take Austin
Would you believe us if we said a hologram sponsored by the government of Ontario was one of the best things we saw on the second full day of SXSW 2023? There were plenty of flesh-and-blood performances that knocked our socks off, too, as the festival hit its stride with …
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