FOUNDERS KEEPERS: A tale of three cities: Fresh sounds from Nashville, Austin and the NC Triangle
It wasn’t intentional, but once I settled on these six records for this month’s Founders’ Keepers, I realized they consist of two artists from Austin, two from Nashville, and two from the North Carolina Triangle. Those from Music City are, perhaps surprisingly, the least-known, and they provide the
SPOTLIGHT: Tami Neilson’s Heart and Life Shine Brightly on ‘Neon Cowgirl’
Editor's Note: Tami Neilson is No Depression's Spotlight Artist for July 2025. Learn more about her new album, Neon Cowgirl, which was released July 11 via Outside Music in this feature, exclusive video of her song 'Salvation Mountain', and exclusive essay from her.
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QUEER COUNTRY: Paisley Fields' Limp Wristed Country Revolution
Last time around, I wrote about Karen Pittelman setting the stage for a generation of LGBTQIA+ artists in country and roots music. Paisley Fields is one of the artists from that Queer Country Monthly series whose path is in step with the scene’s general expansion and broader acceptance. This
NO DEPRESSION SESSIONS at Merle Fest: Asleep at the Wheel
No Depression set up the "studio" at the 37th annual MerleFest for a dozen sessions with legends and legends-in-the-making. The festival was founded in 1988 in memory of Doc Watson’s son Merle, and features “traditional plus” music, meaning a broad range of styles from the sweet falsetto
ALBUM REVIEW: The Beauty is in the Loose Ends and Contrasts in Josh Halper’s ‘Schlemiel’
“Use a Friend,” off Josh Halper’s new Schlemiel, sounds huge, but it’s the size of the space between two people. Sonically, it’s a driving space-rock anthem in the War on Drugs vein. Drum machines and a drum set propel keyboards, guitars and a pedal steel forward at
Roots Music Runs Deep in National Parks, but Government Cuts Mean the Song Cannot Remain the Same
Each Tuesday afternoon in the heart of New Orleans’ French Quarter, the Arrowhead Jazz Band tunes up and gets ready to perform. While the band includes veteran jazz artists, it’s unlike any other in the vibrant, music-filled neighborhood; their main gig isn’t at one of the many clubs