By Joe Ross— Years ago, I predicted that by the time the members of the Steep Canyon Rangers were thirty, they would be well-known far and wide for their brilliant performances and excellent recordings. Now this tight unit from western North Carolina could be one of the most recognizable bands in bluegrass today. Besides having talent and youthful appeal, their…
Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival sets 2012 line-up
Tin Pan South, the pre-emiment songwriters festival, has just released its line-up for the 2012 event scheduled for March 27-31. It’s a wide-ranging collection of talent, spead over ten venues. Attendees can pay cover at the door or buy a weeklong pass that offers preferred access. Many of this year’s performers are songwriters who have also had successful recording careers, including…
New on chart: Carolina Chocolate Drops, Joan Osborne,Sugar + the High-Lows
The top three positions on the Americana music airplay chart remain steady this week, with Darrell Scott’s Long Ride Home, the Guy Clark tribute This One’s For Him and the Little Willies’ For the Good Times remaining first through third. Lyle Lovett’s Release Me jumps into #4 in just its second week. It’s also one of the three most-added albums,…
Review: The Hobart Brothers with Lil’ Sis Hobart
By Ken Paulson — Crosby, Stills and Nash offered up a successful template, but the merger of singer-songwriters in a group can have widely varying results. Souther-Hillman-Furay fell short of their promise; Bryndle never took off; the Thorns (Pete Droge, Shawn Mullins and Matthew Sweet) sounded great together, but that’s apparently as far as the harmony went. And then there…