American Songwriter | Archive for November/December 2009

November/December 2009

Austin City Limits: On The Money(0)

December 14, 2009

When Austin City Limits aired its first show in 1976, its originators had no idea it would make it past one season, much less become the longest-running live music show in television history. Thirty-five years later, the PBS program that helped put Austin on the map as the “live music capital of the world” is [...]

Austin City Limits: On The Money

RADIOHEAD > Kid A, Amnesiac, Hail To The Thief

RADIOHEAD
Kid A
Amnesiac
Hail to the Thief
(CAPITOL)
Rating:
Radiohead’s OK Computer tour nearly killed them. After much soul-searching, they had created one of the most beloved albums of the 20th century. However, like all good ‘90s alternative rock bands, they were mortified by success, and the conveyor belt of endless self-promotion was nearly too much for them to [...]

Behind The Song: “Abraham, Martin and John”

“Abraham, Martin and John”
Written by Dick Holler
I can’t recall who first outlined for me the distinction between “art of its age” and “art for the ages,” but, over the years, I’ve thought of it often when approaching pop songs as a fan and critic. As a marketable commodity, one which reflects current patterns and [...]

Lyle Lovett: It Just Comes Natural

If the term “Americana” had not been coined, radio programmers, journalists and anyone else charged with sticking labels on music would still be pondering how to define Lyle Lovett’s singular style. Blithely genre-jumping from traditional country to gospel, jazz, blues, folk, western swing and even soul, he’s one of those artists, like Béla Fleck and [...]