Each week, Salt Lake Bard posts our favorite song discoveries — both new and old —from local artists around the Intermountain West. Check out our three picks below, find past selections in our archive of past Song Picks of the Week (SPW), and stream the Bard Spotify playlist, which contains all of our SPW selections.
1) Drive | The Wayne Hoskins Band | Country Americana
I love the Country-Americana sound of the Wayne Hoskins band (pictured above). Wayne’s voice and a talented band definitely stand out in a sea of local music that is often just below the bar. But The Wayne Hoskins Band has definitely made the crossover and Drive is my pick for the week. I’m from L.A. and—I’m guessing—the band has some connections in the city of angels. In Drive, there are a lot of references to my home town. “I’ll pick you up on Sunset Drive” is one that intrigues me…bringing back memories of cruising the unpaved “back roads” off Mulholland in the Santa Monica Mountains…high above the city lights where it almost feels like you are not in the city. Learn more about the Wayne Hoskins Band at thewayne.com, listen to them on Spotify, purchase their music on Amazon and check out their videos on Youtube. – Scott Cullins
2) Lighthouse | Katie Ainge | Americana Acoustic Singer Songwriter
Our first song pick this week comes from Katie Ainge. I first met Katie Ainge at the 2018 Heart & Soul Porch Stroll, where she handed me a copy of her CD Now or Never. A few months later Michael Feldman and I featured Katie in the 2018 Intermountain Songwriters Showcase….that’s another story. Anyhow, I only have a CD player in my car so, off and on for many weeks, I listened and fell in love with Lighthouse. Katie is by far one of the most talented songwriters and singers in Utah and her voice is pure gold. And hats off to Jeol Pack, who produced and engineered the album. Learn more about Katie at katieaingemusic.com, listen to her on Spotify, purchase her music on Apple Music, and Google Play, or watch her on Youtube. – Scott Cullins
3) Show Me The Exit Sign | Tom Bennett | Country Blues
We recently featured Red Sky Morning, a single that features Tom on vocals but is not the typical Bennet sound. So in this week’s bit, I decided to circle back round and give readers an idea of what the man is really all about. Tom Bennett says he learned the blues sitting alone in a Georgia hay field. There, in the deep south, is where he says he found his passion or music. He picked up the harmonica, given one by an old woman, and the rest is history. Today, Bennett does his one-man-band act with nothing but his unique voice, dobro with a slide, his preferred Lee Oskar Harmonicas and foot percussion. Bennett says he finds plenty to sing about—riding the rails, hitch hiking, dealing cocaine as well as studying religion and serving the community. Now living in Southern Utah, Bennett’s sound is totally authentic and evokes a lot of imagery for me. In Show Me The Exit Sign, I see vintage roadside diners, old Southern churches, steam trains and the open road. Listen to Tom Bennett on Spotify, follow him on facebook, and see is videos on Youtube. – Scott Cullins
That’s it for this weeks song picks. Check back next week for more great local music picks.
If you are an artists and would like to be featured on a future Salt Lake Bard Song Picks of the Week, please check out our submission requirements. And if you hear of anything you think we should be listening too, send it our way.
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