If there’s one advantage to the #MeToo movement it is the rise of female empowerment and overall accountability for every citizen. One such figure emerging is New York singer-songwriter and activist Taina Asili, a second generation Puerto Rican with a lifetime full of chutzpah.
Her latest album Resiliencia is a cornucopia of Caribbean rhythms, first-rate horns and some seriously passionate vocals. Though the album is a bit of a mess, there are some great contributions. First of those is the earworm “Even If” an empowerment rebuke against over-aggressive men and misogyny. If ever the #MeToo movement needs an anthem, they have certainly found it in this one. Fiery, determined and richly constructed, it’s the perfect song for this perfect moment. Read more…
Our favorite video platform, Vevo, and one of our favorite bands, Mumford & Sons, have released the film “Mumford and Sons: 12 Years Strong,” a documentary that provides behind-the-scenes footage of the band’s US Delta tour. One of the highlight’s of the film is an exclusive live performance of current single “Forever” featuring Americana multi-instrumentalist Jerry Douglas. That is one of just many memorable tunes, as is a look back at the 2012 album Babel and the making of their current album Delta.
Whether or not you like or appreciate Mumford & Sons, 12 Years Strong is an absolute must-watch and easily the best thing we’ve viewed this week.
Earlier this month, country music celebrated its much-heralded ACM Awards. But after the event, the major news circuits were quick to point out that the role of women in country music continues to diminish. Other than Kacey Musgraves and Ashley McBryde, few if any females won awards. Why that happens is anyone’s guess, but any listen to country music and there are a multitude of females on the charts (Carrie Underwood, Maren Morris, Kelsea Ballerini, Miranda Lambert). Read more…
While there have been a slew of new releases that have captured our attention (George Strait’s Honky Tonk Time Machine; Brooks and Dunn’s Reboot, Son Talk’s Stay Wild, to name a few), today’s spotlight is on multi-instrumentalist Carl Broemel’s latest EP, Brokenhearted Jubilee. Comprised of mostly covers, the ever-prolific Broemel teams up with longtime collaborator and drummer Eric Hopper on an album that is equal parts inspired, immaculate and indelible. Read more…
Okay, we’ll admit it, we’re realllllllllllllllllly late to the podcast trend here at SITH, but we’re finally starting to warm up the idea. We recently stumbled across a podcast called Simple Folk and quite simply, we’re hooked. Read more…
The New Jersey music community lost a good one last Friday when singer-songwriter Matt Rauch died as a result of a car accident. He leaves behind a wife Sara and an 11-month-old daughter. Rauch was founder, principal songwriter and vocalist for the New Jersey alt-rock group Tourmaline, whose debut album Strange Distress Calls, appeared on No Milk Records and was produced by Chris Badami. Read more…
Stumbling upon a first-rate blues guitarist can be a revelatory experience. Stumbling across said musician in one of the most unique live music venues in the state of Florida, makes the experience that much more spellbinding. Read more…
EDITOR’S NOTE: This album was actually released at the end of February, but we had some hosting issues and the site was down for about two weeks. Alas, we are back online and here is a much overdue review of Bronze Radio Return’s very fun new album Entertain You.
One of our favorite bands over the past decade has been Connecticut’s Bronze Radio Return. The quartet has shifted over the years, moving from a snap-tight roots rock outfit to an air-tight synth-pop outfit. Their most recent album, Entertain You, is arguably their most commercial to date and will probably land the band many TV and film spots. Heck, their last single “Light Me Up” is still getting tons of TV play here in Florida as part of Advent Health’s latest TV commecial campaign. Read more…
We’re a sucker for a good cover (heck our favorite book of 2017 was Ray Padgett’s Cover Me), so it’s only natural we’d share two that we’re quite fond of. Read more…
Maybe we’re partial because we are fans of the violin or maybe it’s because the SITH headquarters is home to a violinist who is always playing reels and hymns. Either way, Territoires, the latest album by Quebec folk collective Le Vent du Nord is one of our favorite albums of the year. Read more…
