Send us Fan Mail On this episode we talk about the historic seventh studio album by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band,Will the Circle Be Unbroken. Having proved their worth with a hit cover of the Jerry Jeff Walker's "Mister Bojangles," the Dirt Band and were given the go ahead to work on an unusual yet inspired project: an album of old county and bluegrass tunes where the Dirt band would act as a supporting a cast for several legendary bluegrass and country artists, such as Roy Acuff, M...

Send us Fan Mail As long-time listener's know, as a part of all of our discussions, we have a segment called Connections, where we connect the artist and album we are currently talking about to artists and albums we have discussed on previous episodes. For our interview with singer-songwriter Beaver Nelson, we played an extended version of Connections with him. Beaver has worked with a ton of people in the music industry, and as a result, he came prepared to show us what a real game of ...

Send us Fan Mail On this episode of This Is Vinyl Tap, we do something a little different from our typical fare and interview Austin singer-songwriter Beaver Nelson. Beaver Nelson has been on the Austin scene since before he graduated from high school. His talent as a songwriter was almost immediately recognized by some of the finest singer-songwriters at the time, which gave him the opportunity to perform and record with some of the biggest names in the Austin music scene at the time. ...

Send us Fan Mail On this episode we tackle the LP that introduced the world to Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band: 1967's Safe as Milk. Captain Beefheart, né Don Van Vliet, is best known for having recorded one of the most heralded rock albums of all time -Trout Mask Replica. But for many, that double album is a confounding listen with it's atonal song structures, disconcerting time signatures, and bizarre vocals. However, before that was Safe As Milk. Thanks to the presence of ...

Send us Fan Mail On this episode we discuss Dave Alvin and his 1994 LP, King of California. Dave Alvin started his storied career in Los Angeles with the Blasters, a band he founded with his brother Phil. Full of energy and attitude, the Blasters found themselves embraced by the LA punk scene. The band did find some commercial success, but they fought like cats and dogs, which while it added to their intensity, but not their long-term possibilities, leading Dave to strike out on h...

Send us Fan Mail On this episode we discuss one America's great modern singer-songwriters -Robbie Fulks, and his wonderful 2016 album Upland Stories. Produced by the late, great Steve Albini, Upland Stories combines folk and traditional country elements into a rich collection of narrative-driven songs. The album and the fantastic opening track “Alabama at Night” both earned a Grammy nominations, recognition for what is considered by many to be Fulks' finest batch of songs. The album is ...

Send us Fan Mail On this episode of the podcast, we discuss Joni Mitchell’s 1971’s LP Blue, regarded by most critics as a masterpiece and consistently is listed on best of lists of the greatest albums ever made. A bit of a sea change for Mitchell, incorporating jazz stylings in both her phrasing and the music, it’s sparse on instrumentation, yet the songs feel full largely due to Mitchell's own vocals. Created just after her breakup with Graham Nash and during her relationship wi...

Send us Fan Mail It's a listener pick! On this episode we look at one of the most influential musical groups of the twentieth century - Sly and the Family Stone, and their 1970 LP There's a Riot Goin' On. By 1970, Sly Stone and his band had already had a huge impact on modern music. It was a mixed-race and mixed-gender band that spoke of love and harmony among all people. Hits like "Everyday People," "Dance to the Music," and "Stand" had gained the band crossover success and spawned numerou...

Send us Fan Mail This week we discuss Ian Hunter and his 1979 LP You're Never Alone with a Schizophrenic. Hunter worked a long time to find success. His band Mott the Hoople were instrumental in advancing glam rock by giving it a rougher edge. David Bowie was such a fan of the band that he even gave them the song "All the Young Dudes" which became the title track for their most popular album, which he also produced. Hunter eventually left Mott the Hoople to concentrate on a solo career ...

Send us Fan Mail On this week's episode, we discuss the self-titled debut by the New York Dolls, one of most influential albums of the 1970s. The New York Dolls blended the Rolling Stones' swagger with garage rock aggression and glam rock theatrics, that both embraced the sounds of early rock and roll and foreshadowed punk rock. Produced in what seems like an unusual hands-off approach by Todd Rundgren,The New York Dolls presents the band with minimal polish. Its full of high ener...