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Farm Aid 2017: There’s a Warning Sign on the Road Ahead

ALL PHOTOS BY JASON GONULSEN Words by Jason Gonulsen “Stop Factory Farms.” My first time in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania, and that’s what I’ll remember most. Farm Aid was back for its 32nd year. I thought of that many times over the day: 32 years. Thirty-two. Wherever you walked inside KeyBank Pavillion, you met a person wearing … Read more

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Neil Young | 10 Songs, 10 Stories

PHOTO BY JASON GONULSEN Neil Young makes his long-awaited return to St. Louis tomorrow night, playing a solo show at the Fox Theatre. The show is sold out. John Hammond will open the show. Here are ten of my favorite Neil Young songs, accompanied by personal stories. See you tomorrow. Heart of Gold Two distinct … Read more

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[PHOTOS] Farm Aid 2019 at Alpine Valley

ALL PHOTOS BY CHRIS LAY Farm Aid 2019 landed in at Alpine Valley in East Troy, Wisconsin last weekend, and we had photographer Chris Lay there to capture all the action.  Farm Aid has always been festival dear to our hearts at Speakers in Code; the benefit show started in 1985 in Champaign, Illinois, striving … Read more

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10 to Spin | Song Preservation Society

Song Preservation Society is comprised of three friends: Trevor Bahnson, Ethan Glazer, and Daniel Wright. Their brand of folk is streaked with Golden State sunlight and has been compared to the likes of Simon & Garfunkel, The Band, Fleet Foxes and Father John Misty. Together with just acoustic guitars and a charming stage presence, the … Read more

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Recap | 2012 Austin City Limits Music Festival

Neil Young | Photo by Nate Burrell | www.beforetheblink.com This is the first post of a two-part series covering the 2012 Austin City Limits music festival. The second post is a photo gallery of the festival, with shots taken by Nate Burrell (www.beforetheblink.com). You can view the photo gallery here. The 2012 Austin City Limits … Read more

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Photo Gallery | 2012 Austin City Limits Music Festival

All Photos by Nate Burrell This is the second post of a two-part series covering the 2012 Austin City Limits music festival. The first post was a recap of the festival, and can be found here. Above and below are various shots of the festival taken by Nate Burrell (www.beforetheblink.com). Please check his site in … Read more

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10 to Spin | Alyssa Graham

Last August, we interviewed singer-songwriter Alyssa Graham, where she talked about her newly-released EP and her love for Neil Young (who, of course, is a favorite here at SIC). Well, today is a big day for Graham, as the full-length album of that aforementioned EP, Lock, Stock & Soul, has been released to the world … Read more

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Jam of the Day | Neil Young & Crazy Horse – Oh Susannah

We normally don’t post JOTDs on weekends, let alone Saturday nights (!), but there are always exceptions. Like, you know, when Neil Young & Crazy Horse’s first track in nine or so years surfaces on the Internets. Here’s a first listen of “Oh Susannah,” taken from the upcoming NY & CH Americana album. Welcome back, … Read more

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Neil Young at the Chicago Theatre

Photo by Jason Gonulsen New glass in the window New leaf on a tree New distance between us you and me Neil Young once sang “new closeness” instead of “new distance” during live performances of “From Hank To Hendrix,” and something always told me that was temporary. Or maybe it just really bothered me — … Read more

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Concert Review | The Bottle Rockets at Off Broadway in St. Louis

Somehow, the band from Festus, Missouri made it through. But it’s not like The Bottle Rockets have gone completely under the radar. In 2007, Stephen King (yes, the guy who wrote Carrie) called them “America’s premier bar band . . . often categorized as alt-country — by people who need categories.” They’ve toured extensively with … Read more

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Book Review | Neil Young – Waging Heavy Peace

I’ve told this story before, but now seems like a good time to revisit. I met Neil Young with my sister in 1999 at the Fox Theatre in St. Louis, after one of his solo acoustic shows. Since we had been sitting in the orchestra pit that night, we were invited to a Bridge School … Read more

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Video | Neil Young – Blowin’ In The Wind (Bob Dylan)

Neil Young at the 2012 Austin City Limits Music Festival | Photo by Nate Burrell The answer, my friend Is blowin’ in the wind The answer is blowin’ in the wind I love everything about this. The way Neil Young gracefully walks around the stage, like it’s no big thing that he’s playing one of … Read more

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Video | Neil Young & Crazy Horse – Hole in the Sky

Photo by Nate Burrell Neil Young and Crazy Horse are currently in the middle of a European tour that will possibly be extended into a run of North American dates in the fall. At least that’s what we’re hoping here at Speakers in Code since, you know, this could be the last Neil Young & … Read more

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Album Review | Tegan and Sara – Heartthrob

I have no business writing this album review, and I suppose I wouldn’t be if I didn’t love every song on it. Electro-synth-pop is not my forte. It’s not even near the same universe of artists I usually listen to. Which begs the question: why did I listen to it? I did because Tegan and … Read more

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Pajammy Jam of the Day | Neil Young – You and Me

Open up your eyesSee how lifetime fliesOpen up and let the light back in This one’s from 1992. But hey, it’s okay to look back every once in a while, right? Especially when it comes to Neil Young, my favorite artist. When people ask why I love Young’s music so much, I’m unsure of the … Read more

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Live From LouFest | Old Lights

On the second to last song of Old Lights’ set, which opened day two of LouFest, Beth Bombara broke a string on lead singer David Beeman’s guitar. It wasn’t the first problem the band had with their guitars throughout their well-received set — there were tuning problems as well. Those were the only issues, however, … Read more

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Alyssa Graham (The Extended Interview)

There are few voices that stop me in my tracks. You know, ones that you fall in love with the first second you hear them; ones that make you wonder where they had been all your life. Alyssa Graham has one of those voices. She has the songs to go with it, too. In fact, … Read more