ALBUM REVIEW: Pokey LaFarge Strives for Higher Ground on ‘Rhumba Country’
Pokey LaFarge displays such easy grace when he sings that it’s tempting to consider him a supplier of light entertainment. Don’t believe it. The stirring, deceptively fraught Rhumba Country presents vivid vignettes of restless hearts gripped by desire and loneliness, and yearning for higher ground. If this smooth
‘Truly Handmade’ Collects Guy Clark Demos From His Storied Workshop
One of the many highlights at The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville is a painstakingly accurate recreation of Guy Clark’s workshop, the basement haven where he would go to work on guitars, solve life’s problems, write songs and sometimes demo them. It was a
ALBUM REVIEW: Shannon and the Clams Carry Grief Unflinchingly Through ‘The Moon Is in the Wrong Place’
The Moon Is in the Wrong Place, the new album from Shannon and the Clams, is a different one than it might have been under other circumstances. Before recording, frontwoman Shannon Shaw's fiance, a good friend to all of the band, died in a car accident. The result
Here Are the Nominees for the 2024 Americana Honors & Awards
In a live event from the National Museum of African American Music in Nashville this afternoon, the Americana Music Association revealed the nominees for its 2024 Honors & Awards.
Two artists — Sierra Ferrell and Tyler Childers — have nominations in each of the most-coveted categories: Artist, Album, and Song of the
THROUGH THE LENS: Could Two Southern Roots Music Festivals Be the Wave of the Future?
Could two festivals, Moon Crush Pink Moon at Miramar Beach, Florida, and High Water in Charleston, South Carolina, be models for future fests? As this column reported last year, the former bills itself as a “connected music vacation” next to the Gulf of Mexico. The music does not begin until
FRESH TRACK: Mark and Maggie O'Connor – 'Life After Life' Trailer
Grammy Award-winning Americana and bluegrass artists Mark and Maggie O’Connor have released their latest album, Life After Life. The compelling theme flowing throughout Life After Life is the idea that while our common experiences can turn into challenges — even hardships — we still seek optimism and hope.
As Mark explains,