No American roots musician is the subject of more myth, mystery, discussion, and debunking than bluesman Robert Johnson. Some still whisper that he learned his powerful playing technique through a deal with the devil — even though this is […]
Sylvie Simmons’ new album, Blue on Blue, teems with movement: coming and going, looking and finding, finding and losing, loving and dancing. Every song paints a picture, sometimes splashing colors across a taut canvas of life, other times painting […]
The Fisk Jubilee Singers didn’t plan to release an album of Negro spirituals* and politically current songs about treating strangers with kindness in the middle of the Black Lives Matter protests — it just worked out that way. Celebrating […]
A year or so ago, I pulled my red Subaru wagon, packed to the brim with bandmates and gear, into the parking lot of a grungy looking club in a small Wisconsin city. I was on a tour of […]
A social media post on Justin Townes Earle’s artist pages Sunday evening stated that the singer-songwriter has passed away at 38 years old. The statement remained brief, concisely informing fans and followers “of the passing of our son, husband, father […]
EDITOR’S NOTE: Bright Eyes is No Depression’s Spotlight band for August 2020. Read our feature story about the band — Conor Oberst, Mike Mogis, and Nate Walcott — and their new album, Down in the Weeds, Where the World […]
A cappella is having a bit of a moment in pop culture these days. With the popularity of groups like Pentatonix and the blockbuster success of the Pitch Perfect movies, we can certainly forgive you if you’re experiencing a bit […]
What is soul music, and what are its origins? What is the relationship between Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin, Isaac Hayes, Ann Peebles, Beyoncé, Marvin Gaye, and Janelle Monáe? Is there a logic to soul music that transcends the limitations of […]
Since 2010, actor and comedian Steve Martin’s banjo prize has awarded $50,000 each year to a banjo player with outstanding technical achievements and contributions to the bluegrass community, including Rhiannon Giddens, Noam Pikelny, and Jens Kruger. As it moves […]
What would an album released in 2020 be without a couple crises thrown into the making of it? Assembled in Nashville in early March, members of Old 97s had a solid first day of recording for their new album, […]
