With their 11th studio album New Ways to Lose, American Aquarium and front man BJ Barham continue to prove why they remain one of the most vital voices in Americana and roots rock. Produced once again by Shooter Jennings and tracked live over a 10-day session in Los Angeles, the record captures the band at […]
Now & Then: The Red Clay Strays’ Grateful and the reach of The Del Fuegos’ Boston, Mass.
The Red Clay Strays’ Grateful and The Del Fuegos’ Boston, Mass. are both band records in the practical sense. The appeal starts with a singer, but it depends on the group around him: guitars that answer instead of crowd, rhythm sections that keep the songs moving, and arrangements that sound built from stage time. Grateful was released in 2026 and produced by Dave Cobb, while Boston, Mass. was The Del Fuegos’ second album, released in 1985 on Slash Records.
David Serby – Broken Heart in a Honky Tonk
I love a good title. Not those rage-triggering, click-bait things you see on social media, but a well-conceived summary of what the article is about. Or the rare occasion when judging a book by its cover is justified. That’s just what you get from LA singer-songwriter David Serby’s latest album, Broken Heart in a Honky […]
In Their Own Words: Artists Reflect on the Bottle Rockets
On June 11th, we’ll gather at Lucinda’s in New York City’s East Village for Welfare Music: A Tribute to the Bottle Rockets. We asked some of the artists joining us that night to reflect on the band’s legacy. Here’s what they had to say. GET TICKETS GET TICKETS
Eilen Jewell Steps Off the Road, But Not Out of the Song
Photo credit: Damu Malik After two decades of nearly continuous touring, folk-Americana singer-songwriter Eilen Jewell is stepping away from the road—not as an ending, she insists, but as a recalibration. Her “indefinite hiatus” from touring marks a deliberate pause in a life shaped by motion, performance, and the steady accumulation of miles across continents. Yet […]
Now & Then: Joshua Ray Walker’s Ain’t Dead Yet and the reach of Guitar Town
Joshua Ray Walker’s Ain’t Dead Yet and Steve Earle’s Guitar Town are separated by four decades, but they share a clear country music lineage. Both albums come from writers who use traditional country materials without treating them as fixed rules. Earle’s 1986 debut helped open space for country records with tougher guitars, direct storytelling, and singer-songwriter focus. Walker’s new album works in that same lane, with a more personal and present-tense sense of survival.
John R. Miller – The Great Unknowing
Way back in my youth there was a TV show called The A-Team. In it, the commander of the band of misfits exclaims, “I love it when a plan comes together,” after some hare-brained, seat-of-the-pants scheme turns out for the good. I think John R. Miller must have uttered something similar when he finished recording […]
David G. Smith Song Premiere – Green Fire
There’s a long history of social activism by folk musicians dating back at least 100 years and most probably a lot longer than that. In many cases the participation is in events organized by others. With Iowan David G. Smith, however, he puts the active in activism. He schedules about 20% of his gigs in […]
Now & Then: The Deslondes’ Don’t Let It Die: Vol. 1 and the reach of The Blasters’ American Music
The Deslondes’ Don’t Let It Die: Vol. 1 is a covers album with a clear purpose: to show where the band comes from and who they listen to. The record draws from country, soul, R&B, swamp pop, and roots music, with songs associated with artists including Swamp Dogg, Johnny Cash, Clifton Chenier, Shelby Lynne, Pat Reedy, and The Kernal. For a “Then” comparison, The Blasters’ 1980 debut American Music is a strong match. It is also a roots-minded record built from older American styles, balancing original songs with covers that show the band’s musical foundation.
Moonlight Mile – Northern Lights
Socrates said, “to know thyself is the beginning of wisdom”, and Ben Franklin said, “there are three things extremely hard: steel, a diamond, and to know one’s self.” Between them they underscore the fact that self-awareness is a difficult journey, and not one that everybody chooses to take. Kentucky-based singer/songwriter Jonathan Pennington, who goes by […]