CD Rezensionen

Short & Sweet

A Moving Sound "Songs Beyond Words" (CD, ARC Music, 2020). A Moving Sound is an award-winning ensemble based in Taiwan. The ensemble presents distinctive timbres of the erhu (fiddle) and zhongruan (lute) coupled with the transcendent vocals of Mia Hsieh. The group sings in multiple languages, plays both modern and traditional instruments and performs in stylized ethnic costume. Watch Introducing A Moving Sound 聲動樂團!

Rod Abernethy "normal isn't normal anymore" (CD, Songs from Downstairs Records, 2021). Rod Abernethy writes intimate songs that remind us of who we are and how we all face similar life challenges, even more relevant now than when he penned it two years ago. Including co-writes with Susan Cattaneo and John Mayer, an early Bob Dylan Cover about racial injustice ("Oxford Town"), and two intricate guitar instrumentals. Watch "Normal Isn't Normal Anymore" Album Release Show at Citizen Vinyl, Asheville, NC!

Su Andersson "Train Stories" (CD, Firma Su, 2020). From Gothenburg, Sweden, Su Andersson's "Train Stories" is a music book of stories and Americana nostalgia through the eyes of a lifelong European, inspiring everyone to have the courage to embrace lifelong fantasies and embark upon their very own voyage of exploration. Watch The City of Dark and Bright Angels, Early Morning Alleys, On the Train Part II!

Courtney Marie Andrews "If I Told" (Video, 2021). GRAMMY-nominated singer-songwriter Courtney Marie Andrews​ performs "If I Told" from her critically-acclaimed album "Old Flowers," with special guest and fellow artist Madison Cunningham on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

Annamay "Rise Up" (Single, Own label, 2020). Annamay, aka Anna-Maris Ejrup, is a singer-songwriter from Stockholm, Sweden. Her pop rock music infuses hints of soulful folk and country. "Rise Up" is the first single from the upcoming album. A story about searching for a new path after a long destructive relationship and at the same time keeping one's sanity.

Brooke Annibale "Brooke Singing Songs!" (Video, 2020). Pittsburgh singer-songwriter Brooke Annibale has been singing some songs on Christmas Eve's Eve: "a few holiday songs + a few requests + a few of whatever I feel like + my dogs howling in the background." Watch Brooke Singing Songs!!

Ararur "Mielikki" (CD, Own label, 2021). Ararur is a Portuguese jazz and world music ensemble formed by guitarist António Miguel Dias da Silva. "Mielikki" is their second album, named after the Finnish goddess of the forest according to the Finnish national epic, Kalevala. Mielu means luck, so check it out @ Bandcamp!

Aris Paul Band "Ghosts" (CD, Own label, 2020). "Ghosts" is a place (in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) where blues and soul meet power pop and twang, and where the power trio meets the jam band. Watch "Ghosts", Aris Paul Band ft. The Soulville Horns @ Hollowood Music!

Baby Did A Bad Thing "Baby Did A Bad Thing" (CD, Rock Bottom Records, 2020). What do you get when you combine the warmth of the American songwriter tradition with the chilly melancholy of Nordic Denmark? Baby Did a Bad Thing's self-titled debut album garnered rave reviews, then Denmark shut down because of COVID 19. Now they strike another blow to international media, because it is the type of band you owe yourself to experience live. You can watch Baby Did A Bad Thing play live: "Let You Down Easy", "These Days", "Scars"!

Jordi Baizan "Melt Me Down" (Single, Berkalin Records, 2020). »They put me on this pedestal, hundred sixty years ago, grandiose in bronze, noble and esteemed. My glory’s now corroded green, my story adds insult to injury. It’s time for a change. Melt me down and bring me back as Lady Liberty, this world doesn’t need me anymore...« Jordi Baizan's “Melt Me Down” considers the purpose for and removal of certain historical monuments.^[73]

Geoff Berner "Pay People Money To Stay At Home" (Video, 2021). Canadian klezmer-punk singer-songwriter Geoff Berner offers a fun sing-along song about how Pay People Money To Stay At Home is the only truly effective way to fight a pandemic!

Bipolar Bows "Krunčhug" (CD, Own label, 2020). ‘Krunčhug’ is the debut album of Belgian violin and cello duo Lotte Remmen (Old Salt)^[70] and Toby Kuhn, a mosaic of music ranging from classical to traditional, from the Balkans to Appalachia, to jazz, blues and funk, always highlighting improvisation from the deepest corners of their imagination. Check it out @ Bandcamp!

Blind Boys of Alabama "The Show On The Road" (Podcast, 2021). Discovered at the Alabama Institute For The Negro Blind in the late 1930s, the Blind Boys of Alabama have superseded limitations to bring their own high-spirited version of jubilee gospel throughout the world. Their music was often the backdrop to the Civil Rights Movement, and they are both amazed and grateful that their message is still ringing true throughout the Black Lives Matter movement that grew last year. The Blind Boys of Alabama stopped by The Show On the Road podcast to speak about their mission to preserve traditional gospel music, and stick around to the end for their cover of Bob Dylan’s “I Shall Be Released.”

Rasmus Blomqvist "Columbia Road" (CD, Wooded Shrine Recordings, 2020). Swedish singer-songwriter Rasmus Blomqvist's sophomore album "Columbia Road" is going back to a wider arrangement reminiscent of his earlier work with rock band Ginger Trees. "Columbia Road" stretches toward soul and even gospel, but his musicianship remains firmly rooted in an acoustic setting. Check it out @ Bandcamp!

Jake Blount "The Angels Done Bowed Down" (Video, 2020). Jake Blount^[72] dropped an eerie animated video for "The Angels Done Bowed Down". It's an old spiritual, but the scariest spiritual ever heard, talking about angels blowing out the sun and turning the moon into blood. »It speaks directly to the apocalyptic nature of how America treats Black people.«

Mike Bravener "Depends Upon the Pay" (CD, Own label, 2020). Mike Bravener began his career in entertainment at the age of 42 when he left full time pastoring and became an award-winning Elvis tribute artist. In 2020, he released an album of traditional Miramichi / New Brunswick folk music. Check it out @ Bandcamp!

Catherine Britt "Home Truths" (CD, Beverley Hillbilly Records, 2021). More than two decades ago, the Aussie girl moved to Nashville, where she gained a deep knowledge of country and roots music, performing at the Grand Ole Opry at the age of 17. And now "Home Truths" - direct, personal, and from the heart. Watch "I Am A Country Song" & "Fav'rit Song"!

Brophy’s Law "The Bachelor" (Video, 2021). In good time for this years St. Patricks Day celebrations, Irish-Danish Brophy’s Law^[70] release their all-time live favourite live track The Bachelor, a strong folk-punk classic sound described as ”Where the Pogues meet the Clash”. Brophy says he wrote this at the age of 18 growing up watching the Pogues performing in their glory days.

Nicolas Brown "Good Enough Music For Them Who Love It" (CD, Own label, 2020). Everything began for US uilleann piper Nicolas Brown when purchasing a copy of O’Farrell’s Pocket Companion for the Irish or Union Pipes (1806): "This collection of music was so intriguing, and it has led to a deep interest in exploring the repertoire of early pipers, learning about the history of tunes still in the common traditional repertoire, and also in finding good tunes that have fallen out of fashion." Nicolas is interested what, not how, period pipers were playing, his piping style is contemporary if not one-of-a-kind. Watch Irish Night at Blue Livestream Concert Series!

Fraser Bruce "Every Song’s a Story" (CD, Greentrax, 2020). For over 60 years, Fraser Bruce^[58] has had an interest in singing folk songs, preferably with a storyline, a chorus and a strong melody. His current album "Every Song’s a Story" has 14 tracks, five of which are self-penned. Check it out @ Youtube!

The Burnt Pines "The Burnt Pines" (CD, Adraela Records, 2021). The Burnt Pines is a multicultural marvel, featuring Danish-born lead vocalist and lyricist, Kris Skovmand, and Portuguese and US musicians. The transatlantic distance is bridged by a the dozen songs that highlight gorgeously textured folk-pop melodies. Watch "Mother on the Mountain", "Song for Rose", "Diamonds"!

Bobbo Byrnes "SeaGreenNumber5" (CD, Own label, 2020). Bobbo Byrnes read too much Kerouac as a youth ... He returned home to California after many months on tour and recorded an intimate, mostly acoustic album about searching for home. His songs draw from real life, from being a touring musician far from loved ones to the rollicking ode to female musicians to the tense echoes of experiencing an active shooter situation. Watch "Queen of the Party"!

Tom Campbell-Paine & Cameron Grant "5 Minutes at a Time" (Video, 2021). Mairi Campbell^[46] is a proud auntie, since her nephew Tom Campbell-Paine is making gorgeous music. Here's a tune, "5 Minutes at a Time" from Diddle a week - Ep 3, written by Tom Campbell-Paine (when everything was pretty volcano like in life), played on a low f whistle made by Goldie, and backed up by Cameron Grant (his pal since school days).

Randy Casey "Record Time" (CD, Own label, 2020). Randy Casey gets back to the basics. The bluesy and twangy "Record Time" gets it title from the fact that it was recorded in less than 24 hours of studio time with Randy playing all instruments. It harks back to a time when songs had to sink or swim based on musicianship and songwriting rather than studio tricks and gaudy effects, when music was played on records not MP3 players. Check out BandCamp! Randy is donating half of all proceeds from the sale of this album to the Equal Justice Initiative addressing racism in US law enforcement.

The Celtic Social Club "I’m Free" (Single/Video, 2020). The Celtic Social Club's I’m Free I’m Free" is "one man’s admission to himself. Gentle guitars build and mirror the sombre mood of his broken relationship. The listener is left to wonder what went wrong? The answer doesn’t arrive, yet his desire to escape grows stronger through the meandering purr of Uillean Pipes."

Nick Chandler & Delivered "A Tree That Stands Alone" (Single/Video, The 615 Hideaway Records, 2020). Hailing from North Carolina, Nick Chandler & Delivered are a hard driving traditional Bluegrass band. Their new single from their forthcoming debut album, "A Tree That Stands Alone", speaks about standing up for what you believe in even if that means that you may end up standing alone.

Annabelle Chvostek "String of Pearls" (CD, MQGV, 2021). "String of Pearls," the sixth album from Annabelle Chvostek^[57] (formerly of roots trio The Wailin' Jennys)^[30] is a facile get-together of the Canadian singer-songwriter tradition, her East European heritage and a long-standing connection to Uruguay. Fernando Rosa gathered some of Uruguay's stellar tango musicians to add to a sound that harkens back to 1930's vaudeville cabaret and jazz club. Watch "String Of Pearls" & "Walls"!

Kerry Patrick Clark "What A Show" (CD, Own label, 2020). Kerry Patrick Clark has reached into his childhood memories to find clowns, trapeze artists, tightrope walkers and lion tamers. His first song, "Circus Town", written when he was 11, gave voice to the dream of running away and joining the circus. And now he revisits the fantasy from the distance of decades to release his 9th studio album. Enjoy the show @ Kerry Patrick Clark's Youtube channel!

Clover's Revenge "Truants and absolution" (CD, Own label, 2020). “Irish Speed Folk” is what this trio from Florida describe its music as. They usually tour Irish pubs and festivals in the US, and their music is no doubt popular there, being a classic Irish pub fayre. Mix of traditional and original songs and tunes, played on mandolin, guitar and cajon. Watch The Maid Behind The Bar live!

Luke Combs & Billy Strings "The Great Divide" (Video, 2021). Following Tim McGraw and Tyler Hubbard’s plea for unity in these divisive times, Billy Strings teams up with Luke Combs for a moving bluegrass number, "The Great Divide". The song takes a slightly darker, more cautionary tone than McGraw and Hubbard’s “Undivided,” with Combs singing, “We’re striking matches on the TV / Setting fires on our phones / We’re about to fall apart now / Of we can’t reach the other side / We’ve gotta find a way across the great divide.”

La Companyia Minimíssima "La Companyia Minimíssima" (CD, Microscopi, 2020). La Companyia MINIMíssimA, i.e. a new traditionally-minded musical project from Catalonia with only obscure background information. Form your own opinion and watch "La Luna"!

Luke Concannon "Ecstatic Bird in the Burning" (CD, The Movement, 2021). Ed Sheeran says, Luke Concannon is "one of my three main influences along with Van Norrison." Of Irish roots, one half of folk hip-hop act Nizlopi, Luke Concannon's songs are "part love letter, part poem, part call to action." Watch "Doing Nothing"!

Stef Conner "Riddle Songs" (CD, Delphian Records, 2020). Singer and lyre player Stef Conner, who used to perform with Northumbrian band the Unthanks, offers an album of new music for very old Anglo-Saxon hymns, spells, and riddles: »No songs in Old English have survived from the period in which the language was originally used. And yet everything we know of Anglo-Saxon culture – as preserved in written texts or rediscovered by archaeologists – presents a compelling, if tantalisingly incomplete, picture of a society in which the creative impulse was central.« Watch "Night-bard"!

"World Café Words and Music from WXPN: Joachim Cooder's Mbira Calms From The First Note" (Audio, 2020). Joachim Cooder stopped by NPR Music's World Café to discuss how he discovered Uncle Dave Macon's music (the very first star from Nashville's venerated Grand Ole Opry in the late 1920s) and how an African instrument called the mbira (a type of "thumb piano") informed his latest album, Over That Road I'm Bound: The Songs of Uncle Dave Macon.

Elizabeth Cook "These Days" (Video, 2020). "These Days was the first song I wrote for Aftermath. It originally had 14 verses, then 5, and would wind up with 4. This video of the song was filmed on the last day of a long, late summer solo tour. We had been out west and at last landed in St. Louis for a one night stand at the legendary Off Broadway STL before finally heading home. I was good and worn out here, but it was a pretty sunny morning. I mean, afternoon -- I'm grateful to have this song and this moment captured." (E.C.)

Corde Oblique "The Stones of Naples" (CD, 2009/2021). Corde Oblique are glad to present a new DELUXE DIGIPACK EDITION of their bestseller album “The Stones of Naples“.^[43] The album was originally released in 2009, but it sold out soon. Ft. full color booklet with unreleased original pics from 2009 and two unreleased live tracks recorded during a show in Albania in 2019. Buy from their website or digital on BANDCAMP!

Maxim Cormier "The Subjective Nothing" (EP, MCP MUSIC, 2021). Canadian guitarist Maxim Cormier ^[65] is pleased to announce his latest EP: “About two years ago, I was mired in one of the most challenging periods of my life both personally and creatively, struggling with a sort of stress-induced insomnia. My emergence from this dark period is the basis of this EP. I had to learn an entirely new form of perception: one based on letting go of expectations, both positive and negative. The Subjective Nothing is my attempt to musically exemplify the act of letting go. All four tracks take melodically simple ideas and expand upon them in ways that I think will pleasantly surprise listeners.” Watch "The Subjective Nothing" (Official Music Video)!

Ilana Cravitz "London International Klezmer Experience", "Beregovski's Musical Treasures" (Video, 2020). Says Ilana Cravitz, »It’s been a pretty miserable year in many ways, but there have been some unexpected good things too.« Check out the London International Klezmer Experience (LIKE) & Beregovski's Musical Treasures! Save the date for the KlezNorth online festival, 5-7 March 2021.

Kaurna Cronin "Aloft In Blue" (CD, Own label, 2020). Australian folk troubadour Kaurna Cronin's^[65] new single "Glass Road" is a preamble for his upcoming album "Aloft In Blue" which explores some of the deepest existential concerns of our time, coupled with lush and emotive soundscapes setting him at the cutting edge of contemporary folk. See also Kaurna Cronin & Band live @ Folk Alliance International 2021!

"Song News Network presents Vincent Cross" (Video, 2021). Singer-songwriter David Rovics^[74] and historian Paula de Angelis talk about music and history with New York-based singer-songwriter Vincent Cross, whose latest album is themed around his notorious ancestor, James "The Rooster" Corcoran.^[73] Watch Song News Network presents Vincent Cross!

Dagadana feat. Alena Kadanova "Na zdrowie" (Video, 2020). »The premiere song of the Polish-Ukrainian group Dagadana and Belarusian singer Alena Kadanova, which was specially commissioned by the Ukrainian Spring Festival (Ukraińska Wiosna), is a wishful piece referring to the traditions of Ukraine, Belarus and eastern Poland. We hope that it will be an excuse to say a good word to others. We wish to all of you, so that the humming of this tune would bring more sparkle to the mundane of the ordinary days - especially in those times which require the introspective skills to reach out for the deeply hidden the little bits of tenderness and sensitivity. Send these sounds with your kind words out into the world. And goodness will come back.« (Dagadana)^[65] Watch "NA ZDROWIE" CHEERS!!

Kat Danser "One Eye Open" (CD, Black Hen Music, 2021). When asked about the ongoing appeal of blues music, Kat Danser offers, “the blues gives us a place to bring all of our hope and sorrow.” This time, however, extensive travel, study and immersion in Cuban culture have left their mark on the songs on One Eye Open. The full horn section reflects her passion for Afro Cuban jazz and the place where it intersects with traditional New Orleans music. Check out One Eye Open EPK!

Brigitte DeMeyer "Seeker" (CD, BDM Music, 2021). Californian singer-songwriter Brigitte DeMeyer remembers watching the roots trio Wood Brothers’ multi-instrumentalist Jano Rix play piano on multiple occasions. But when she heard him play behind powerhouse singer Maureen Murphy, a new inspiration took hold. On her new album, Seeker, the thought of standing by Rix’s masterful piano playing and just singing has become a reality. As bassist Chris Wood put it, the collaboration between DeMeyer and Rix is “like Sly Stone meets Bob Dylan.” Watch "Louisiana" (Official Video)!

Dave Desmelik "The Calendar Album" (CD, Own label, 2020). North Carolina's Dave Desmelik states, “in 2013, I wrote a song a month about that month and what it meant to me. Something personal, a passing thought, an observation. The result became 'The Calendar Album'. This recording and release has finally come to pass and I’m excited to share these songs years after writing them”. Desmelik is responsible for all vocals and instrumentation; his good friend David Philips in Barcelona contributed electric guitar on several songs. Listen to January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December,

Ani Di Franco "Revolutionary Love" (CD, Righteous Babe Records, 2021). »The Revolutionary Love cover is a photo by Susan Alzner. The whole time I was making this record, she’d send me pictures of the sky from when she was out walking, and it always made me inhale more deeply. When people hear this record, I want them to get the same feeling I got from Susan’s sky pictures—that feeling of taking a minute to realize that the light is shining around us and through us. Like, we can do this, we just have to stay open. We have to look up.« (Ani)^[72] Listen to "Revolutionary Love"! Watch "Simultaneously" (Official Video)!

Jason Doll-Steinberg Featuring Steve Lodder "1790 (Chamber Version)" (Download, 2020). British guitarist Jason Doll-Steinberg, who sometimes write under the name of Jake Aaron and whose debut album in 2019 had been named Debut Album of the Year by Fatea Magazine, presents a new Baroque-like piece inspired by Steve Lodder's latest acquisition - a 1970's John Feldberg Harpsichord. Check out "1790" @ Bandcamp!

Tomás Doncker "Wherever You Go" (CD, True Groove, 2020). "Wherever You Go", the new album from singer/guitarist Tomás Doncker was born from hope in a time of crisis. It was recorded entirely in quarantine across the US and Europe by Doncker and the Blue Ruin Band, with all musicians collaborating live across eight time zones. The record’s eight tracks run the gamut from a traditional Chicago style blues to Gospel-inflected Hill Country to futuristic and psychedelic. »Music is always the healing force in the world and we knew that if we stayed close to that we’d manage to be all right in this new normal.«

Gráinne Duffy "Voodoo Blues" (CD, Own label, 2020). Gráinne Duffy's "Voodoo Blues" brings together her blues, rock, soul and roots music influences as well as her unique Celtic style. Thanks to a voice as powerful as it is heartbreaking, coupled with a melodic guitar style, "Voodoo Blues" brings listeners on a musical journey of heart and mind through the rolling hills of her native Co. Monaghan to the roar of the wild Atlantic coast of Ireland. Watch "Blue Skies"!

Emer Dunne "Daisy" (Single, 2021). The first single from Emer Dunne's new album 'Hourglass', ‘Daisy’ written by Scottish songwriter Karine Polwart, is a positive uplifting song where the singer is reminding ‘Daisy’ that all people don’t view the world in the same way and as the lyrics state, “people don’t think like you do and some don’t think at all.” As the single release date happens to coincide with Daffodil Day on March 26th, Emer has decided to donate all profits to the Irish Cancer Society. A video is currently in production.

Ana Egge "This Time" (Video, 2021). "This Time": »So many good people been beat and shot down, but a new revolution is coming around. Out in the street there’s a crowd gathering. Something is happening here. We all know the old road’s a dead end. Over and over is over, and again will be never again.« (Ana Egge)

Elson Complex "Time To Go" (Single/Video, 2021); Art & Spencer "Caravan", "Breathe" (Single/Video, 2021). For fingerstyle nylon-string guitarist Juan Martínez Pérez (aka Elson Complex), "Time To Go" is a »very personal track. I played this tune a few months ago via WhatsApp video on the funeral of my mum, as I could not attend due to Covid travel restrictions.« He is also introducing his ambient fusion project with Belgian multi-instrumentalist Marc Vliegen (aka Have A Cigar), Art & Spencer. Watch "Caravan" & "Breathe"!

Erik Dahl Ensemble "Gethenian Suite" (CD, Svalka Records, 2020). Swedish composer Erik Dahl is known for combining genres all inbetween jazz and art music, whether for his musical groups or for dance and theatre productions. The "Gethenian Suite" is a musical suite inspired by Ursula Le Guin's science fiction classic "The Left Hand Of Darkness". Check out Eric Dahl @ Youtube!

EllaHarp "Shotgun Sadie" (Single, Own label, 2020). "Shotgun Sadie" is a modern murder ballad about a woman who shoots her abusive husband, recorded on a mini 5-string banjo San Francisco Bay Area folk/americana artist EllaHarp designed and built over the summer, and backed by local 'beergrass' group The False Bottom Band (formed during quarantine with the owners of local craft brewery, Hop Dogma). Stream on Bandcamp or Youtube!

Tawny Ellis "love life" (CD, Music Building Records, 2020). Savannah, Georgia, native Tawny Ellis is known as “the girl with the weird instruments” as she plays steel guitar and Omni chord. Ellis picked up the latter when Daniel Lanois suggested it. “It’s a wonderful tool for writing and experimenting and I ended up writing most of the record on it. It‘s progressions opened up doorways for me, kind of like a key to the magic.” Watch "Love Life"!

Feuerschwanz "Schubsetanz (Black Metal Version)" (Single, Napalm Records, 2021). German medieval rockers Feuerschwanz have released a black metal version of their hit “Schubsetanz”. The song will be available as a strictly limited 7'' picture vinyl, which also includes a live version of "Kampfzwerg" (Fighting Dwarf) from the band’s chart-breaking studio album, Das Elfte Gebot. About the song: "For years this song from the album Methämmer is a fan favourite at our concerts! We love the moment when hordes of metal-clad heavy metal warriors unite for the most beautiful of all dance styles, full of grace and violence: The 'Schubsetanz'! That's why the song made it onto the setlist of our legendary 11:0:A gig and was celebrated there in a special, corona-compliant way - packed into airtight rubber balls and to the sound of a specially created black metal version, we celebrated the moshpit - 2020 corona style!"

Dave Ferra "Meet me down the alley" (CD, 2020); "Starting Something" (CD, 2020); "Holed up and locked down" (Single, 2020). Dave Ferra is an acoustic blues singer and guitarist who has twice been nominated in the UK Blues Awards in 2018 and 2020. Check out "Meet me down the alley", "Starting Something", and the Lock down / Christmas / Covid single "Holed up and locked down"!

Katie Ferrara "On Her Path" (Single, 2021). Katie Ferrara^[64] is releasing the first single off her second upcoming full length album on World Water Day (3/22). "On Her Path" was written in collaboration with water.org, an organization that helps bring clean water and sanitation to people all over the world.

Ian Fisher "American Standards" (CD, Own label, 2020). It's been more than a decade since Ian Fisher left the US and moved to Europe. He relocated to a studio in the Austrian countryside with Americana songs, both nostalgic and critical, written while in the Midwest and put a world-traveler’s international perspective to it. Watch "AAA Radio" & "American Standards"!

Folks Like Them "When I Pass" (Single/Video, 2021). "I love those heartfelt country songs, so play me one when I pass." Father-and-son duo Folks Like Them (Allen & Chris Kave) release a new single, “When I Pass” (Lyric Video), from their full length debut album, Our Places. With the one year anniversary of the global pandemic approaching, the song depicts the harsh realities and struggles of life as things to be appreciated and honored.

Fox and Bones "I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow", "2020 (You Can Go F*$# Yourself)" (Video, 2020). »For years, we have been covering this song at gigs all over the U.S. and Europe, and been asked countless times to record this song, so we listened! In honor of the 20th anniversary of “O Brother Where Art Thou”,^[74] we give you our rendition of “Man of Constant Sorrow”, the most recognizable song from what is easily one of our favorite music movies of all time!« Plus: Goodbye and good riddance 2020! »For the world at large, it’s been a bit of a doozy. It hasn’t been a banner year for musicians, but thanks to all of you we’ve been able to stay afloat this year, and we are truly humbled by everything you’ve done to help! Let’s remember to be grateful for the lessons and growth this year brought, to open ourselves to even greater levels of being going forward. Here’s hoping 2021 brings more love, empathy, connection and MUSIC!« Watch "2020 (You Can Go F*$# Yourself)"!

John Fusco and The X-Road Riders "John the Revelator" (Double CD, Checkerboard Lounge Recordings, 2020). Best known as the creator of the 1986 blues movie classic ‘Crossroads’, John Fusco has returned to his musical stomping grounds with a 20-song, mostly self-penned double album that Blues Blast Magazine calls "authentic, emotionally powerful modern blues-infused roots music, with splashes of rock, soul, pop, and gospel." Fusco’s band, the X-Road Riders are a veritable cast of modern blues stars ft. Cody Dickinson, Risse Norman, Sarah Morrow, and George Walker Petit. Watch Soulshine Live at Spruce Peak Arts Center!

Iona Fyfe "The Wild Geese", "Scotland Yet" (Download, 2021). Iona Fyfe^[67] congratulates Michael Biggins for winning the BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year 2021. Watch Iona's full set at the BBC Radio Scotland Young Trad final or the whole programme! Over the tiny gaps in full-scale lockdown, Iona managed to record two new singles with Graham Rorie (fiddle, electric tenor guitar). "The Wild Geese", a poem written by Violet Jacob, put to melody by Jim Reid and a version of Davy Steele's "Scotland Yet".

Rhiannon Giddens "Women In Bluegrass & American Roots Music" (Video, 2021). The Bluegrass Situation partnered with the Blue Ridge Music Center in Galax, VA to premiere their 10-part interview series, A Place in the Band: Women in Bluegrass & American Roots Music. Singer-songwriter and activist Laurelyn Dossett interviews women who create and work in roots music, beginning with Rhiannon Giddens!^[69] Also see interviews with bassist Missy Raines and promoter Amy Grossmann, plus new videos coming soon.

Eliza Gilkyson "Promises To Keep" (Video, 2020). »I think we can all say this has been a Season like no other in our lifetimes and I know we are all ready to change gears and restart our lives. Very much related to this difficult year and my desire to inspire connection I would like to share our latest video for my song "Promises To Keep" off my most recent recording "2020". This is the last song I wrote for 2020 in a hotel room while touring with Richard Thompson on his 2019 Fall North America run. Australia was burning and my heart was breaking, I was looking to recommit myself to the fight of our lives for a decent and safe future during a critical election year.« (E.G.)^[36]

The Gothic Cowboy "Bare Bones" (CD, Own label, 2020). “These songs, just vocal and guitar recorded, in 1978, 1979, 1981 and 1984, on a portable cassette, are remnants and revenants from my roaring 20's and dirty 30's, when it finally dawned on me that singin’ in bars would not feed my family and I’d need to hammer nails the rest of my days." Says Melvin Litton a.k.a. The Gothic Cowboy about this 4 disc set of homespun songs subtitled “Chance, Folly, Desire & Dream”. Check it out @ Bandcamp!

The Grand Undoing "In A Vigil State" (CD, Secret Candy Rock Records, 2020). Boston based The Grand Undoing is a rotating collective of like minded players anchored by founder, lead vocalist, guitarist and songwriter Seth Goodman. The band established a signature sound rooted in the 5 P’s, power pop, prog, psychedelia and punk. Watch "Highway (You Can Ride Away)"; check out Bandcamp!

Greensky Bluegrass "Two Tickets to Paradise (Live at Strings & Sol)" (Video, 2020). Greensky Bluegrass is a five-piece American bluegrass/rock band founded in Kalamazoo, Michigan in mid-2000. The band has evolved over the years adding electric effects. In their own promotional material, they describe their sound as "own version of bluegrass music, mixing the acoustic stomp of a string band with the rule-breaking spirit of rock & roll." Watch "Two Tickets To Paradise"!

Greg Sover Band "The Parade" (CD, Own label, 2020). Greg Sover Band's 'Parade' combines personal tunes and social awareness, and rein-forces that the Philadelphia man is one of the top emerging blues/rock artists. The Interlude that follows "Wake Up" includes part of an instrumental piece written specifically as a memorial to George Floyd. His cover of Cream's "Politician" was released as a single in time for the US Presidential election.

Anne Harris & Markus James "Over" (Single/Video, Rugged Road Records, 2021). Chicago-based fiddle player and singer-songwriter Anne Harris has been crafting an unique indie roots sound for well over a decade. Singer-songwriter Markus James recorded critically-acclaimed albums of original blues-based music with traditional musicians in Mali. Their collaboration, "Over", is rooted in acoustic blues, folk, and old time traditions, but reaches far beyond and mingle without boundaries in a postmodern world of cultural cross pollination.

Hat Check Girl "Kiss Me Quick" (CD, Gallway Bay Music, 2020). Hat Check Girl is the collaboration between Annie Gallup and Peter Gallway: "The songs on 'Kiss Me Quick' were written as duets. Unison, harmony, trading lines, swapping verses, interplay, interweaving. Over the decade we’ve been recording together as Hat Check Girl our harmonies have grown closer, and our blend more personal, this project explores the intrinsic possibilities in working as a duo, a different way of thinking than in the recordings we each make on our own."

Tim Hill "Ceol ag an nGeata: Music at the Gate" (CD, Own label, 2019). This here is unadulterated solo uilleann piping. Tim Hill has an obvious interest in the music of fiddler and composer Ed Reavy, who had settled in his native area of Philadelphia. Besides the prevailing dance music, you may take delight in the descriptive piece "Mairseail Alasdruim", his favourite slow air "Dark Loch na Gaor" or "Johnny Cope," Jacobite song turned into six-part hornpipe. Check out BandCamp!

Anya Hinkle Featuring Graham Sharp "What's it Gonna Take" (Video, 2021). “On May 26th, 2020, my neighbor Graham Sharp and I had planned to get together to do some songwriting. On that day, we had all woken up to the new reality, the first day without George Floyd in this world. ‘What should we write about?’ we asked each other, and we began to process the horror of his death through a song. We asked, what’s it gonna take? How can we speak to the brokenness of our country and our complicity in that? As we watched the nation convulse, we continued to write, trying to comprehend the pain we saw on display in the soul of our country and in ourselves.” (Anya Hinkle)^[69]

The Hungry Williams "Brand New Thing" (CD, Own label, 2020). Midwest drummer John Carr has assembled a group of like-minded R&B gurus, fronted by lead singer Kelli Gonzalez. The Hungry Williams play music that puts a smile on your face and a spring in your step. Watch "Brand New Thing"! Jump! Swing! Meow!

Irish Stew of Sindidun "Away" (Single/Video, 2020). Irish Stew of Sindidun from Belgrade (Serbia) was founded in 2003 and is well-known for its own characteristic folk-rock style, heavily influenced by traditional Irish music. Watch the official video for the latest single, "Away"!

iyatraQuartet "LIAF Virtual Day 3" (Video, 2020). As part of the London International Arts Festival, roots-based improvisational music orchestra iyatraQuartet^[72] has been giving a digital concert airing on the LIAF YouTube Channel: iyatraQuartet: LIAF Virtual Day 3!

Jack & the Vox "Closer Together, Farther Apart" (Video, 2020). »Thanks to our friends, family, and fans for sending in photos and video to help us make this video. We wrote this song in response to the challenges of the pandemic with the guidlines that it 1) had to be positive !! 2) use the words: mask, apart, home, hope, and unprecedented and 3) bonus points for the word "monkey".« (Victoria Vox)^[52] Watch "Closer Together, Farther Apart"!

Dylan Jakobsen "Beautiful" (Single/Video, 2020). Dylan Jakobsen shares the official music video for his recent single release, Beautiful. The forthcoming album Set Fire to the Night “is meant to be a record for everyone of all ages. Simple. Honest. Hopeful. I want to spread the message that we all have the choice on how we choose to live out our days. I’m happier than ever and I’m optimistic for what’s to come.”

Julian James and the Moonshine State "Devil Town", "Little Lady" (Video, 2021). Melbourne's Julian James is loved by folk and blues audiences all over Australia - »with his whiskey drenched sound as much at home in 2021 as it would have been been blaring out of the wireless in 1921.« "Devil Town" & "Little Lady" announce his soon to be release album Devil Town.

Sarah Jarosz "I Still Don't Know What I'm Looking For / My Future" (Video, 2020); John Smith (feat. Sarah Jarosz) "Eye To Eye" (Video, 2021). Towards the end of July 2020, when the reality set in that musicians would likely be some of the last people to get back to work, I needed to do something to cheer me up. So, on a bit of a whim, I decided to start learning one cover song a week, record it, make a video, and put it up. I wound up doing 10 songs which carried me all the way to the beginning of October. It really proved to be a way for me to stay inspired and connected with my fans at a time when we couldn't see each other in person. Thinking back on how much joy those covers brought me, and in light of the fact that we still can’t gather together for live music, I’ve decided to release my recordings of the U2 and Billie Eilish songs into the world as a little gift to my fans. (Sarah Jarosz) Watch "I Still Don't Know What I'm Looking For" & "My Future". See also John Smith's "Eye To Eye" (feat. Sarah Jarosz) from his latest album, "The Fray."

Robb Johnson "The Towers of Basingstoke" (Audio, 2021). Robb Johnson's^[71] Irregular Records provides monthly downloads for its subscribers (media@irregularrecords.co.uk) this is the weirdest one perhaps lately – “Towers of Basingstoke”. »It’s like this: Basingstoke Football Club found the song on the internet, liked it, & I recorded a new version – with Ali Gavan on drums – with footie-friendly lyrics. Strangely enough, Basingstoke Football Club never did pay me the recording expenses they promised. Anyway, last December I get an email asking if I had written the song & could it theoretically be used in a projected web-based comedy series set in Basingstoke? Well, of course the answer is yes, & in so I re-recorded the footie re-recording with the original lyrics.« Listen to "The Towers of Basingstoke" from "Margaret Thatcher: My Part in Her Downfall" & "Yeah Yeah Yeah"!

Dennis Jones "Soft Hard and Loud" (CD, Blue Rock Records, 2020). Upon returning from a successful European tour, L.A.-based guitarist Dennis Jones dove headlong into songwriting for his seventh album. The title references the dynamic range of his power trio, who can go from a whisper to a scream, “Soft Hard and Loud.” Jones uses an overdriven Les Paul to deliver his assessment of the current state of the world on "Like Sheep".

Jon Strahl Band "Heartache and Toil" (CD, Own label, 2020). "Heartache and Toil" nods to everything from Muscle Shoals to the British invasion to fuzzed-out garage rock and vintage soul, and ties it all together in a blues framework. Watch "Hey Yeah, All Right" & "Indiana Moonrise"!

"Symcha Keller i przyjaciele, koncert Dla Nieobecnych Wojsławice", "Symcha Keller i Przyjaciele, koncert Dla moich Braci i Sióstr" (Video, 2020/2021). The former synagogue of Wojsławice in southeastern Poland was inaugurated in November as a cultural center, with a new permanent exhibit focusing on the township’s pre-WW2 multicultural tradition. Celebrating the restored building, Symcha Keller^[72] recorded an online concert on the first day of the Chanukah Holidays. See also Symcha's concert during the days of Judaism in Warsaw.!#

LP Kelly "Love Songs For Loners" (CD, Own label, 2021). Featuring ten new original songs written and recorded in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, LP Kelly's new release "Love Songs For Loners" is a musical narrative of finding strength in solitude, ideas in isolation, and joy in loneliness. Not a watered-down Americana that could exist anywhere on the Internet, nor a rigid recreation of the past, Kelly has worked on original music that has a history and a place. Watch "Coffee For One", check out "Love Songs For Loners"!

Kelly's Lot "Another Sky" (CD, Own label, 2020). California based Kelly's Lot was formed in 1994 by folk singer songwriter Kelly Zirbes with a passion for the blues.^[56] Kelly's Lot has primarily played blues for the last 15 years, and with "Another Sky" they return to their origins in contemporary folk, roots rock, with a touch of alt country. Watch "Hurricane"!

Simon Kempston "Hand On My Heart" (CD, Own label, 2020). Scottish singer/songwriter and finger style guitarist Simon Kempston melts his songs a number of music styles - Blues, classical, particularly English songwriting – and whilst there is a hint of Celtic music, it certainly is not distinctively Scottish. Recorded by the great Ian McCalman, and with the idea developing during the lockdown, this album was recorded completely live in one single afternoon, only featuring Simon and his guitar. This gives the album a very natural and intimate feel, and truly showcases the talents of Simon’s lyrics, singing and guitar playing. Watch "Hand On My Heart"!

Kíla "Live from Whelan's" (Video, 2020). Formed at school in Dublin's late 1980's, Kíla are heralded as one of Ireland’s most innovative and exciting bands. Their contemporary Irish World music is a fresh blend of freewheeling instrumentals and primal rhythms that transcend the traditional boundaries of Irish music.^[67] Kila's traditional Christmas Hooley usually transforms the bigger spaces of Vicar Street or The National Stadium. But with Covid times its transformed into a smaller jewel, streamed online on 23rd of December from Whelan's, Dublin.

Mick Kolassa "If You Can’t Be Good, Be Good At It!" (CD, Endless Blues Records, 2020). Recording this album in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic was a challenge, bringing together a group of musical friends that only Memphis and the surrounding areas can provide. They’ve assembled a diverse collection of songs from slow minor key blues to lively R&B. Read more @ Making A Scene! 100% of the net proceeds will go to The Blues Foundation, split between two very important programs: the HART Fund and Generation Blues.

"Long Time Passing: Kronos Quartet and Friends Celebrate Pete Seeger" (CD, Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, 2020). On "Long Time Passing," the Kronos Quartet^[71] celebrates the music of Pete Seeger^[69] and rejoices in the spirit, inspiration, and fearlessness inherent in his life’s work. Along with guests Sam Amidon, Maria Arnal, Brian Carpenter, Meklit, Lee Knight, and Aoife O’Donovan, the group articulates the responsibility we have as citizens and members of a greater community to question war and injustice, and to develop the courage to raise our voices together both in word and song. Watch Live with Carnegie Hall: Kronos Quartet and Friends - Long Time Passing!

Lara Landon & Annalisa "Fear Is A Liar" (CD, Video, 2020). »We are living in crazy times. We've never faced the kind of things we are facing and it's easy to get stressed, overwhelmed and discouraged. But I want to remind you not to fear, our God is with us. He hasn't given us a spirit of fear, but of power love and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7).« Listen to Zach Williams of "Fear Is A Liar", and stand up to that voice that is telling you to be afraid!

Martin Lang "Bad Man" (CD, Random Chance Records, 2020). Formerly a French horn player, Martin Lang landed in Chicago from the East Coast to become known for traditional Chicago Blues harp in the style of Little Walter. His third album "Bad Man" features an A list of bluesmen such as Billy Flynn, Illinois Slim, and more. Check out Martin Lang @ Youtube!

Langhorne Slim "Strawberry Mansion" (CD, Dualtone Records, 2021). »When I started writing these songs in the beginning of the pandemic daze, I had no intention to record em for an album. Quite honestly, I was just tryin to keep my shit together and in a bit of awe that a creative wave had come along and allowed me to ride. I’d be lying if I didn’t acknowledge the gifts I’ve found in slowin it down and simplifying a bit too. Through this shift and shit, I’ve been tryin to learn new ways to dance more gracefully with the creatures of addiction, anxiety and depression. Lately I’ve been thinkin about the wizard of oz for some reason. How in the end, the big scary wizard was just a terrified, tremblin old dude behind a curtain. For me, it just helps me to remember that outside all the madness and noise, there’s a world full of colors.« Watch "Panic Attack" & "Summer Days"! Listen also to The Show On The Road & The Working Songwriter podcasts!

Anna Elizabeth Laube "Annamania" (CD, Ahh….Pockets! Records, 2021). Inherently nomadic, Anna Elizabeth Laube spent years driving around the USA, selling albums out of her trunk and performing at any venue that would have her. Her retrospective album, Annamania, is a hand-picked collection of songs from her previous four studio albums, such as "All My Runnin", plus three further songs - including a piano and French Horn cover of Tom Petty's "Time To Move On", and "Jardim da Estrela", inspired by her recent time spent in Lisbon, Portugal.

Lazy Afternoon "Wild" (Single, Paraply Records, 2020). Americana and folk rock band Lazy Afternoon releases the first single out of 8. "Wild", bearing traces of Bertold Brecht and "Bei Mir Bist Du Schön", takes up the realization that you do not have the strength to party as much when you get older.

Vivian Leva & Riley Calcagno "Vivian Leva & Riley Calcagno" (CD, Free Dirt Records, 2021). With mass protests, fires raging near their current home in the Pacific Northwest, and no prospect of touring anytime soon, Vivian Leva & Riley Calcagno’s self-titled album is an aptly biting, bittersweet group of songs for an uncertain time. The eleven tracks meld the traditional backbone of old-time and classic country with fresh melodies and the tightly wound vocal harmonies of indie folk. Watch Love and Chains (Official Video)!

Veronica Lewis "You Ain’t Unlucky" (CD, Blue Heart Records, 2021). 2020 Boston Music Award winner, Veronica Lewis, releases her debut album. She rocks the piano with one foot firmly planted in the 1950’s and the other in the future. Blues progressions are a launching point, evolving into original songs with stories that are both thought-provoking and humorous. Watch ‘You Ain’t Unlucky’ (Official Music Video), a call to action to remain grateful for the good things in life no matter what happens.

Lula Wiles "Television" (Single, Smithsonian Folkways, 2021). “The interconnected legacy of colonialism and capitalism is long and ugly, and it reaches from illegitimate international borders all the way down to interpersonal relationships,” reads the liner notes of Shame and Sedition, a third album from Lula Wiles.^[68] “We live in a world that often makes it difficult for us to be good to each other, and to ourselves. Perhaps in retrospect, we can read that story in all of the songs on this album. We hope that Shame and Sedition will invite listeners into the uncomfortable, confrontational spaces where transformation happens.” Listen to the first first single, "Television", and watch Lula Wiles live at Caffe Lena!

The Mahones "This Is All We Got To Show For It: The Best Of 30 Years" (CD, True North Records, 2002). Formed on St. Patrick’s Day in 1990, The Mahones have been performing their distinctly ‘Canadian’ form of Irish Punk around the globe. The sound has remained constant over a dozen studio albums and two live recordings, including a covers and an unplugged album. The Mahones are eager to hit the road again in mid 2021 for The Mahones 30 Anniversary World Tour; surviving the post-Covid apocalypse with a whiskey in one hand and a Guinness in the other. Check it out @ Youtube!

Andy Maize and Michael Timmins "Townies (an audioplay)" (Digital Download/Stream, 2020). »We know that all the numbers and number-makers tell us that releasing three minute and thirty second pop singles is the way to go, but we figure that everyone has a lot of time on their hands these days so here is a sixty-two minute journey for you. My friend, Andy Maize (Skydiggers) and I have been collaborating through these past many months. And this is what we came up with: a bunch of music about childhood, and memory, and pandemics and guilt and responsibility. An album born of bad hockey, Covid, Black Lives Matter and age. So put on some headphones, take your streaming software off of shuffle, shut off your notifications and kick two thousand fucking twenty out the door. Enjoy!« (Michael Timmins, Cowboy Junkies)^[48] To stream/download "Townies", to understand what the hell you're listening!

The Marcus King Band "Paste Studio - Oct 24, 2019" (Audio, 2019). In his early twenties, Marcus King has already been performing live for 15 years, establishing himself as an enthralling live music talent. He made his debut at The Grand Ole Opry and performed with Chris Stapleton on a US arena tour. This studio session features five tracks from Marcus’s album "El Dorado" (2020), showcasing his world-class guitar playing. Watch The Marcus King Band @ Paste Studio NYC!

Miko Marks & the Resurrectors "Hard Times" (Video, 2021). Country singer Miko Marks returns with new music for the first time in 13 years: »This is our arrangement of an 1854 song by Stephen Foster. Those who know about Foster’s involvement with minstrel shows earlier in his life may wonder why I would include a song of his on my album. Much of his success came through the appropriation of Black culture and music, and for me this felt like an opportunity to take a song of his and reclaim it through my own voice as a Black artist. It was also a way for me to pay tribute to Mavis Staples, whose arrangement of this song is absolutely gorgeous. The lyrics also have particular significance that I think everyone can relate to because of the hard times we’ve been going through this year. I love the melody and the mood. It’s sweet, sad, and hopeful all at the same time.« Watch "Hard Times" (Official Performance Video)! Read more @ The Bluegrass Situation!

David Massey "Island Creek" (CD, Poetic Debris Records, 2021). Washington DC David Massey’s latest mix of folk, rock, blues and bluegrass, a 6 song EP called "Island Creek", includes haunting reflections on mortality, climate change, love, religion - and that staple of the fragile singer songwriter genre, baseball. Watch "Island Creek"!

Iain Matthews and The Salmon Smokers "Fake Tan" (CD, Talking Elephant Records, 2021). This new release, ‘Fake Tan’, sees Iain Matthews teaming up with a group of Norwegian musicians, The Salmon Smokers, to present a selection of new arrangements of some of the standout tracks from his long career. Songs from his solo albums, Plainsong, and Matthews Southern Comfort are all given a refreshing new lease of life, including his Joni Mitchell cover Woodstock.

Scott McClatchy "Six Of One" (CD, LIB Records, 2020). After an extended hiatus to beat back a brush with cancer, Americana artist Scott McClatchy has returned with his long time band, while also adding a full horn section, to help bring the rollicking track list of 6 originals and 6 covers to the party. His music blurs the lines between all styles of American music; rock, folk and country are all touchstones of his songwriting. Check out Youtube!

The McKee Brothers "A Time Like This" (CD, Own label, 2020). The McKee Brothers continue to explore a sophisticated blend of horn-driven blues, soul, gospel and rock, with multi-instrumentalist Denis McKee and prolific songwriter and pianist Bobby West creating 16 seriously funky originals. Check it out @ BandCamp!

Euan McLaughlin "Grace’s" (Single, Claytara Records, 2021). Euan McLaughlin has performed with a number of acts including Danny Kyle Award 2020 winners Lapwyng. You may have heard his fiddle playing on the ITV series, Victoria, and "Grace’s" is his third solo single to date, with debut album plans in the works. Euan said: “This song captures the fresh, contemporary folk music I love to make and charts the development of my solo sound. With this track I’ve looked to pull a lot of my different influences together to create something unique to me.”

James McMurtry "Soundcheck at the Gallery" (EP, 2020); "Blasted from the Past" (EP, 2020). The legendary Continental Club opened its doors in 1955 and celebrates over 60 years as one the oldest continuously running clubs in Austin. Folk rock singer-songwriter James McMurtry released two special solo digital EPs as a benefit for the Continental Club's staff to help cover mounting costs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Download your copy @ www.continentalclub.bandcamp.com!

Jason McNiff "Dust Of Yesterday" (CD, Tombola Records, 2021). Fingerstyle guitarist Jason McNiff is incluenced by the British acoustic guitarists and 1960s/70s folk-rock troubadours, himself opening for Bert Jansch on various occasions and playing all over Italy with the Modena City Ramblers. His seventh album, "Dust Of Yesterday," is an elegy on moving away from a beloved place (London to Hastings) and a lament for lost youth. Watch "Wherever I Choose" & "If My Eyes Were Blind"!

"Another Mean Mary Special" (Video, 2020/2021). American singer-songwriter Mary James, known by the stage name Mean Mary,^[73] is still staging short live concerts from her home studio in Nashville. Watch Another Mean Mary Special, Mean Mary and Frank Christmas Special, Mean Mary Birthday Special!

The Milk Carton Kids "Live From Symphony Hall (Atlanta, GA - 11​/​6​/​15)" (CD, Own label, 2002). »We’ve always loved Georgia. This Symphony Hall show was performed around 1 microphone. In the end, this was a damn good show. We’ve also always loved democracy. If there’s one issue on which we could both be considered radicals, it’s Voting Rights. We’ve been lately inspired by Stacey Abrams’ work via Fair Fight to expand voting access in Georgia and beyond. All proceeds generated by this album will support Fair Fight.« Available only on Bandcamp!

Gary Miller "The Belle Vue Sessions No.1" (Video, 2020). Gary Miller^[65] (of Whisky Priests fame) is still excited about the "huge success" of his recent Live Stream, "The Belle Vue Sessions No.1". He is now planning 'The Belle Vue Sessions No.2’.

Misty Blues "Weed 'Em & Reap" (CD, Own label, 2020). Misty Blues and their lead singer, Gina Coleman, celebrate 20 years of composing and performing original blues with hints of jazz, funk, soul and tent revival gospel. The singe release, "No More To Give", has already hit the blues charts.

The Mystix "Can't Change It" (CD, Own label, 2020). The Mystix are recognized for their unique interpretation of Americana, reaching back to the country blues and gospel music of the 1920's. "Can’t Change It" features the twin lead guitars of Bobby B Keyes and Duke Levine, coupled with the unique vocals of Jo Lily.

Na-Mara "Nancy from London" (Audio, 2020). As for many others, live performances for Na-Mara stopped abruptly in early March. Since then we've only managed a few on-line festival and folk club events and, even then, playing as solo artists rather than as a duo. As you might imagine, we are continuing to work up new material; a mix of self-penned and traditional songs and tunes from the UK and beyond. Sadly, we haven't been able to get together to record this material. However, we have managed to stitch the following track together from independent recordings in our own home studios. It is called Nancy from London and is taken from the singing of Canadian folk singer, Matthew Byrne.^[66] Hope you like it.« (Na-Mara)^[70]

Richard Neylon "Live in Galway" (Digital Album, 2020). Richard Neylon is an uilleann piper,^[68] who maintains Dúléim Studios on the west coast of Ireland. He has been featured on numerous recordings, though he is probably best known for his wordwide concert activities. Best proof is his latest recording, "Live in Galway," an intimate sounding session with a couple of friends and the extra benefit of exhilarating all people out there. Check out BandCamp!

William Nicastro & Roberto Zanisi "Radical Raptors" (CD, Felmay, 2020). An instrumental album of electric bass and bouzouki. The duo from Italy blends in their own compositions Mediterranean and Middle Eastern music styles with jazz and prog rock. Without overdubs or other tricks, this is exactly what it says on the tin - bouzouki and e bass. Perhaps a bit more variation would have been welcome, yet certainly an innovative and unique collaboration. Watch "Dere Geliyor Dere"!

Rosie Nimmo "Where Time Suspends" (CD, kick my heels, 2021). A ten-track blend of folk, pop, blues and jazz influences, Where Time Suspends, showcases Scotland’s Rosie Nimmo's inimitable sound reminiscent of Billie Holiday, Alison Kraus, Patti Smith and Dory Previn. Watch "Choices"!

Josh Okeefe "Build a Wall" (Video, 2021). After travelling to America in search of the places his music idols once roamed, Derby born folk troubadour Josh Okeefe began writing songs at an astonishing pace. He earned spots at major music events including the Glastonbury Festival at the invitation of Billy Bragg. OurVinyl Sessions, filming live performances of artists in unique settings, brings you a performance from Josh Okeefe singing his original song “Build a Wall”!

Omiri "Pedrinhas de Sal" (Single/Video, 2021). “Pedrinhas de Sal” is another trip by Vasco Ribeiro Casais, a.k.a. Omiri,^[73] through the Portuguese Intangible Cultural Heritage, transforming it in order to make it permeable and receptive to the culture of today. An exotic dancing trip through a Portugal yet to be discovered.

Peach & Quiet "Just Beyond the Shine" (CD, Own label, 2021). From Pender Island, British Columbia, Peach & Quiet is singer-songwriter duo Heather Read and Jonny Miller, whose debut album Just Beyond the Shine features a variety of original songs recorded during the depths of the pandemic, exploring the dark and light sides of love and ranging in style across vintage country, Americana and folk rock. Watch ‘Empty to Fill’!

Peat & Diesel "Calum Dan’s Transit Van" (Video, 2020). Graham Collins, Threads of Sound, said: “We’re delighted to continue to support the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards in this strange and challenging year. The new Trad Video of the Year Award recognises how important online video has been for connecting artists with their audiences this year and we congratulate all the nominees for this and all the awards.” Watch "Calum Dan’s Transit Van" by Peat & Diesel!^[71]

Luís Peixoto "Siga a Rusga" (Single, 2021). Multi-instrumentalist Luís Peixoto from Coimbra (Portugal) presents "Siga a Rusga", selected to counteract the current despondency generated by the Covid-19 pandemic and to celebrate the joy of the Carnival season. Luís Peixoto's full-length album "Geodesia" will be released in March 2021.

Penny and Sparrow "We've Got Something (OurVinyl Sessions)" (Video, 2020). Deeply vulnerable and boldly cinematic, Texas based Americana/folk duo Penny & Sparrow blur the lines between indie-folk and alt-pop. Enjoy the hauntingly beautiful harmonies of Penny & Sparrow performing their song “We’ve Got Something”, filmed live at the Flamingo Cocktail Club in Nashville, TN.

Gretchen Peters "150 Free Downloads" (Download, 2021). »Since July 2008 I've been giving away a free download every month to subscribers to this newsletter. It turned out to be by far the most popular feature at my website, with some fans compiling the tracks into "albums" complete with musician credits, venues, dates and even coverart. February marked the 150th free download, and we've decided to compile all 150 and give them away as a single download to thank you for your support.« (Gretchen Peters)^[72] Subscribe www.gretchenpeters.com/mailing-list/!

Sarah Popejoy "The Victims Have Names" (Single, American Songbird, 2021). Singer/songwriter Sarah Popejoy has released her newest song called "The Victims Have Names", the story of the Tulsa Race Massacre, nearly 100 years after committed on May 31st - June 1, 1921. "The Victims Have Names" is the first release of the forthcoming album, "The Oklahoma Storyteller", that tells historical stories with a social awareness.

Trevor B Power "What Is Real" (CD, Farm 189 Records, 2021). New Jersey music man Trevor B. Power can be added to the vanguard of disciples, who have studied the works of Woody Guthrie, who famously said “I can only write what I see.” Following last summer's single ‘Pandemic 2020,’ “What Is Real” is the result of witnessing the spectacle of the world pandemic. The sound though remains the same with a muscular mix of Jersey shore rock ‘n’ roll infused with blues, roots and soul. Watch "What Is Real" Promo Reel & "Pandemic 2020"!

Progress Band "A String That Picks Up Everything" (EP, Own label, 2020). Dark folk experimental duo Progress Band from Portland, Oregon, has been performing since 2009. The primarily acoustic "A String That Picks Up Everything", which the band describe as Gothic Western, mirrors the mood of the Corona virus pandemic, with six reflective songs about past mistakes, isolation, and hints of paranoia. Check it out @ Bandcamp!

Radical Face "Hidden Hollow, Vol. One - Singles" (EP, Bear Machine, 2021). Ben Cooper, aka Radical Face, started The Hidden Hollow in 2020 - a monthly mailer focused around music and storytelling. This EP is the first collection of numerous singles released along the line. Listen @ Bandcamp! Read more @ Paste Magazine!

The Rad Trads "See You Again" (CD, Wombat Squad Records, 2020). Brooklyn-based five-piece The Rad Trads mixes punk rock energy, horn drenched soul, and jazz precision: »If you must stream it, please make sure you click the Follow button and put every song on at least one highly trending playlist. We’re all unemployed and music shouldn’t be free, especially in times when no one can make a living playing live. But wait there’s also another way… Support The Rad Trads on Patreon! For $5 a month you will get access to exclusive demos, interviews, video clips, early releases, and all the inside access we always dreamed of having for our favorite bands.« Watch "See You Again" (Live Performance)!

India Ramey "You and Me Against the World" (Video, 2021). India Ramey calls her sophomore album “Shallow Graves” her “post-apocalyptic western” with plenty of alt-country firepower and fury about the “liars, leaders, and hypocrites among us”. India Ramey "You and Me Against The World" is the video for her favorite song.

Bill Randen "The later tapes vol.2: The Parallels" (CD, Own label, 2020). 'The Parallels' stay on the course of Bill Randen's previous album 'Antiquities',^[71] providing richer orchestrations and fuller production. Watch "Glad to know you" & "Water"!

Ashley Ray "Tiny Desk (Home) Concert" (Video, 2020). The Tiny Desk is working from home for the foreseeable future — stripped-down sets, an intimate setting — just a different space: »I've always found something comforting in the music of Ashley Ray. Her songs sound like home. Love of family, the memories and traditions we share, tales of loving the past until it's time to let it go.« Watch Ashley Ray and Sean McConnell performing three songs from her latest album, Pauline.!

Jenny Reynolds "any kind of angel" (CD, Own label, 2020). Jenny Reynolds lives her life following her mission statement of “Work hard, be nice, keep moving.” A native New Englander, she found a temporarily home in Austin, Texas, where she worked with Ruthie Foster and Ian McLagan. She is also the producer of the annual 'Williams Nite: A Tribute To The Music Of Hank And Lucinda Williams'. Watch Jenny Reynolds performing "Any Kind of Angel" live at 6 String Ranch in Austin, Texas!

Janet Robin "Here Comes the Sun" (Video, 2021). »Wow... it's been a whole year since the beginning of this craziness and though we are still in it, we're slowly healing up and getting back to life. I know it's been a difficult year for a lot of people. But I know we can make it through these last months together. I've also done a new video version of "Here Come's the Sun," just something casual at home. I wanted to pump it up a little bit - so this is just my own take on the classic, one of my favorite songs by one of my favorite guitarists, George Harrison.« (J.R.)^[54]

Skylar Rogers "Firebreather" (CD, Own label, 2021). Chicago born vocalist Skylar Rogers followed the successful blueprint created nearly a century ago by Ma Rainey by gathering together great original material and a team of top-notch players as her backing band. Rogers has dubbed her ensemble of musicians, “The Blue Diamonds,” giving the sound she creates with them the moniker “Soul Rockin’ Blues,“ a sound that has been described as a "cross between Tina Turner and Etta James.” Watch "Like Father Like Daughter"!

Dave Rosewood "No Rodeo In Rome" (CD, Own label, 2020). Dave Rosewood is a native of the Ozark Mountians, but now makes his home in Sweden. His debut album "Gravel & Gold" has been called ”100% pure damn country in the spirit of Cash, Merle, Waylon and even the Allman Brothers" (The Rockin Magpie). His sophomore album "No Rodeo In Rome" is a concept album that tells the story of 'The Cowboy' with each track a window into his life. Watch "Drinkin Man"!

Robby Rothschild "Robby Rothschild" (EP, Own label, 2021). Known for his work with his brother Char in the duo Round Mountain as well as his recent international tours as percussionist for Kip Winger and Ottmar Liebert, Robby’s 6track debut EP draws from the dual wells of tradition and personal expression, accompanying them with instruments such as the West African kora, guitar, and percussion Watch "Encircled"!

David Rotundo Band "So Much Trouble" (CD, Dreams We share, 2020). Getting the chance to work with a hero is the dream of most artists. For Toronto singer/songwriter and harmonica virtuoso, David Rotundo, it became true with Lee Oskar producing his latest album, “So Much Trouble.” The twelve tracks feature a breadth of material from juke joint blues to hard driving soul, with Rotundo’s gravelly tenor and emotive blues harp at the center. Watch "So Much Trouble"!

Los Rurales Y Los Amigos de Buena Vista "Ocotitia" (CD, Clasicos Latinos, 2020). As their name makes clear, Los Rurales (featuring Roberto Garcia and Jesús Aguaje Ramos of the Buenavista Social Club) are aware of the importance of the rural origins of their music, that consists of Mexican songs and tunes ("Fandango") and occasional cover versions of earworms such as "What A Wonderful World". Plus, the listener will find elements of Balkan brass which gives their music a unique character. Furthermore, "Ocotitia" features a bonus track remix of "What A Wonderful World" by the legendary Steve Last.

Sayed Sabrina "Thou Art That" (CD, Own label, 2019). During the 1980s, Sayed Sabrina was part of the L.A. punk rock scene. She later made a name for herself in the blues community. Her latest studio album “Thou Art That” is the trunk of the most potent roots lashing out. Watch the protest tune "Everybody Knows"! See also "Home Is In Your Head" featuring NASA footage.

Rachael Sage "Home (Where I Am Now)" (Video, 2020). »I've been thinking a lot lately about the concept of "home" and what that means to us all now — which gave me this idea to help bring us together during these unprecedented times. My song "Home (Where I Am Now)" is about "home" being wherever your soul/spirit/love resides. Since the lockdown, it seems more relevant than ever. I'm so thankful to my listeners, friends & supporters who sent us footage of what they have been doing at home during this challenging time to stay healthy, positive, busy, and connected.« (R.S.)^[61]

Sangre de Muerdago "Xuntas" (CD, Música Máxica, 2020). For more than 10 years, Sangre de Muerdago have been transforming their Galician campfire folk music into a Chamber Folk beast. "Xuntas" merges their dream-like folk music with early music and psychedelia. Check out "Xuntas" @ Bandcamp! Watch "Xuntas" (feat. Steve Von Till), "Cadeliña", "Unha das peores cousas" (feat. Germán Díaz)!

Kate Schutt "Bright Nowhere" (CD, Own label, 2021). Jazz pop vocalist and guitarist Kate Schutt announces her third album, Bright Nowhere, which she wrote as a tribute to her mother who passed away after battling cancer for five years. Schutt turned to songwriting to map the landscape of loss around her mother's diagnosis. Watch "It Won't Be Long" & "Roll the Stone"!

Rick Shea "Love & Desperation" (CD, Tres Pescadores Records, 2021). Rick Shea’s new record Love & Desperation deploys every imaginable roots style, ranging from country and folk to norteño and Cajun two-steps. But the blues dominates much of the proceedings. Shea says, “To me, blues is what most popular music is based on, in the words of the great Townes Van Zandt ‘there’s two kinds of music, the blues and everything else is just Zippity Do Dah.’” Watch ‘The World’s Gone Crazy’!

ShooDJa-Choodja "Shooldyrak" (CD, CPL-Music, 2021). The ethnoproject ShooDJa-Choodja is a duo, consisting of Nataliya Dzyga (vocals) and Pavel Perevozchikov (beat), presenting the musical cultures of Udmurts and Besermyans while mixing ancient ritual chants with electronic music. Check out Bandcamp!

Martin Simpson "Home Recordings" (CD, Topic Records, 2020). Martin Simpson’s^[66] next album was going to be a live one, but the lockdown put paid to all that. The only solution was to record at home. ‘Home Recordings’ finds Martin singing and playing amongst his beloved guitar and banjo collection and out on his Peak District-facing porch. Listen to "The Times They Are A-Changin'"! & "October Song"! Watch Martin's set for Home Made Towersey!

Sturgill Simpson "Breakers Roar" (Video, 2020); "Life of Sin" (Video, 2021). American country singer-songwriter Sturgill Simpson returned to the The Late Show with Stephen Colbert with a full band performance of the song, "Breakers Roar", from his bluegrass album "Cuttin' Grass Vol 1 - The Butcher Shoppe Sessions" (2020). He also performed the older "Life of Sin" for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

Skerryvore "You & I" (Single, Tyree Records, 2020). Composed by lead singer Alec Dalglish, the new track is a rousing and high energy pop anthem, showcasing Skerryvore’s signature dynamic brand of contemporary Scottish music at its best and marrying their traditional west coast roots with pop rock influences. Alec said: “The song was always supposed to be a big, festival headline, end-of-the-night jump around and hopefully people can at least do that in their living room until we can play for them live!” Watch Official Video & Acoustic Live Version!

Skinny Lister "Shout It Out" (Single/Video, Xtra Mile Recordings, 2020). Like “We Will Rock You” if it were written by The Pogues... “Shout It Out” is a anthemic and uplifting new song from folk/punk sextet Skinny Lister:^[58] ““Shout It Out” is about being optimistic in the face of adversity. It’s a release - a reminder to let go of that unhealthy habit to keep things bottled up inside. A kind of primal scream therapy where we can let go of anxieties, stresses, anger, frustration etc.” “Shout It Out” is accompanied with an official video creating a montage of some of the stand-out moments from their 2019 shows across Europe.

Amanda Smith, Rhonda Vincent, Brooke Aldridge, Dale Ann Bradley "Down in the River to Pray" (Video, 2021). In our celebration of the movie that returned bluegrass to the spotlight of pop culture, we’re throwing it back to the 31st Annual IBMA Awards from October 2020. During the ceremony, four of the five women nominated for Female Vocalist of the Year banded their angelic voices together to pay tribute to the 2000 landmark film O Brother, Where Art Thou? In the video below, Amanda Smith, Rhonda Vincent, Brooke Aldridge, and Dale Ann Bradley stand stoically on the stage of the famed Ryman Auditorium to deliver a brilliant rendition of “Down in the River to Pray.” This a capella performance is a reminder of not only the music featured in the film, but also the unique characteristic that bluegrass and old-time music can have, feeling simultaneously nostalgic and modern. (The Bluegrass Situation)

Emily Smith & Jamie McClennan "Gala Water" (Video, 2021). »Since so much in life has been hard of late I have been convinced (perhaps against my better judgement!) to share with you a spoof video we filmed more than 10 years ago of our arrangement of Gala Water. We popped up to a local loch for a walk with good friends James Fagan and Nancy Kerr, and James filmed us having a lark about with this song. Not to be taken too seriously, hopefully it gives you a good giggle!!« Watch "Gala Water"!

Son of the Velvet Rat "Solitary Company" (CD, Fluffy & Gravy Records, 2021). Son Of The Velvet Rat is the musical endeavor of Georg Altziebler and Heike Binder, having left Austria's Graz for California’s Joshua Tree. Their songs build on old world cabaret traditions, fused with the old testament prophecy conjured by new world visionaries Van Zandt or Dylan. Watch "Solitary Company"!

Soo Line Loons "Soo Line Loons" (CD, Don’t Quit Your Day Job Records, 2021). Soo Line Loons fall under the Americana umbrella, but blend elements of folk, rock, punk, jam and just about everything else under the sun: “Folk to some and country to others. We like to think we’re bluesy ourselves.” It is their third release, but as Grant Glad explains, “On the previous albums, I would write the songs and bring them to the band to flesh out. On this one we all wrote the songs in the room while we were rehearsing. This really helped to create the Loons sound and is why we decided on a self-titled album name.” Check out the Soo Line Loons Youtube channel!

Amy Speace "There Used To Be Horses Here" (Video, 2021). Amy Speace is a Nashville-based former Shakespearean actress and folk/Americana singer-songwriter, which has been compared with Lucinda Williams. Watch the title track, "There Used To Be Horses Here", from her forthcoming album.

Jim Stanard "Arkansas" (Single/Video, 2021). Jim Stanard^[73] celebrates Black History Month with the single, "Arkansas", set in the historical Elaine Race Massacre of 1919. Featuring Bethany and Peter Yarrow, the latter recognized a kindred musical spirit in Stanard: "I was startled by how much the sound of Jim's voice combined with mine and Bethany's reminded me of Peter Paul and Mary. It made me proud to feel the legacy of that spirit live on, especially because Jim's songs carry a similar message."

Tejon Street Corner Thieves "Deal Rag", "Wayfaring Stranger" (Video, 2021). Colorado Springs outlaw alt-folk group, Tejon Street Corner Thieves, have announced the details for their new album Stolen Goods: Says Connor O’Neal, "These were the songs we played when the band first formed. Before we even started writing our own songs, these were the ones we’d play when we busked. And we’ve kept them around ever since." Shawn D’Amario adds, "The title 'Stolen Goods' was an easy choice for this album because we can’t take any credit for writing these. They are American traditional songs. They shaped music as we know it today. The rag songs turned into jazz, the blues songs turned into rock n roll. Like many before us, we stole them. And songs with that much history tend to be good ones!" Watch "Deal Rag" & "Wayfaring Stranger"!

Teyr "Shannon Frisk Arrivals" (Video, 2021). »We have taken the decision to push the release of Estren back to the 30th April. Sadly Estren won't be accompanied by a launch tour due to current restrictions, but rest assured we'll be hitting the road at a later date. We hope that this release can nonetheless lighten some hearts and help pave the way to a richer, more musical 2021.« (Teyr)^[61] "Shannon Frisk Arrivals" is a live version of Estren’s opening track, shot in 2019 at the Welsh Chapel in London.

Teddy and Richard Thompson "Woodstock Sessions Live In The Studio" (Video, 2020). New York songwriter Teddy Thompson joined up with his father, legendary UK artist Richard Thompson, for these exclusive Woodstock Sessions Live In The Studio. They cover Richard's classics "Persuasion" and "She May Call You Up Tonight" plus a song from Teddy's 2020 album "Heartbreaker Please" and a cover of Rod Stewart's "Cut Across Shorty".

Molly Tuttle "Live at Grimey’s" (Video, 2020). Molly Tuttle, noted for her flatpicking, clawhammer and crosspicking guitar prowess, performs songs from her new album '…but i’d rather be with you'^[73] live at Grimey's New and Pre-Loved Music in Nashville, TN.

Vandoliers "Every Saturday Night" (Video, 2021). Vandoliers is an American alternative country music group from Texas, formed in 2015 by Joshua Fleming following his discovery of the similarities between punk and country music. Watch "Every Saturday Night"!

Cristina Vane "Badlands", "Prayer For The Blind" (Single/Video, 2021). Born to a Sicilian-American father and a Guatemalan mother, Cristina Vane's debut album, "Nowhere Sounds Lovely," documents her summer-long tour across the United States powered by her signature take on folk, blues and rock music. Watch "Badlands" & "Prayer For the Blind"!

Le Vent du Nord et le Cirque Alfonse "La mère à l'échafaud" (Video, 2020). "La mère à l'échafaud", an artistic collaboration captured at the Centre culturel Desjardins in Joliette, Quebec: Our lives were turned upside down in 2020 but the year was rich in new experiences. While waiting to get back on the road to come and visit you, we are preparing a new album and adapting to the many changes. We send you our best wishes and offer you a video wishing that it brings hope and sweetness into your homes. Looking forward to 2021! (Le Vent du Nord)^[69]

Peter Veteska Blues Train "Grass Ain’t Greener On The Other Side" (CD, Own label, 2020). Not to be daunted by the particularly challenging year that is 2020, guitar man and vocalist Peter Veteska reloaded, regrouped, and recharged his band, Blues Train, to complete his fifth album. “Grass Ain’t Greener On The Other Side,” a 10-song set, is a departure from his previous jazz and funk influences, with the renowned hard-working guitarist going for a purer rock and blues sound. Watch ‘Heartbreaker’!

Brandi Vezina "Waiting on a Ring", "John Dillinger Type" (Single, 2020). Brandi Vezina is a Winnipeg singer-songwriter from a musical Metis family, whose country roots are intertwined with rock'n'roll and blues. Her singles in advance of her "#dontsettle" EP, to be released in May 2021, are inspired by experiences of friends going through messy divorces and intended to get people dancing and embracing being single. Watch "Waiting On A Ring" & "John Dillinger Type"!

Mark Viator & Susan Maxey "Where the Road Leads" (CD, Rambleheart Records, 2020). Since meeting at the Kerrville Folk Festival in 1991, Mark Viator and Susan Maxey have been on a musical journey from the Gulf Coast through the Rocky Mountains, the desert of New Mexico, and back home to Austin, drawing from classic country, blues, R'n'B, Cajun and Texas songwriters. Check out Susan Maxey's Youtube channel!

The Vignatis "Tour Eiffel" (Video, 2020). »It's been very difficult to not be able to perform and live streaming is just not the same. So in lieu of that, we continue to work on songs for our catalog and are discussing songs and directions for a new album.« From Tracy & Fabrice Vignati's third album "Let's Hit the Road: Gypsybilly Vol. 3",^[71] here's to when we can travel again: "Tour Eiffel"!

Michael Ward with Dogs and Fishes "Blind Spot" (CD, Own label, 2020). »Michael Ward has fronted many bands performing and recording his material all over California since 1974.^[56] The relentless and harrowing plod of empowered ignorance, incompetence and dishonesty that has dominated our lives here in America over the last few years has demanded a corrective response. So this is an album about perception; how we come to know what we think we know, who and what we believe and what the consequences are for those that hold those beliefs, for those who are affected by them and for those who oppose them. How is it possible for so many to ignore their obvious self interest, and the well being of those around them, in favor of a political ideology whose principle tenant seems to be self interest above all else. Denial is surely the modern disease.« Watch "My Neighborhood" & "Mendacity"!

Derek Warfield & The Young Wolfe Tones "The Spanish Lady" (Single/Video, 2020). »We know you all miss the live shows and performances and so do we. It's a tough time for everyone but in particular it's a tough time for entertainers and it looks like entertainers will be the last to get on the road again safely. We were thrilled to release a new single and video of The Spanish Lady to cheer everyone up. This is the very first song Derek ever recorded with Wolfe Tones 55 years ago, so we were all delighted to give it a bit of rejuvenation.« Check out Bandcamp and/or Youtube!

Tony Joe White "Boot Money" (Video, 2021). Tony Joe White (1943–2018), nicknamed the Swamp Fox, was an American singer-songwriter and guitarist, best known for his 1969 hit "Polk Salad Annie" as well as "Rainy Night in Georgia", first made popular by Brook Benton in 1970. Watch "Boot Money" [Official Video] from his posthumous album, 'Smoke from the Chimney.'

David Wilcox "Thanksgiving 2020" (Video, 2020). David Wilcox^[39] is been doing an annual Hometown Thanksgiving Homecoming show at the Grey Eagle in Asheville, North Carolina, bringing in friends from around town to perform with him for a heart-warming evening. At present we can't gather with friends, but the show goes on, and everyone everywhere now can attend David's Thanksgiving Hometown Livestream Show!

The Wild Irish Roses "Full Bloom" (CD, POE Records, 2019). The Wild Irish Roses are a ten-piece family band from New Paltz, New York, ranging from 11 to 23 years plus mom and dad, and performing happy-go-lucky bagpipe-party-folk-rock of the 1970s. Check it out @ Bandcamp & Youtube!

Brooks Wiliams, Findlay Napier, Boo Hewerdine & Kris Drever "Farewell to the Gold" (Video, 2021). Brooks Williams, Finlay Napier, Boo Hewerdine and Kris Driver join forces on the classic, "Farewell To The Gold." A folk-standard written by Paul Theodore Metsers, "Gold" came to the ears of many listeners through the incredible Nic Jones on his album, "Penguin Eggs."

Chelsea Williams "Skin and Bones", "Dust" (Video, 2021). »Despite the total dumpster fire that was last year, I am pushing myself to approach this year with hope, optimism and grit. In these unprecedented times, without being able to tour, I've been searching for a way to connect with you more directly. You can think of my Patreon page as my interactive digital tour. A place where we can meet up for online hangs, and you can get access to exclusive content.« (Chelsea Williams) Watch "Skin and Bones" & "Dust"!

Tim Woods "Vortex" (CD, Own label, 2020). For more than three decades, singer and guitarist Tim Woods' career as a solo artist and leader of the Woods Family Band has taken him on a long journey that includes forays into folk, blues, rock, and soul. The ten original tracks explore the idea that 'vortices' are swirling centers of energy, conducive to healing, meditation and self-exploration located in places where the earth seems especially alive with energy. Woods channels this notion to create an improvisational jam band rock 'n' roll meets psychedelic blues cantata. Watch “Vortex” (Official Music Video)!

Steve Yanek "across the landscape" (CD, Primitive Records, 2020). Chasing the sounds of CSNY, Eagles and Jackson Browne, Steve Yanek was a familiar face around the LA folk scene of the early 1980's. When a record deal fell apart and MTV changed the musical landscape, he chose the quiet life of rural Pennsylvania. Eventually, Steve Yanek is releasing his debut full-length album. Check out Steve Yanek's Youtube channel!

Yola "Hold On (Live at Play On: A Benefit Concert)" (Video, 2020). English singer Yola (Phantom Limb) performs her song "Hold On" with supporting vocals by The Highwomen and Sheryl Crow on the piano. This powerhouse performance was just one of many acts that joined the lineup for Play On: A Celebration of the Power of Music to Make Change. Play On is a concert benefit fighting for racial justice, equity and food security.

Various Artists

"The Black History of the Banjo" (Podcast, 2021). Béla Fleck, Rhiannon Giddens and Bassekou Kouyate stopped by The Black History of the Banjo podcast to trace the history of this most American of instruments from its ancestors in West Africa through the Caribbean and American South and into the present, as a new generation of Black women artists reclaim the banjo as their own.

"Chicken Ranch Records Presents: Somebody Has To Sing It, Townes Van Zandt LP Release and Hoot Night" (Video, 2020). Chicken Ranch artists and friends have covered the reimagined Townes Van Zandt^[63] album “Somebody Had To Write It”, which combines tracks and interviews from two 1990s albums, “Documentary” and “Last Rights” into an LP/Digital package. Check out “Somebody Had To Write It” virtual LP release party and hoot night, ft. Ian MacDougall, eaves, The Waymores, Chris Canterbury, Monty Russell, Walter Daniels & The Del Valle Trustees, Colin & Tammy Gilmore, Graham Weber, JD Torian, and JM Stevens.

"Down Home Blues: Miami, Atlanta, and the South Eastern States: Blues In The Alley" (CD, Wienerworld, 2020). Wienerworld is proud to present the fifth box set in their Down Home Blues series, this time exploring the African American blues scene in the Southeast. 83 remastered tracks featuring early recordings from Ray Charles (before his climb to fame with his bigger sounding jazz-tinged blues), Earl Hooker, Willie Baker, Willie Brown, Jerry McCain, Jimmy Wilson, and many more, plus a 78-page book featuring essays and photographs.

"Music From The Faroe Islands - Roots and Branches" (CD, Tutl Records, 2018). Tutl Records, the major record label of the Faroe Islands, presents the Faroese musical traditions brought into the present age. Ft. Eivør, Valravn, Kata, Yggdrasil, and many more. Revisit: "Faroe Islands Leading Record Label exists 25 years" (FW#12), "Eivør: Singing Star in the North Atlantic Sky" (FW#40)!

"Three Women & The Truth: Screw 2020" (Video, 2020). Let's kick 2020 out the door with Eliza Gilkyson,^[67] Gretchen Peters^[72] and Mary Gauthier!^[49] »This folk trio has been a favorite project of ours over the years - a really fun show that is based around thoughtful songwriting and musical camaraderie. The show will be aptly titled “Screw 2020” and will give us all an opportunity to close the door on a awful year with song and celebration of the arrival of 2021.« (E.G.) »For Nashvillians, 2020 was bookended by a deadly tornado and a downtown bombing. In between, of course, the pandemic. It's all too much. Let's hope the worst is in the rearview mirror, and that we can get back to doing what we love soon.« (G.P.) Watch Three Women and the Truth: Screw 2020!

"Tiny Desk Meets globalFEST: Dedicated Men Of Zion, Labess, Sofia Rei & DakhaBrakha" (Video, 2021). The Tiny Desk teamed up with New York City's globalFEST in 2021 for a thrilling virtual music festival. The online fest included four nights of concerts featuring 16 bands from all over the world, hosted by African superstar Angélique Kidjo, who performed at the inaugural edition of globalFEST in 2004. Watch the opening night, featuring the gospel sounds of the Dedicated Men of Zion, the flamenco and Gypsy jazz-influenced North African sounds of Labess, award-winning vocalist and songwriter Sofia Rei, who blends Argentine and other South American folk traditions with experimental pop and electronic music, and Ukranian rock band DakhaBrakha.

"70 cumpleaños de Tom Petty" (Video, 2020). »The first and (till now) only time I played "The Waiting" onstage was 10 years ago, in Avilés (Asturias, Spain). My friend Béznar Arias, musical promoter, was celebrating Tom Petty's 60th birthday with a live concert. "Jorge, you need to come play THE WAITING" "Ok, but when?" "What do you mean WHEN? Put the Rickenbacker in the car and drive to Avilés right away. The show is tonight and you're already late for soundcheck!" In the half hour highway drive between Oviedo and Avilés I learnt the words and chords. It's one of those songs that you think you know how to play until it's time to really figure out how it works. Ten years later we celebrate Tom's birthday again, and now I know I'll never get to see him live. And we celebrate from our homes/rehearsal/studios because once again Béznar insisted. He put together a wonderful video with performances from Spanish and international artists.« (Jorge Otero, Stormy Mondays)^[71]

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