Almost halfway through Eliza Gilkyson’s exquisite new album, Songs From the River Wind, the gorgeous “Wind River and You” casts a spell with its warm harmonies, flawless instrumentation, and wistful memories of “days that were golden” that “slipped into the […]
2020 delivers a message from deep in Eliza Gilkyson’s heart. She stares deeply into the political, ecological, social, and moral quagmire through which we are trudging these days and responds in poetic and prophetic lyrics that at once mourn the […]
In these whirling times of burning forests, unspeakable human rights violations and stupid White House tweets, it can seem like our minds are being sucked down a numbing vortex, into a voracious black hole—“the centre cannot hold”. Yet, might […]
This week’s column was going to be the final one of the year that focuses on new and upcoming roots music releases. But as there are more coming out than one column can hold, I’ll do another one in a couple of […]
This Southwestern bard has sung his way around the world and back again. Many times over, truth be told. And he’s lived to enjoy the journey and savor the joy, which he generously shares with us all on this latest album. […]
It’s a busy season for album releases, and every band celebrates the big day in their own way. A live show, a bunch of interviews … or sometimes something different. Last Friday, the release day for Freedom Highway, Rhiannon Giddens […]
The 2017 Folk Alliance International Conference, with its many facets and some public access, occurred from February 15 to 19 in Kansas City. Part One Prelude – The Impressionist Merge of Folky World-ness in KC There is music and there […]
Your head nods … suddenly you find yourself drifting into a sea of musicians, thousands … performers and bands marching forward and back in hotel guestroom hallways. Setting up in hotel room after hotel room from the dark of night […]
When songwriters get together for an evening, if they have their instruments with them (or if at least one of them does), you can almost guarantee that the night is going to end in a round. This musical show-and-tell format […]
When I became ND’s photo columnist, one of my aims was to devote some columns to a theme, e.g., photos featuring a a single artist, a festival, or a sub-genre of Americana. Last week I featured Emmylou Harris and it […]
