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Kelsey Waldon Takes Up the Fight on 'They'll Never Keep Us Down'

Kelsey Waldon covers seven famous protest songs to declare war on injustice today.
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Music

Lydia Loveless Creates Her Most Personal Album with 'Daughter'

Given the turmoil of the era, you might expect Lydia Loveless to lean into the anger, amplifying the electric guitar side of her cowpunk. Instead, she created a personal record with a full range of moods, still full of her typical wit.

Music

CF Watkins Embraces a Cool, Sophisticated Twang on 'Babygirl'

CF Watkins has pulled off the unique trick of creating an album that is imbued with the warmth of the American South as well as the urban sophistication of New York.

Music

'Waiting Out the Storm' with Jeremy Ivey

On Waiting Out the Storm, Jeremy Ivey apologizes for present society's destruction of the environment and wonders if racism still exists in the future and whether people still get high and have mental health issues.

Music

Rachel Brooke Has "The Lovells Stockade Blues" (premiere)

Country singer-songwriter Rachel Brooke reflects on life in a small town where winters are long and comforts can be few in "The Lovells Stockade Blues".

Music

Elliott Park's Joyful Family Ride "To the Moon and Back" (premiere)

Americana musician Elliott Park's second family-friendly collection brings his daughters along for the ride.

Music

The Lone Bellow's Socially-Distant Cow Field Show (photos)

The Lone Bellow's live performance was a pleasurable distraction in the middle of a pandemic. But I had forgotten how to attend a ticketed concert.

Music

Rick Shea Walks Us Through Perilous Times With "The World's Gone Crazy" (premiere)

California singer-songwriter Rick Shea, whose credits include stints with Dave Alvin and Chris Gaffney delivers a dispatch on life of this most trying of years, 2020.

Music

Mipso Keep Time on Their Side As a String Band on the Run (interview + premiere)

Mipso present a new music video that shows signs of perseverance and determination that they possess as versatile and accomplished musicians ready to release the fifth album in their nine-year career.

Music

Ryan Martin Celebrates Life's Immediacy in "I Just Wanna Die" (premiere)

Drawing on inspiration from Gillian Welch, Ryan Martin delivers a song that taps into classic country-rock of the early 1970s. "You can certainly dance to it," he says.

Music

Brent Cobb Says to 'Keep 'Em on They Toes'

Brent Cobb's Keep 'Em on They Toes brings people together by reminding us of our unique individuality, and the things that bind us together are all part of the same gestalt.

Music

Jim White Offers a "Smart Ass Reply" (premiere)

Jesus and Alice Cooper are tighter than you think, but a young Jim White was taught to treat them as polar opposites. Then an eight-track saved his soul and maybe his life.

Music

Creature Comfort's "Woke Up Drunk" Ruminates on Our Second-Guesses (premiere)

A deep reflection on breaking up, Nashville indie rock/Americana outfit Creature Comfort's "Woke Up Drunk" is the most personal track from their new album, Home Team.

Music

Becky Warren Shares "Good Luck" and Discusses Music and Depression

Becky Warren finds slivers of humor while addressing depression for the third time in as many solo concept albums, but now the daring artist is turning the focus on herself in a fight against a frightful foe.

Music

3 Pairs of Boots Celebrate Wandering on "Everywhere I Go" (premiere)

3 Pairs of Boots are releasing Long Rider in January 2021. The record demonstrates the pair's unmistakable chemistry and honing of their Americana-driven sound, as evidenced by the single, "Everywhere I Go".

Music

Brian Cullman Gets Bluesy with "Someday Miss You" (premiere)

Brian Cullman's "Someday Miss You" taps into American roots music, carries it across the Atlantic and back for a sound that is both of the past and present.

Music

The Avett Brothers Go Back-to-Basics with 'The Third Gleam'

For their latest EP, The Third Gleam, the Avett Brothers leave everything behind but their songs and a couple of acoustic guitars, a bass, and a banjo.

Music

PM Picks Playlist 1: Rett Madison, Folk Devils + More

The first PopMatters Picks Playlist column features searing Americana from Rett Madison, synthpop from Everything and Everybody, the stunning electropop of Jodie Nicholson, the return of post-punk's Folk Devils, and the glammy pop of Baby FuzZ.

Music

The Band of Heathens Find That Life Keeps Getting 'Stranger'

The tracks on the Band of Heathens' Stranger are mostly fun, even when on serious topics, because what other choice is there? We all may have different ideas on how to deal with problems, but we are all in this together.

Music

Chris Smither's "What I Do" Is an Honest Response to Old Questions (premiere + interview)

How does Chris Smither play guitar that way? What impact does New Orleans have on his music? He might not be able to answer those questions directly but he can sure write a song about it.

Music

The Cradle's 'Laughing in My Sleep' Is an Off-kilter Reflection of Musical Curiosity

The Cradle's Paco Cathcart has curated a thoughtfully multifarious album. Laughing in My Sleep is an impressive collection of 21 tracks, each unapologetic in their rejection of expectations.

Music

Tobin Sprout Goes Americana on 'Empty Horses'

During the heyday of Guided By Voices, Tobin Sprout wasn't afraid to be absurd amongst all that fuzz. Sprout's new album, Empty Horses, is not the Tobin Sprout we know.

Music

Jordan Tice's "Bad Little Idea" Is a Satirical Spin on Dire Romance (premiere)

Hawktail's Jordan Tice impresses with his solo work on "Bad Little Idea", a folk rambler that blends bluesy undertones with satiric wit.

Music

Kirby Sybert's Soulful Live Take on "My Maker" (premiere)

Captured live at Philadelphia's Johnny Brenda's, Kirby Sybert breathes new life into "My Maker" from his LP, Happy People Make Happy Things.

Music

Darlingside's Folk-Pop Shimmers and Shines on "Green + Evergreen"

Folk pop's Darlingside share "Green + Evergreen" from the upcoming LP, Fish Pond Fish. As usual, Darlingside sport divinely gorgeous harmonies, so beautiful they really drive the song.

Music

Delta Spirit Return with 'What Is There'

At nearly 15 years, Delta Spirit are still trying to figure out where they want to go on What Is There.

Music

Brian Cullman Delivers Heartfelt Collaboration With 'Winter Clothes' (album stream + interview)

Journalist Brian Cullman teams with members of Ollabelle for an LP that serves as a testament to his friendship with the late Jimi Zhivago.

Music

Elizabeth Cook Looks at Her Past to See What's Next on 'Aftermath'

On Aftermath, Elizabeth Cook reflects on what has passed and continues as a protagonist who has been changed by experience. She's not willing to accept what is.

Music

Suzzy Roche and Lucy Wainwright Roche Say "I Can Still Hear You" (premiere + interview)

"Lucy's song was written in the dark days of the shutdown. Lucy has a way of inviting people in. I was thrilled when she played it for me," says Suzzy Roche.

Music

Wood Brothers' Oliver Wood Covers  "The Battle Is Over (But the War Goes On)" (premiere + interview)

Wood Brothers' guitarist and vocalist, Oliver Wood releases a new reading of well-known the protest anthem with Bandcamp proceeds going to the ACLU. "I wanted to contribute something that kept peoples' momentum going," he says.

Music

Dianne Davidson Comes 'Full Circle'

A voice from the past re-emerges stronger and better than ever as Dianne Davidson releases Full Circle, her first album since 1988.

Music

Brennen Leigh's "Billy and Beau" Tells Midwestern Gay Love Story (premiere)

Americana artist Brennen Leigh's "Billy and Beau" offers a story of LGBTQ+ love and coming-of-age that remains universally relatable.

Music

Debbie LaGrange and Michot's Melody Makers Deliver "La chanson des moustiques" (premiere + interview)

Diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, former nurse Debbie LaGrange turned to songwriting and celebrating the preservation of the Cajun-French language and heritage.

Music

Ruston Kelly Talks About Facing His Demons on 'Shape & Destroy'

Singer-songwriter Ruston Kelly discusses his new album, Shape & Destroy, facing demons, and working with family.

Music

Ruston Kelly Finds Relief and Refinement on 'Shape & Destroy'

On Shape & Destroy, country music's Ruston Kelly finds a way to offer an unbroken hallelujah.

Music

Roots Rockers Roanoke Share "Meet Me in the Mountains" As Road Awaits (premiere + interview)

Life during the pandemic just got busier for Roanoke singer-songwriters Taylor Dupuis and Joey Beesley, who are finding more creative ways to get heard while starring in a Goonies-inspired music video with a "mystical '80s rock narrative".

Music

Front Country's "The Reckoning" Highlights Positive Movements (premiere)

Americana trio Front Country's "The Reckoning" is a healing hymnal that focuses on the positive shifts amidst times of pandemic and social/political strife.


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