There’s a whole bunch of blissed-out folk to be heard at Johnny Brenda’s tonight as Mount Moriah (from North Carolina) and Blessed Feathers (from Wisconsin) play one of the last shows of their tour together. The two acts are an appropriate pairing; Mount Moriah plays stripped down, rootsy country/gospel that focuses on highlighting Heather McEntire’s pop croons, while Blessed Feathers play a more updated kind of indie-folk, full of ambient two-part harmonies and driving melodies. The two sounds complement each other very well, and opening act Edison is definitely in the same realm, offering ambient space rock with hints of violin. The 21+ show begins at 8 p.m., tickets and information can be found at the venue’s website. Watch Mount Moriah’s video for “Plane” below.
Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell | Photo by Laura Fedele | WFUV
American music icons Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell are longtime friends, first-time collaborators on their new album Old Yellow Moon, and they performed together in the Public Radio Rocks showcase at South by Southwest, put on by WXPN, The Current, WFUV, KUTX and KXT. Below, watch video shot by WFUV of Harris and Crowell performing “Chase The Feeling”, and listen to their set in its entirety here (via the WXPN media player).
Yesterday a stacked, eclectic lineup took the Austin Convention Radio Day Stage for an afternoon-long show thrown by Triple-A public radio stations WFUV in New York, The Current in Minneapolis / St. Paul, KXT in Dallas, KUTX in Austin and WXPN.
The Public Radio Rocks! showcase kicked off with gritty rockers Divine Fits; went into introspective mode in a collaborative set by Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell, and a solo performance by Iron & Wine‘s Sam Beam; spotlighted classic soul showmanship care of Daptone Records all-star Charles Bradley; introduced the crowd to new soul-rock outfit Pickwick, from Seattle; brought perennial favorites Dawes out to regale the room with tunes from their new record; and wrapped up with Vampire Weekend playing to a massively packed house.
Check out scenes from the day in the photo gallery above, and watch videos of Vampire Weekend playing “A Punk” and Iron & Wine playing “Woman King” below.
WXPN has participated in past years on the SXSW Radio Day Stage with some fantastic bands like The Lumineers, Father John Misty and Caitlin Rose. This year, working with my colleagues, we’re taking it to the next level: great radio stations banding together to present great music. And we’re doing it in a way that’s unique for public radio audiences.
XPN has teamed up with NPR affiliates across the country for the day-long event including KUTX in Austin, KXT in Dallas, WFUV in New York and The Current in Minneapolis. The broadcast / webcast will begin at 1:00 p.m. EST on March 15th. More information can be found here. Below, watch a video of The Lumineers performing at last year’s XPN Showcase, filmed by Bands in the Backyard.
5 Songs Public Radio Can’t Stop Playing is a new feature at NPR Music. Each month, various public radio stations pick a new song that they are playing, share it, and make it available as a free download. This month, we’ve chosen “Hanging Up My Heart” by Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell from their forthcoming new album of duets called Old Yellow Moon. The album is out on February 26th on Nonesuch Records. Other songs included in this month’s feature are from indie-rockets Parquet Courts, gospel singer Bishop Richard “Mr. Clean” White, Project Trio and singer-songwriter Amy Cook.
Harris and Crowell are both legends in the world of country and folk music. The singer-songwriters have released seminal solo records over the years, but they began their working relationship way back when Crowell became a member of Harris’ Hot Band in the mid-’70s. Their new album of duets, Old Yellow Moon, sounds classic in every sense of musical accomplishment: from their gorgeous singing and inspiring studio performances to their excellent choice of material, including covers of songs by Roger Miller and Kris Kristofferson and originals by Crowell. It hearkens back to classic recordings like Harris’ Elite Hotel and Crowell’s Diamonds and Dirt, and brings the best out of the two veterans. WXPN Welcomes Emmylou and Rodney to the Academy of Music on Tuesday, March 26th with the Richard Thompson Electric Trio. Go here for tickets and more information about the show.
This winter, country music icon Emmylou Harris and singer-songwriter Rodney Crowell are embarking on their first official collaboration since 1975. On February 26, they will release the album Old Yellow Moon, and will tour in support of it with the Richard Thompson Electric Trio, who also has a new EP titled Electric. The tour comes to Philadelphia on Tuesday, March 26 at the Academy of Music – onsale information will be announced shortly. Below, watch archival video Emmylou and Rodney collaborating on “If I Could Only Win Your Love.”
There’s a whole bunch of blissed-out folk to be heard at Johnny Brenda’s tonight as Mount Moriah (from North Carolina) and Blessed Feathers (from Wisconsin) play one of the last shows of their tour together. The two acts are an appropriate pairing; Mount Moriah plays stripped down, rootsy country/gospel that focuses on highlighting Heather McEntire’s pop croons, while Blessed Feathers play a more updated kind of indie-folk, full of ambient two-part harmonies and driving melodies. The two sounds complement each other very well, and opening act Edison is definitely in the same realm, offering ambient space rock with hints of violin. The 21+ show begins at 8 p.m., tickets and information can be found at the venue’s website. Watch Mount Moriah’s video for “Plane” below.
On March 15th in Austin, TX, XPN will will co-present the
Country legends 