WMOT, the fast-growing Americana radio station based at Middle Tennessee State University outside of Nashville, is gearing up for its first festival at Hop Springs Park on May 31 and June 1. It’s a remarkable line-up featuring legendary artists like Rodney Crowell and Delbert McClinton, as well as terrific newcomers like the War and Treaty and Liz Brasher. Overall, it’s…
Category: Nashville music
Americana One #36 Aaron Lee Tasjan
Aaron Lee Tasjan’s “Karma for Cheap” is one of our favorite albums of the past year. It’s adventurous, engaging and draws on the musical influence of a multitude of great artists. We wanted to talk to Aaron largely to figure out what’s in his record collection.
New: Tim Easton’s “Exposition”
By Paul T. Mueller — Nashville-based singer-songwriter Tim Easton takes his wandering troubadour persona pretty seriously. For his latest project, Exposition, he hit the road to record in several musically significant locations: the Okfuskee Historical Society in Okemah, Oklahoma,where Woody Guthrie was born; the Gunter Hotel in San Antonio, Texas, where Robert Johnson made his historic recordings back in 1936, and…
Americana One #34: A conversation with Elizabeth Cook and Carlene Carter
Describing Elizabeth Cook and Carlene Carter as kindred spirits doesn’t begin to cover it. We were about 10 minutes into our conversation with Elizabeth when Carlene dropped by. What followed was a highly entertaining, engaging and candid conversation about both women’s lives and careers – and how the two first connected.
Review: Red Dirt Boys’ Cayamo Edition
By Paul T. Mueller Not every backing band can make an album that stands on its own, but the Red Dirt Boys are not just any backing band. Emmylou Harris’ touring outfit – guitarist/mandolinist Will Kimbrough, bassist Chris Donohue, drummer Bryan Owings and keyboardist/guitarist Phil Madeira, with all but Owings contributing vocals – are excellent musicians on their own. But they…
Americana One #33 Steve Poltz Shines On
We met Steve Poltz in Nashville on July 4th, 2017 when he happened to walk into a local club where we were holding one of our free speech in music nights. He wasn’t on the bill, but about two minutes into his visit, he committed to performing. That spontaneity and commitment show up big time on his just-released album “Shine…
Interview: Sarah Potenza and her “Road to Rome”
Paul T. Mueller talks with Sarah Potenza about her new album “Road to Rome” before she takes the stage at the Mucky Duck in Houston.
Merle Hazard’s atonal salute
Merle Hazard ‘s new video on atonal music is brilliantly weird, and features a great line-up of Alison Brown, Tammy Rogers King, Trey Hensley, Claire Lynch and Missy Raines.
Steve Poltz at the 30A Songwriters Festival
Steve Poltz has something that most of the artists at the 30A Songwriters Festival can only dream of – an honest to goodness hit song. But his “You Were Meant For Me,” co-written and recorded by Jewel in the mid-’90s, was actually a bit of an impediment as Poltz tried to develop his own solo career. In this interview excerpt…
New: Bill Lloyd’s “Working the Long Game”
Americana Music News – Nashville’s Bill Lloyd is following up his engaging “It’s Happening Now” with “Working the Long Game,” a collection of compelling new songs, including co-writes with pop songwriting legend Graham Gouldman (“Bus Stop,” “For Your Love”) Aaron Lee Tasjan, Cheap Trick’s Tom Petersson, Freedy Johnston, Buddy Mondlock, Pat Buchanan, David Surface and more. This trailer offers a quick spin through the new album.
Americana Grammy Nominees unveiled
The just-released Grammy nominations are a big win for Americana long before the final ballots are announced. Brandi Carlile and Kacey Musgraves are front and center in the most prominent categories in the music industry.
Show 30: Kathy Mattea and her “Pretty Bird”
t’s been too long since a new Kathy Mattea album, but that’s been remedied with the release of “Pretty Bird,” a vibrant collection that includes outstanding versions of Mary Gauthier’s “Mercy Now” and Bobbie Gentry’s “Ode to Billie Joe.”
Show #28 Will Hoge’s “My American Dream”
At a time of intense polarization, surprisingly few artists have used their music to reflect their political beliefs. Will Hoge is the laudable exception to that, as evidenced by his compelling new collection of socially conscious songs.
Gary Nicholson’s “God Help America”
We had the privilege of having Nashville songwriting great Gary Nicholson join us for the 20th anniversary of Freedom Sings, a fundraiser for First Amendment education at the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville. He shared this amazing new composition with us. It’s truly a song for our time.
Pilgrimage Festival This Weekend Sept. 22 and 23
Pilgrimage has been a welcome addition to the mid-South music scene, offering a happy medium between the massive Bonnaroo and the generally small venues of the sprawling Americana Festival.
Americanafest 2018: A singular week of music in Nashville
We’re just 2 days away from the launch of the Americana Music Conference and Festival – Americanafest 2018 – on Tuesday in Nashville, the number one musical event in a city devoted to them.
Podcast 21 The Milk Carton Kids and Seth Timbs
In this episode of the Americana Music News Podcast, The Milk Carton Kids – Joey Ryan and Kenneth Pattengale – talk about the duo’s career, the mixed blessing of being compared to Simon and Garfunkel and their rich new album “All the Things That I Did and All the Things That I Didn’t Do.”
New: Michael Kelsh’s “Harmony Sovereign”
Michael Kelsh first came to our attention in 2001 with the release of his excellent “Well of Mercy.” A mere 16 years later, we have “Harmony Sovereign,” a compelling new collection. Little wonder that the album contains 16 beautifully crafted songs.
Podcast 19 Beth Nielsen Chapman’s “Hearts of Glass”
Beth Nielsen Chapman is a special songwriter and artist, evidenced in part by her recent election to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. But that honor would have come as no surprise to those who have heard her remarkable run of recordings. She’s the rare writer who can share deeply personal experiences through music, yet also write universally embraced songs like “This Kiss” and “Happy Girl.”