THE READING ROOM: New Levon Helm Book Delves into The Band and Beyond
Levon Helm would have turned 80 this week. It’s been just over eight years since his unmistakable voice fell silent and his steady, propulsive drumming rolled over yonder. Spending the day listening to his music — whether from his years with The Hawks or The Band or from his albums
50 STATES OF FOLK: How the Banjo Put Down Roots in North Carolina
We’re all familiar with the sounds of the banjo, popularized in the American imagination by media highlights like the dead-eyed banjo picker in Deliverance and the band on Hee Haw. But more than anything, you would recognize the iconic, rollicking sounds of The Beverly Hillbillies theme song, played by
THROUGH THE LENS: Willie Nelson's First Fourth of July Picnic
Willie Nelson’s first Fourth of July Picnic, in 1973, was inspired by the Dripping Springs Reunion held at the Hurlbut Ranch in Dripping Springs, Texas, the year before, where Nelson and other country music favorites performed. While its promotion and attendance were lackluster, Nelson recognized that the Reunion had
An Expansive Tour of America on Double Album Release from Reckless Kelly
Reckless Kelly covers expansive territory on two new albums, American Jackpot and American Girls, both released this Friday.
Founded by Willy Braun and his brother Cody Braun in 1996, Reckless Kelly has migrated from its Idaho roots to Austin, Texas, to create their follow-up to 2016’s Sunset Motel. What
THE READING ROOM: Buffalo Rose’s Lucy Clabby on Plays, Poetry, and Playing with Words
Lucy Clabby grew up in Wilmette, Illinois, spending happy summer days reading at her spacious local public library. “They had a great YA section, and on beautiful sunny days, I could stay there all day reading,” she recalls fondly. Her deep love of reading has never left her, and she
Indigo Girls Bring Contradictory Forces Into Harmony on 'Look Long'
Thirty-five years after they started performing together as Indigo Girls in their home state of Georgia, Amy Ray and Emily Saliers are finding the power of singing together to be more driving than ever.
The duo’s voices, and the unity and ease between them, are the driving force behind