Craft Roast Soul

I can't say enough good things about The Alarm's latest album "Sigma" . The Welsh band has been very busy lately, and is smack in the middle of one of the most prolific periods of their career. For the last few years it has seemed like every couple of months I read about a new project or tour they're embarking on. Their latest album "Sigma" comes hot on the heels of last year's (2018) "Equals" . From top to bottom the album is loaded with standout tracks. Both lyrically and musically these songs shine bright. Everything is polished to perfection. The raw emotion and passion singer Mike Peters and co. bring to each song is inspiring. The music is uplifting and joyous in the way that the best of U2, Bruce Springsteen, or Coldplay are. And like those artists there is an edge and rawness to the songs. They don't shy away from the dark, but there is always hope and light at the end of the tunnel. I've been following their 2019 to

Hatchet Coffee out of Boone, North Carolina continues to impress. The latest I have tried is the "Origin of the World" Columbia, Cauca. It's a very well rounded Columbian coffee with the milk chocolate, nutty, and floral notes I love in Columbian coffees. This could easily be an everyday go-to coffee. It features more of Hatchet's distinctive, beautiful bag art. Their bags are some of the most eye-catching I've seen. Very colorful, interesting art style with every panel on the bag being decorated. This coffee rivals Hatchet's Blue Ridge Blend for my favorite from their offerings. The bag art for the Blue Ridge Blend still takes the top spot in my opinion though. Check out Blue Ridge Blend, Origin of the World, and other great coffees by visiting Hatchet Coffee's online store. Check out the bag for the Blue Ridge Blend:

Luxury are a great band with an incredible story. I first heard of them a couple of years ago, but it wasn't until just a few months ago that I listened to their newest album and their earlier work. A recently released documentary about the band provides an in-depth look at their journey, and is well worth checking out even if you aren't into the music. Check out the trailer below: A couple of my favorite tracks from the latest album are "Don't Feel Bad If You Don't Feel Better Right Away" and "You Must Change Your Life". Check out those and much more from Luxury on Spotify. Don't Feel Bad If You Don't Feel Better Right Away You Must Change Your Life NPR did a superb interview with the band in a feature they ran in July 2019. Check that out here: NPR Feature on Luxury - July 2019

The Food 360 Podcast recently featured interviews with Todd Carmichael, co-founder of La Colombe, and Master Barista Georgio Milos of Illy. Both interviews were fascinating, and I admire both companies.  Check out the episode on Apple podcasts or iHeartRadio  Food 360 With Marc Murphy  - Apple Podcasts Food 360 With Marc Murphy  - iHeartRADIO Visit La Colombe and try them today! Shop for Illy Coffee Learn about Illy Coffee

Michael McDermott is a relatively recent discovery for me, but he's been making music for nearly 30 years. His debut album, 620 W. Surf came out in 1991.  It's always a great feeling when you discover an incredible artist and find that there are many years worth of albums to explore.  Author Stephen King was an early fan, and even wrote the liner notes for McDermott's 1996 self-titled album. (See links below)  More recently, King said of him, "Michael McDermott is one of the best songwriters in the world and possibly the greatest undiscovered rock n roll talent of the last 20 years." I couldn't agree more. McDermott's 2016 album "Willow Springs" was my introduction to him, and it is incredible. Some critics say it's one of the best albums of his career. The entire album is incredible. I quickly realized that this was one of the most gifted singer-songwriters I'd come across in quite some time.  If you like Bob Dylan, Bruce Sprin

Today I'm kicking things off by featuring a coffee I'm really excited about from Smokin' Aces Coffee Co out of Lexington, KY. I've been impressed with everything I've tried from them lately, but this one might be my favorite so far.  Santa Catalina Guatemala, a washed coffee from the Antigua region, it's the kind of of coffee you can drink all day. It's bold enough for a nice morning cup, but light enough that you can enjoy it in the evening also. Very flavorful with notes of milk chocolate, plum and orange.  Check out their website and order some to see for yourself! Smokin' Aces Coffee Co.