ALBUM REVIEW: Kamara Thomas Weaves Past and Present Into Debut ‘Tularosa: An American Dreamtime’
Throughout Tularosa: An American Dreamtime’s 11-song sequence, Kamara Thomas — activist, multidisciplinary artist, and singer-bassist for blues-rock trio Earl Greyhound — debuts with her own brand of historically based mythology, depicting the lives of various figures as they navigate love, tragedy, and displacement in the 19th-century American
ALBUM REVIEW: 49 Winchester Finds Firm Footing on ‘Fortune Favors the Bold’
As far as many musicians are concerned, touring is hell. Irregular sleep schedules, unhealthy food, and long stretches away from loved ones tend to take their toll, even on those with the luxury of staying in hotel rooms rather than in the backs of vans and buses. But for 49
Lyle Lovett Is Not the Same, But He’s Different
Toward the end of Lyle Lovett’s new album, 12th of June, comes “Are We Dancing,” a lushly orchestrated tune that evokes young lovers sweeping across a ballroom floor in a Golden Age movie.
It’s romantic and grand, sounding like something out of the Great American Songbook. But it’
ALBUM REVIEW: On ‘Narrow Line,’ Mama’s Broke Brings Beauty out of Pain
Having toured the world steadily for the past eight years, Mama’s Broke — Halifax, Nova Scotia-based folk duo Amy Lou Keeler and Lisa Maria — are road warriors. Narrow Line, the follow-up to their 2017 debut album, Count the Wicked, came together because COVID lockdowns gave the pair time
ALBUM REVIEW: Tray Wellington Reframes Banjo’s Story and Range on ‘Black Banjo’
Tray Wellington’s first full-length solo project, Black Banjo, debuts barely a year after his graduation from East Tennessee State University, but he already has a fuller CV than many twice his age. His early exposure to the music of Western North Carolina inspired his love for the banjo
CROWDFUNDING RADAR: From Different Roots, A Common Goal of Independent Album Creation
What is roots music? You would think that No Depression, of all places, could answer that question unanimously. But conversations with my fellow writers and columnists over the years have confirmed that while there is a basic thread of agreement, even people passionate enough about roots music to spend their