Whether composing for film or creating records of windswept, spectral pedal steel, Chuck Johnson imbues his music with a sense of mystery and dynamic tension. His latest album is Music From Burden of Proof a soundtrack to Cynthia Hill’s HBO docu-series exploring Stephen Pandos’ investigation into the 1987 disappearance of his sister, Jennifer Pandos.
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Chuck Johnson :: The Cinder Grove
Chuck Johnson’s The Cinder Grove is a positively gripping experience from start to finish, full of tones and zones that spark the imagination and encourage deep listening to every note, every descending chord progression, every solar flare melody.
Chuck Johnson :: Balsams / Riga Black
Witness: the greatly-anticipated “ambient pedal steel” album from Chuck Johnson. Due June 2 via VDSQ, Balsams is the follow-up to last year’s Velvet Arc, a record we praised for its […]
Chuck Johnson :: Velvet Arc
Bay Area guitarist extraordinaire Chuck Johnson’s recent (mostly) solo acoustic LPs have proven him to be one of the most reliable players on the new-Takoma School scene. His new album, the utterly […]
Chuck Johnson :: Blood Moon Boulder
Chuck Johnson’s 2013 long player Crows in the Basilica was one of the finest guitar soli excursions in recent memory. His latest release, Blood Moon Boulder , might just be even better. Gorgeously recorded by Trans Am’s […]
Glenn Jones / Chuck Johnson / Imaginational Anthem, Vol. 6: Origins Of American Primitive Guitar
It’s been more than half a century since John Fahey made his first recordings, kicking off what he called the “American Primitive” or Takoma School of acoustic guitar playing — […]
Cosmic Pedal (And Lap) Steel Situations :: Winter 2022
We’re back in that cosmic pedal steel zone, still finding new possibilities and unexplored territories. Come and join the party with these recent / recommended sweet steel jams from Dave Easley, Old Saw, Lake Mary, SUSS, Mouth Painter, and Chuck Johnson.
Rayborn Live Archive :: Volume Four
The fourth volume of live recordings from taper Cory Rayborn for Aquarium Drunkard.
Featuring: New Bums, Chuck Johnson, Steve Gunn, PJ Harvey, Dirty Three, and more …
Jefre Cantu-Ledesma :: Joy
Jefre Cantu-Ledesma returns next month with his third long player for Mexican Summer, Tracing Back the Radiance. The new work finds him in the company of some AD favorites such as harpist Mary Lattimore and pedal steel wizard Chuck Johnson, along with a great many more collaborators.
Radio Free Aquarium Drunkard :: February 2024
Radio Free Aquarium Drunkard returns with a new installment of Chad DePasquale’s New Happy Gathering — freak-out funk, moody pop & avant-folk, plus a few tributes to some recently departed heroes. Then, Tyler Wilcox’s Doom and Gloom from the Tomb offers up some moody, ambient jazziness, gathered (mostly) from late 2023 and early 2024. Sunday, 5-7pm Pacific Standard Time….
Bandcamping :: Midsummer 2023
You’ve probably seen the headlines — this summer is the hottest summer … ever. As we all wilt beneath 2023’s scorching heat, music is a good way to chill out, figuratively if not literally. And with another Bandcamp Friday (Aug. 4) upon us, we’ve got a few recommendations for the dog days.
Danny Paul Grody :: Arc Of Day
Just a perfect Day. The six gorgeous instrumentals that make up Danny Paul Grody’s quietly awesome new LP take us from sunrise to sunset, their steadily unfolding grooves somehow acknowledging the inevitable passage of time and stopping it entirely. Grody isn’t quite as prolific as some of his fingerpicking peers, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a single misplaced note in his catalog.
Radio Free Aquarium Drunkard :: March 2023
Coming through the haze, it’s Radio Free Aquarium Drunkard on dublab. Up first, New Happy Gathering offers an overcast hour of South African jazz, Japanese surf guitar psych, Hungarian pop, and outsider Americana. Then Range and Basin drops in with spoken word sci-fi mysticism, jazz, funk, and live recordings. Then, Doom and Gloom from the Tomb brings a mid-’60s Blue Note extravaganza of moody post-hard-bop. And to close, SUSS brings us a special hour-plus broadcast of influences, icons, and outliers from the Ambient Country scene. Tune in Sunday, March 19 from 4-8 PM Pacific time via dublab.
Hayden Pedigo :: The Aquarium Drunkard Interview
Guitarist Hayden Pedigo joins us to discuss his latest, Letting Go, a pristine and gentle collection of acoustic guitar songs—and why he’s determined to refuse the stuffiness often associated with his genre.
Al Riggs :: Transmissions
Durham songwriter al Riggs returns with a new country music album, I Got a Big Electric Fan to Keep Me Cool While I Sleep. They joined us to discuss the album’s concept, finding your own way into traditional music, and of course, Robert Altman’s 1980 movie Popeye.