Tag Archives: Americana music

John Hiatt and The Goners, McDonald Theater, Eugene, Oregon – December 9, 2001

Less than a month after Ken Kesey’s funeral was held in the historic McDonald Theater (owned by Kesey’s family), John Hiatt held court there before a full house eager for his signature brand of soulful, bluesy roots rock. The fans, … Continue reading

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Various artists’ Americana Motel

The Washington, D.C., area has had a lively roots music scene going back at least to the early Seventies when Mike Auldridge and the Seldom Scene were making bluegrass music there. There have been a few D.C. acts since then … Continue reading

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Various Artists’ O Sister!

If mainstream country music was dominated by men in its early years, the same was doubly true of bluegrass. With a few exceptions, bluegrass has been largely a men’s genre for much of its history. But women have always been … Continue reading

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Paul Thorn’s Still No Hits

Paul Thorn is a consistently entertaining singer-songwriter in the Southern country folk rock tradition. The first two tracks on this six-song EP are billed as featured tracks from an upcoming CD, the follow-up to 2000’s strong Ain’t Love Strange. The … Continue reading

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Buddy & Julie Miller’s Buddy & Julie Miller

With five “solo” country albums between them, Buddy and Julie Miller have put together a solid debut effort as a duo. Buddy & Julie Miller is a showcase of the couple’s deep and wide acquaintance with American vernacular music. The … Continue reading

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Hobart Smith’s Blue Ridge Legacy

Dock Boggs got all the attention, but there were many other extraordinary musicians playing in the hills. Hobart Smith passed away in 1965. The world was just discovering the Beatles, there was no room for a mountain man on the … Continue reading

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Various artists’ The Rough Guide to Americana

Americana casts a wide net over a rich diversity of music. What it all has in common is roots in traditional American country music, and a willingness to eschew commercial success in exchange for the freedom to interpret those roots … Continue reading

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Bill Kirchen’s Tied to the Wheel

Bill Kirchen was one of the founding members of Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen. His twanging Telecaster licks are immediately identifiable on the band’s Top 10 hit “Hot Rod Lincoln,” and his style influenced a generation of twang-loving … Continue reading

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Texas Gladden’s Ballad Legacy

This addition to Rounder’s “Alan Lomax Collection” Portraits series is a short course on Appalachian ballads, courtesy of Lomax and this Virginia singer named Texas Gladden. Most of these recordings were made by Lomax at Gladden’s home in the 1940s, … Continue reading

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Doc Watson’s Doc Watson at Gerdes Folk City

It’s hard to come up with enough superlatives for Doc Watson, one of the holy trinity of innovative and influential country guitar players, along with Merle Travis and Chet Atkins. But Watson is more than a guitar picker. He’s a … Continue reading

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