Infamous in the New Year

Since the clock struck midnight on January 1, I promised myself to get deeper into the history of American string music. Despite spending the last few years wading my way through the fertile swamps of newgrass, bluegrass, and Americana, I couldn’t begin to scratch the surface. The Infamous Stringdusters’ new record, Laws of Gravity, is helping me keep true to my new year’s resolution. Title track “Gravity” has one foot on a southern porch, and the other on a fire escape — a great mix of nostalgic picking and metropolitan sounds. Chris Pandolfi even starts a fire with his banjo, so use caution when listening to that one. We’re also spinning a great reissue from Eilen Jewell (perfect for a Sunday drive), fresh blues from Delbert McClinton, and some city slicker folk from Martha Wainwright. What are a few of your new year’s listening resolutions?