Anyone can rattle off the names of female artists who have made it big in just about any genre of music, but what about female producers? Women in the studio are still a relative rarity, and there aren’t many of them running things on the business side either (though roots music has some notable exceptions, including Alison Brown at Compass and Marian Leighton Levy at Rounder). A new documentary, Play your Gender, takes a hard look at that. Read all about it here. [Q/CBC Radio]
While you’re tuning in, you might want to check out CNN on Thursday. They’re debuting a new show called Soundtracks: Songs that Defined History, and it looks to be packed with good stuff. [CNN]
Music promoter Peter Shapiro is trying to bring the concert experience — musicians being spontaneous and free, fans finding their tribe — online in an innovative way. [Wired]
Bruce Langhorne, the often overlooked inspiration for Bob Dylan’s “Mr. Tambourine Man,” died this week at 78. No Depression’s own Easy Ed wrote in praise of Langhorne earlier this year, and you can read more details of his life and times and music here. [The New York Times]
In new music news, there’s a new album coming in August from Loretta Lynn, a farewell project from Glen Campbell, who’s in the last stages of Alzheimer’s disease, and a collection from Jeff Tweedy of solo acoustic versions of songs from Wilco, Loose Fur, and Golden Smog. [The Tennessean, Los Angeles Times, Pitchfork]
Merle Haggard has been gone from us a year now, but is far from forgotten. Check out this video tribute honoring Hag, plus an interview with “Feelin’ Haggard” songwriters Ray Benson and Dale Watson. [Rolling Stone Country]
