Acoustic Originals

Thom Yorke’s Acoustic Version of Morning Mr. Magpie

Acoustic Originals

Until my pal and fellow AV enthusiast Julz directed me to this video, I was woefully ignorant of the fact that one of the tracks on Radiohead’s new album, The King of Limbs, was around for the better part of a decade before receiving the studio treatment. Whichever version of Morning Mr. Magpie you prefer, [...]

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Abigail Washburn Live at the Tin Angel

Acoustic Originals

There’s no question that bluegrass musicians – or at least cats playing in those kinds of outfits – are among the most versatile around. It’s unclear whether this is because its leading contemporary practitioners – the likes of Bela Fleck and Chris Thile – have succeeded in injecting a little bit of everything into bluegrass [...]

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In Memoriam: The White Stripes

Acoustic Originals

The White Stripes broke up last week. While this may have seemed like a foregone conclusion for a while now what with the number of Jack White side projects racking up faster than Rex Ryan foot jokes, the band’s demise was officially announced just recently. With their breakup the music world will lose one of [...]

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The Higher Concept’s Acoustic Version of “What Makes You Different”

Acoustic Originals

After a long string of rock (in its various forms), this seems like a good time for a change of pace. The Higher Concept formed in upstate NY in 2003, and when I came across them back in December, it was immediately clear this group isn’t hip hop in the sense that has become conventional. [...]

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An Interview with James Lee Stanley: Part III, Performance

Acoustic Originals

This is the third and final installment of a three part conversation with James Lee Stanley. In the first installment (read it here), James talked about the process of songwriting. In the second (read it here), he discussed his approach to playing someone else’s music in a new and interesting way, as well as the [...]

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