One of my favorite albums of last year was John Francis O’Mara’s Forbidden Hymns. It’s a plea for humanity to dig deep into their soul and find the empathy and kindness that’s been mocked as a weakness by many in power today. Set to a soundtrack of outlaw country hymns and Southern rock R&B ballads, […]
Folk Alliance Int’l 2026 – Shawn’s Favorites
Folk Alliance International isn’t your typical music conference. Held this year in New Orleans, days include industry panels, seminars, and public showcases in hotel ballrooms, but the real magic happens late at night when up to 100 hotel rooms transform into intimate “private showcases”—artists who normally fill 500-seat theaters performing for 20 people at a […]
Folk Alliance Int’l 2026 – Mayer’s Picks, Part 2
Folk Alliance International isn’t your typical music conference. Held this year in New Orleans, days include industry panels, seminars, and public showcases in hotel ballrooms, but the real magic happens late at night when up to 100 hotel rooms transform into intimate “private showcases”—artists who normally fill 500-seat theaters performing for 20 people at a […]
Folk Alliance Int’l 2026 – Mayer’s Picks, Part 1
Folk Alliance International isn’t your typical music conference. Held this year in New Orleans, days include industry panels, seminars, and public showcases in hotel ballrooms, but the real magic happens late at night when up to 100 hotel rooms transform into intimate “private showcases”—artists who normally fill 500-seat theaters performing for 20 people at a […]
It’s Cold Outside – a Premiere From Cold Chocolate
There are guitar-drum duos who sound like guitar-drum duos. And there are those that do something special. Cold Chocolate are firmly in the latter category. The Boston duo blend folk, rock, funk and bluegrass into something that honors tradition while kicking up a ruckus with scruffy guitar and driving rhythms. They don’t limit themselves to […]
The Lowest Pair – As Young As We’ll Ever Be
One of the things I find endearing about the folk music community is how they support a wide range of styles. From a single performer with guitar or autoharp to a string band with complex arrangements that border on chamber music, they embrace it as their own. For a taste of some of the latter, […]
Jeffrey Martin on His Custom Tour Van and The Joy of Letting Go On Stage
Singer-songwriter Jeffrey Martin talks about the sign that he slaps on the side of his tour van to keep the riffraff from being curious, enjoying a good meal while on tour, and his awkward and fantastic first gig.
Courtney Marie Andrews on Her Tour Van “Jambulance” and Time Spent Bartending
Singer-songwriter and poet Courtney Marie Andrews talks about why she only changes her guitar strings every year or two and recalls being driven to her first gig by her mom.
Monday Morning Video – Melanie MacLaren
We’ve had the pleasure of getting to know Nashville-by-way-of-NYC songwriter Melanie MacLaren over the past year—even hosting her at our Spring 2025 Twangville Sunday Social in Dallas. Her songs mesmerize, her performances captivate, and this video shows exactly why. Joined here by guitarist Jack Schneider, she performs the evocative “Graveyard Shift” from her debut EP—a […]
Chip’s Best of 2025
As seems to be the case every year, selecting a top 25 was difficult task for 2025. There are so many good albums not on the list, that I liked almost as much as what was included. However, selecting the top album was not hard this year. Wednesday – Bleeds was an obvious choice to […]