A new book on the history of the Newport Folk Festival is a treasure trove for music fans. Former Providence Journal reporter Rick Massimo has written the first complete account of the legendary festival, describing its many successes and occasional blunders. […]
Amid all the will-they-or-won’t-they of a Journey reunion, David Letterman speaking for Pearl Jam, and some TMI from Yes, Joan Baez wasn’t really the headline grabber from last week’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. But I bet […]
The following is a continuation of my article Half-forgotten Folksingers from the ’60s Greenwich Village Folk Scene. This one adds five more artists to the list. Dave Van Ronk Many were introduced to Van Ronk by the popular film Inside Llewyn […]
We live in a political world The one we can see and feel But there’s no one to check It’s all a stacked deck. — Bob Dylan, “Political World” The protest song is nearly as old as songs themselves. […]
If it’s the end of the year — and it almost is — it must be time for lists. We’ve put out a few — a readers’ poll for best albums of 2016, and then our staff’s picks for the […]
This week, we’re all about digging up deep roots. It kicks off with a meaty 45th anniversary collection from Alligator Records – the brightest blues label around. As reviewer Grant Britt notes, anywhere you enter the collection, you’ll strike pay […]
The grand dame of modern folk music, Joan Baez, continues to command respect despite the fact its been more than 50 years since she first came to prominence. Baez will forever be considered an icon thanks to her role as […]
In my continuing effort to highlight DJs from all over the world, I present Rolf Hierath from Germany. He is a big Johnny Cash fan and does no less then three weekly radio shows. Bill Frater: Where and when did you […]
While Jason Isbell’s Something More Than Free may have taken the top spot in both the ND readers and critics polls, Rhiannon Giddens dominated the past year just as thoroughly as Isbell did in 2013. She was everywhere — touring North America as […]
Today is the 100th anniversary of the execution of Joe Hill, labor radical and forefather of all American protest music. Hill was honored and celebrated on Tuesday night with a truly incredible, beyond sold out show put on by Tom […]
