THE READING ROOM: ‘Prine on Prine’ Collects Decades of Interviews
When John Prine died on April 7, 2020, he left behind a sumptuous banquet of lyrically ingenious songs that captured the vagaries of the lives of individuals whom society had consigned to its margins. Prine was better than any other songwriter at evoking the loneliness of these characters and the
ALBUM REVIEW: Snapshots of Living Fully Fill Margo Cilker’s ‘Valley of Heart’s Delight’
Margo Cilker writes what she knows. Steep and dusty canyons, getting a fire going when the wind is just right, a cup of chili at diner near Santa Rosa, fragrant orchards of apricot trees, a night of heavy drinking and a subsequent hangover in Montana. These snippets of a life
ALBUM REVIEW: Jim Lauderdale and Po’ Ramblin’ Boys Pair Up for a Generation-Spanning Bluegrass Blend
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
ALBUM REVIEW: Buffalo Nichols Breathes New Life Into the Blues on ‘The Fatalist’
“Those ’70s and ’80s blues men took on these Black stereotypes and made this new stereotype of bad, ‘your uncle’s band in a garage’ blues music,” Carl “Buffalo” Nichols told David Browne in a 2022 Rolling Stone story. “It’s already been so far removed from anything recognizable from
The Steel Wheels Navigate Bends in Life’s Road on New Album ‘Sideways'
During the pandemic lockdown, The Steel Wheels put words and music to their fans’ feelings via commissions that were collected into the two-volume Everyone a Song project. Now they’re back to songs from their own hearts with a new album that acknowledges that some things aren’t so easy
THE LONG HAUL: Complicated Relationships
Sometimes I think that the most complicated relationship I have in my life is with my fiddle. Maybe this is a testament to how lucky I’ve been with my family and friends, but It’s true! I’ve played the fiddle since I was four years old, and she