I watched the five-night broadcast of Ken Burns "Country Music" and if you have not seen this feature you need to set time aside and watch the entire production. Even if you are not a fan of Country Music you will be entertained and educated both at the same time as I was. I had never heard of the Dixon Brothers but they are reverently mentioned early on in the film as parts of the building blocks of contemporary country music are explored reaching back to their roots based in American Folk and storytelling intertwined with Gospel and Hillbilly.

As I researched deeper into their story I discovered theirs was not a very happy one...

10/30/2019

There have been certain descriptive accolades laid at the feet of many artists and entertainers through the years – genius, innovator, super star, and given whatever idol you choose to rank and file behind the simple truth of it all is this, only a handful of them are the real deal and only a select few of those cast shadows as far reaching and as influentially important as James Brown.

I have stated before on this website that I was blessed to grow up listening to Motown and how important that music was to my heart and soul as I learned to write and play myself. My mother had a copy of the 1967 release “James Brown Sings Raw Soul” and I clearly remember...

SOMETHING NEW AND DIFFERENT ON THE SITE!!!

New to the site I have added “STUDIOS”, a page dedicated to the many music recording facilities spread throughout the state of South Carolina. Some of these facilities are large and packed with the latest and greatest technology available for a musician to capture and process their signature sound while others are small and custom fitted offering a more intimate and personal recording experience.

Time has proven one thing to be true about recording your music - it does not matter, big or small, magic can happen anywhere at anytime just make sure someone good is sitting behind that...

I have known about Lay Quiet Awhile for years but these past two weeks I have truly gotten to know them and their body of work through my research. Being no fool I clearly understand Danielle Howle’s place in the South Carolina music scene and yes, she is a treasure, but what I took away from this band and this study was the fact that she was one of four talented musicians. In the mix of what became Lay Quiet Awhile I could clearly see how she grew and developed more as an artist by working with them and they grew and realized their sound by working with her and I believe this is as it should be. Everyone here is an exceptional talent, great players no doubt, and I am grateful for discovering new music to add to my private playlist.

The brainchild of punk legend Chuck Walker, Bedlam Hour was South Carolina's primary proponent of the straight-edge movement. Catchy hooks and deft guitar work punctuated Bedlam Hour’s music, but the true heart of the band's creativity lay in Walker's lyrics. Ten years before "emo," Walker penned sensitive, introspective and poetic lyrics that struck a chord with kids in the punk, metal and straightedge scenes. Later, bands such as Green Day and Blink 182 would score massive hits with a sound Bedlam Hour embraced in the mid 1980s...

I love David Ball, when I listen to his music it makes me feel good inside. It takes me back and reminds me of a time when country songs were written cleverly and delivered with heart and intent. A time when country songs were fashioned for people who did not have a lot of money or title in the world but they were genuine folk with good hearts and core values. Call me a purist or simply call me old but I believe country music was better back then and David Ball is one of those rare artists who embodies all of the things I have mentioned here. I will be listening to David’s music for years to come and on that sad day when he retires from making it country music will diminish just a tiny bit more.

I met David Earle while he and his family had moved down from New York to live in Elloree, SC. During this time David was recording with jazz legends from up and down the East coast slowly compiling a healthy catalog of music steeped in progressive and experimental jazz. Early on I was listening to his albums and using them as music backtracks during my guitar practice exercises so I came to know and respect his material and his rhythmic and songwriting style...

As a musician and songwriter I have known about Patrick Davis for years. I have been aware of his success and accomplishments in the music industry beyond the borders of South Carolina and I have watched his career grow with interest.
I attended the Greenville Song Writers Workshop last year hosted by Edwin McCain and Maia Sharp and at the last minute Patrick was added as a guest speaker, which I thought, was pretty cool and might be interesting - I had no idea. Patrick was the central speaker and he pretty much took the floor and owned it. He proceeded to explain to the writers in attendance everything...

I have been aware of Maurice Williams my entire life. I remember thumbing through my Mother’s vinyl album collection studying the artists and group names plastered across the cover art along with the posed photographs and picture montages, reading the build up and biographies on the rear covers, soaking it all in. Somewhere amongst the Four Seasons and The Platters there was Maurice Williams & The Zodiacs. The first thing to catch my eye and my imagination was the name – The Zodiacs, how cool was that for a band name? Then of course there was Stay, the one big hit they had but oh, what a hit. I’m here to tell you that song has stood the test of time...

Being such a huge fan of Treadmill Trackstar I was not about to miss their farewell show at New Brookland Tavern this past November. I attended with my Son and as we patiently waited for them to take the stage we were pleasantly surprised and blown away by the opening band, TARWATER Bone Machine. I was even more surprised to discover that a very old friend of mine from 49 Reasons was drumming for them, Darrin Gray.

During the time period I had moved to California for several years I had missed...

BIG Sky 12 is a music project developed at Lonesome Dog Studio in Columbia, SC. Not an actively performing band but rather local musicians and friends who worked together in the studio under the guidance and direction of Jerry Axson. The goal was to record some great music showcasing their talents and skills and to have fun doing it and after a year of dedication and hard work the end result is a 12-song offering titled “The Savage And The Tamed”.

The core musicians at the heart of the project are...

When I started this website I set a couple of “out of reach” goals for myself just to keep it interesting. I chose a select few from a long list of artists and bands to interact with and to eventually represent here. Today is a very special day for me personally because I’m posting a showcase for one of those select few – Edwin McCain.

I want you to enjoy viewing Edwin’s showcase page as much as I enjoyed putting it together. A special thanks to his management and crew for helping me compile the data for this and to Edwin himself for giving his approval.

Bemo Prince left Nashville in the 1980s after a decade of close calls failed to materialize a record contract, including an ill-fated appearance on the TNN television program You Can Be A Star, a national talent show for aspiring country singers that helped launch the careers of Alan Jackson and Trisha Yearwood. After a three-decade hiatus, Has Been That Never Was is his debut album. Produced by Daniel Machado and Stephen Russ of The Restoration, a historyfocused musical collective from South Carolina and Washington D.C., the album is a collection of Bemo's unrecorded songs from the 1960s and 70s, recorded live to tape with minimal overdubs in the...

Robins Cradle was so very unique in the music they crafted. It goes without saying the infusion of flute into a pop/rock format is not only a tremendous gamble no matter what time line but, structurally it takes vision and real talent. Listening to the body of work they put out I am struck by the awesome force and power Robin Brooks Parker is vocally. Obviously she is one of the best female singers to come out of the Midlands hands down and I enjoyed listening to her delivery on every cut, simply awesome. The guitar parts are well constructed and carefully thought out to fit each segment of the song. Well balanced they know right when to step out front and just when...

12/21/2016

There is really nothing I can say about James Jamerson that will make him any greater or more important to contemporary music than the man already is. I am so lucky that my mother was an avid Motown fan throughout the sixties and that she owned every LP essential to that decade and that I listened to all of those songs a million times on her crappy little plastic stereo – God bless that crappy little plastic stereo because I was a certified fan of the Funk Brothers before I even knew who they were. To this day I can hear “You Just Keep Me Hanging On” by the Supremes and like Pavlov’s dog I start to hum that bass line in the back of my throat lick by...

It never ceases to amaze me, just when I think I know about all of the relevant and truly important music or artists that come from South Carolina she takes me back to school. I heard about Wes Mackey through our very own Blues Goddess Ms. Clair DeLune, (side note: must get list of local blues legends from Clair because, well -  SHE WROTE A BOOK ON THE SUBJECT!). As I began researching Wes Mackey I was surprised at how flexible his style seems to be. As a guitarist myself and a lover of traditional blues I quickly noticed his playing style was not really traditional by way of Big Joe Turner but more like BB King – very smooth, contemporary, and tasteful in...

Let’s just say that I was engaged in a conversation with someone from outside of South Carolina and we were discussing and comparing our regional artists and bands, and let’s just say that the inevitable question was posed in said conversation – “so, who is the biggest band to ever come out of South Carolina?” A lot of people reading at this very moment would utter that most obvious name BUT, if the question were put in a different context like maybe – “who is the most beloved band?” or “what band best represents all that is good and extraordinary about the state of South Carolina and the people living there?” You see where this is going right? The Blue Dogs have...

A staple band to Charleston, SC and the Eastern Seaboard, Dangermuffin has been touring and spreading their special style of Jam band music and storytelling for years now. Perseverance and resilience mark this talented trios sound as they touch on personal chords of our everyday lives never taking the easy way out both in lyrical composition and in their delivery of the song. This band has a devoted and large following of music lovers seeking simplicity balanced by love and honesty and I don’t think that’s a bad thing at all in these times we are living in, not a bad thing at all…

SOMETHING NEW AND DIFFERENT ON THE SITE!!! Not only does our great state of South Carolina produce talented musicians and bands but we also generate outstanding services which are contributed by exceptionally skilled professionals in the fields of woodwork and lutherie, electronics and repair, metallurgy and alloy forging, teaching, training, and the list goes on.New to the site we have added “SERVICES”, a page dedicated to those specialist and businesses who provide services to our musicians and who also provide that touch of uniqueness and...

The Conner Brothers Band was a short lived but productive project consisting of two extremely talented forces, Chris Conner and Brian Conner both brothers in life and in music. Of course Chris was the eldest having already helmed the local favorite “Sourwood Honey Band” as well as enjoying a solo career locally and statewide as a performing singer/songwriter/musician. Younger brother Brian has made no bones about the fact that his greatest inspiration to play music was his older brother who he watched for years develop into a great artist. Brian took up learning to play guitar and quickly became a very capable player in his own right which did not go un-noticed...