Pedal Steel Player Spencer Cullum Steps into Spotlight on ‘Coin Collection’
You probably know the sound of Spencer Cullum’s pedal steel guitar, behind which he is most often situated as he backs up the likes of Miranda Lambert, Deer Tick, and countless others. Or perhaps you know him best as one half of Steelism, his instrumental duo with guitarist Jeremy
50 STATES OF FOLK: The Enduring Power of Kentucky’s High Lonesome Sound
We in the bluegrass world love to talk about the high lonesome sound -- that painful, heartbreaking high tenor pealing out mournfully in the happy-sad songs in our particular musical canon -- as though it’s something that’s wholly ours. If it were up to our most hardcore traditionalist stalwarts,
THE READING ROOM: Mary Chapin Carpenter on Openness and Telling Your ‘One Story’
Back in early August, Mary Chapin Carpenter released her newest album, The Dirt and the Stars. Like many of her earlier albums, this new one showcased her gift for moving along a narrative arc and creating a story that invites us into its center, carrying us from border to border
PRINT EXCERPT: The Resistance Revival Chorus Takes Action with Art and Activism
EDITOR’S NOTE: This story is from our Winter 2020 print issue, “All Together Now.” You can read the whole story — and much more — in that issue, available here. And please consider supporting No Depression with a print or digital subscription for more roots music journalism, in print and online,
ROOTS IN THE ARCHIVE: Bessie Jones, 'Oh Death,' and a Story of the Supernatural
When October rolls around, some of us at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress start to think about the rich stores of supernatural lore that exist among our discs, tapes, and manuscripts. Among the great singers and storytellers whose work we preserve, some stand out as experts
THROUGH THE LENS: From Rhiannon Giddens to Sierra Ferrell, Singles in the Spotlight
Singles — whether on 78 rpm records or "cassingles" or digital downloads — are nothing new. However, recently there has been an uptick in one-off tunes released by roots musicians. In this time of coronavirus, many folks may not have ready access to a full studio in order to