All Blogs / Entertainment / Music / Folk / Popular
Artists to Watch: Tall Heights
Over the past couple of years, the American folk music scene has seen its share of songwriting duos. From the Milk Carton Kids to male-female duos like Shovels + Rope and Birds of Chicago, and beyond, folks seem to be moving away from...Show More Summary
CD Review: Patty Griffin - 'American Kid'
Ever since her 1997 debut, Patty Griffin has become one of the most inspired and influential songwriters of her generation. You'd be hard-pressed to find an up-and-coming singer-songwriter who hasn't been touched by at least one of her songs along the way, and with good reason. Show More Summary
Artists to Watch: Ruth Moody (of the Wailin' Jennys)
Many fans of American and Canadian folk music will probably know about Ruth Moody through the fact that she is one-third of the much-beloved Canadian folk trio the Wailin' Jennys. Before that, she collaborated with members of the Duhks on another much-loved Canadian roots troupe called Scruj MacDuhk. Show More Summary
David Francey: So Say We All
Today marks the official release of David Francey’s tenth record titled So Say We All, on Red House Records. Canada’s reigning troubabor of the land and her people has released another winner. This may be his best record yet, perhaps … Continue reading ?
Artists to Watch: Aoife O'Donovan
Aoife O'Donovan is most likely best-known for being the breathy-voiced frontwoman and singer-songwriter at the helm of progressive bluegrass troupe Crooked Still. She co-founded the group in the summer of 2001 with a peer from the New England Conservatory, a student from MIT and one from the Berklee College of Music. Show More Summary
RIP Richie Havens: Jan. 1941 - Apr. 2013
Richie Havens - the folksinger best known for his lengthy set opening Woodstock in 1969 - died this week of a heart attack, at his home in New Jersey, at the age of 72.... Read Full Post
Lake Street Dive, Feist, Andrew Bird, JD McPherson, More Shape Pickathon 2013
Pickathon - the indie roots music festival which takes place each year outside Portland, Ore., on the lovely Pendarvis Farm - has announced some additions to its 2013 (15th Anniversary) lineup. Ty Segall, the Relatives, and Jessica Pratt will join a remarkable mix of other artists to round out this year's festival. Show More Summary
Laura Cortese: Into the Dark
Today marks the street release of Into the Dark, the new album from Laura Cortese. Laura has been kicking around the folk world for a number of years, producing a body of very good fiddle-centric material in the vein of … Continue reading ?
Artists to Watch: Andrew Duhon
When you listen to Andrew Duhon's new album The Moorings, you'd hardly believe he wasn't weened on New Orleans soul music. He grew up taking piano lessons but the music didn't really stick right away. It wasn't high school, when a sports...Show More Summary
Luke Winslow-King: The Coming Tide
Recently I was in Saint Louis and stumbled upon a lively blues trio making music at a corner hangout called the Blues City Deli, in the Soulard District. We showed up for lunch at noonish on a Friday, and found … Continue reading ?
Black Prairie Announces Summer Dates
Portland-based indie folk stringband Black Prairie announced today that it has secured dates at two of the finest festivals in the Eastern half of the US - Newport Folk Festival and Bonnaroo 2013. The latter will see them on a special Bluegrass Situation stage, hosted by actor/banjo picker Ed Helms, representing the blog by the same name. Show More Summary
Bruce Molsky: If It Ain’t Here When I Get Back
Bruce Molsky is an undisputed master of what has become known as old-time music. That is, traditional American songs and tunes from the pre-radio era. He has a great new record out called If It Ain’t Here When I Get Back. On … Continue reading ?
Ani DiFranco Welcomes New Baby Boy
It seems like it hasn't been often in the folk music world that there's big baby news. But, there have been three big pregnancies lately that I'm aware of - Abigail Washburn and her husband Bela Fleck are expecting sometime later this spring. Show More Summary
Artists to Watch: The Chapin Sisters
The Chapin Sisters (Abigail and Lily Chapin, and their half sister Jessica Craven) grew up in Brooklyn, New York, surrounded by some of the greatest voices of contemporary folk music. Their father happens to be award-winning folk singer...Show More Summary
Review of Holly Williams - 'The Highway'
As the granddaughter of Hank Williams and daughter of Hank Jr., Holly Williams has the concurrent blessing and burden of making her way through a music scene where her family has been some of the most influential players on the scene. Show More Summary
Tallest Man on Earth Announces US Tour Dates
Swedish singer-songwriter Kristian Matsson - aka the Tallest Man on Earth - has announced a string of US tour dates to take him from the Sasquatch Festival in Western Washington all the way to Bonnaroo in Manchester, Tenn.... Read Full Post
Interviews with Anais Mitchell and Jefferson Hamer about 'Child Ballad's
This month, Anais Mitchell and Jefferson Hamer released an album spotlighting seven of the more than 300 ballads collected by 19th Century collector Francis James Child. Titled, appropriately, Child Ballads, the disc tours the listener through the fairy tales, stories of love, death, and seafaring courage inherent in traditional English and Scottish balladry.... Read Full Post
Reeb Willms and Caleb Klauder: Oh Do You Remember
There’s a sweet spot right at the intersection of traditional country, bluegrass, and old time music. There you’ll find your grandpappy rocking on his front porch, sipping sweet tea, telling stories. You’ll find your mawmaw at the back door, ringing … Continue reading ?
Amber Cross and Moonsville Collective
California may not be the first place you’d think to look for new songs by emerging bands playing good old-school mountain music. But there’s a deep blue sea of acoustic revolution happening in this country, erupting like flying fish that … Continue reading ?
Artists to Watch: Shannon Whitworth
Ever since the beginning of her career with North Carolina's own bluegrass band the Biscuit Burners, Shannon Whitworth has had somewhat of a charmed career in music. She grew up in South Carolina, soaking in the influence of folk-pop...Show More Summary
