Sign in Become a member

Rachel Cholst

Anna Tivel’s ‘The Question’ Pours Life’s Mysteries Into Lyrics

Anna Tivel’s ‘The Question’ Pours Life’s Mysteries Into Lyrics

Anna Tivel’s voice is like the cutting wind of the Pacific Northwest, her homeland — or at least how I imagine it to be. Tivel’s singing has an unflinching clarity matched only by her literary lyrics. Each song on Tivel’s fourth album, The Question, is a prayer raised

Newcomers Club Arrive With "David"

Newcomers Club Arrive With "David"

There's been a resurgence in harmony-based folk, but that doesn't mean fads are synonymous with shlocky quality. Newcomers Club was founded by John Roach and Geoff Lynn. Raised outside of Boston on old folk music and Dad’s radio, they moved to New York to start

Murdering the Murder Ballad: Misogyny in Country Music

Murdering the Murder Ballad: Misogyny in Country Music

[Content warning: general discussions of sexual assault and violence. There is a brief description of a personal experience at the beginning of the third section. I’ll put another reminder at that point in the article.] I. Imagine me, an awkward red-headed twelve-year old, singing this at the top of

Max Garcia Conover's Fateful Motorhome Journey

Max Garcia Conover's Fateful Motorhome Journey

If you're like me, once you hear the premise for this album you're probably going to think "Oh, boy..." There are lots of young songwriters out there who take themselves off on a trip to find themselves and inspiration. They come back with a

Ruby Force Crushes on Her Debut Album

They say it takes your whole life to write your debut album, and Ruby Force's Evolutionary War demonstrates a lot of hard work and discipline. She was clearly good and ready when she entered the studio. This album almost feels like "future country" -- it'

Actually, It *Is* About Race: Country Music and Whiteness

Actually, It Is About Race: Country Music and Whiteness

A few weeks ago I published a review of an album by a young band that kicked off with the sentence "X is joining a new wave of Southern bands and artists that are re-examining their white Southern identity." In the review I then proceeded to compare the

Jenny Don't and the Spurs Hear the Call of the Road

I think the first thing you need to know about Jenny is that, according to the band's press materials, she can actually ride a horse. And ride it well. It occurs to me that in the five or so years of running this blog, I haven't