The singer-songwriter Amy Rigby got her start in the late 1980s and early 1990s in spry, New York-based country throwback groups Last Roundup and The Shams. Starting with 1996’s Diary of a Mod Housewife, Rigby has steadily released solo work that can break your heart with the contagious ache in her dry, distinctive voice or make you laugh out loud at the concussive put-downs she doles out. Rigby has a particular knack for turning the quotidian mythic and reminding us that the mythologized are ultimately just some guys. The music has remained rooted in country, but not confined by it. Hers is a guitar-forward style that can incorporate the bright highs of acoustic pop rock, crunchy roadhouse grooves, R&B, and even jazz. Alex Johnson, in his review of Rigby’s most recent release, Hang In There With Me, called the album “tough, witty rock and roll…[that] catalogs a lifetime of drags, uncertainties and disasters, but returns, again and again, to the people, moments and experiences that make it worthwhile, or bearable enough.”
Here are some things that Rigby has been listening to lately.
Warmduscher — “Eight Minute Machines”
Discovered via an online review of their Brooklyn show last year, one that made me want so badly to be sweating in a crowd with this band onstage.
Amelia White — “Get To The Show”
One of my Nashville pals and I love this track from her latest album. Amelia is always out working and rocking, written with the great Gwil Owen… Sometimes I really do miss Nashville!
Daniel Romano — “Impossible Green”
You know when you discover an artist and think wow, this kid’ll go far, then realize they’ve been at it for years, made tons of records, play all the instruments, write, sing and tour their ass off? That’s how it is for me with Daniel Romano. This track comes from his 2017 album Modern Pressure.
Gina Birch — I Play My Bass Loud
Gina’s debut solo album came out just a year ago — I’ve been a fan since hearing the Raincoats in the late 1970s and getting to see them live when they came to NYC back then. She’s one of my heroines for being an artist and uniquely herself in whatever it is she does — music, video, painting. The bass and her opening line: “Sometimes I wake up, and I wonder — what is my job?” Pure Gina/genius!
Wreckless Eric — Inside The Majestic
He’s my husband and labelmate so what the hell — this is from his most recent album Leisureland. People know Eric for his voice and lyrics and guitar, but this is an instrumental track that’s just glorious. I want to see the movie it soundtracks, or at very least a choreographed dance routine with Eric at the piano in a tuxedo.
Michele Stodardt — “These Bones”
A big attraction for me with the Magic Numbers was Michele Stodart’s bass playing and cool vocal contributions, love hearing and seeing her do her solo thing.
Meshell Ndgeocello — The Omnichord Real Book
For the last dozen years, I was bartending/selling books at a small shop in New York’s Hudson Valley. The first time Meshell came in I was tongue-tied, knowing her as a bass playing legend and poet, and thought if she lives here, it’s kind of the center of the universe, right? I really hope to see her play live sometime.
TBHQ — “Planet of Pain” from TBHQ
A radio host on a show I guested on was playing this great track when I walked in. “I really like that,” I thought, and then realized it was my daughter Hazel Rigby who records under the name TBHQ. She’s been performing and recording for years, often instrumental/noise but her voice and lyrics are so wise and honest.
Dory Previn — “The Comedian”
There’s never been anyone like Dory Previn, the pain and ridiculousness of being a human so acutely depicted in song. There’s a new documentary about her, On My Way To Where, by my friend Julia Greenberg with animated segments by Emily Hubley, just making its debut out there. She had a fascinating, fruitful, difficult beautifully productive life and I can’t wait to learn more about her.
Mary Timony — “Dominoes” from Untame The Tiger
Love everything about Mary Timony’s latest solo album Untame the Tiger — the songs, the guitar playing, her voice, the cover!
Swamp Dogg — “Synthetic World”
One of my favorite tracks of all time. Jerry Williams (Swamp Dogg) is still out bringing his music to the people. I’m looking forward to seeing the new documentary Swamp Dogg Gets His Pool Painted — there’s just nobody like this guy.
New science suggests the FDA should test all food chemicals for safety. A food preservative used to prolong the shelf life of Pop-Tarts, Rice Krispies Treats, Cheez-Its and almost 1,250 other popular processed foods may harm the immune system, according to a new peer-reviewed study by Environmental
“In 2017, nationwide tests showed that many fast-food chains used food wrappers, bags and boxes coated with highly fluorinated chemicals.”
“Food manufacturers have no incentive to change their formulas,” said Scott Faber, senior vice president for government affairs at EWG. “Too often, the FDA allows the food and chemical industry to determine which ingredients are safe for consumption. Our research shows how important it is that the FDA take a second look at these ingredients and test all food chemicals for safety.””
Tert-Butylhydroquinone (TBHQ) is a proven and safe tool in modern food production, playing an irreplaceable role in protecting food quality, extending shelf life, and reducing resource waste.If you have any questions about TBHQ, please feel free to contact us. Website: www.samreal.com
Grant Imahara, host of the eye-opening show Mythbusters, was at it again. This time, he didn’t set out to get involved with crash test dummies or explosives. Instead, he recently focused on a specific food — which it can hardly be called — at McDonald’s: french fries. Imahara went directly to the fa...
SPECIAL REPORT: Killer Foods + Snacks That Kill #10
SPECIAL REPORT: Killer Foods + Snacks That Kill #10 by @QuintinCox123 #YSKFood #FoodPhanatix #YSKNews
I’ve been wondering about what we eat everyday and how that directly relates to all the hyperactivity in children so I started researching the subject. What I found was way more disturbing than hypertension: Cancer. So, here is my list of the 10 most cancer-causing snacks sold in America today. In my opinion, we should all avoid these “foods”, if you can call them that. #10 of the of the top…
