Richard Speight, Jr. 2024: Same Dick, New Music

Richard Speight, Jr. 2024: Same Dick, New Music

Dick Jr. and the Volunteers released their sophomore album, Fistfights and Hug-Outs, in March of this year (2024). The ten tracks are primarily alt-country, southern rock, or ‘y’alternative,’ as front man Richard Speight, Jr. might say, with a couple of pleasant surprises thrown in. Overall, it makes for a well-rounded, bingeable album. Exactly three months…

Inside Family Business Beer Company’s Family Reunion

Inside Family Business Beer Company’s Family Reunion

It’s Spring, which means it’s that time of year again when beer aficionados and Supernatural fans alike make their pilgrimage to Dripping Springs, Texas and the taproom of Family Business Beer Company (FBBC).  As is now ‘official Witkowski sibling policy,’ my brother Douglas and I make sure to have a sibling weekend at least once…

22 Minutes of New Christmas Music: Steve Carlson’s “Christmas Wish”

22 Minutes of New Christmas Music: Steve Carlson’s “Christmas Wish”

When Steve Carlson dropped his latest album, Christmas Wish, I didn’t want to review it. I just wanted to snuggle on my couch in front of the faux fireplace and let the new tunes keep me warm. Even the brief snippet I wrote for The Riff felt like too much work. I did it anyway…

Radio Company’s “Keep On Ramblin'” – A Purposeful Departure

Radio Company’s “Keep On Ramblin'” – A Purposeful Departure

A purposeful departure from previous work, the core of Radio Company emerges intact. Intro It’s important to understand my physical and mental state as I was composing this review. Many folks have experienced illness that results in voice changes. Saint Ignatius knows, I sound like I’ve gargled glass over the past several weeks and my voice…

Reminiscences and Renegade Hair: A Sunday Session with Steve Carlson

Reminiscences and Renegade Hair: A Sunday Session with Steve Carlson

You can’t fall in love with someone’s music unless you know about it. On Sunday, January 8th, I attended a StageIt performance by Steve Carlson. These are fairly regularly scheduled events lasting about 30 minutes and at a cost of “pay-what-you-can.” Steve, as you might recall from my last review, is Jensen Ackles’ musical partner in…

A Long Time Comin’: Radio Company Live

A Long Time Comin’: Radio Company Live

Exceptional music comes to those who wait and wait and wait By Christine T. Carmichael, unapologetic Radio Company evangelist and academic librarian ? Music is well said to be the speech of angels. — Thomas Carlyle Interior: Analog-at-the-Hutton, 8PM CST Fans of Radio Company have been waiting years for the group to perform live. Tonight,…

Picking Supernatural’s 75 Essential Episodes – Season 2

Picking Supernatural’s 75 Essential Episodes – Season 2

As I was looking for a way to pass the quarantine summer doldrums, I saw Entertainment Weekly’s list of what it considered to be the 75 most ‘essential’ episodes of Supernatural, leading up to Season 15. Since any excuse for a rewatch is a good excuse, I figured I’d not only invite my Supernatural “Team Free Will…