Originally written for No Depression The punk kid inside Billy Bragg must have been amused (in some weird way) by the buzzing whirl of  Taylor Swift superfans, who dotted the lobby of his Nashville hotel the weekend of this year's Americana Music Association Festival and Conference. He'd come to Nashville to play some music, catch... Continue Reading →

Originally written for Folk Alley Let’s just get the Gillian Welch & Dave Rawlings comparison out of the way. Good, now we can listen more deeply. After all, Pharis & Jason Romero are artists unto themselves – instrument makers, songwriters, pickers extraordinaire. These two clearly have as much adoration and natural talent for the traditions of American... Continue Reading →

Originally written for Yes! magazine When a pair of writers expressed interest in publishing Pete Seeger: In His Own Words, one of Seeger’s first requests was “Don’t make me out to be a saint.” Banjo in hand, Seeger has championed causes from labor to civil rights to the environment, revived our oldest folk songs, and co-authored new... Continue Reading →

Originally written for Folk Alley For all the buzz that's been made about members of Black Prairie having performed for years as the Decemberists, one truth has stuck through their releases. This is a separate band built on a foundation of folk and bluegrass, and is by no means intended to be anything Decemberists-like. Sure, there's... Continue Reading →

Originally written for NoDepression.com Emily Saliers is many things - a Georgia native, a songwriter and foodie, a spiritual woman, a guitarist, a poet and an author. Right now she's got a Martin guitar in her hands - I don't know what model it is, but the sound is warm and full. She's just off... Continue Reading →

Originally written for NoDepression.com We're in the middle of the mountains, far from town. This is the domain of wild animals, dust and jutting monolithic rocks. There's a breeze and clouds and maybe three visible stars, but who's looking up? Brandi Carlile is alone on the stage down there, at the bottom of the amphitheater.... Continue Reading →

Originally written for No Depression It's hard to really imagine how life was in 1912, having not been there myself. From this end of the internet, it's a sepia-colored place where everyone dressed a little less casual than they do now, looked either freakishly dapper or remarkably filthy, but always proud and probably at least... Continue Reading →

Originally written for FolkAlley.com The relationship between music and spirituality has a history about as long as human beings have been capable of giving voice to their beliefs. In fact, there's reason to believe music has had a place in spiritual practice since before any of the contemporary religions even took root. Conversely, modern music would likely... Continue Reading →

Originally written for NoDepression.com There's a certain haze which gathers below the top of Bays Mountain some mornings after sunrise, some evenings, moments before dusk. It's like a sheer net someone has dropped on the hay, cascading down the hill toward the barn. In the distance are a few cattle, two donkeys. A pickup truck... Continue Reading →