Sara Watkins of Nickel Creek on Growing Up Through Music
PopMatters talks with Sara Watkins of Nickel Creek about the beloved acoustic trio's vinyl reissues of their first three major studio albums.
progressive bluegrass
Chatham County Line Drum Up Something New for ‘Strange Fascination’
Bluegrassy Chatham County Line expand their sound into alternative country with a natural fluidity on Strange Fascination.
Albi & the Wolves Bring Their Bluegrass to New Heights on ‘This Is War’ (album stream) (premiere)
New Zealand bluegrass band Albi & the Wolves renovate their sound with their electrifying new album, This Is War.
The Infamous Stringdusters Follow the Light on ‘Rise Sun’
Progressive bluegrass band the Infamous Stringdusters follow up the Grammy-winning Laws of Gravity with Rise Sun, a journey into the light.
Greensky Bluegrass Plug in and Jam Out on ‘All for Money’
Greensky Bluegrass has always been a band prone to jamming, but in the studio, they have generally kept the songs briefer. But All for Money finds them confidently stretching out on multiple occasions. And they manage to make it work each time.
Mountain Heart’s Bluegrass Shows a Wide Range of Influences on ‘Soul Searching’
Mountain Heart is a veteran quartet who rely on their musical wisdom to create a polished yet rustic sound on Soul Searching.
Meadow Mountain Produce Mysticizing, Progressive Bluegrass with “Radio Waves” (premiere)
Gearing up for a self-titled debut produced by the Infamous Stringdusters' Chris Pandolfi, Meadow Mountain showcases their newgrass talents in the mystifying cool of "Radio Waves".
Punch Brothers – “Like It’s Going Out of Style” (track review)
Punch Brothers' "Like It's Going Out of Style" is the hushed final track on a relatively quiet but brilliantly composed collection of songs.
‘All Ashore’ Shows That the Punch Brothers Know Fully Who They Are Now
On their fifth studio outing, Punch Brothers sound more assured in their identity than ever -- which isn't necessarily a good thing.
Kyle Hollingsworth Counts Blessings, Years with New Album ’50’ (interview) (premiere)
String Cheese Incident keyboardist steps out for fourth solo album, talks songwriting, brewing and the importance of humor.
Chris Thile: Thanks for Listening (album review)
A collection of his "songs of the week" from Live from Here, Thanks for Listening finds Thile at more introspective moments.
Yonder Mountain String Band: YMSB EP13
Bluegrass for people who don’t really like bluegrass, Yonder Mountain hasn’t made much career progress for a band sometimes shuffled under the progressive bluegrass label.