Hungrytown

Any Forgotten Thing

Listen Here! Records

With their new album – their second credited to their combined moniker of Hungrytown – husband/wife duo Rebecca Hall and Ken Anderson continue to make modern folk songs that bow entirely to age-old mores. Sweet sentiments, lithe arrangements and beguiling harmonies kindle a sense of lofty nostalgia and homegrown circumspect, with enough wide-eyed innocence to mute any hint of pretension. Precious but…

Celilo Falls [suh-lie-low) takes it title from a stretch of waterfalls between the states of Oregon and Washington on the Columbia River, after the building of the Dalles dam the falls were hidden from sight, “A lot of this record is, for me, about what lies beneath” Harrington says about her third studio album, for me there’s more than enough ripples on the surface to engage with before digging deeper into the albums hidden depths.…

"We're taking the first steps to…

If you look up "labor of love" in the Americana dictionary, one of the references you will find is to the folks at No Depression.  Their continuing presence in the face of changes in the magazine/media business is a much bigger deal than most of us realize.  We often take this forum for granted, and we shouldn't.  

Another reference under the "labor of love" listing has to be Music Fog.  If you're an Americana fan with a computer (and I'm guessing that at least half of that…

Brian Wright

House On Fire

(Sugar Hill, 3/29)

Brian Wright's new album, House On Fire, is an engaging listen filled with a wealth of enigmatic storytelling and a brilliant assortment of musical arrangements. Stylistically, the record covers a lot of ground- which is quite an accomplishment considering that Mr. Wright played all of the instruments on the…

Leeann Atherton is in fine form on this 2009 release produced by her long-time collaborator Rich Brotherton. This album showcases Leeann’s voice and songwriting, and covers a vast musical landscape from Acoustic Blues to Blues Rock, Country Rock, Gospel, a little Jazz, and Folk. If you’ve heard Leeann, particularly in her live shows, you know that she projects the image of a very strong woman who knows her own mind. That comes…

I was listening to a Gene Autry record yesterday--by the way, if you don’t own any Autry recordings you should get your hands on some. I know I had heard him sing  “South of the Border” (recorded in 1939) at some point, but I hadn’t thought too much of it. I have predominately heard Frank Sinatra's 1953 version. So my discovery of Autry’s recording, that precedes The Chairman's version by 14 years, jarred my conceptions of the song.

So, as you know may…

SATURDAY, JULY 30

The Decemberists

Gillian Welch

Earl Scruggs

Gogol Bordello

Ramblin' Jack Elliott

Tegan & Sara

Mavis Staples

The Felice Brothers

Delta Spirit

Freelance Whales

Pokey LaFarge & The South City Three

What Cheer? Brigade

The Devil Makes Three

Song Circle with Dar Williams, Ellis Paul, John Gorka & Liz Queler

The Wailin' Jennys

Typhoon

The…

Although he is perhaps best known (at least in the United States) as a bass player and sideman, Ted Russell Kamp is easily one of the most underrated songwriters in the music business today, crafting intelligent and eclectic songs with tons of soul as well as lyrics that more than hold their own with the best…

 Although it’s a little late to be saying so, The Waifs may not be the best name for this band. I find myself expecting a soft acoustic sound, with conversational vocals and plucked, strummed and bowed instruments. In fact, there are many acoustic instruments here, with only an electric lead guitar that is used sparingly and electric bass on about half of the songs. But Temptation is a rootsy rock album in terms of sound. The two female…

One of my favorite memories from this year's SXSW was getting to meet and introduce (and then enjoy a set from) Eilen Jewell. She's been one of my favorite new artists since her album Letters from Sinners & Strangers dropped back in 2007. Its follow-up, '09's Sea of Tears, is still one of my frequent go-to albums - particularly for dark, rainy days. Indeed, Jewell has a knack for capturing life's less rosy elements. I imagine it's that command of her craft…

Midlake’s influences across the folk rock scenes of the 1960s and 1970s are well known, so in many respects their role as the latest curator in the Late Night Tales series will produce few surprises.

As expected this 19 track compilation is dominated by UK folk legends from the past such as Fairport Convention and Steeleye Span, as well as some of their key US influences,  including The Band and Flying Burrito Brothers.

But there’s also a…

NOTE: This contest is now closed. Congratulations to our winners: Janis Kury and Marjorie Armstrong! And thanks to everyone who entered. Stay tuned to our contests page for more information about upcoming contests and more chances to win great music. 

Leon Russell has had a heck of a career, spanning more than four decades and including session work with the likes of Frank Sinatra,…

Brian Wright's new album, House On Fire, is an engaging listen filled with a wealth of enigmatic storytelling and a brilliant assortment of musical arrangements. Stylistically, the record covers a lot of ground- which is quite an accomplishment considering that Mr. Wright played all of the instruments on the album himself.

While Brian Wright may not be a…