Since I picked up a black Silvertone archtop guitar in 1965 I've been playing the blues, but I just didn't know it. If you asked me if I liked to listen to the blues, I would have told you "no way". If you wanted me to go to a show I probably would pass, although over time I've managed to see some great ones. And while I've had the Lomax's and Smith collections forever, it's only been in the past few years that I've taken the time to listen carefully, track by track. And let me…

                                                                                                            by Terry Roland

In Greek mythology, fairy tales and folklore there are stories told of figures of wood and stone that come to life. In familiar stories, told and retold in so many forms, from Pinocchio to Pygmalion, beneath the outer shell is a miraculous soul that emerges into the world. It’s the same with the stories of redemption and resurrections. Mystery…

Nashville Volume 1: Tear the Woodpile Down

Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives

Sugar Hill

April 24

Marty Stuart doesn't have a problem with being over the top. From his souped- up hair to his Nudie suits studded with enough rhinestones to make rassler Ric Flair jealous, to naming his band the Fabulous Superlatives, Stuart walks the walk and talks the talk the way country stars are spozed to. Thing is, he can back it up.

The…

This interview is reprinted with permission from "Hear! Hear! Music". Please visit the site for more in-depth music coverage. Every visitor is a welcome part of the "Hear! Hear!" conversation!

Rench, producer of the up-and-coming band Gangstagrass, wants to redefine how we look at American…

If you were worried that the next thing you heard from Brother Sal might be some understated little ditty, you can relax (and you should probably stop worrying so much in general). Brother Sal and the Devil May Care just released a teaser for Sal's upcoming album The Other Side…

Daniel Martin Moore started his Kentucky-based record label called Ol Kentuck with the simplistic and genuine mission of sharing some of the incredible music he heard around him with the hope of exposing the artists to a wider audience.

Last month, Ol Kentuck delivered Joan Shelley's excellent new…

On episode 89 of the Taproot Music Show, Allison Russell and Dom Flemons from the jug band Sankofa talk about how they and their band mates Sule Greg Wilson and Ndidi Onukwulu put together this unique collection music. They talk about the history of jug band music, the instruments and culture it was built on in the early 20th century.

 …

Art is mighty, art is powerful.  Many arguments have been called over the years about what most powers inspiration for art.  The Greeks found their inspiration in their Muses.  The Romantics sprang forth from nature.  As medicines developed in the latter twentieth century, drugs gave birth to entire movements.  However there is no older or more effective source of inspiration than one that bubbles up from within us and that is HATE.  It is entirely ours and entirely within us and…

Strong country, folk and Cajun sounds from Oklahoma quintet

Opening with banjo, fiddle and a strong backbeat, this Oklahoma quintet’s third album quickly grabs your attention. Vocalist Evan Felker evinces both sorrow and anger as he surveys evidence of infidelity, singing with end-of-his-rope angst that brings to mind the heartbreak of Material Issue’s Jim…

Thought I would share with you the latest update on Doc Watson from the Folklore Productions International website.  Obviously our thoughts are with the family and we wish Doc a healthy recovery.

May 26, 2012 / 9:30 AM PDT:

Doc Watson is resting after follow-up procedure to Thursday’s colon surgery.  He remains in critical condition at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem.

May 25, 2012 / 1:30 PM PDT:

Doc…

After listening to Gregory Alan Isakov's recent Daytrotter session, I began to wonder what he has been up to since his last album, This Empty Northern Hemisphere . With a few clicks, I quickly discovered that the Johannesburg, South African-born now Colorado-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist has some new…

**On May 29th (June 5th in Canada), Dala releases their upcoming album, Best Day and you can Hear It First in its entirety before then at Folk Alley!**

CLICK HERE to listen.

by Kim Ruehl, for FolkAlley.com

It's surprising how much music you can make, and how many styles can…

Ernie K Doe: The R & B  Emperor Of New Orleans

Ben Sandmel

The Historic New Orleans Collection

April 11

By Grant Britt

Ernie K-Doe was the self-proclaimed Emperor of New Orleans Only problem was, some of the time, due to problems he created for himself, he was in such a bad place emotionally and physically that he was the only one who still believed in his royalness. In this warts and all bio, author Ben Sandmel paints such an unflinching portrait…

When I moved to Los Angeles in 1980, I worked just down the street from the Columbia Drug Store on the southeast corner of Sunset and Gower in Hollywood. With a soda fountain that served up good burgers, fries and malts, it stood next to a room where giant jars of pancake makeup sat on the counters for the actors and artists that still came in from the Hills and Valley to shop. On the walls were giant black and white photos from earlier and more prosperous times, the early thirties…

Here's the best Americana and roots-type music releases for the week of May 22nd, from the Americana Boogie blog. Click the artist or album links to find out more. The artist's names link to their websites and the CD title links go either Amazon or…

Nell Bryden     

Shake the Tree

157 Records NY/Warners

*****

AH

Imagine a 21st Century Dusty Springfield without the lush string and orchestral arrangements.

Album opener, Mercy On Me instantly caught my attention as the National Steel and Nell’s husky tones simply oozed out of the speakers as she appears to compare an illicit love affair to a ‘smoking gun’ and darn sexy it is…

We've been waiting to post this review for a while, but with rain pouring down on our roof in Seattle and a roaring fire in the hearth, there's no better time for some deep, dark British folk music.

Josienne Clarke & Ben Walker. The Seas are Dead.

2012. self-released.

It's no secret that British folk traditions laid…

As I slowly wind down from the excitement of seeing the legendary Glen Campbell perform his fabulous hits last night at the Byham Theater in Pittsburgh, I think back to those days when his "Goodtime Hour" was the hot show on prime time TV, and the time he made a surprise visit to a tiny village not far from my hometown. Hey, when you're growing up in a rural county on the fringe of Pennsyltucky, the visit of a big celebrity creates quite a stir.



In 1971 Glen was at the…

All Jams on Deck

Various Artists

Legendary Rhythm And Blues Cruise LLC/Mug Shot Productions

By Grant Britt

It's the cheapest cruise you'll ever take. You don't have to leave the comfort of your easy chair to take in some of the biggest names in blues jamming after hours on this 96 minute DVD shot in 2010 on a week long Blues Cruise from San Diego to the Mexican…

Ryan Adams

iTunes Session

(iTunes)

 He may not be releasing new albums at the fast and furious pace he did just a few years ago, but that doesn’t allay the suspicion that Ryan Adams may be the most prolific artist of this generation bar none. So instead of getting a new LP every six months, our man Adams has resorted to other mediums to get his music out, among them iTunes, which released this gem of a collection as an exclusive offering a short time back. Those that…