In 1849, Thomas William Maloy married Anna Kenny, somewhere in County Roscommon, Ireland. They soon departed Eire’s green shores for a better life in America, settling on a small farm in Upstate New York. The Maloys—along with untold other Irish ancestors known and unknown—left all they knew and loved for the great unknown. Thomas & Anna were […]
Kacey and Brandi Storm the Grammys
Kacey Musgraves and Brandi Carlile were big winners at the 2019 Grammy Awards this weekend, among the worthy nominees (and the rest). Kacey Musgraves hit the County category hard, with wins for “Butterflies” (Best Country Solo) and “Space Cowboy” (Best Country Song) and Best County Album for Golden Hour, before the big BIG win of […]
The Martyr Richard Woodman
Martyr: 1: a person who voluntarily suffers death as the penalty of witnessing to and refusing to renounce a religion. 2: a person who sacrifices something of great value and especially life itself for the sake of principle. It is difficult in this day and age and place to wrap our heads around the idea that […]
2018 Blog Posts in Review
As I noted last year, blog traffic tracks with blog posts and I’ve been poky about posting, partly due to some back-of-the-house issues with my ISP (thank you, Sacha, for what you’ve been able to do) and partly due to the fact I’d rather go outside and play than post this past year. In 2018, […]
JC’s Top Tunes of 2018
We all get to an age when we start to lose our peers. It is hard enough to lose our grandparents, then our parents’ generation, but mortality hits like a load a bricks when the Man Comes Around for men and women who share our timeline. Brandon Jenkins (6/7/69 – 3/2/18) is one. I got […]
Survey Says: Your Fav Roots Music of 2018
End of the calendar year lists propagate like flies at the winter solstice. Many are interesting, but I pay particular attention to the Americana Music Association and the reborn No Depression magazine. AMA Radio Chart The AMA’s Americana Radio Chart went full auto this year, I guess, and now features twice the fun with a […]
Gimme My Grammy?
Nominations for the 61st Grammy Awards are out for the show to broadcast 10 February 2019. Brandi Carlile makes a strong showing across the board, with a nomination for Record of the Year for The Joke with Dave Cobb & Shooter Jennings, producers, Album of the Year for By The Way, I Forgive You, and Song […]
The 11th Hour of the 11th Day of the 11th Month
At the 11th minute of the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, the year of our Lord 1918, an Armistice came into effect ending open hostilities in the War to End all Wars. The peace took more time, until the Treaty of Versailles signed 28 June 1919, but OUR boys were […]
Russell Lakes National Landmark
US Hwy 285 in the San Luis Valley crosses the Russell Lakes National Natural Landmark. Established in 1975 in Saguache County, the site protects Colorado’s largest remaining bulrush marsh and provides plant and animal habitat in the increasing developed mountain park. Looking east from the “visitor’s center”, you might be able to pick out Great […]
Americana Music Awards 2018: We Can Do Better
Executive Summary: Jason Isbell won the Americana awards. Again. And he deserves it. The Americana Honors & Awards honored and awarded the toast of Nashville for 2018, as voted by the members of the Americana Music Association. I was once one—a member, not an honoree, by gosh. I still self-identify as an Americana fan… much […]