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Crusin’ for Some Bluesin’: California’s Tommy Castro Set to Return to Annapolis—and the High Seas—with You!

Tommy Castro & The Painkillers - Kathleen Harrison

Tommy Castro believes that what is considered “blues” music has shifted over the decades. Thus, what you might hear played on B.B. King’s Bluesville on SiriusXM falls under a rather broad catchall of various influences. Tommy Castro & the Painkillers will bring their swinging’ West Coast sound to the Rams Head On Stage in Annapolis April 2. It’ll be a rocking and rolling return for the ensemble that is not to be missed. Learn more with contributing writer Eric Althoff, including details on a special offer available to fans who purchase a ticket to the show.

Texas Royalty Marcia Ball Brings Acoustic Tour to the DMV on Double Bill with Tinsley Ellis

Marcia Ball - Press Photo by Mary Bruton

If there’s one person who can blend the sounds of Southern soul with Texas blues, it’s Marcia Ball. Ball will be co-headlining two area shows of acoustic songs alongside Tinsley Ellis, first at Rams Head On Stage in Annapolis March 28 and then the Pearl Street Warehouse in D.C. March 29. Each artist will perform a set and then jam together for the finale. Ball says the artists will share stories about the songs’ gestation, making the evening not just a concert but a conversation. Join contributing writer Eric Althoff, as he connects with Marcia Ball to learn more about what audiences can expect from her upcoming shows.

MD McNally Expands His Signature Heartland Style in New EP “Crimes”

MD McNally "Crimes" album art with a headshot photo of the artist

Recent Articles Wisconsin-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist MD McNally returns with a down-to-earth batch of warm tunes. Besides the soaring guitar riffs and his old-school-style delivery of Crimes, McNally establishes himself as a profoundly personal songwriter. Inspired in his youth by “songs of Irish rebellion” and his “older siblings’ ’80s pop mixtapes,” McNally’s roots are all-American, […]

Grant Knoche Tackles First Heartbreak in “ANOTHER REASON”

GK_another reason

Recent Articles Singer-songwriter and producer, Grant Knoche, continues to take the world by storm as the 16 year old hustler drops his latest single “ANOTHER REASON”. Full of pop hooks and melodies, there’s a blue tone to the song’s core that brings a somber energy to the forefront. Despite the electronic foundations and driving backbeat, […]

Violinist Mazz Swift Will Join the Multicultural Silkroad Ensemble at George Mason

Mazz Swift - Cropped Feature Image

History’s Silk Road was a loose network of trade routes between Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Europe. Traveling such distances required not only understanding different cultures and languages, but also learning about those peoples’ music along the way. The Silkroad Ensemble, the brainchild of Yo-Yo Ma, brings together musical styles from around the world. The Grammy-winning group will perform “Uplifted Voices” at George Mason University Jan. 29. Join contributing writer Eric Althoff as he sits down with violinist Mazz Swift who shares details on the show, comprised entirely of women and nonbinary artists, as well as their own journey.

Singer-Songwriter Mark Howard releases dynamic debut album, Passing Strangers

Mark Howard - Passing Strangers - Album Art

More to Watch Mark Howard, a singer-songwriter from Phillip Island, Australia has just released his debut album, Passing Strangers. With a background in theatre, years of experience performing, and being able to place 45 pins into his world map of countries performed, it is tough to believe that Mark Howard only released his solo music […]

Courtney McKenna Takes Us Down to the Water in “C.S.R. (Corporate Social Responsibility)”

Courtney McKenna_C.S.R.

Recent Articles Los Angeles-based alternative rocker, Courtney McKenna, is back with a brand-new single “C.S.R. (Corporate Social Responsibility)”. With a punk rock edge, she sears through this politically charged bluesy tune with pummeling drums and twangy guitar lines. Perhaps, it is the relentless chanting of “down to the water” that permeates through the song’s core, […]

Getting to Know DC’s Queen of Blues: Carly Harvey

Carly Harvey 1

It is always a pleasure to sit down and chat with artists who understand how to contextualize themselves, which was my experience with D.C.’s proclaimed Queen of the Blues, Carly Harvey. When I heard her talk about her musical upbringing, there was a clear, deep love and reverence for the cultural roots of all the genres that she has employed over the course of her career to date. As a representative of D.C.’s blues scene (and music scene in general), she recognizes that her music is not just about her as an artist in an isolated moment of time, but that she contributes to, and stands upon, a historical foundation that is rich with potential.