Richard Thompson Hippies, Thugs and Heroes There’s something about Richard Thompson that reminds me of LeBron James. Or maybe it’s the other way around. Both have been so good for so long that we’ve almost stopped noticing just how good they remain. Every new season brings another round of stories about LeBron’s remarkable longevity, as […]
Slack Key ‘Ohana The ‘Ohana Sessions Slack Key ‘Ohana’s latest album, The ‘Ohana Sessions, which is up for Grammy consideration, was just moved by the Recording Academy from Best Regional Roots to Best Americana Album. The album centers only on the family trio. Brian Witkin, Carol Witkin, and Joe Witkin performed all vocals and instruments, […]
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John Batdorf Singles Singer-songwriter John Batdorf recently released his latest album, Singles, a collection of songs, most of which were co-written with Michael McLean, whom Batdorf calls his songwriting “brother from a different mother.” Batdorf explains, “Back in September of 2025, I had a musical idea for a song. I had released Anthem For The […]
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River Shook (Sarah Shook & the Disarmers) Finds a New Path on Solo Debut For much of the last decade, River Shook made country-rock that felt like it had been kicked down a flight of stairs and come up swinging. As the frontperson for Sarah Shook & the Disarmers, they wrote songs of bad decisions, […]
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Charles Wesley Godwin Christian Name On Christian Name, an album inspired by the devastating loss of a child, Charles Wesley Godwin narrates his journey through despondency, grief, and redemption to a new understanding of his faith. Godwin explains, “These songs really meant a lot to me. There’s parts of me and parts of the things […]
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Erin Lunsford Rhinestones Virginia-based folk/Americana singer-songwriter Erin Lunsford recently released her sophomore album, Rhinestones, exploring motifs of love, family, mental health, friendship, discouragement, and leaving home. Talking about the album, Lunsford shares, “I have fixed rhinestones in my hair, I have glued sequins to my guitar, I have tried to make my body smaller and […]
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Susto Stringband Susto Stringband (Volume 2) On Susto Stringband (Volume 2), Justin Osborne revisits SUSTO’s songbook with the instincts of a front-porch band, modifying familiar material in the language of an Appalachian string band. That loose, road-worn feeling is central to the record’s appeal. Osborne explains, “This album was so much fun to make over […]
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Micah Edwards Texas Soul Micah Edwards’ Texas Soul plays like a map of the state drawn in sound, part country reverie, part retro-soul slow burn, sewn together from the after-hours atmosphere of dance halls, the ache of pedal steel, and the glow of old dives. Across the double LP, he pulls from the musical lingo […]
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Drayton Farley A Heavy Duty Heart Drayton Farley’s A Heavy Duty Heart captures the moment when a promising songwriter stops sounding like “one to watch” and starts sounding like an artist with a clear, confident point of view. The Alabama songwriter has always written with emotional plainspokenness and blue-collar detail, but this record broadens the […]
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The Nude Party Look Who’s Back My wife says I listen to depressing music. She’s not wrong. Next time she reminds me of that, I’ll put on The Nude Party’s Look Who’s Back — nine songs that dare you not to smile. In a moment when much of the Americana scene leans inward — often […]
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