Tag Archives: Americana music

3hattrio’s Solitaire

Hard on the heels of 2015’s eyebrow-raising Dark Desert Night comes 3hattrio’s third full-length release Solitaire. It’s named for Desert Solitaire, the classic 1968 book about dryland ecosystems by Edward Abbey. This stringband trio from the red-rock desert of southern … Continue reading

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William Tyler’s Modern Country

Guitarist William Tyler’s Modern Country was one of my favorite drive-time listens of the summer of 2016. I was so busy enjoying it, I didn’t get around to writing about it until now! First, about the title. It’s amazing how … Continue reading

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Billy Bragg & Joe Henry’s Shine a Light

When you speak of the Great American Songbook, you’re usually talking about the so-called standards, penned mostly in the 1930s and ’40s by the likes of the Gershwins, Berlin, Porter, Johnny Mercer, Ellington, et. al., and popularized by Sinatra, Ella … Continue reading

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Joe K. Walsh’s Borderland

Creating new music from old traditions is the hallmark of roots music anywhere in the world. And it’s what Joe K. Walsh does on his debut solo album Borderland. This mandolinist, songwriter and singer has been active in the Americana … Continue reading

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The Weavers’ The Best of the Vanguard Years

“What are you listening to?” my wife asked me in an incredulous tone of voice. I was listening to The Weavers singing “On Top of Old Smoky,” one of the priceless tracks on this collection, The Best of the Vanguard Years. I suspect … Continue reading

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John McEuen’s Made in Brooklyn

Banjo player John McEuen is one of the unheralded giants of American roots music. He was a founding member of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, one of the first to blend rock and country in a new way that didn’t … Continue reading

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John McEuen’s Made in Brooklyn previewed

You and I would probably never think of playing Warren Zevon’s “Excitable Boy” as a bluegrass song. That’s why someone like John McEuen, who did think of it, has had a 50-year career as a groundbreaking roots musician, and you … Continue reading

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Anna & Elizabeth’s Sun to Sun

Anna Roberts-Gevalt and Elizabeth LaPrelle took the folk music world by storm with their 2014 self-titled album. It made my Top 10 for the year and was similarly honored by media from American Songwriter to No Depression to NPR to … Continue reading

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Red Mountain White Trash’s Chickens Don’t Roost Too High

The Red Mountain White Trash is a traditional band with a decidedly untraditional name. But don’t let the moniker put you off. This outfit plays old-time fiddle-based dance music with roots deep in the rich Southern soil. The Birmingham septet … Continue reading

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The Traveling Wilburys’ Collection

The entire output of the supergroup known as The Traveling Wilburys is at long last available on various digital platforms. To mark the occasion Concord Music Group is reissuing this 2007 collection in a nice package that includes both of … Continue reading

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