Billy Strings new album, Me and Dad, due out November 18

 Bluegrass sensation Billy Strings has announced the release of his new album, Me and Dad, due out November 18, 2022.  

Howlin Rain Announce 'Under The Wheels, Vol. 5: Live From Pioneertown

(From Calabro Muisc) On October 14, via Howlin Rain vocalist and songwriter Ethan Miller's own Silver Current Records, Howlin Rain will release Under The Wheels, Vol. 5: Live from Pioneertown. This latest entry to the "Under the Wheels" live series showcases songs from the band's 2021 studio album, The Dharma Wheel, as well as, two fan favorites from 2008's Magnificent Fiend.

Dustbowl Revival Release Video For New Track “Set Me Free”

 (From All Eyes Media) - Eclectic Los Angeles band Dustbowl Revival have released the title track to their forthcoming digital EP, Set Me Free (out October 28th via Antifragile Music). A funk-inspired riff opens “Set Me Free” before the burst of horns that lead into a thick, sustained groove. 

Nordic Indie Folk-duo Tuomo & Markus share, “Love Coming Down”

 

(From Big Hassle) Acclaimed Nordic indie folk duo Tuomo & Markus have shared their latest single, “Love Coming Down,” available now via Schoolkids Records/Grandpop Records at all DSPs and streaming services. 

Musically inspired by the studio songcraft of Steely Dan and galvanized thematically by the #metoo movement, “Love Coming Down” heralds the upcoming release of Tuomo & Markus’s long-awaited new album, Game Changing, arriving everywhere on Friday, October 14. Pre-orders are available now. 

Charlie Ballantine new album, "Falling Grace" and video for "Fix You" out now

 Innovative guitarist Charlie Ballantine's latest album Falling Grace is out now along with a video for his take on Coldplay's "Fix You." 

Essentials: The top 10 Townes Van Zandt songs

 It never gets old to revisit the music of Townes Van Zandt. Recently Baltimore singer/songwriter Caleb Stine and I dug deep into Van Zandt's catalog and complied the ten essential tracks that define his music.

Brooklyn-based alt-country/Americana artist Matthew Check shares new single "Old Wooden Floor"

(From Baby Robot Media) On the heels of The Bridgeford Sessions EP, Matthew Check describes his forthcoming record, Without a Throne (out September 30), as a "coda" to those very sessions. An American roots musician whose career encompasses everything from Emmy-nominated bluegrass bands to critically-acclaimed solo albums, Matthew Check has never been afraid to mine his personal life — including the vices, victories, loves, and losses of a man who's spent much of his adulthood in a creative whirl — for musical inspiration. “The music I record is written when I’m in the depths of despair,” muses Brooklyn-based singer/songwriter Matthew Check about his process of composing music. “It’s usually very painful, dark and depressing.” 

Interview: Yonder Mountain String Band’s Adam Aijala on getting outside

 It was great to catch up with my man Adam Aijala from Yonder Mountain String Band to chat about their new album 'Get Yourself Outside.' Swing by AmericanaUK to check it out.

"A few short months later the world shut down due to COVID. The band was undeterred and sent out to write a new album in this odd new world. The result is the stunning ‘Get Yourself Outside’. An album that exemplifies the best of Yonder with their forward-thinking approach to bluegrass, while at the same time finding new sonic ground upon which to explore, as well as highlighting the recent addition of Nick Piccininni."

Interview: Yonder Mountain String Band’s Adam Aijala on getting outside

Chris Castino & Fresh Pickles

It has been such a treat to listen to my man Chris Castino's new album "Fresh Pickles." Chris set out with Wisconsin based bluegrass outfit CHICKEN WIRE EMPIRE to re-imagine tunes from his deep The Big Wu catalog. The result is the stunning “Fresh Pickles,” which is both comfortable and eye-opening at the same time.

“Fresh Pickles” represents a complete reinvention of classic Wu/ Castino tunes – there’s new life and soul breathed into each song. I have been listening to the music of the Big Wu nearly 25 years and this album has rediscovered new avenues upon which to explore each song. Its like hearing all of them again for the first time.

Swing by Slide & Banjo to see what we talked about then go check out the album.

CHRIS CASTINO: FRESH PICKLES, CHICKEN WIRE EMPIRE, AND THE SOUL OF JACKSON COUNTY

Americana Roots: Armchair Boogie

My latest Americana Roots column for AmericanaUK features the funky newgrass of Wisconsin’s Armchair Boogie. Armchair Boogie is a band whose music is a non-stop, high-energy, party-inducing, thought-provoking, cavalcade of good-times.

Americana Roots: Armchair Boogie