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'Wildflowers & All the Rest' Is Tom Petty's Masterpiece

Wildflowers is a masterpiece because Tom Petty was a good enough songwriter by that point to communicate exactly what was on his mind in the most devastating way possible.
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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

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

Old 97's' 'Twelfth' Is Masterful

The years have fallen quite well upon Old 97's as Twelfth stands out as masterful even among their stacked discography.

Music

Raul Malo and the Mavericks Go 'En Español' on Their New Genre-Bending LP

Alt-country veterans the Mavericks mix their Latin heritage with their rock and country roots on En Español.

Music

H.C. McEntire Delivers Her Masterpiece with 'Eno Axis'

Born in isolation not so much by outside mandate as by natural inspiration, H.C. McEntire's Eno Axis is a masterwork of deep, spiritual escapism.

Music

The Band's Discontented Third LP, 1970's 'Stage Fright', Represented a World Braving Calamity

Released 50 years ago this month, the Band's Stage Fright remains a marker of cultural unrest not yet remedied.

Music

Great Peacock Stares Down Mortality With "High Wind" (premiere + interview)

Southern rock's Great Peacock offer up a tune that vocalist Andrew Nelson says encompasses their upcoming LP's themes. "You are going to die one day. You can't stop the negative things life throws at you from happening. But, you can make the most of it."

Music

Roots Rocker Webb Wilder Shares a "Night Without Love" (premiere + interview)

Veteran roots rocker Webb Wilder turns back the hands of time on an old favorite of his with "Night Without Love".

Music

"I Don't Want This Sullied by These Foul-mouthed Youngsters": An Interview With Old 97's

Rhett Miller of Old 97's discusses longevity, grappling with a pandemic, and embracing silver linings. "Making a band work requires putting the group before one's self. Any relationship involves sublimation of ego."

Music

The Texas Gentlemen Share the Powerful and Soulful "Last Call" (premiere)

Eclectic Texas band, the Texas Gentlemen return with a vibrant, imaginative LP that resists musical boundaries. Hear their latest epic single, "Last Call".

Music

The Jayhawks Offer Us Some 'XOXO'

The Jayhawks offer 12-plus songs on XOXO to help listeners who may be alone and scared by reminding us that we are all alone together.

Music

The Bacon Brothers Deliver Solemn Statement With "Corona Tune" (premiere + interview)

Written and recorded during the 2020 quarantine, "Corona Tune" exemplifies the Bacon Brothers' ability to speak to the gravity of the present moment.

Music

Margo Price Is Rumored to Be the New Stevie Nicks

Margo Price was marketed as country rock because of her rural roots. But she was always more rock than country, as one can hear on That's How Rumors Get Started.

Music

Fifty Years Ago the Grateful Dead Became the 'Workingman's Dead'

Psychedelic rockers the Grateful Dead changed directions in 1970 and went country with Workingman's Dead, becoming early folk-rock/country-rock pioneers.

Music

Steve Earle Finds Common Ground With 'Ghosts of West Virginia'

On Ghosts of West Virginia, Steve Earle chronicles the lives, hopes, dreams, and regrets of families who've lived for generations in coal country with a masterful song cycle that's long on empathy and short on judgment.

Music

Whitney Rose Still Goes to Rodeos

The music world has been conquered by women like Whitney Rose, whose guitar based-sounds on We Still Go to Rodeos recall the splendors of the past and move them forward with a kick in the butt.

Music

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.

Music

​​​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.

Music

Hiss Golden Messenger's 'Forward, Children' Offers "Beauty in the Broken American Moment"

Hiss Golden Messenger offer up a welcome serving of musical communion, and in the service of others, during a time when we all need consolation and reassurance. Forward, Children is a PopMatters Pick and aids a worthy cause: education.

Music

Daniel Romano's Outfit Demand More Than an 'Okay Wow' Response

Daniel Romano's Outfit would be the perfect act for a club outside the industrial park on a Friday night when paychecks are cashed, hard drinks flow, and all one wants to do is get lost in the loud music.

Music

Lilly Hiatt - "Some Kind of Drug" (Singles Going Steady)

Lilly Hiatt sings about a different kind of love on "Some Kind of Drug". Hers is for a city and the impact gentrification has had its soul.

Music

Lilly Hiatt Offers 'Walking Proof' of Her Many Talents

Every track on Lilly Hiatt's Walking Proof shines with imaginative playing, spirited vocals, and sensitive, literate lyrics. It's truly a kick ass record.

Music

Waxahatchee Takes a Turn for the Country on ​'Saint Cloud'

Katie Crutchfield's latest as Waxahatchee is a high point in an already impressive career. Saint Cloud finds an artist operating at the top of her game to produce a thrilling and inspirational work.

Music

Drive-By Truckers Are Sadder and Angrier on 'The Unraveling'

Once Drive-By Truckers' The Unraveling hits the fourth song, "Thoughts and Prayers", the album dives headlong into the nightmares of the United States in 2020.

Music

Black Lips Create a Killer Country Record, Infused with Lo-fi Garage Rock

Black Lips concoct a lustful mix of cocaine country, psych stomp, and honky-tonk fire and brimstone on Sing in a World That's Falling Apart.

Music

Futurebirds Play to Their Strengths on 'Teamwork'

Indie country-rockers Futurebirds return with a renewed focus on Teamwork, but the album would benefit from taking more risks.

Music

Lilly Hiatt Delivers Potent New Track, "P-Town" (premiere + interview)

Ahead of her new album Walking Proof, Americana's Lilly Hiatt shares "P-Town", where jangle and twang intermingle with loud, flesh-raising rock 'n' roll and lyrical forthrightness.

Music

'Big Band of Brothers: A Jazz Celebration of the Allman Brothers Band' Is Essential Listening (album stream) (premiere)

Big Band of Brothers is a truly remarkable and imaginative take on the music of the legendary Allman Brothers Band, rendered with affection and imagination, it asks us to appreciate the true genius of Macon, Georgia's finest.

Jedd Beaudoin
Music

Light in the Attic Celebrates New Releases By Late Singer-Songwriter Jim Sullivan

Light in the Attic's Matt Sullivan discusses the legacy of the late L.A. singer-songwriter Jim Sullivan who set out for Nashville in 1975 and disappeared somewhere in New Mexico.

Jedd Beaudoin
Music

Lost Classic Or Self-Indulgent Folly? Gene Clark's 'No Other' Redefines Country Rock

A flop in 1974, but now looked on as one of popular music's finest albums, does this expansive 4AD reworking of Gene Clark's No Other confirm its greatness, or reveal a case of the emperor's new clothes?

Music

Sarah Peacock's "Lady MacGyver" Celebrates Female Ingenuity (premiere)

Inspired by a friend, Sarah Peacock's "Lady MacGyver" is an empowering Americana anthem that celebrates self-made women.

Music

Micky and the Motorcars Drive Forward with the Steady Americana of "Road to You" (premiere)

The opening cut from Texas roots rockers Micky and the Motorcars' upcoming album is the classic Americana jam of "Road to You".

Music

Karen & the Sorrows Get Witchy With Latest Video "Why Won't You Come Back to Me" (premiere)

Queer country trailblazers, Karen & the Sorrows ready their new album with video for "Why Won't You Come Back to Me" that shows how sorrow is what this outfit do best.

Music

Creedence Clearwater Revisited's Doug Clifford and Stu Cook Discuss Woodstock and Retirement

Doug Clifford and Stu Cook look back on the bright-burning Creedence Clearwater Revival Woodstock set from August 1969, and talk about the decision to get off the road after 25 years as Creedence Clearwater Revival.

Jedd Beaudoin
Music

Mail the Horse Blend Catchy Roots Rock with Solemn Reflections on "Sweet Red Lies" (premiere)

New York roots rockers Mail the Horse still play with youthful abandon, but "Sweet Red Lies" and other songs on their eponymous LP focus inwardly on the post-party blues.

Music

The HawtThorns Offer Country Music a West Coast Vibe on 'Morning Sun'

The HawtThorns successfully shine-up classic country music with sumptuous harmonies and innovative instrumentation on Morning Sun.


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