‘All In’ Offers New Insight Into Justin Townes Earle’s Art
All In: Unreleased & Rarities is a fitting tribute to Justin Townes Earle, as the compilers had hoped, but it’s also a stellar set of music in any context.
alternative country
Joe Ely Is Still ‘Driven to Drive’ After 50 Years
Joe Ely’s new songs are full of colorful one-liners that contain the wisdom of the road as found in tall tales, folk wisdom, and poetic inspiration.
Yarn Unspool Themselves Once Again After Eight Years
Brooklyn Americana band Yarn’s new music on Born, Blessed, Grateful, & Alive reverberates with echoes of past classic rock and country from the 1970s and 1980s.
Jim Lauderdale Is at Peace in ‘My Favorite Place’
Jim Lauderdale is one of the last true country troubadours, and on My Favorite Place, he continues his Americana story with reliability and grace.
Songs: Ohia’s ‘Magnolia Electric Co.’ Remains a Dark Triumph
Songs: Ohia’s Magnolia Electric Co. remains a dark triumph in the face of adversity. It was the turning point and apex of Jason Molina’s brief life and career.
Emily Nenni Sings with a Twang on ‘Drive & Cry’
Emily Nenni’s Drive & Cry is an excellent example of how country music has evolved without necessarily changing. It all depends on who is singing.
Alejandro Escovedo Reinvents, Reinterprets, and Rediscovers
On Echo Dancing, Alejandro Escovedo’s musical personality shines, from romantic balladeer to nefarious punk, from heartland messiah to experimental maven.
Old 97’s’ ‘American Primitive’ Confronts the Here and Now
After spending a record ruminating about the past, Old 97’s are back and “better than brand-new”. American Primitive is timely and engaged with the larger world.
Old 97’s ‘American Primitive’ Sports Hits and Misses
Old 97’s American Primitive features some of their most vital work since their first decade as a group, but it’s front-loaded with the hits.
Minor Moon Brings a Hopeful Twang to the Apocalypse
Minor Moon’s LP is deeply adventurous but has a sharp, reflective eye on the rearview mirror. It’s a warm fuzz of country rock amidst a world falling apart.
What Wilco’s ‘Yankee Hotel Foxtrot’ Got Right About Music Streaming
Wilco’s net-streaming experiment with Yankee Hotel Foxtrot was part of the utopian promise for technology’s future, and it worked.
John Moreland Goes It Alone As a ‘Visitor’
John Moreland’s gift to listeners is rooted in his alienation, as on his latest album, Visitor. We visit his world as a way to find ourselves.