SPOTLIGHT: Valerie June Clings to Joy on ‘Owls, Omens, and Oracles’
Like an alter with mystical crystals, holy spirits, and positive energies, everything about Valerie June’s fourth studio album is offered right there in the title — Owls, Omens, and Oracles.
Calling from her home in Brooklyn, seated in front of enough shelving with vinyl records to cover the entire Zoom
BONUS TRACKS: Lost Highway Record Label Relaunches and a 4/20 Treat from Willie Nelson
Lost Highway, a beloved country and alt-country record label of the early-aughts, is coming back to life with support from Interscope Geffen A&M. Most famous for releasing the soundtrack to O Brother, Where Art Thou? and albums by artists like Willie Nelson, Lucinda Williams, and Kacey Musgraves, Lost
ALBUM REVIEW: Rhiannon Giddens and Justin Robinson's New LP Honors Past and Present
Rhiannon Giddens is a visionary, as well as a revitalizer. With her banjo and her voice, she has brought Black string band music to the attention of a mass audience through her work with The Carolina Chocolate Drops and as a solo artist.
Giddens grew up in rural North Carolina
ALBUM REVIEW: Julien Baker and Torres Offer Catchy Songs, Friendship, and Chemistry on 'Send a Prayer My Way'
Singer-songwriters Julien Baker and Mackenzie Scott (aka Torres) have joined forces to create a set of catchy and heartfelt songs with a country twinge. Following the successes of boygenius (featuring Baker) and Torres’ sixth solo album released last year, the pair alternate lead and supporting vocals, feeding off each other
THE READING ROOM: 'John & Paul: A Love Story in Songs' Highlights Intimate, Complicated Beatles Relationships
On shelves already groaning under the weight of books on The Beatles (not to mention books by and about former Beatles), there is always space for one more exploration of the teetering highs and staggering lows of a band lurching from the summit of rock stardom to the valley of
CROWDFUNDING RADAR: The Carroll Sisters Trio, Scottish Fish, and The Irish & Celtic Music Podcast
So much of American roots music is steeped in Celtic tradition. As British and Irish settlers came to America in the 18th and 19th centuries, they brought their favorite folk songs with them. As these songs passed down through generations, they became the Appalachian songs so loved today. “The Wexford