Song Review – Hardy, Tim McGraw, Eric Church, Morgan Wallen – “McArthur”
A unique collaboration that gets your attention, “McArthrur” matches up slightly strange bedfellows to tell an epic story across generations, while remaining starkly relevant to a contemporary audience. Traditional Country (#510) on the Country DDS. A unique collaboration that gets your attention, “McArthrur” matches up slightly strange bedfellows to tell an epic story across generations, […]
Gail Swanson Salutes Rebel Mom In New Single “My Mama Marched”
(headline image: Gail Swanson – Photo by Bruce Forrester) Maui, Hawaii-based singer-songwriter Gail Swanson has released a new single, “My Mama Marched,” a tribute to… “I’ve always wanted to write a song about my mom and have had lots of ideas over the years but none of them ever felt good enough to represent the […]
Clamores Turns 45 And Gets “Al Compás” With Flamenco Fire
Madrid’s Sala Clamores (Calle Alburquerque) will mark its 45th anniversary with Clamores Al Compás, a flamenco-focused concert series. The shows will run throughput February, March,… Sunday, February 8: Recordando A Paco De LucíaThe anniversary program opens with a tribute to Paco de Lucía timed to the anniversary of his death. The lineup includes guitarists Diego […]
Album Review – Emily Scott Robinson’s “Appalachia”
What kind of towering power is music capable of? To bask in the audience of Emily Scott Robinson’s voice and songs, you feel like anything is possible through the marriage of words and melody. Folk-Inspired Americana (#570.1) and Country Folk (#575) on the Country DDS. What kind of towering power is music capable of? To […]
Georgia Shackleton announces new album “From the Floorboards” and shares ‘Ice King’
Marking 125 years since Ernest Shackleton’s Discovery expedition, Georgia Shackleton announces her new album, From the Floorboards–featuring a violin crafted from the explorer’s own floorboards. Accompanied by a haunting live performance of “Ice King” filmed aboard the RRS Discovery, it follows her solo debut Harry’s Seagull, praised as “one of the freshest and most appealing […]
Ernest Tubb Record Shop Closes AGAIN Amid Management Change
The ongoing saga of the historic Ernest Tubb Record Shop on Lower Broadway in Nashville just hit another devastating snag. It closed again on Thursday afternoon (1-15) after opening in October. But then hope was renewed when a group of investors that included Nashville studio musician Ilya Toshinskiy, Ernest Tubb’s grandson Ernest Dale Tubb III, […]
The Montvales share “World of Trouble” from new album
Cincinnati folk duo The Montvales have announced their third album, Path of Totality, arriving March 20 via Free Dirt. Reuniting with producer Mike Eli LoPinto, the duo shares the haunting lead single and video, “World of Trouble.” Written during the 2024 eclipse amidst national upheaval, the track positions Sally Buice and Molly Rochelson as cultural […]
Walters Brings Warm Island Pulse On Ti Love
David Walters is set to release his new album Ti Love on January 30, 2026, through Heavenly Sweetness. The project is his first full-length in… The title means “brotherly love” in Creole and aligns with the album’s themes of generosity and solidarity. Walters wrote portions of the material in the Martinican village where he scattered […]
All in the Sabar Family: Aba Diop Recasts a Tradition for New Ears
Aba Diop – Family (2025) Family is a courageous step forward for Senegalese percussionist Aba Diop, who repositions the wonderful sabar drum set at the… Diop, a griot from Dakar, assembled a group that brings together generations and continents. The lineup features tama (talking drum) player Samba Ndokh, kora virtuoso Noumoucounda Cissoko, bassist Thierno Sarr, […]
CMA CEO Sarah Trahern Retirement Ends an Era. Let’s Hope It Starts a New One
Sarah Trahern’s tenure at the CMA wasn’t really marked with any especially remarkable achievements or catastrophic mistakes. She wasn’t really vilified by purists or lauded by the industry. It’s so much more complicated than this… and that “bulk induction” is part of why Waylon Jennings opted not to attend. He didn’t want to be part […]