(PHOTO: Jo McCaughey) A self-described “studio nerd,” Dan Auerbach owns more vintage gear than his studio can comfortably hold. Even so, he makes good use of it all, playing five different electric guitars on El Camino and keeping every one of his keyboards – from the Mellotron to the Orchestron to the Farfisa organ – [...]

(Photos: Jo McCaughey) Dan Auerbach is driving through Nashville, looking for a place to get coffee on a Wednesday morning. There are diners and coffee shops all the way down 8th Avenue, but he can’t stop talking about Mas Tacos, a small Mexican joint on the other side of town. He’s been going there for [...]

At this week’s Americana Music Festival and Conference, there’s been much reminiscing about the distinctively gritty, southern flavor of the R&B and rock ‘n’ roll that came out of Muscles Shoals; first by way of a multi-artist tribute show Wednesday night, then a Country Music Hall of Fame panel Thursday afternoon, followed by a Lifetime [...]

photo by John Brassil Though Bonnaroo and the CMA Music Festival were in full force just down the road, leave it to Nashville’s Imogene + Willie to put together a day of music and celebration for a packed house at their 12 South store. The Nashville clothier (maker of some of the best jeans around—seriously) [...]

Nashville’s Imogene + Willie weekly gathering included Justin Townes Earle, the Apache Relay, Deer Tick and a special guest.

Mayfield said the song almost didn’t make it on the album.

“Things are starting to get weird.” Jessica Lea Mayfield, whose Nonesuch Records debut Tell Me is in stores now, is on the phone from her home in Ohio and we’re having a good laugh over her recent success. It’s beer o’clock on both ends of the phone, the last interview in a long week of [...]

photo by John Peets Dan Auerbach, the guitar-playing/singing fraction of The Black Keys, has been busy. There was the solo record Keep It Hid, then the hip-hop collaboration Blakroc, plus a dizzying array of other recent production credits (Hacienda, Cadillac Sky), not to mention the 15 crushingly awesome tracks on Brothers, he and drummer Patrick [...]

The perennial festival rockers of My Morning Jacket are strangely absent from the circuit this season. However, drummer Patrick Hallahan was in attendance at this year’s Bonnaroo as a spectator. He revealed to Spinner, “Right now, honestly, we’ve just taken a big hiatus.” Enjoying the easy life backstage, the weary rocker explains, “We’ve been touring [...]

Keep It Hid is a solid first solo effort for the Black Keys vocalist/guitarist, but could use a healthier dose of surprise.

Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach to Release Solo Effort