“Since I was 18,” says John Moreland, “I’ve made a lot more hip-hop music than folk music.” For longtime fans of the 34-year-old songwriter, who has become known for his desolate acoustic finger-picking over the past decade, such a statement may come as a surprise. But it’s true: For many …
Read More »David Olney, Poetic Americana Songwriter, Dead at 71
David Olney, the Americana singer and songwriter whose poetic often intricate writing style made an impact on Steve Earle, Townes Van Zandt, and Emmylou Harris, died Saturday from an apparent heart attack following a performance at the 30A Songwriters Festival in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida. He was 71. Olney’s publicist …
Read More »Jason Isbell, Morgan Wallen, Yola Anchor Bonnaroo 2020 Country Lineup
As in years past, Bonnaroo 2020 will draw some of its lineup from nearby Nashville: Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Morgan Wallen, Yola, and Billy Strings all represent the country music and Americana worlds on this year’s bill. The Grand Ole Opry will also return to Bonnaroo with a …
Read More »John Prine to Receive Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award
Two-time Grammy winner John Prine has been named one of the recipients of the Recording Academy’s 2020 Lifetime Achievement Awards. The singer-songwriter, whose self-titled 1971 debut LP was enshrined in the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2015, scored three Grammy nominations last year for his album The Tree of Forgiveness. …
Read More »Swamp Dogg Announces Long-Planned Country Album Featuring John Prine
The cult soul singer Swamp Dogg has announced details for Sorry You Couldn’t Make It, his upcoming country-tinged album featuring contributions from John Prine, Jenny Lewis, Justin Vernon and more. The album, produced by Ryan Olson, arrives two years after his Justin Vernon-assisted, Olson-produced 2018 comeback record Love, Loss & …
Read More »Luke Combs' 'What You See Is What You Get' Album: Track-by-Track Guide
At 17 tracks, Luke Combs‘ What You See Is What You Get isn’t a routine album as much as a miniature box set of recent tracks, pairing 12 unreleased songs with the entirety of this summer’s EP The Prequel. The result is an hour-plus collection of music, stacked to the …
Read More »Pigeons Playing Ping Pong Unsuccessfully Flee Mummies in 'King Kong' Video
Life in the U.S. is pretty heavy and it’s sometimes hard to escape the drama. But Pigeons Playing Ping Pong want you to try. The Maryland jam band subscribe to the lighthearted approach of heavyweights Phish, writing and performing songs that are meant to offer a respite from the daily …
Read More »How Ex-Black Crowes Drummer Steve Gorman Exorcised Demons With Trigger Hippy
As the drummer for the Black Crowes for 27 years, Steve Gorman has seen some shit. He recounts a lot of it in his new book Hard to Handle: The Life & Death of the Black Crowes — A Memoir, a backstage tell-all that features more than a few fights …
Read More »Halsey, Kelsea Ballerini Team Up for New 'CMT Crossroads'
Live-music program CMT Crossroads will offer a new episode of cross-genre collaboration with the pairing of country-pop darling Kelsea Ballerini and electro-pop superstar Halsey. Scheduled for October 11th, the taping of their episode will be open to the public. Both women have been on a rapid ascent in the last …
Read More »Donnie Fritts, Songwriter and Kris Kristofferson Sideman, Dead at 76
Alabama musician, songwriter, and actor Donnie Fritts, an architect of Southern soul music whose songs were covered by dozens of artists from Waylon Jennings to Dusty Springfield, died Tuesday night. His publicist confirmed Fritts’ death at the age of 76. Fritts’ friend and fellow songwriter Gary Nicholson posted a tribute …
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