Moose Gronholm's Profile

I have had the pleasure of knowing Misty Perholtz for a few years now. I met her and her husband Jeff Perholtz a while ago, and when it comes to musical couples they are something beyond the else, and as an individual Misty is someone that lives and breathes music.

Ben Miller Band has been at this since 2005. They hail from Joplin, Missouri in the heart of the Midwest, and their music unabashedly up front and honest. They have a few albums under their belts at this point. Most notably an album aptly dubbed Record for Joplin in which the album is a tribute to all of those that suffered through the devastating tornado in 2011.

For a few years now Warrick & Lowell have been gigging around our Queen City. Playing the Southgate House or The Crow's Nest along with playing the Whispering Beard Folk Festival, and now, finally, they have a put out an album of eight cut your teeth on country tunes. The wait is finally over and they truly make the old saying real "patience is a virtue beholden by few." They truly made it worth it.

When the year began there was much in the way. The one constant though, and as always was music. There is so much music out there, and so much yet to come. Here it is, enjoy, take a listen, and hope you dig it.

The Devil Makes Three are a three piece. You could consider them a power trio, sure, the drums and loudness are exchanged for fiddle and the acoustic instruments that comprise most old timey or folky music. TDMT’s new release is “Redemption and Ruin”; the title is certainly telling considering the song choices.

The War and Treaty are Tanya Blount and Michael Trotter Jr. You can catch them this Saturday at MOTR Pub! Their latest album is Down to the River, and I’m not sure there is a duo out there right now that takes vocals to the place that these two do or that takes roots sound and that have churned it into what they have created.

Kristen Ford is a songwriter calling Nashville home these days, but for a while there you could have said it was the road. Kristen has 5 albums under her belt with the latest being eleven tracks comprising questioning and a life on tour aptly titled “Travel Songs.” Kristen, one could say, was built for the road.

Theory of a Deadman are a rock band hailing from the land to our north Canada, and more specifically Delta, British Columbia. They formed in 2001 and through these sixteen years they have released six albums and the most current is this year’s release of Wake Up Call. Which is set to be released on October 27th in lieu of that, they will be hosting an event for Breast Cancer called “Rockers for Knockers” in which two dollars for every ticket sold will benefit the Pink Ribbon Girls at Bogart’s on Tuesday, October 10th.

Lilly Hiatt is currently on tour for her latest album that dropped in late August called Trinity Lane. You can catch her at The Southgate House Revival on Friday, October 6th! With this record she got personal, she got rock n roll, and all behind her country voice shining through on each song. This is country brought up close and personal. With this record she’s staking her claim and throwing her name in the hat with the current flock of songwriter’s taking over.

For twenty years, or thereabouts, Conor Oberst has remained one of the preeminent voices in the indie/rock/folk genre. His songs can be brash and loud, or calm and to the point, and political with a hint of romance, and sometimes all in one song. However, you would like to describe him though you can’t leave out that he knows how to write a song.

The words have all been written about him, and the story has pretty much been told. Randy Newman is pretty much one of the best songwriters we have in music. He does not merely sit behind an instrument and churn out songs, although he can and has, it something much more than that. He writes soundtracks to movies, and offers songs to movies, and on his latest album uses a symphony to his advantage. One man and one piano however is where it all starts.

Jeffrey Lewis is an anti-folk music, comic book writer, and rather than mince words he’s simply an artist. I have been aware of his music via The Moldy Peaches and Kimya Dawson through their project “The Bundles.” His narrating of everyday life’s drab or thrills, or simplicity is where he resides. There really are no frills overcomplicating these songs.