Josh Ritter photos by Allison O’Brien – AOB photos Minotaurs, Mystics, and Melody – Josh Ritter in Annapolis March 12, 2025 – Ram’s Head, Annapolis, MD Some artists step onto the stage. Josh Ritter bursts onto it. Bounding toward the mic, he radiates an infectious energy that never wavers throughout the night. Ritter smiles more […]
photos by Allison O’Brien / AOB A Master Class in Lyrical Precision and Bare-Knuckle Truth—James McMurtry at The Ram’s Head in Annapolis, MD • March 6, 2025 Last Tuesday night, Donald Trump delivered the first State of the Union address of his second term. Two nights later, James McMurtry took the stage at The Ram’s […]
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Patterson Hood – Exploding Trees & Airplane Screams Southern Ghosts and Fading Echoes: Patterson Hood’s Exploding Trees & Airplane Screams In case it’s not obvious from the title, Patterson Hood’s new solo album, Exploding Trees & Airplane Screams, is an unusual record. It’s also a remarkable one – moving, powerful, sad, uplifting, and more. Best […]
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Paul Thorn Celebrates the Joys and Realities of Aging on Life is Just a Vapor Paul Thorn’s Life is Just a Vapor, his 14th studio album, is a testament to the art of writing and performing music for grown-ups by someone who understands what it means to grow older. “I’m 60 years old, and the […]
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Gary Louris Reflects on Love and Time in Dark Country For decades, Gary Louris has written some of Americana’s finest songs about heartache, longing, and love’s early sparks. But on Dark Country, his deeply personal new album, the longtime Jayhawks frontman turns his focus to something far rarer in popular music: love that lasts. This […]
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Joy Oladokun photo by Rachel Debb Show Review: Joy Oladokun Fills The Ram’s Head with Purpose-Driven Music in Annapolis, MD | February 6, 2025 What happens when a self-described introvert—someone who has openly questioned their place in the music industry (“Sometimes I think that if I got lost and drowned out in the river / […]
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The War and Treaty Plus One – A Jubilant Celebration of Love and Hope Mark Pelavin* It’s fitting that Plus One, the exuberant new album from husband-and-wife duo The War and Treaty, is being released on Valentine’s Day. Michael and Tanya Trotter’s music has always been a radiant celebration of love—between each other, their audience, […]
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Drew & Ellie Holcomb – Memory Bank When is a debut album not a debut album? Drew’s last album, Strangers No More, recorded with his longtime band The Neighbors, reached #1 on the Americana charts, and its standout single “Find Your People” also topped the Americana Radio Singles Chart. Meanwhile, Ellie has carved out a […]
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Neko Case – The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You Neko Case’s harrowing new memoir, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You, is like her music — challenging, powerful, beautiful, sad, and ultimately uplifting. The stories she shares of her childhood are absolutely heartbreaking. Throughout the book, Case refers to herself […]
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Josh Ritter — Spectral Lines It is challenging when an artist you love zigs or zags. You love them because of the work they have already done, so anything that goes in a different direction feels unfamiliar, and often uncomfortable. Of course, the job of the artist is not to make us comfortable. It is, […]
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