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Devon Leger

ALBUM REVIEW: Lone Piñon Uncovers a Lost World of New Mexican Folk Music on 'Hot Carne Seca'

ALBUM REVIEW: Lone Piñon Uncovers a Lost World of New Mexican Folk Music on 'Hot Carne Seca'

Filled with twisty fiddles, crying vocals, heavy strummed guitars, and rich, rich harmonies, the nearly lost traditional music of New Mexico comes back to vibrant life in the hands of young ensemble Lone Piñon on their new album, Hot Carne Seca. One of the least known American traditions, the Hispanic

‘A Community Rather Than a Sound:’ Inside the Crust Punk to Folkie Pipeline

‘A Community Rather Than a Sound:’ Inside the Crust Punk to Folkie Pipeline

Some of the biggest Americana artists right now have surprising ties to a little-known folk punk community that’s fueled the genre in secret for more than 20 years. The musicians who built this scene came out of anarchic, underground communities tied to radical politics and activism, train hopping and

With Cherokee Country Songs Agalisiga 'Chuj' Mackey is Reviving Language and Culture

With Cherokee Country Songs Agalisiga 'Chuj' Mackey is Reviving Language and Culture

EDITOR’S NOTE: Agalisiga’s Nasgino Inage Nidayulenvi (It Started in the Woods) was released on Oct. 18 on Horton Records. We’re featuring it now as part of a year-end round up of some of the best albums we missed along the way this year. Singer/songwriter Agalisiga Mackey,

Musicians Duet With Nightingales to Amplify a Message

Musicians Duet With Nightingales to Amplify a Message

Across the US and the globe, the effects of climate change have become shatteringly clear this year. The historic town of Lahaina on Maui torched by wildfires, flooded homes in Vermont, Southern California visited by a hurricane. These images of climate catastrophes have become a regular occurrence and show a

Remembering Gay Country Pioneer Patrick Haggerty

Remembering Gay Country Pioneer Patrick Haggerty

Pioneering country artist Patrick Haggerty, known for releasing the first gay country album in 1973, passed away Monday at home in Bremerton, Washington, from complications following a stroke. He was 78 years old. Lavender Country was intended by Haggerty to be a viral message, long before the internet. Recorded in

Roots Music Becomes a Major Player in Video Games

Roots Music Becomes a Major Player in Video Games

Red Dead Redemption 2, the hit Western-inspired video game from Rockstar Games, is easily the most beautiful video game I’ve ever played. I stop to look at vast mountain vistas, then ride off to explore them on horseback. I ford storming rivers, worrying that I might lose my horse,

Where ‘Old Town Road’ Is Leading Country Music

Where ‘Old Town Road’ Is Leading Country Music

Last weekend at the Pop Music Conference in Seattle, music journalists, writers, and academics gathered to share papers and trade conversation about the frontlines of music today. Perhaps not surprisingly, Lil Nas X and the recent controversy over his meme-ified country trap song “Old Town Road” kept popping up in