Skip to main content

The Manual may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

New Music Monday: Joan Shelley

Over and Even artJoan Shelley’s third solo album, Over and Even, came out Friday, September 4th. Though she has recorded multiple records as a member of a group, it was her 2014 sophomore record, released on Philadelphia label No Quarter Records, that found Shelley a wider audience and distribution.

Recommended Videos

Shelley hails from Kentucky, rather than the Philadelphia area, however. Her voice is powerful and sweet, not unlike—if you will pardon the comparison—her state’s most well-known export. Often backed by nothing more than acoustic guitar from bandmate Nathan Salsburg, Shelley’s voice stands out, gorgeous and bright. Guest musicians, including Rachel Grimes of Rachel’s, drift in and out of Over and Even, but the songs remain focused. Like the music itself, Shelley’s lyrics are deeply rooted in tradition. They are rustic and deal in natural imagery.

There is a beauty in the simplicity of the music on Over and Even that is nothing short of breathtaking. To put it as simply as possible, Shelley has released one of the best albums of 2015. Acoustic folk may have had its heyday in the 1960s, but Over and Even shows that music firmly based in traditional styles, sonically and lyrically, can remain vital today.

Over and Even is available now on Amazon, Bandcamp, and iTunes.

Joan Shelley is on tour this fall, with a variety of artists. She, Glen Dentinger (who also appears on the record), and Nathan Salsburg were recently in Philadelphia where they performed at World Cafe Live and recorded a session with Folkadelphia. Listen to that here.

Terence Praet
Terence Praet contributes to The Manual’s New Music Monday column. He studied Philosophy and History at Skidmore College…
Don’t ruin your cigars: here’s how to properly season a new humidor
Seasoning secrets every cigar lover could use
faceless man presenting a cigar humidor with cigars inside with gloved hands

If you're a newcomer to the world of cigars or just bought a brand-new humidor, you'll need to season it. And no, I'm not saying to add salt and pepper to it. If you've never heard of it, you might ask, "What is seasoning for a humidor?"

Don't think you need to flavor the box or anything — seasoning is really about getting the wood inside your humidor so as not to rob your cigars of precious moisture. Easy to understand, and getting it done is relatively straightforward as well. The trick is figuring out the "why," and we'll get into that in a bit. But let's first discuss seasoning a humidor.

Read more
The NBA’s ultimate celebration tool: The victory cigar
A look at the players and coaches who smoke to celebrate
Jordan smoking a cigar image on a bag

Sports are synonymous with celebration. After winning the biggest trophy of their lives, athletes want to indulge in the payoff that comes with seeing their dreams realized. Teams go into the locker room, where a waterfall of champagne hits them in the eyes, and swimming goggles seem to be a requirement, lest you walk around on the best night of your life half blind. While drinking is often the activity of choice after winning a championship, the NBA has an alternative symbol of greatness that other sports don't use nearly enough: the victory cigar.

Basketball is a team game, but it's also an individual canvas for solo superstardom. After winning an NBA championship, the coaches and players who sit atop the throne have long smoked a cigar in the locker room, during the parade, or even on the bench before the clock has hit zero. There's nothing quite like a good stogie to signify the ultimate win over the rest of the league, but how did the victory cigar get so ingrained in NBA championship celebrations? We want to take a walk down memory lane and look at some of the historical moments and people who made the cigar what it is within the NBA today.
Red Auerbach's victory cigar on the bench
Red Auerbach: The Story Behind the Victory Cigar + His Disdain of NBA Officials - Red on Roundball

Read more
The best medical shows of all time to binge now
From ER to The Pitt, these are the best medical shows ever made
Noah Wyle in the Pitt

Throughout TV's long history, the medical drama has occupied a somewhat unique place in the landscape. Medical shows are often some of the most reliable on TV precisely because there's so much drama built in to working in a hospital.

Personally, I've found the medical drama to be deeply comforting for years, even if I have no desire to be a doctor myself. Understanding the stress of people in the healthcare profession is fascinating in and of itself.

Read more