PopMatters has a terrific installation of “20 Questions” with James McMurtry as we approach the April 15 release of Just Us Kids. McMurtry, one of the most well-spoken musicians I’ve come across, states quite unequivocally his political views:
Who is the leader of my country? Does he have a name? Let’s assume, for the [...]

American Idol hasn’t done it for me this year. Gone are the nights spent giggling at the early woeful hopefuls and cringing as the crooners butcher classic songs. No longer do I know the contestants names or even care that they’re all really professionals already. Heck, until I see a bald guy [...]

Folks, there’s much more to St. Louis than the Arch and free beer on the Anheuser Busch tour.
Since the days of Mississippi Nights and Uncle Tupelo, St. Louis has been a meeting place for Americana acts. Twangfest has continued this tradition for more than 10 years. Past acts have included Carrie Rodriguez, Slaid [...]

So you couldn’t make SXSW this year? No time to walk down South Congress or straggle over to La Zona Rosa? Didn’t feel like getting drunk and eating pancakes at the Magnolia?
OK…so I don’t really do those things either but I highly recommend Kinky Friedman’s guide to Austin: “The Great Psychedelic [...]

It’s well-established that Americana acts aren’t always American. Taking advantage of this new age of music distribution that only requires an internet connection to become a global act, European acts are capitalizing on the blossoming popularity of the genre in the EU.
Like their counterparts across the pond, the UK-based God-Fearing Atheists have found solace [...]

It’s incredibly easy to sit here on our critic’s thrown and lob our opinions down the mountain at artists. Our opinions, for what little they’re actually worth, are nearly anonymous. No one harasses a critic while he’s writing a column or interrupts his work by talking too loudly. Rarely do critics get [...]

This weekend, the eternally pretentious Thom Yorke of Radiohead wrote a piece for the UK Obeserver regarding his stance on the climate entitled “Why I’m a Climate Optimist”.
Before I hammer Yorke on a few items, he makes some good points and it’s clear his heart and actions are sincere and motivated by concern for the [...]

Capturing a bit of the nostalgia market is a viable strategy these days for Americana artists. From Old Crow Medicine Show to the mainstream Norah Jones, the trend is clearly attracting ever-knowledgeable and discerning listeners.
The Chapin Sisters, likewise, are capitalizing on their lush 3-part harmonies and vintage arrangements with Lake Bottom LP. The [...]

First the venerable No Depression decided to call it quits. Now with eerily similar reasoning, Harp has tossed in the towel.
According to their website, Harp will cease publishing immediately.
How can music rags make it when more musicians have turned to self-publishing and more subversive marketing? Do people buy records based on reviews or [...]

Stacks of CDs arrive weekly, most of which are sent by PR people who don’t even know what Americana music sounds like. As such, I have lots of music outside of the genre I cover. Generally I don’t review discs that don’t fit into the genre in some way, but today I’m making [...]