March is getting off to a bit of a slow start. I think the month of March knows that I will be spending most of April skulking about in various venues for an absurd number of shows. March is telling me that I need to get my sleep, I think.

With just a guitar and his raw voice, Rocky Votolato puts forth a show that runs the gamut of emotion. His songs don't beat around the bush in any way; it's not so much that the songs are strictly literal, it's more the fact that they're honest.

While I fuss about, trying to upload photos and write reviews of the past two nights' worth of concerts, have a little mixtape of some of my favorite songs/artists from this past month.

Vocalist Jonathan Chandler reminds me at times of Greg Laswell. This is a good thing. I also enjoy their track "After all that, it's come to this", which features Amy Millan, but I couldn't find it on Youtube. Go look for it, you'll like it.

News & Links - February 25

With my feed reader at 1000+ unread posts (thanks a lot, busy work week and unexpected out-of-country trip), I might as well just claim defeat and start from scratch, but not before compiling some things that have caught my eye.

Is the song a literal story about the effects of mental illness? Is it a metaphor for something? Is it just some damn good storytelling? I don't know. The armchair psychologist in me is fascinated by the song, regardless of its origins. The music lover in me thinks that it's a fantastic showcase for April Smith's amazing voice.

A show by Nneka isn't just an introduction to her heartfelt brand of soul music. It's also a crash course in world affairs, the realities of living in an oil-rich nation, and in Nigerian politics.

Some interesting shows going on this week. The Antlers stop by The Vic and will undoubtedly perform some beautifully atmospheric songs from Hospice. Snook Dog managed to sell out the Metro, Greg Laswell has his second night of his winter residency up at SPACE, and Billy Corgan lends his name and talent to a benefit show for the Kellogg Cancer Care Center.

Don't let this EP's status as a Valentine's Day release fool you into think that it is some sappy collection of love tunes to which Brandi Carlile just happened to lend her voice. That's not the case at all; sure, the songs have a bit of a lovey bent, but they're pure Brandi Carlile, country roots and all.