THROUGH THE LENS: WoodyFest and Briggs Farm Blues Festival
This week the column returns to festival coverage by featuring the Briggs Farm Blues Festival, which took place July 11-13 in Briggsville, Pennsylvania, and the Woody Guthrie Folk Festival (WoodyFest), July 10-14 in Guthrie’s hometown, Okemah, Oklahoma.
Briggs Farm Blues Festival 2024
Now in its 27th year, the Briggs
FRESH TRACK: Yarn – 'Traveling Kind'
We had already recorded most of what would become the new album when I wrote "Traveling Kind." I thought the record needed a tune with a JJ Cale type feel. To me JJ Cale is perfect for a road trip; it feels like traveling music. So what else
CROWDFUNDING RADAR: Roots Music Projects in Many Forms
While I strive to feature a variety of projects in this space, in the end it usually comes down to artists promoting a new album. That's the core of Kickstarter and Indiegogo's music crowdfunding platform. But this month I'm doing something a bit different,
New Album Coming Down the Track From Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlings
In one of the very best kinds of surprises, Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlings announced a new album today.
Woodland, from the duo’s own Acony Records, is coming Aug. 23. The album is named for their Woodland Studios in East Nashville, which was heavily damaged in a tornado in
BONUS TRACKS: Disney’s (Alt)Country Bear Jamboree Reopens With Familiar Voices
In case you haven’t been staying on top of your Disney news, the Country Bear Jamboree audio-animatronic show at Disney World has been shuttered for most of the year for a makeover. Why am I telling you this? Because the bears are now voiced by some familiar folks to
JOURNAL EXCERPT: 'The Air As Your Territory': Tracing the Legacy of Civil Rights Music
EDITOR’S NOTE: Below is an excerpt of a story from our Summer 2021 journal issue, exploring the theme of “Voices.” We share it today in honor of Dr. Bernice Johnson Reagon, who passed away this week at the age of 81. Reagon is featured in this piece written by