Country Sides the new release by The Band of Heathens marks their 20th anniversary as a band. The band was basically formed from a local collaboration that grew organically the old school viral way, by word of mouth. (There was no TikTok viral push available back then.) Over the last 20 years, The Band of […]
“American Healthcare Blues” – a Premiere from Chris J. Norwood & The Knockout Dragout
Everyone faces challenges in their lives, but few are as fundamental as healthcare—for ourselves, our families, and the people we care about. And healthcare in America has become a double hit: first, the health crisis itself; second, navigating a system that can throw haymakers when you’re already down. Chris J. Norwood & the Knockout Dragout […]
Craig Fort of Lightning Stills on Utilization Cooking and the Aftermath of Band Rehearsals
Craig Fort of Omaha, Nebraska’s Lightning Stills talks about his start in a hardcore punk band, being in the “investment” phase of his musical career, and the type of seats he has in his tour vehicle.
Monday Morning Video – Matt Charette
Early last week, Boston singer-songwriter Matt Charette showed up at his barbershop to find it underwater. Literally. An upstairs neighbor didn’t take proper cold weather precautions, a pipe burst, and water came pouring down into the shop. The damage was devastating. But Charette’s doing what DIY musicians do—skip the pity party, roll up the sleeves, […]
Now & Then: Melissa Carper & Theo Lawrence’s Havin’ A Talk and the reach of Time (The Revelator)
Duets are relationship counseling with better suits. Two people, one microphone, and a shared agreement to tell the truth in public as long as it rhymes. Melissa Carper and Theo Lawrence understand the assignment. Their debut duo album Havin’ A Talk leans into the oldest trick in country music: make the song a conversation, then let the conversation become the plot.
Readers’ Pick: Melissa Carper & Theo Lawrence – Havin’ A Talk
You picked Melissa Carper & Theo Lawrence – Havin’ A Talk as your favorite new release for the week of February 6, 2026.
The Sky Chiefs – The Sky Chiefs
You’ve no doubt heard about artists, or their families, who’ve found a trove of lost recordings buried in the back of a closet in some nearly forgotten studio. Springsteen and Jennings come immediately to mind. Typically these are extra tunes that get cut from a record or demos that never really found a home and […]
Clay Street Unit – Sin & Squalor
I have no doubt the first secular song ever written was a love ballad. I’m equally certain the second tune was about being away from home and longing to return. Denver’s Clay Street Unit just released their debut full length album, and while they don’t call that out as any kind of unifying theme, a […]
Listening for the Vanishing Words: James McMurtry at Full Measure
James McMurtry does not talk much, and he does not volunteer myth. He answers questions carefully, sometimes obliquely, often economically, as if every word costs something. That reserve has become part of his public character, as recognizable as the stark clarity of his songs. McMurtry is a listener first, a keen observer of language and […]
Patton Magee of The Nude Party on How They Got a Sitar and the Best Kept Secret in Music
Patton Magee of The Nude Party talks about the benefit of staying busy and recalls what happened when the police showed up at the band’s first gig.