Wedding Songs that Won’t Make you Hurl – Playlist Enclosed!
Let's face it. Wedding songs are lame. Sappy, slow, and full of saccharine-flavored syrup meant for people who worship the likes of Diane Warren. In other words, BARF. Not my wedding. Like all brides, I wanted my wedding to be DIFFERENT! Throw in the fact that I've got a music blog in the mix, my wedding playlist had to be good. R-E-A-L-L-Y good! So I scoured the internet, asked my trusted music guru friends, prayed to music gods, consulted magic 8 balls, went to psychics and I put together the most kick-ass wedding playlist that will encourage you not to throw ...
Milo Greene’s Album Debut: Review
If the Mamas and the Papas consummated with Crosby, Stills and Nash and had a baby, it would be named Milo Greene. Releasing on July 17th on Chop Shop / Atlantic Records, the self-titled debut album sounds like a drowsy haze of California sunshine and a gnawing discontent that leaves you a little haunted. Robbie Arnett, Andrew Heringer, Marlana Sheetz, Curtis Marrero and Graham Fink use their 5 part harmonies as a soul-stirring centerpiece to their dreamy compositions. Due to an early buzz about these Los Angeleans, RadioPotato profiled their crowning masterpiece "1957" last July. Still their best song of their ...
ALLEN STONE INTERVIEW: Soul Stages
"Where does a white boy like you get so much soul?" Three seconds into watching Allen Stone perform, don't tell me you wouldn't ask the same thing. Recently featured on Live from Daryl's House (yes, THE Daryl Hall) and recent appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live and Conan, Allen Stone's eclectic fan base is catching on to a new kind of soul that stirs up the insides like a steaming bowl of porridge. Blue-eyed rock and soul man Allen Stone grew up in the Washington country with no access or permission to listen to non-secular music until he discovered some at sixteen ...
Top 9 SXSW 2012 Moments (because everyone has a top 10)
March Madness in Austin, Texas might have a slightly different meaning. Canvassing 2 weeks every March, South by Southwest (SXSW) is the promised land for musicians and techies waiting to be discovered. As the artists, young and old descended on the city in hopes to move the masses, so did Roxana Shershin. Roxy is a super-fan of all festivals and makes regular pilgrimages to Bonnaroo, SXSW, and Hangout Music Festival like it's her damn job. I asked her to weigh in on her top experiences and new projects we need to check out. Rox, you are a champ! SXSW might well ...
Casey Driessen Interview: Fiddle Me This
I'm pretty sure that ass-kickings were regular occurrences for kids toting around a violin back in school. Nowadays, the surge of fiddle-driven rock blasting through mainstream with Mumford & Sons and the Zac Brown Band, et al., makes come-uppance pretty sweet. To the former band geeks that are now revered for their intelligence, skill, and commitment to their classical foundations, I say, if it ain't baroque...well, you know. Casey Driessen is a renowned bluegrass fiddle player that is known all throughout the world for his versatile style of percussive and inventive playing. A curious man with mad professor hair and a ...
BEN SOLLEE INTERVIEW: Strings Attached
Ben Sollee could be the holy grail of musicians. An accomplished cellist, vocalist, and storyteller, Ben's folky style of music is peppered with soul, bluegrass, jazz, and the classics. It's borderline obnoxious that so much talent be bestowed on one person and to top it all off, he's incredibly articulate, gracious, and kind. I bet less-evolved musicians hate him. Anyway, let's get to the good stuff. Ben Sollee: The Experience. Picture it. Grocery on Home, the private venue living room series hosts a four-night run of Ben Sollee and it's the final night. The art-filled living room is packed with an ...
INTERVIEW: DAVID MAYFIELD FOLKS OFF
[caption id="attachment_4430" align="alignleft" width="300"] Concert Photography by David Oppenheimer - Performance Impressions[/caption] The David Mayfield Parade storms on the stage with a clumsy somersault by the lead singer and namesake, David Mayfield followed by a theatrical bow. The crowd erupts with a laughter at the unexpected amusement of antics normally not associated with live folk performances. Once the band starts performing, I look around and realize that everyone's jaw has dropped to the floor. Raised in a touring family band as a child, David Mayfield was taught by his parents that entertaining a crowd was a "service." Inspired by Simon & Garfunkel and Randy ...
Goin’ to the Chapel: RadioPotato is getting hitched!
I'm getting married! Going from the quintessential single gal about town to a betrothed woman has had more twists and turns than a roller coaster at Six Flags. As I knock on the door of 37 years, I feel like I'm in the exact right spot but conversely, feel the ticking of that internal time bomb that so many women feel - did I wait too long? I met Chris on December 4, 2008. Match.com Date. His first one ever. Me? Notevenclose. On our first date at Graveyard Tavern, Chris did a shot before I got there and I told him ...
ATTWATER INTERVIEW: Country’s Rising Duo
Edgy, innovative, risk taking, and fresh. These are some words that country music's new duo Attwater's fans use to describe their music. My journalistic instincts wanted more. Edgy because Sacramento isn't exactly known to crank out country artists but ATTWATER is forming a style that hasn't been heard before. Erika Attwater's powerfully soulful belt has equal parts righteous sass and crippling vulnerability. She's got no twang in her voice but the songwriting is undeniably relatable and the fiddles cloak their music into a fresh serving of southern-tinged music. Discovered last winter by mega-producer Charlie Peacock (The Civil Wars, Switchfoot, Ten out ...
Hostess with the Mostest: Americana in the Park
There are a few unexpected milestones that I've hit in my years on this earth. Unexpected, because I'm not necessarily asking for it, but it just fortuitously fell in my lap. Here are 3 I'm quite proud of, and all documented on RadioPotato.com. 1 - I won DJ of the Year in college 2x. and SENIOR DJ of the year my final year. Was I good? HELL no! We had a 10 watt station and zero listeners. But I was passionate. For a sample of my horrendously hilarious WKNJ-FM DJ stylings circa 1993. click HERE. 2 - A PR firm reached out ...
Wedding Songs that Won’t Make you Hurl – Playlist Enclosed!
Tweet Let’s face it. Wedding songs are lame. Sappy, slow, and full of saccharine-flavored syrup meant for people who worship the likes of Diane Warren. In other words, BARF. Not my wedding. Like all brides, I wanted my wedding to be DIFFERENT! Throw in the fact that I’ve got a music blog in the mix, my wedding playlist had to be good. R-E-A-L-L-Y good! So I scoured the internet,... [Read more]
Is Atlanta’s Music Midtown worth it?
Tweet Kid Rock blew my mind live. I don’t even like his music and his electricity onstage zapped me into reconsidering. But wait. Legendary crooner Tony Bennett is playing live across the park in just a few minutes. Let me run over there. Music Midtown Festival circa 2002…Atlanta’s greatest showcase of a colorful mix of musicians, old and new, big and small, is back for... [Read more]
Skipping the Sophomore Curse: Mumford, Adele, and The Civil Wars
Tweet The internal pressure for Lindsay Lohan to keep doing drugs is nothing compared to the crushing expectations of the anticipated sophomore album. Mumford & Sons debut album Sigh No More, Adele’s 21, and The Civil Wars’ Barton Hollow changed the trajectory of music, launching 1,000 copycats chasing the same results. Before anyone jumps on me about Adele’s 21 not being... [Read more]
RadioPotato’s Top 5 Songs for August 2012
Tweet As football season starts to creep into the skyrocketing humidity, I had been dry as a bone trying to find the best music to put in August’s Top 5 songs. And then it hit me like an Olympic blunder on the uneven bars. From jazz to blues to electronic to folk and pop, this eclectic mix could be my best yet. On a personal note, I am 5 months pregnant with a baby boy and I can’t... [Read more]
Milo Greene’s Album Debut: Review
Tweet If the Mamas and the Papas consummated with Crosby, Stills and Nash and had a baby, it would be named Milo Greene. Releasing on July 17th on Chop Shop / Atlantic Records, the self-titled debut album sounds like a drowsy haze of California sunshine and a gnawing discontent that leaves you a little haunted. Robbie Arnett, Andrew Heringer, Marlana Sheetz, Curtis Marrero and Graham Fink use their... [Read more]
RadioPotato’s Top 5 Songs of June 2012
Tweet Summer has always been my favorite season. I love the sweltering hot days, slutty little sundresses, drunken cookouts, pools, and above all, great new music. Since my last Top 5 post, I got married, gleefully changed my last name, and found some of the best new music to perfectly accompany your cocktails in your beach chair. Congrats to Dia Frampton for winning April’s Top 5 top song.... [Read more]
Songs’ Most Iconic Drum Beats (Air Drummers Welcome)
Tweet There’s something about a heart-pounding drumbeat that makes you want to bang on the steering wheel of your car. A song that’s unforgettable and instantly recognizable. In fact, I’ve been known to identify songs within two beats at grocery stores and in elevators everywhere. What can I say? It’s a gift. Sometimes it’s precision and skill that pumps... [Read more]
Top 10 Earth-Shaking Albums via Spotify
Tweet Albums are completely dead. Trends show that users are barely downloading songs nowadays, let alone buying albums. Streaming is where it’s at. And streaming services now have their own charts, too. Ex-music industry exec ranter Bob Lefsetz had an interesting take on the fall of the album and the trends involving Spotify, MOG, YouTube, and other streaming services. Really, it’s... [Read more]
RadioPotato’s Top 5 Songs of April 2012
Tweet RadioPotato is about to run off into the sunset at the end of this month. All this wedding planning has been fun, but I sure do miss my blogging. And don’t worry, I’m not abandoning my blog. Just my last name. And in case you’ve been living under a rock, the music industry is now run by bloggers, Twitter, Facebook, and really, by YOU. The only way a band truly makes... [Read more]
ALLEN STONE INTERVIEW: Soul Stages
Tweet “Where does a white boy like you get so much soul?” Three seconds into watching Allen Stone perform, don’t tell me you wouldn’t ask the same thing. Recently featured on Live from Daryl’s House (yes, THE Daryl Hall) and recent appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live and Conan, Allen Stone’s eclectic fan base is catching on to a new kind of soul that stirs up the insides... [Read more]
