When you think “folk,” artists like Pete Seeger and Peter, Paul & Mary probably come to mind – unadorned vocals, spare arrangements and a sort of “hippie” vibe all around. But, like country and Americana, folk music has expanded its definition to accommodate different forms of storytelling. Philadelphia-based duo Rosu Lup describes itself as “dream […]
You probably find that your favorite songs affect you differently as they (and, let’s be honest, YOU) age. Certain lyrics jump out at you, while others may fade, and you’ll notice new musical intricacies. In your mind, the songs evolve. The same thing happens to the artists who write those songs. 10 years ago, a […]
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Neil Young is cantankerous as all get-out. He always has been, really, but between climate change, the Trump presidency, and the perceived inferior quality of most digital music, he’s just plain PISSED. Since the acclaimed Lionel aficionado auctioned off a chunk of his model train collection a couple of years back, leaving him down a […]
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Good music is good music. Whether it’s a recovering alcoholic songwriter from Alabama, a quartet of banjo players singing about centuries of struggle for black women in America, or a young, queer-centric string band from Brooklyn, if you can play a little and have a story to tell, you’ll find an audience. That Brooklyn band, […]
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photo by John Hancock Fiery blues guitar player/singer/songwriter Samantha Fish is back with her first new album in two years, Kill or Be Kind. It’s her initial release after signing with Rounder Records, and it features an enhanced focus on songwriting. This road warrior of a musician took time to speak with Americana Highways about […]
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We Americana-ans can be a pretty dour bunch. We like our music sad and our lyrics sadder. And we like country, but not TOO much country. Throw in some folk, some indie, and someone who sings OK, just not TOO pretty. Also – we like hats, but not too many cowboy hats, please. Sometimes, though, […]
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The tricky thing about being a blues guitar player – bringing that on-stage fire into the studio and emerging with a cohesive collection of songs based on more than hot licks. After burning down stages for a decade, Gary Clark Jr. met that studio challenge earlier this year with his third major-label release, This Land. […]
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One of the best aspects of Americana music is the elasticity of both the musicians and the fans. Artists don’t feel pigeonholed into one narrow vein of music, and listeners are willing to entertain different lyrical topics and musical styles (although Sturgill Simpson’s upcoming release seems to be testing that latter willingness to stretch). Nashville-based […]
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Amanda Shires is having a moment, and that moment has stretched well beyond two years now. In 2017, she became a full-fledged member of the 400 Unit, one of the tightest bands in any genre. Last year, the singer-songwriter-fiddle player released her sixth solo album, To The Sunset, stretching her sound well past the Americana […]
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Ever been to Upstate New York? Anywhere north of, say, Poughkeepsie? It ain’t the city. It’s where I grew up. It’s got a topography that will remind you of Texas’ Hill Country, a fleeting economy befitting the Rust Belt, a sociopolitical climate not unlike that of Kentucky, annual rainfall rivaling that of Seattle, and long, […]
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