ALBUM REVIEW: Miko Marks Paves a Path to Peace With ‘Feel Like Going Home’
It has been an exciting and busy two years for Miko Marks. In early 2021, Marks released her third LP, Our Country, and followed it up later that year with a covers EP, Race Records (ND review). She was selected for CMT’s Next Women of Country Class of 2022,
ALBUM REVIEW: As Plains, Jess Williamson and Waxahatchee Find a Fruitful Pairing
Two records arrived in early pandemic days of spring 2020 that proved timeless but also timely — salves for a terrifying time: Jess Williamson’s hauntingly ethereal Sorceress and Waxahatchee’s grounded, gut-wrenching Saint Cloud. Both were the kind of songwriter albums perfect for privately smiling through tears, solitary walks,
ALBUM REVIEW: As Mightmare, Sarah Shook Trades Confident Twang for Brooding Pop
Amidst all its hardships, the pandemic has continued to inspire intriguing creative responses. Mightmare, for example, is the surprising and satisfying solo project of North Carolina’s Sarah Shook, known for fronting the stellar roots-rockin’ group The Disarmers. Conceived and executed entirely on their own (except for bass on
ALBUM REVIEW: Cory Branan Sets Sad Songs to Rock Riffs on ‘When I Go I Ghost’
Cory Branan’s songs have a way of sticking with you. Branan is a restless craftsman who seems to view songwriting as something of a science. Whether in the studio or on the stage, he isn’t afraid to pick his work apart in order to draw out new themes
THROUGH THE LENS: The Joy and Excitement of Hardly Strictly Bluegrass 2022
As the calendar turns to October, the roots music festival season begins to wind down, so what better way to celebrate what the year 2022 has brought than to head west and visit the largest, most encompassing free festival there is: San Francisco's Hardly Strictly Bluegrass. Conceived and
With Banjo and Dance, Allison de Groot and Nic Gareiss Chase ‘The Thrill’ of Music
Virginia old-time multi-instrumentalist Hobart Smith once called music “a thrill you just can’t express,” but banjoist Allison de Groot and percussive dancer Nic Gareiss convey something pretty close with their new visual album, The Thrill, out today on Bandcamp.
The Thrill finds de Groot and Gareiss performing