Matt Conner

After 30 years, Old 97’s came in more unprepared than ever. On their 13th album, American Primitive, the Dallas-born band holed up with producer Tucker Martine to celebrate three decades as a musical brotherhood with zero pre-production for the first time. Suddenly vocalist Rhett Miller, guitarist Ken Bethea, bassist

The beauty of Andrea von Kampen’s music is also responsible for its most frustrating aspect: that it makes no demands. Von Kampen’s deeply rooted plainsong is all too easily washed out in a digital era where distractions and doomscrolling force popular music to bend into consumable shapes or

The state motto of Missy Raines’ home state of West Virginia is “Montani semper liberi” — a Latin phrase that translates to “Mountaineers are always free.” The dynamic reach of Raines’ new bluegrass masterwork, Highlander, is an exhibition of such freedom and a testament to the slogan’s truth. In describing

It makes sense that Chris Shiflett’s newest solo album, Lost at Sea, is a little here, there, and everywhere. Shiflett’s own musical resume is an expansive exploration of geography and genre. Throughout the ’90s, Shiflett honed his guitar chops in California punk roots in bands like Lost Kittenz,

For Jim Lauderdale, it’s another opportunity to extend his far-reaching legacy to a new generation. For the Po’ Ramblin’ Boys, it’s a well-deserved badge of honor that further builds their bona fides. Together, on their new collaborative album, The Long and Lonesome Letting Go, they have crafted one

Jump for Joy is a work about the work. For the last two decades or so, Hiss Golden Messenger (comprised of MC Taylor and his bandmates) has followed a sonic calling to craft earnest, meaningful songs rooted in authentic experiences. Whether questioning the meaning of life, pondering the finality of