12 Essential Contemporary Blues Artists
Blues is the foundation of much American music, but it’s often seen as a legacy genre. These 12 blues artists make the case for its continuing relevance and vitality.
country blues
North Mississippi Allstars ‘Set Sail’ to Higher Ground in Sacramento
It’s a rare band whose newer material shines just as brightly in the live setting as their older classics, but North Mississippi Allstars are just such a group.
Buffalo Nichols Impresses Mightily with His Folk Blues on “How to Love”
Plucking chords with steel-tipped determination, Buffalo Nichols brandishes his songs with the worn sentimentality that has had many scarred souls in lonely bars crying into their beers.
Colin Linden Waits “Until the Heat Leaves Town” Before Rising
Colin Linden’s latest single has a down and dirty vibe thanks to greasy slide guitar licks and lyrics about living in the street and hiding from the heat.
Tim Easton Is Introspective and Positive on ‘You Don’t Really Know Me’
Americana singer-songwriter, Tim Easton’s You Don’t Really Know Me is a pensive and reflective album, but it’s also peaceful and positive.
Oliver Wood Goes ‘Always Smilin” Into the Future Past
Oliver Wood stretches out on his own with Always Smilin’. Wood Brothers fans will find this album sustaining them until the next release.
Jimbo Mathus and Andrew Bird Bring out the Rustic Elements on ‘These 13’
Jimbo Mathus and Andrew Bird’s songs sound like they could have been recorded more than 100 years ago or just yesterday.
Lucinda Williams Right at Home With Writing Partner for ‘Good Souls Better Angels’
Able to write and sing the blues, gospel, folk, rock and alt-country with the same amount of true grit and passion, Lucinda Williams comes out swinging while discussing her explosive new album during these troubled times.
Where Are the Good Souls, the Better Angels? Asks Lucinda Williams
On her new searing album, Good Souls Better Angels, Lucinda Williams rages against the darkness of our era and seeks the strength to get through it.
Rory Block’s ‘Prove It on Me’ Pays Tribute to Women’s Blues
The songs on Rory Block's Prove It on Me express the strength of female artists despite their circumstances as second class citizens in both the musical world and larger American society.
Stoney LaRue’s “Evil Angel” Gives His Brand of Country a Gospel Flair (premiere)
Ahead of the 1 November release of new album Onward, Texas country artist Stoney LaRue shares the gospel-tinged "Evil Angel".
“Guitar Has Been My Savior”: An Interview with Charlie Parr
After an accident that could have ended his career, folk blues artist Charlie Parr recovered and recorded an album comprised largely of older tunes. It marks a particular moment in the musician's life and his belief that songs never die.