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Juli ThankiAbout Juli Thanki Juli Thanki is a graduate student studying trauma and memory in the postbellum South. She tries to live her life by the adage “What Would Dolly Parton Do?” but has yet to build an eponymous theme park, undergo obscene amounts of plastic surgery, or duet with Porter Wagoner (that last one might prove a little difficult, but nevertheless she perseveres). When not writing for PopMatters, Juli can generally be found playing the banjo incompetently, consuming copious amounts of coffee, and tanning in the blue glow of her laptop. Features
The Best Bluegrass of 2008The year's best bluegrass music is chock full of harmonies that recall classic dueting brothers, tight-knit family pickin', and even bluegrass for people who don't like bluegrass. [19 December 2008] The Best Country Music of 2008The year's best country music may be topped by archival releases from deceased artists, but the living managed to offer a strong alternative to the Nashvegas machine. [18 December 2008] Columns
The Music That Matters: Ralph Rinzler and Bill Monroe, Part TwoDuring the height of his career, Bill Monroe fielded a baseball team that would organize pickup games in each town in order to drum up publicity for that evening's concert. [9 December 2009] (more Torch & Twang) The Music That Matters Part One: Bill Monroe and Ralph RinzlerIn the late '30s and '40s, Bill Monroe and His Blue Grass Boys were the biggest stars in country music, but when he appeared onstage at the 1963 Newport Folk Festival, he did so after a number of years spent toiling in relative obscurity. [4 November 2009] (more Torch & Twang) Rosanne Cash on Johnny Cash’s ListJohnny Cash was a serious scholar of music, and this knowledge was reflected in his own work, which included covers of everyone and everything from Jimmie Rodgers to Nine Inch Nails, oldtime hymns to reggae. [7 October 2009] (more Torch & Twang) Louisiana Woman, Texas TroubadourNeed more duets in your life? Loretta Lynn and Ernest Tubb are among country music's best partnerships. [8 September 2009] (more Torch & Twang) Hockey Skatin’ Singing CowgirlsCountry music ain’t the sole purview of the southern part of the northern hemisphere: Canada has its share of fireside soul(ful) singers, too. [19 August 2009] (more Torch & Twang) You Can Call Her ‘Dr.’ Dolly PartonWith her honorary doctorate in hand, here's hoping she'll next broker peace in the Middle East, repair the economy, and explain the twisted plotlines of 'Lost' -- Lord knows, the woman is capable. [6 July 2009] (more Torch & Twang) Thank the Lord for Marty Stuart and his MulletWhat better way to soothe modern worries than by taking in classic country music with a side of hillbilly humor? [19 May 2009] (more Torch & Twang) Willie Sounds Better NakedEditing the original RCA tapes makes the songs on Naked Willie so much better that I’m remembering the reasons why I fell in love with Willie Nelson so many years ago. [6 April 2009] (more Torch & Twang) America’s Most Colorful Hillbilly BandThe Maddox Brothers and Rose recorded songs that would be considered controversial even today. But 60 years ago, they were incredibly groundbreaking, and paved the way for outspoken female singers like Loretta Lynn. [16 March 2009] (more Torch & Twang) Working in the Coal Mine and Singing About It, TooThe majority of us aren't coal miners, we don't know coal miners, and we wouldn't last a week in a coal mine. Are coal mining songs, then, still relevant? [9 February 2009] (more Torch & Twang) Happy-Go-PluckingSteve Martin, Sufjan Stevens, and Kermit the Frog all know it and you should, too: the banjo is hands-down the coolest instrument out there. [12 January 2009] (more Torch & Twang) Who Says Country Can’t Hip-Hop?Poverty, crime, disenfranchisement, sinning, saving, and no-account women: Stereotypical subjects of the average country song, or the average hip-hop song? [26 November 2008] (more Torch & Twang) Murder, My SweetThey might kick me out of the feminist club for this, but I love murder ballads, even the ones in which women get killed—though, to be fair, I am an equal opportunity advocate when it comes to a good killing narrative. [28 October 2008] (more Torch & Twang) Reviews
Adam Steffey: One More for the RoadIf this isn't the best bluegrass record of the year, it's because Bill Monroe, Lester Flatt, and Chubby Wise have returned and formed the Undead Mountain Boys. [10 December 2009] 
Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver: Lonely StreetDoyle Lawson is no spring chicken, but he delivers traditional bluegrass music with the energy of a man half his age. [14 August 2009] 
King Wilkie: King Wilkie Presents: The Wilkie Family SingersImagine the Royal Tenenbaums as portrayed in a concept Americana album, only without Ben Stiller and Gwyneth Paltrow (trust us, it's better this way). [5 August 2009] 
Tift Merritt: Buckingham SoloAlt-country songbird flies solo on an excellent live album. [3 August 2009] 
Slaid Cleaves: Everything You Love Will Be Taken AwayThis is the album of Slaid Cleaves's career. It's also the best alt-country album of 2009 thus far. [24 June 2009] 
Chuck Mead: Journeyman’s WagerBR549 frontman and hillbilly heartthrob goes solo with great success. [19 May 2009] 
Bela Fleck: Throw Down Your Heart/Tales From the Acoustic Planet, Vol. 3: Africa SessionsLike a prodigal son, the banjo returns to Africa. Celebration -- in the form of kickass music -- ensues. [30 April 2009] 
Bobby Osborne & The Rocky Top X-Press: Bluegrass & BeyondOne half of the Osborne Brothers delivers solid bluegrass and traditional high lonesome singing with the energy of a man half his age. [28 April 2009] 
Dry Branch Fire Squad: Echoes of the MountainsOne of bluegrass' most entertaining acts is back with their first studio album in nearly a decade. [29 March 2009] 
Gretchen Peters with Tom Russell: One to the Heart, One to the HeadTwo talented songwriters lay their pens down for a cover album that's one of the best folk records in recent memory. [27 March 2009] 
Bucky Halker: Wisconsin 2.13.63 (Volume Two)For a Midwesterner, Bucky Halker sure knows his Southern music. [15 March 2009] 
Raul Malo: Lucky OneThe former Mavericks frontman finally returns to old form, on the first album of original songs he's released in nearly a decade. [5 March 2009] 
Justin Townes Earle: Midnight at the MoviesEarle the Younger avoids a sophomore slump and covers the Replacements. Win-win. [2 March 2009] 
William Elliott Whitmore: Animals in the DarkThe best old-time-folk-punk-blues-country you'll hear all year. [16 February 2009] 
Glen Campbell: Greatest HitsEveryone loves Glen Campbell. Well, everyone tolerates Glen Campbell. Who could honestly hate the most inoffensive singer since Pat Boone? [9 February 2009] 
Crowe Brothers: Brothers-N-HarmonyBrotherly duo blends classic country and bluegrass in a sound made for the golden age of the Grand Ole Opry. You know, before they made Carrie Underwood a member. [15 January 2009] 
Ernest V. Stoneman: The Unsung Father of Country MusicIt's been a long time coming, but country music pioneer Ernest V. Stoneman is finally getting the recognition he deserves. [12 January 2009] 
Bela Fleck & The Flecktones: Jingle All the WayNothing says the holidays like electric banjo and Tuvan throat singing. [15 December 2008] 
Junior League Band: Mitchell Williams Fo’ GovenaJunior League Band effortlessly blends pop, rock, blues, and Depression-era country to create a unique, infectious, and classically American sound. [17 November 2008] 
Reba McEntire: 50 Greatest HitsFifty years and 50 songs from one of country music's most unforgettable voices. [7 November 2008] 
Darrell Scott: Modern HymnsAmericana's most prolific unknown singer/songwriter tackles the words and works of his big name predecessors in a stunning collection of covers. [4 November 2008] 
Silver Darling: Your Ghost Fits My SkinFans of Nick Cave and Tom Waits will certainly find themselves drawn to Silver Darling. [23 October 2008] 
Hank Williams III: Damn Right Rebel ProudThis ain't your granddaddy's country music…unless your granddaddy is Anton LaVey. [22 October 2008] 
The Sacred Shakers: The Sacred ShakersGod hates crappy gospel music. Luckily, the Sacred Shakers make a joyful Sun Records-influenced noise that's sure to please saints and sinners alike. [15 October 2008] 
Oneside: First, to LastIt turns out that banjos don't make everything better after all. [9 October 2008] 
Kelleigh McKenzie: ChancesAs a finalist in this year's Mountain Stage NewSong contest, McKenzie's star may very well be on the rise. [6 October 2008] 
Yarn: Empty PocketsFor a bunch of Brooklynites, Yarn sure knows its country music. [3 October 2008] 
Randall Bramblett: Now It’s TomorrowMuscle Shoals sound meets Oasis-like pop hooks and the occasional burst of funk horns in an irresistible blend from one of music's great unknowns. [22 September 2008] 
Ricky Skaggs: Best of the Sugar Hill YearsCulled from three decades of albums, the songs on Best of the Sugar Hill Years are simply masterful. [2 September 2008] 
Chris Knight: Heart of StoneUnflinchingly honest country music that makes you want to lay down and die. In a good way. [27 August 2008] 
Jerry Douglas: GlideThe world's best dobro player strikes again with an album of instrumentals ranging from classic bluegrass to wild New Orleans jazz. [22 August 2008] 
The Infamous Stringdusters: The Infamous StringdustersThis is bluegrass for people who think they don't like bluegrass. And also for people who do like bluegrass. [1 August 2008] 
Donal Hinely: Blue State BoyNamedropping Nick Lowe, Sir Francis Drake, and a Jacuzzi-hopping version of Barbara Boxer, Donal Hinely mixes the political, and the pathological, with a heavy dose of wit on this must-listen Americana album. [17 July 2008] 
G.G. Elvis and The T.C.P. Band: Back From the DeadBeside their shared love of illicit substances, the King and the self-proclaimed King of Punk don't seem to have much in common. [14 July 2008] 
Langhorne Slim: Langhorne SlimOverproduction kills Langhorne Slim's second full-length album, just as his star is beginning to rise on the indie/Americana scene. [26 June 2008] 
Slim Cessna’s Auto Club: CipherMore people would probably go to church if it were anything like Slim Cessna's punkish, backwoods tent revival, where Old Testament-style wrath reigns supreme. [25 June 2008] 
The Doc Marshalls: Honest for OnceIf you drink PBR, whether due to your hillbilly nature or your hipster sense of irony, then the Doc Marshalls and their crazy Cajun sound are for you. [10 June 2008] 
Peter Cooper: Mission DoorThose who can't rock, write? Country music journalist Peter Cooper just might be the exception that proves the rule. [16 May 2008] 
Rodney Parker & Fifty Peso Reward: The Lonesome DirgeThis is some of the best alt-country to come out of Texas since the Old 97s' Fight Songs. [5 May 2008] 
The Waybacks: LoadedWith all the genre-hopping the Waybacks do, Loaded is like a mixtape made for you by your infinitely cooler friend. [1 May 2008] 
Jackie Greene: Giving Up the GhostThe "Prince of Americana" has done it again on his fifth album, and he manages to do it without wearing purple velvet. [24 April 2008] 
The Gibson Brothers: Iron & DiamondsIs it too early to name Iron & Diamonds the best bluegrass album of the year? [11 April 2008] 
Zane Lewis: Zane LewisZane Lewis' blend of "country" and "rock" somehow manages to be neither. [3 April 2008] 
Tim O’Brien: ChameleonBluegrass music's dorky uncle shows why he's one of the best pickers in the business. Oh, and he's a damn good songwriter too. [2 April 2008] 
Justin Townes Earle: The Good LifeOld time country mixes with pre-War Delta blues, folk, and ragtime in the best Americana debut in years. [31 March 2008] Jypsi: JypsiDon't overlook this album just because the band has a stupid name and none of the members are old enough to rent a car. [27 March 2008] 
Brian Douglas Philips: Bullets & BonesWith his pure vocals and good looks, Brian Douglas Phillips is like a one-man version of Rascal Flatts. [24 March 2008] 
Austin Collins: Roses Are BlackWhile some Americana bands tend toward the shallow side on their lyrics, Austin Collins proves that you can have both style and substance on an alt-country record. [20 March 2008] 
Drag the River: You Can’t Live This WayFormer punk rockers kick it roots-style on an album that serves as a soundtrack for drinking cheap beer in your backyard whilst contemplating your crappy life. Enjoy! [19 March 2008] 
Kathleen Edwards: Asking for FlowersCanada's best export is back with ballsy roots rock, murder ballads, and Wayne Gretzky analogies. It doesn't get much better than this, folks. [4 March 2008] 
Those Poor Bastards: Hellfire HymnsIf Hank Williams and Flannery O’Connor ever had a pair of lovechildren who grew up to be obsessed with the Book of Revelations, they might sound something like Those Poor Bastards. [8 February 2008] 
The Gin Palace Jesters: Roadhouse Riot and Other Songs with WordsThe Gin Palace Jesters are the best-kept secret of Chicago's country music scene. Beg, borrow, or steal, but find a way to listen to this record. [5 February 2008] |
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