Country, Bluegrass, and Blues Pickin’ Through a European Lens
New albums from Thierry Massoubre, Jacques Stotzem, and Jean-Luc Thievent have a root language of Travis Picking
CD Review: Bruce Cockburn Is Still Searching for Answers on ‘Bone on Bone’
In the six years since Small Source of Comfort, his last album of new songs, Bruce Cockburn has gotten married, settled in San Francisco, become a father for the second time, and started going to church again. That’s a lot, and it’s only part of the story: Cockburn spent three…
ADVERTISEMENT
Review: Julian Lage and Gyan Riley Play the Music of John Zorn
This Shakespeare-inspired set is music of striking beauty. Rendered expertly by two of today’s finest young guitarists, it’s at once approachable and deeply satisfying.
Album Review: Tommy Emmanuel and David Grisman
On their first recording together, mandolinist David Grisman and guitarist Tommy Emmanuel prove to be perfect partners.
Woody Guthrie—50 Years Gone: Spectacular Box Set Offers Historic All-Star Tribute Concerts, and More
On January 20, 1968, less than four months after folk music icon Woody Guthrie died in New York City at the age of 55, Carnegie Hall hosted an all-star tribute concert honoring the influential and much-loved musician, featuring such leading lights of the folk world as Judy Collins, Bob Dylan…
ADVERTISEMENT
Adam Palma’s ‘Palm-istry’ Is a Fingerstyle Gem
Imaginative fingerstylist crosses genres in diverse set
Charlie Parr’s Guitars Bring Lightness to a Heavy Album on ‘Dog’
Dog is a triumph of Parr’s art, grappling with mortality, mental illness, desperation, and the urge to stay inside all day long.
Joe Bonamassa Mostly Sticks to Rhythm on Live Disc
For years, Joe Bonamassa used to sneak three or four acoustic songs into the middle of his live shows. That changed in 2013, when he retooled his back catalog for An Acoustic Evening at the Vienna Opera House, and four years later, he’s reconceived it again for the CD/DVD Live…
ADVERTISEMENT
A Treasure Trove of Unreleased Doc and Merle Watson
A beautifully designed box contains seven CDs encompassing 94 tracks by father and son Doc and Merle Watson, culled from four nights at the Boarding House club in San Francisco
Album Review: Fleet Foxes Return with Ambitious ‘Crack-Up’
With some maturity and distance, the 31-year-old Pecknold said he was finally ready to resume; the result—Crack-Up—is worth the wait.
Album Review: ‘American Epic’ 5-CD Box Set
The word “epic” has been degraded through overuse in recent years, but here’s a new box set that truly merits that adjective. This is more than just the soundtrack for the brilliant three-part PBS documentary series American Epic—about the rise and spread of American vernacular (or what we now lump…
ADVERTISEMENT
Album Review: Allison Pierce’s ‘Year of the Rabbit’
On her debut solo album after many years of performing and recording with her sister Catherine in the Pierces, Allison Pierce veers sharply from the atmospheric alt-pop of the duo’s 2014 Creation album in favor of a more natural, acoustic guitar–based country sound that, at its best, is somewhat reminiscent…
James Elkington’s ‘Wintres Woma’ is a Mystical Delight
This collection tethers Elkington’s mystic yet matter-of-fact worldview to labyrinthine guitar lines as strong and supple as a serpent’s spine
The Suitcase Junket’s ‘Pile Driver’ Finds the Junkyard Virtuoso Better Than Ever
Junkyard virtuoso’s DIY approach is heartfelt and intense
Album Review: George Thorogood’s ‘Party of One’ (Rounder)
Boogie King’s acoustic and resonator guitars shine on true solo album Musical trends and fads come and go, but 40 years after the release of his still-fresh-sounding debut album, George Thorogood continues to play pretty much what he’s always played: blues in every shade, from raunchy to delicate; screaming slide;…
ADVERTISEMENT
Todd Albright’s ‘Detroit Twelve String: Blues & Rags’ Hollers “Vintage”
The character and emotional vibe of the performance are delicious
Pieta Brown’s New Album ‘Postcards’ Gets a Little Help from Friends Mark Knopfler, Calexico, and More
Each of the ten tracks features a special guest, including Rodriguez, Mason Jennings, David Lindley, and others.
FIRST LISTEN: New Music from Country Hitmakers Kelly & Ellis
Before recording The Long Road to You, Casey Kelly and Leslie Ellis’ debut as Kelly & Ellis, the husband-and-wife duo had each scored a stream of accomplishments, including country hits, a showstopper from the musical CATS, and a contribution to the Academy Award-winning film Titanic.
ADVERTISEMENT
Becky Warren Turns Personal Hell into Poetic Song on New Album ‘War Surplus’
“I found it really freeing, to be able to think about these things as characters instead of as myself,” says Warren, talking by phone just before hitting the road with the Indigo Girls.
New Holiday Music from Tommy Emmanuel, Laurence Juber, Loretta Lynn & More: VIDEO
The holiday season has inspired thousands of artists, from Will Ackerman and Elvis to John Prine and Emmylou Harris, to record their seasonal favorites, novelty songs, and everything in between (have you heard the Christmas Jug Band’s “Daddy’s Drinking Up Our Christmas”?). Many of us have a favorite set of…
Album Review: Dave McGraw & Mandy Fer’s ‘Off-Grid Lo-Fi’ Is Chock Full of Roots-Rich Gems
Tracked at a secluded wind-and-solar powered cabin on an uninhabited Washington State island in the dead of winter...
ADVERTISEMENT
Ramseur Reissues Folk Legend Josh White Classic 1956 Album on Hi-Def Vinyl
It’s a treasure trove of cool folk-blues and hellfire spirituals.
Dolly Parton, Bryan Sutton, and More Revive Appalachian Tunes on ‘On Top of Old Smoky’
Album focuses on simple, direct folk versions that hew close to the heart of these tunes.
Album Review: ‘Live Book’ Highlights Andy McKee’s Sonic Storyteller Brilliance
Live Book is a must not only for Andy McKee fans, but those who love the diverse sounds of the acoustic guitar presented with a sonic storyteller’s brilliance.
ADVERTISEMENT
Jug Band Cohorts Jim Kweskin & Geoff Muldaur Reunite on a Collection of American Roots Classics, ‘Penny’s Farm’
It’s been nearly 55 years since two of the folk revival’s best guitarists, Jim Kweskin and Geoff Muldaur, first played together. Now they've reunited on Penny's Farm, a collection of American roots classics.
