Music Review: An unplugged Jason Isbell electrifies on new album, ‘Foxes in the Snow'
An excellent bandleader, guitarist and singer, Isbell is first and foremost a songwriter, and that skill takes center stage on his new album, 'Foxes in the Snow,' which will be released Friday. It's Isbell's first solo acoustic album, and his first album since 2013 without his band, the 400 Unit.
Accompanied by only his 1940 Martin acoustic guitar, Isbell sorts through romantic relationships. He sounds like someone trying to find his bearings. There's blood on the tracks.
That's not surprising given that the album is Isbell's first since his breakup with singer-songwriter Amanda Shires after more than a decade of marriage. Some of the material sounds powerfully autobiographical, and that's especially true on the chorus of 'Gravelweed.'
'I was gravelweed and I needed you to raise me / You couldn't reach me once I felt like I was raised,' he sings. 'And now that I live to see my melodies betray me / I'm sorry the love songs all mean different things today.'
Yes, the 2013 fan favorite 'Cover Me Up,' written for Shires, does sound different now.
Isbell sings about dangerous memories, dreams forgotten, the value of persistence, and the tug of his Alabama roots. 'Ride to Robert's' pays tribute to one of downtown Nashville's best honky-tonks, while 'Open and Close' skewers a bar band for mangling Steely Dan. (That's something he knows a little something about; Isbell spent a formidable stretch in a Steely Dan cover band.)
Rich, lean language and imaginative turns of phrase are Isbell's specialty. 'I hope they're grading on a curve,' he sings. 'Forever is a dead man's joke.' And later, 'You thought the truth was just a rumor.' All three come from just one song, 'Eileen.'
Isbell is a terrific acoustic guitarist, and his playing here is subtle and superb. A Doc Watson-style riff provides the foundation for the title cut, while nifty filigrees augment the waltz 'Open and Close' and the opener 'Bury Me,' which sounds like a cowboy song from the '50s. That's the 1950s, or 1850s.
In a brave experiment, Isbell is touring solo, testing whether or not these sturdy but sober songs are enough to hold the attention of several thousand spectators. At the moment, he's not in the mood to stomp and holler.
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Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
Beyond The Gates Recap: Anita Demands The Truth From Vernon
Beyond The Gates Recap: Anita Demands The Truth From Vernon originally appeared on Daytime Confidential. On today's Beyond The Gates recap: Anita and Vernon's Mansion: Vernon tells Anita the surviving attacker returned to the area. He got a job as a bus boy at the country club and listened in on their conversations. He says the man has been back for more than a month. Anita is furious he kept the secret and demands to know every detail. Vernon says he tried to pay the man off but things spun out of control. He says the man tried to get to Martin through his children but did them no harm. Martin scheduled a press conference to take all responsibility. He didn't go through with it because the man is dead, gunned down in a robbery (Not Vernon continuing to lie to Anita!). Anita turns and asked if he made this happen. Vernon says he had nothing to do with that man's death. He also wanted to stay out of it so he left the details up to Bill. Anita tells Vernon he couldn't have known Bill would resort to murder. Vernon continues by telling her the Joey Armstrong of it all. She hates that Martin and Joey are now tied together forever. Anita wonders if the press got wind of anything, but Vernon says Martin ended the presser before anything got out. That being said, it's all a mess and Dani and Nicole are going to have questions. She thinks Nicole is going to be especially difficult to deal with. Vernon wonders if they should have included her the entire time since Martin and Ted are so intricately involved. Anita worries Nicole will pull away when she learns more secrets have been kept from her. Martin and Smitty's Place: Smitty has no clue how Kenneth could be dead then wonders if Martin had something to do with it. Martin vehemently denies any involvement. He realized to protect his family he needed to admit the truth. Martin was ready to go through with revealing all at a presser but then learned Kenneth was deceased. Smitty isn't stupid and knows someone made this happen to help him. Martin says the only thing he knows is his grandfather wasn't a part of Kenneth's murder. Smitty starts to ask who did kill Kenneth but stops as he's certain Martin already knows. Martin says his family didn't tell him what was going on (True, but he sort of knows who's responsible). Smitty counters saying Martin knew Malone was involved and then hired him to protect their family. Martin says he doesn't know if Malone was involved in today's events. Smitty asks about Joey and Smitty admits he was at the press conference and doesn't think it was a coincidence. As they continue to argue, Samantha and Tyrell march downstairs and demand to know what's going on. Smitty begs the kids to go back upstairs but Tyrell says they deserve to know what's going on. Martin agrees and says he will fill them in. Martin tells them the story of that fateful night two years ago, while smoothing over many of the details. Smitty watches as Tyrell and Samantha go to search their phones for details. Martin says they didn't report the incident to the police which confuses the kids. Martin didn't think the police in that area would believe they were acting in self-defense. He then reveals the man was Kenneth. Both kids are stunned and wonder why, like Smitty, their pop didn't tell them the truth. Martin says it was better for them not to know for their protection. Samantha asks what they do about Kenneth now but Martin says he's gone. Tyrell and Samantha have all kinds of questions about the presser and Kenneth. Smitty intervenes and says their pop waited too long but finally decided to tell the truth about the situation. Samantha thinks pop's plan worked as Kenneth probably ran when he realized how much trouble he would be in. Tyrell jumps in asking why he ended the press conference early. Martin simply says Kenneth is gone. Samantha wants so badly to crush the conflict saying she's so happy everything has been settled and they can go back to normal. Smitty says he's going to need a little more time. Samantha can't imagine why and doesn't want her dad to punish her pop for being the hero. Smitty says he's not trying to punish anyone and Tyrell backs him saying pop has been lying to them from the beginning. Samantha backs Martin who steps in saying her dad and brother have a right to be upset. Martin says it's going to take more than apologies to fix what is broken. Smitty says he can't make any promises about what's to come. With that, Martin says he won't be far, takes his bags and exits. Samantha rolls her eyes and heads upstairs. Tyrell follows saying he will talk to her. Nicole's Home: Vanessa arrives to see Nicole and says her blood pressure is up after dealing with 'that bitch' Leslie. She explains about the scene at Orphey Gene's after confronting Leslie about Laura. She hates she didn't just walk away. Vanessa is certain Leslie deserved whatever words Nicole threw her way. Nicole admits she threw more than insults as she came close to strangling Leslie. Vanessa thinks she was justified. Vanessa says no one is talking about her and Leslie as all are focused on Martin and his very odd presser. Nicole is strangely unaware of this event which puzzles Vanessa. Nicole grabs her tablet and finds some news. She immediately wonders why Bill was there, which also surprised Vanessa. She says Bill was acting like his spokesman and was very supportive of Martin. Vanessa fills Nicole in on all the details. Nicole is beyond annoyed her family didn't bring her in the loop. Vanessa thinks Martin is in trouble and suggests she not wait for an invitation to get involved. Nicole thanks her friend and heads out to find Martin. Fairmont Country Club: Dani and Bill continue to snark and chat. Bill tells Dani to stand down as he's met his 'read for filth' quota for the day. Dani realizes Vernon's words really cut Bill, who says her father cut him to the core. He admits he still desires her father's approval and is annoyed it's still the case. Dani isn't buying it as Bill is so cold. She notes the only person whose approval he's ever needed was his own father, who only withheld it because Bill wanted it so badly (Oooooh, a mention of Bill's father!). Bill says approval and respect are different. What he wants from Vernon is respect. Martin and Smitty's Place: Nicole arrives and promises not to always stop by unexpectedly. Smitty is happy to see her but she recognizes things are not well. Samantha runs downstairs and greets her grandmother. She asks about Martin and Smitty says he's not staying there right now. Nicole is rightfully surprised and hugs Samantha when she learns these events just happened a few minutes prior. She mentions the press conference and Smitty says that was about something Martin should explain himself. Nicole tells Samantha her family adores and supports her. She looks at Smitty and says that sentiment is for everyone. Smitty thanks his mother-in-law. Anita and Vernon's Mansion: Vernon tells Anita that Smitty was assigned to write a profile of Malone. It was intended to be a puff piece but Smitty did a deep dive, uncovering Malone's connection to Joey. He continues saying that deep dive led Smitty to connect to Jacob who joined the investigation. Anita can't even imagine what Smitty will do with the information as he built his career on uncovering corruption. Vernon thinks Smitty's sense of loyalty will come before his career. Just then, Martin storms in with his bags. Martin says he gave the kids a sanitized version of what happened, but told Smitty everything… which is why he's there. Anita says it was unfair of them to pressure him to keep everything from his husband. Martin counters he should have told Smitty everything two years ago but he would have never gone along with covering it up. Vernon realized he was dead wrong to set the coverup in motion. Anita pushes back but Vernon says they could have dealt with the situation despite the consequences. If they'd done so, there wouldn't be another death on their hands. With that, Vernon says the situation is different now. They can't come forward or Joey will retaliate. Martin and Smitty's Place: Jacob arrives and tells Smitty an unidentified man was found dead by a single gun shot wound in the park, discovered by Malone. Smitty tries his best to avoid making connections but Jacob says he thinks there's a connection to Joey. Smitty thinks the connection is a stretch which confuses Jacob. He continues saying there has to be a larger issue going on here. Smitty doesn't disagree but says he's kind of done for the night. Jacob realizes something is going on and Smitty admits Martin moved out. Upstairs, Samantha tells Tyrell she doesn't understand why he and dad are so mad at pop. Tyrell says they can have differing opinions. Samantha thinks their parents should just forgive each other and be done. Tyrell says dad will eventually forgive pop. Previous Beyond The Gates Recap: Endings Samantha calls Tyrell a hypocrite because he wanted folks to stay out of his business. Tyrell rightfully says that situation was very different. He says Kenneth was dangerous and no one knew. Samantha admits pop should have informed them sooner but no harm no foul. Tyrell says there is way more going on than they know about. Jacob asks Smitty about Martin not being there. Smitty thinks it's for the best right now as he doesn't recognize the man he's become. Jacob says he and Naomi will do whatever they can to be supportive before making his exit. Martin tells his grandparents Smitty understands the entire situation which is why he's upset. He is trapped in a situation not of his own making. Vernon offers to talk to Smitty but Martin says to give him the time he asked for. Anita says they will support him no matter what. Just then, Nicole storms in and demands to know what the hell is going on. Keep checking back for the latest Beyond The Gates recaps! This story was originally reported by Daytime Confidential on Jul 18, 2025, where it first appeared. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
Beyond The Gates Recap: Nicole Rips Into Her Mother For Her Secrets and Lies
Beyond The Gates Recap: Nicole Rips Into Her Mother For Her Secrets and Lies originally appeared on Daytime Confidential. On today's Beyond The Gates recap: Anita and Vernon's Mansion: Nicole wants to know what the hell is going on to make Martin move out of his house. Martin admits Smitty asked him to leave and he doesn't blame him. Nicole takes her son to the foyer so he can speak freely. Martin holds his tongue as Nicole tries to get him to talk. She can't imagine there's an issue so serious that she knows nothing about. She marches back into the room and demands to know the truth. Vernon and Anita beat around the bush until he agrees she's been kept in the dark long enough. Martin tells his mother he's exhausted and needs to step away. He wants to grab food, and Vernon says they should head over to the country club. Anita says she will stay back and explain everything to Nicole. With that, he and Vernon exit. Anita walks in with hot toddies but Nicole wants her to get to the point. Nicole simply wants her mother to be honest. Anita bristles saying she's always tried to be honest with her daughter. Nicole isn't so sure and asks what it is about her that makes people think she can't handle the truth. She demands to know what is going on right then and there. Anita says Nicole has never had to deal with huge hardships in her life. Nicole is annoyed with her mother and mentions her miscarriages and the 20-year lie that was her marriage to Ted. Anita says her daughter has always followed the straight and narrow which is what probably kept folks from telling her hard truths. Nicole begs her mother to get to the point. Anita finally tells Nicole the truth about Martin and Vernon heading back from a political event two years ago. After telling her the story of the confrontation, Anita says Vernon called Ted who took the man to the clinic and reconstructed his face. That man is the person who has been stalking him now and interacting with Tyrell and Samantha. Nicole can't believe Ted performed the surgery and she never knew. Her son killed a man and she never knew. Nicole can't believe everyone kept the truth from her. Anita says neither she nor Vernon wanted anyone to know what happened. Nicole is aghast she wasn't allowed to help her own son with his grief because her parents decided to play God. Anita refuses to apologize for protecting Martin and signed on, with Vernon, to keep the secret. Nicole thinks 'we did it for the family' makes them sound like a crime syndicate. Their secrets put Martin through hell so the Duprees could save face. She thinks their choices were not noble but disgusting. Anita can't believe her daughter would bail on the family when things get difficult. Nicole sets her jaw and says learning your husband has a daughter and cheated after 20 years is difficult. This situation is… she doesn't have the words. Anita says the situation was never about saving face but only to protect Martin. Nicole thinks her mother tells herself that to help her sleep at night. As Nicole storms out, Anita tears up and calls after her daughter. Police Station: Jacob asks about the dead man in the park but Elon is completely evasive. Jacob thinks they should try to figure out who this man is, but Elon is having none of his questions. He says it's not Jacob's case and not his problem. He goes on to ask if Smitty has agreed to back off Malone. Jacob notes Malone was the one who found the body in the park. Elon suggest his son mind his business or else risk getting hurt (really?). Elon watches as Jacob calls to get the security footage from the back end of the park. Elon approaches and says how proud he is of his son for being a 'cop's cop.' Just then, an officer approaches and gives Elon the footage from the press conference. Jacob is surprised to hear Martin had a presser and Elon says it's probably a whole lot of nothing. Smitty and Martin's Place: Samantha comes downstairs and asks if her dad is going to let pop come back home. Smitty says he loves Martin but can't live with him right now. He grabs hot chocolate for both of them and says it must seem like he's being harsh. Samantha wishes everything could just go back to normal. Smitty agrees but says this situation has been going on for two years. He mentions the nightmares and Samantha says she remembers hearing him yelling at night. Smitty says it is his and Martin's job to protect her and Tyrell. When Martin didn't confide in him, he put their entire family in danger. Smitty says he's telling her this information so she can understand the decision he made. With that, he draws his daughter into a hug. Samantha understands he's been through a lot but hopes he will keep communicating so they can hopefully pull their family back together. She knows they will find a way to get through this situation. Samantha says her pop is hurting too and wants her dad to promise he won't give up on their family. An angry Jacob arrives to see Smitty. He is beyond annoyed he learned second hand about Martin's press conference. He thought he and Smitty were on the same side of this investigation. Jacob thinks it's incredibly coincidental Martin called a presser around the time a dead body was found in the park. Smitty is evasive saying he wasn't there and didn't even know the presser was happening. Samantha listens in as Jacob grills Smitty and reminds him that he was the one who pulled him into this investigation. Jacob has realizes Martin wasn't just the victim of some unfortunate stalking situation. Smitty stays quiet and Jacob thinks Martin was going to tell all at the presser. Jacob swears he wouldn't do anything to hurt Smitty or his family. They worked together for weeks and begs his cousin-in-law not to quit on him now. Smitty says he has spousal privilege and doesn't have to answer his questions. Jacob says, with that statement, he already did. He says he hates whatever is going on with Martin and makes his exit. Fairmont Country Club: Martin and Vernon have a seat. Vernon wishes he could make everything go away, but Martin says his grandfather has been his rock. He knows no one other than the two of them could possibly understand what they went through that fateful night. Martin says his biggest regret was not telling Smitty. He would turn to his family when he was feeling down but can't do that now. He feels adrift and notes Smitty was the person who helped him through the nightmares. Vernon says Martin needs to believe in something larger than his present circumstances and also remember the love he has for Smitty. Martin doesn't know if there's any way back to their relationship because his lies cut Smitty to the core. Martin wants to head back to the house to rest and Vernon notes, 'this too shall pass.' Previous Beyond The Gates Recap: Endings Smitty looks at pictures of him and Martin on his phone and smiles at better times gone by. He begins to tear up when he flashes back to a simpler time when they first adopted their children – which is also when they established their names as 'pop' and 'dad.' Samantha wakes up Tyrell and says he eavesdropped on their dad and Jacob. She thinks there is more going on than they know. Vernon and Martin return and Anita says his room has been prepared. Martin thanks his gran for everything she's done for him today and throughout the years. They embrace and Anita says Martin is her heart and can stay as long as he wants. After he walks out, Anita asks Vernon if they are horrible people. Vernon realizes Nicole lashed out. Anita says Nicole thinks they were protecting themselves and the family name. She worries Dani will think the same. She wonders how their children really see them. Vernon refuses to let Anita doubt their intentions as they were protecting their grandson in the only way they knew how. Anita asks how Martin is doing and Vernon says he is exhausted and ashamed. He assures Anita they will hold the family together until they heal. She asks about the dead man and Vernon wants God to have mercy on his soul… as well as his own. Keep checking back for the latest Beyond The Gates recaps! This story was originally reported by Daytime Confidential on Jul 19, 2025, where it first appeared. Solve the daily Crossword
USA Today
16 hours ago
- USA Today
Coldplay cools any comments about viral concert video of 'Kiss Cam' couple
CEO Andy Byron resigned from tech company Astronomer after he was shown on video at Coldplay's July concert hugging a woman and then hiding from the camera. The band has stayed mum since the show. Coldplay is pressing pause on any viral concert couple video comments since the footage became one of pop culture's most buzz-worthy moments of the year. During the band's Boston stop on their Music of the Spheres world tour July 16, frontman Chris Martin provided commentary as a concert camera panned to a couple embracing, before the moment quickly went from romantic to uncomfortable. After the pair realized they were on camera, the woman hid her face, and the man ducked down. "Come on, you're OK!" Martin, 48, told the couple before quipping: "Uh oh. Either they're having an affair or they're just very shy." But on Instagram, despite Martin's previous onstage jokes, the band stayed mum while posting a Boston concert recap that received over 1 million likes – with no mention of the viral moment. "Show #207, Boston," the band's caption read with a montage of photos featuring Martin, the massive crowd and fans. A separate concert recap video also excluded the event. Company puts CEO on leave after Coldplay concert video shows couple embracing During his previous onstage concert comments, Martin said that "I hope we didn't do something bad," and later, "I'm not quite sure what to do." After the concert, New York tech company Astronomer placed CEO Andy Byron on leave during an in-house investigation announced on Friday, July 18, after a Jumbotron video of the couple went viral on social media. The next day, on July 19, the company posted on social media platform X and on job networking site LinkedIn, that Byron "has tendered his resignation, and the Board of Directors has accepted." "As stated previously, Astronomer is committed to the values and culture that have guided us since our founding," Astronomer's statement reads. "Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability, and recently, that standard was not met." A post shared by Coldplay (@coldplay) Coldplay, though, is headed to sold-out concerts in Madison, Wisconsin, on July 19, Nashville on July 22 and a July 26-27 stop in Miami before heading back across the pond and wrapping up in London. The tour, which first began in 2022, is currently set to end in September. Contributing: Michael Loria, Jonathan Limehouse
