Category Archives: Television

Rhiannon Giddens and Iron & Wine Perform Bob Dylan’s “Forever Young”

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Founding member of the Grammy Award-winning Carolina Chocolate Drops, singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Rhiannon Giddens joined Iron & Wine , the nom de plume for singer, songwriter Sam Beam, for a performance of Bob Dylan’s “Forever Young” on the series finale of NBC’s Parenthood, “May God Bless and Keep You Always.”

Dylan’s recording, from the 1974 album Planet Waves, has been the show’s theme song since it first aired in 2010. The new version by Giddens and Beam, which they played at the show’s Luncheonette recording studio during the episode and was produced by Joe Henry, is available digitally from Nonesuch Records on iTunes and in the Nonesuch Store. You can hear it below.

Watch Out! Lera Lynn: “Out to Sea” – Late Show with David Letterman 1/5/2015

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Lera Lynn: "Out to Sea" - David Letterman

Last night David Letterman continued championing Americana and roots music in the New Year by inviting Lera Lynn (“From Nash-VEGAS Tennessee!” Letterman announces as a inside joke with his maestro sidekick Paul Shaffer ) to the Late Show stage.

Lynn may make her home in Nash-Vegas now, but she’s a Houston, TX girl by birth.

Lynn and her band deliver a simmeringly lush yet low-key version of “Out to Sea” from her sophomore offering “The Avenues,” which made our 2014 year-end list at #12.

http://youtu.be/ZkZa4OEH-Yc

Watch Out! Willie Nelson & Billy Joe Shaver: “Hard To Be An Outlaw” – David Letterman 12/17/2014

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Willie Nelson & Billy Joe Shaver: "Hard To Be An Outlaw"

It’s good to be David Letterman. Though his last show is set for May 20, 2015 he continues to showcase great music for quality and less commercial reasons. And why not? He’s the reigning late night king. And while it lasts it’s good to be the king.

Texas music legends Willie Nelson and Billy Joe Shaver performed last night. And though Willie’s been on The Late Show numerous times this was Shaver’s Late Show debut. Better late then never.

The pair performed ‘Hard to Be an Outlaw,’ which appears on Shaver’s latest ‘Long in the Tooth,’ which with the shared vocals this performance is drawn from, and Willie’s solo vocal version on his ‘Band of Brothers.’

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cAFyMtEFNg

Listen Up! ‘Sons Of Anarchy’ Finale Song: The White Buffalo ‘Come Join The Murder’

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The White Buffalo ‘COME JOIN THE MURDER’

There will be no spoilers here just a fond farewell to one of my favorite shows. Not only was ‘Sons Of Anarchy” a complex character study, it was a great source for great music as the shoe’s creator Kurt Sutter and music director Bob Thiele hand-picked the songs that played such a large part of setting mood.

I discovered Jake Smith (aka The White Buffalo) when his haunting reinterpretation of The Animal’s ‘House Of The Rising Sun’ in Season 4, Episode 14: “To Be, Act 2.” Smith went on to contribute 6 more songs to the series.

So it’s fitting that the epic finale be serenaded by Smith and his baritone rumble another stunning tune, ‘Come Join The Murder,’ backed by the series house band the Forest Rangers, with lyrics by Sutter.

Let’s just say it was a great song to evoke Mr. Mayhem.

‘Come Join The Murder’ can be found on Songs of Anarchy: Music from Sons of Anarchy Season 1-4

http://youtu.be/FltfjztIiAU

Watch Out! Hiss Golden Messenger: “Southern Grammar” – Late Show with David Letterman

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Hiss Golden Messenger: "Southern Grammar" - David Letterman

Davis Letterman and his crew continue to take a last lap in part by continuing to support great roots music.

Hiss Golden Messenger makes the most out of their network television debut by bringing out the big guns.

Usually North Carolina soulful folky M.C. Taylor woks solo or in small accompaniments when playing live. Not this time. Taylor makes an impression with full band complete with horn section and background singers,

Taylor looks right at home fronting this larger assembly, delivering a Muscle Shoals-style swaggering arrangement of “Southern Grammar.” The cut is from his latest, snd one of the best releases of the year, “the Lateness Of Dancers.”

Or as Dave so enthusiastically puts it “Oh my god…this is all you need right here!”

http://youtu.be/CI1BE48lYBo

Watch Out! First Aid Kit Perform “Stay Gold” on Conan 11/11/14

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First Aid Kit Perform "Stay Gold" on Conan

Acclaimed Swedish pop-folk duo First Aid Kit dropped by Conan last night for a lovely performance of their new single “Stay Gold.”

First Aid Kit continues on their largest-ever U.S. headline tour, playing the famed Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles tonight. See below for remaining dates.

Stay Gold is available everywhere now:

Tour Dates (w/ support from Samantha Crain):
11/12 – Wiltern – Los Angeles, CA
11/13 – Fox Theater – Oakland, CA
11/14 – Roseland Theater – Portland, OR
11/15 – Moore Theatre – Seattle, WA
11/17 – The Complex – Salt Lake City, UT
11/18 – Ogden Theatre – Denver, CO
11/20 – First Avenue – Minneapolis, MN
11/21 – Bradley Fine Arts Building – Plymouth, WI
11/22 – Vic Theatre – Chicago, IL

Watch Out! Shakey Graves – “Dearly Departed” on Conan

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Shakey Graves "Dearly Departed"

Check this rousing performance of Austin’s Shakey Graves’ “Dearly Departed” from Conan last night.

Shakey (Alejandro Rose-Garcia) is accompanied beautifully by vocalist Esmé Patterson, who has her own new album entitled “Woman to Woman.”

“Dearly Departed” can be found on Shakey Graves newest album And The War Came

Watch Out! Lucinda Williams – “Protection” on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon

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Lucinda Williams - "Protection" on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon

Lucinda William took to The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, clad in badass black leather, to perform her new soul-soaked song “Protection.”

Lu gave a swaggering performance along her guitar-slinger the Wallflower’s Stuart Mathis. And as if it couldn’t get any better they were backed by Fallon’s house band, The Roots.

“Protection” is from her latest Down Where the Spirit Meets the Bone

Watch Out! Ryan Adams: “Gimme Something Good” on David Letterman

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Ryan Adams: "Gimme Something Good" - David Letterman

Entering his final year as host of the Late Show, it’s hard to imagine anyone taking David Letterman’s place as a mainstream supporter of roots music.

Ryan Adam and his and band The Shining stopped by to treat Dave and the audience with his latest single “Gimme Something Good” from his self-titled 14th studio album.

Once Adams the band were done with a rousing performance, Letterman reverted to fanboy mode — “Come on!”, “What do you want?”, “Oh my God is taht nice! Can you do just a little bit more?” An obliging Adams kicked into the opening chords as the credits rolled.

Can you recall Letterman requesting an encore? I can’t. Damn, I’m going to miss that man and how much he’s supported great music.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmglUwgtHxs

Watch Out! Sturgill Simpson ‘Living The Dream’ on Conan

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Sturgill Simpson 'Living The Dream' on Conan

Sturgill Simpson took to the Conan O’Brien show last night stage to preach the gospel of outlaw country to the audience,

He and his cracker-jack band delivered a tight version of his blue-collar existentialist cut, “Living The Dream.”

“Living The Dream” is from his album ‘Metamodern Sounds in Country Music.’