CROWDFUNDING RADAR: Justin Golden, David Johansen Cancer Fundraisers; New Albums from Mark Erelli, Jimmy Touzel, and Molly Thomas
As with last month's column, I open this month not with a campaign for a new album (though those will come) but with crowdfunding campaigns of a more personal nature. The first is a GoFundMe campaign for country blues musician Justin Golden. Golden was diagnosed with Stage Four
SPOTLIGHT: Cristina Vane Reclaims Her Roots On ‘Hear My Call’
EDITOR'S NOTE: Cristina Vane is No Depression's Spotlight artist for February 2025. Read more about her and her new album, Hear My Call, out Feb. 21, in this feature and keep an eye out for more all month long.
Singer/songwriter Cristina Vane’s wanderlust runs
ALBUM REVIEW: Rev Peyton's Big Damn Originals Mingle with Resurrected and Revitalized Blues Classics
It's a lot of sound for three damn people. With a big damn voice that resonates like an amped-up street preacher pounding on a 500 pound anvil, Rev. Peyton has no trouble getting his message across by himself. But that's not the only tool in his
THE READING ROOM: Song So Wild and Blue: A Life with the Music of Joni Mitchell is Part Memoire, Part Critique
The songs of Joni Mitchell saved novelist Paul Lisicky’s life. In his loving ode to Mitchell and her music, Song So Wild and Blue: A Life with the Music of Joni Mitchell (HarperOne, February 25), the novelist declares that in these reflections he “wanted to give to others what
ALBUM REVIEW: Max Wareham's Debut Album 'DAGGOMIT!' Showcases Banjo and Bluegrass Variety
On his debut album, DAGGOMIT! Banjo player Max Wareham showcases his expertise, and highlights the masters whose work he studied.
Wareham has toured with Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band for the past two years, and Rowan’s influence is apparent throughout the project; Rowan produced the album and co-wrote three of
ALBUM REVIEW: Paul Thorn's 'Life Is Just A Vapor' Faces Hard Truths With Hope
Paul Thorn opens his new album, Life Is Just A Vapor, with a terse but timely sermon. “Tough times don’t last, tough people do,” the 60-year-old Tupelo, Miss., native sings over a loping, horn-accented R&B groove. Then he goes on: “If they can do it, maybe we