Roger Miller Tribute, Mandy Barnett, Marc Ribot, and Other Notable Roots Music Releases
The week leading up to AmericanFest offers up a slew of outstanding new roots music releases, from a couple that you most likely have heard about and a bunch more that I do not want to drop off the map. Here goes.
Various Artists - King of the Road: A
The Everly Brothers Play with Sharp Objects
This summer's runaway small-screen “must see” TV show was HBO's miniseries Sharp Objects, adapted from a book of the same name written by Gillian Flynn. I won't spoil it for those who have yet to see it, but it takes place in the fictional
Swedish Musicians Explore & Navigate 70's Progressive-Alt-Folk-Funk Cleverly
Interestingly enough this album came to my attention through music sources in Stockholm, Sweden. Some readers would wonder what does Sweden have to do with Americana, folk-rock, roots and country-rock music. But that would be the same as saying what does Kannelbulle, Dagens Smak or Astrakan have to do with
Finding America’s Musical History Along the Mississippi River
In 2015, I set out on a journey down the Mississippi River with my music partner Joe Seamons. The year before, Joe and I had started working on a musical project exploring old and obscure American roots songs. But to interpret the music truly and justly, we couldn’t just
Justin Townes Earle Shines at Historic Ryman Auditorium
You could have heard a pin drop most of the night at the Mother Church of Country Music as Justin Townes Earle turned in a mesmerizing, enrapturing performance. I've seen Justin enough in concert now--most recently at Bell's Brewery in Kalamazoo in May, last time at
Hell Is Naked With Mean Mary James
I’ve just watched footage of Mean Mary James as a six-year-old singing “Long Tall Texan” live on the Country Boy Eddie TV Show back in ‘86. Wide brimmed hat, guitar larger than her torso, a drawl and a charm and a stage presence buoyed by a fascinating mix of