THE READING ROOM: Chicago’s Central Role in Shaping Roots Music
Describing Chicago, Saul Bellow once wrote, “Provinciality is not altogether a curse, we gain from our backwardness.” Chicago wears the mantle of the Second City, taking a back seat to New York in almost every category including theater, cuisine, and music. Chicagoans see the phrase as a tongue-in-cheek
ALBUM REVIEW: Brandy Clark Explores Love in All Its Complicated Glory
Love hurts, love consumes, and occasionally love uplifts, according to Brandy Clark. On her absorbing self-titled fourth album, this insightful singer-songwriter catalogs assorted varieties of love, from romantic and greedy to familial and spiritual, making the most universal of topics feel fresh and urgent.
Brandy Clark is produced
ALBUM REVIEW: Keturah Arrives From Malawi
For her eponymous debut, 27-year-old Malawi native Keturah presents a world-class collection of world music. This is gorgeous stuff, harvested from a garden of delights representing an impressive spread of flavors and textures.
Malawi has always been a musical cauldron containing a spicy gumbo with ingredients from
ALBUM REVIEW: Samantha Fish and Jesse Dayton Rock Hard on ‘Death Wish Blues’
Samantha Fish and Jesse Dayton come at rock generally from different angles — she from the blues, he from country. Nevertheless, they have a lot in common. Both pen sharply drawn songs that help them put an indelible personal stamp on blues-rock and country-rock, respectively. Both deliver those songs
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SPOTLIGHT: ‘Sadie’ and Other Love Stories on Durand Jones’ Debut [VIDEO]
EDITOR’S NOTE: Durand Jones is No Depression’s Spotlight artist for May 2023. Learn more about Jones and his new album, Wait Til I Get Over, in our interview, and look for more from him all month long.
With his band The Indications, Durand Jones spent several albums digging
ALBUM REVIEW: Marty Stuart Reaches New Creative Heights with ‘Altitude’
Near the end of his new album, Altitude, over the locomotive drive of the track “Tomahawk,” Marty Stuart delivers the song’s key observation: “There’s absolutely nothing new underneath the sun.”
That pretty much goes for music too. So, the question facing any artist is: How do you keep