Issue #53: Birds of a Feather

Music

Opening Acts: "Baton Rouge," Birds of Chicago

I saw Birds of Chicago open as a duo for Valerie June at Chicago's Vic Theater about four or five years ago. Allison Russell's recent solo album is getting a lot of attention, but I was particularly charmed by the musical chemistry between Russell and her husband, JT Nero. This live video from the Calgary Folk Festival features them along with percussion and an additional guitar.

Podcast

"Valerie June," Broken Record

Speaking of Valerie June, if you've never heard her, imagine a mixture of Dolly Parton and Erykah Badu, and you'll start to get a sense of her very unique voice. In this podcast, Broken Record producer Leah Rose talks with June about her most recent album.

Article

"Andrew Bird & Jimbo Mathus: The Aquarium Drunkard Interview"

And speaking of duos with impressive chemistry, Squirrel Nut Zippers bandleader Jimbo Mathus and quirky indie-pop violinist Andrew Bird (who recorded with the Zippers on their late-90s breakout Hot), recently released a very good stripped-down acoustic Americana album, and Aquarium Drunkard sat down to chat with them about it.

Rough Mix is a newsletter about all things audio curated by Aaron Rester and brought to you by Beartrap Spring Records. Every other week, I highlight great music, articles, podcasts and more that I think are worth sharing and spending some time with. Have a suggestion for something to share? Email roughmix@beartrapspring.com, or connect with Beartrap Spring on Youtube, Facebook or Twitter. Music highlighted in these emails is available on our Spotify playlist.

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by Aaron Rester (2021)

Tom Petty's 1993 classic, reimagined for the 21st century. Available on Youtube, Spotify, Apple Music, Bandcamp, Amazon, and on just about every streaming service around.