ALBUM REVIEW: ZDAN Offers Plenty of Reasons to Care on 'So What'
If there’s one theme that’s characterized Americana in 2025, it’s a sense of taking stock. But if you’re Zdan, the new stage name of Nashville singer-songwriter Brandy Zdan, that process comes with less quiet introspection and more a jubilant tossing of her last few fucks
ALBUM REVIEW: Mavis Staples’ ‘Sad and Beautiful World’ Shines a Light in the Darkness
Mavis Staples has kept the faith since the 1950s, delivering a message of uplift and determination in hopeful and dark days alike. First as the young powerhouse of The Staple Singers and later as a solo artist, she has brought an inspiring gospel-fired fervor to both secular and spiritual
ALBUM REVIEW: Tristen Finds Harmony between Domesticity and Desire on ‘Unpopular Music’
Despite its cheeky self-deprecating title, Tristen’s fifth studio album Unpopular Music is a testament to the career she’s built out of making criminally underrated, perfect pop music. If the goal of great pop music is to bring people together in collective earworm joy under a big top,
THROUGH THE LENS: Wet Leg, Sierra Hull, Wilco, and Other Roots Music Photos of the Week
ALBUM REVIEW: JJ Grey and Mofro Bloom Again on 'Orange Blossoms' Vinyl Re-Issue
Orange Blossoms is bluesy soulman J J Grey's masterpiece. Tony Joe White-worthy swamp funk stirred in with Grey's gritty vocals are a prequel to what he would be serving up in future iterations, most notably on his last outing, 2024's Olustee, paying homage
FRESH TRACK: Brennen Leigh - "Tell Me"
When it comes to Brennen Leigh, there is no question. Always and assuredly precise in her ability to craft country music of the highest caliber, her latest album — the uncompromisingly titled Don’t You Ever Give Up On Love — is packed full of playful ear worms, tender tearjerkers, and honky