THROUGH THE LENS: A Weekend of All Things Ameripolitan
What is Ameripolitan? The Ameripolitan Awards Weekender website's list of nominees for the 2023 honors ends with a note defining the term as "a word that represents the different heritage of roots music that inform the artists that you see here. Much of the music is hard
CROWDFUNDING RADAR: ‘Creepy Songs,’ Acoustic Rush Covers, and More Projects Off the Beaten Path
A while back I attended a Todd Snider and Chicago Farmer concert, and during one of Snider’s famous “as much as 16 minutes between the songs” monologues, he noted that the music he and Chicago Farmer make is now labeled as “Americana,” whereas for much of his career it
Dolly Parton, Steve Earle, and More Featured on 100th Birthday Tribute to Doc Watson
The roots music world is marking what would have been guitar hero Doc Watson’s 100th birthday this year with a tribute album filled with loving renditions of some of his best known songs.
I Am a Pilgrim: Doc Watson At 100, coming April 28 on FLi Records/Budde Music,
ALBUM REVIEW: Cat Clyde Creates a Refuge on ‘Down Rounder’
Listening to Cat Clyde is like spending quality time with a reassuring friend who puts the craziness of the world into perspective. On Down Rounder, her third album of original material, the Canadian singer-songwriter meets the challenge of leading a meaningful existence, confronting injustice, and living in the moment
ALBUM REVIEW: Benjamin Dakota Rogers Beckons With Fireside Tales on ‘Paint Horse’
These days, the word “authentic” gets thrown around with such frequency, it can ring empty. But it is fitting when describing Benjamin Dakota Rogers, whose new album, Paint Horse, is a collection of genuine folk songs with none of the put-ons and all the experience to back it up.
ALBUM REVIEW: Blues, Gospel, and Soul Mix Just Right on Joe Louis Walker’s ‘Weight of the World’
Joe Louis Walker has been to church and back. Roommate Mike Bloomfield's 1981 death from an accidental overdose shook Walker so thoroughly that the young guitarist went from wallowing with heathens including Muddy Waters and Jimi Hendrix to soaring to lofty heights with the Spiritual Corinthians Gospel Quartet.