The best Americana albums are a multicultural, mixed-gender, cross-genre lineup of music that draws from country, folk, rock, blues, roots music, and bluegrass.
Rhiannon Giddens’ exploration of the extensive history of American music continues to be compelling and enlightening on You’re the One.
The 2022 Newport Folk Festival was one for the books. Appearances from two legendary American musicians (Paul Simon and Joni Mitchell) left people weeping in joy.
Despite a global pandemic, musicians were far more active in 2021 and had time to create their finest work. It resulted in some of the best albums in years.
These 15 folk albums are the year’s best because they represent folk music’s expanding roots while best serving a unifying, underlying hope.
Rhiannon Giddens, joined by collaborator Francesco Turrisi, has put together a set of new and traditional songs exemplifying her rootedness in music history.
Travel back five years ago when the release calendar was rife with stellar albums. 2015 offered such an embarrassment of musical riches, that we selected 80 albums as best of the year.
From the old guard reaffirming its status to upstarts asserting their prowess, personal tales voiced by true artists connected on an emotional level in the best Americana music of 2015.
Our Best 20 Americana albums of 2019 are a multicultural, polysexual, cross-genre lineup of cool Americana music that, as with the best parts of the American promise, pays tribute to the musical wells from which they spring but also takes the artform wherever their rugged individualism and talent-rich hearts lead them.
From forward-looking electronic and experimental to new approaches in the ever-evolving R&B scene, from hip-hop and punk to rock and pop, 2019 bestowed an embarrassment of musical riches upon us.
As we head into a brief summer publication break to enjoy the summer sun for a few days, it's the perfect time to take stock of the year in music so far. PopMatters returns to our normal publishing schedule on Monday, 8 July.
MacArthur genius grant winner Rhiannon Giddens' new album, there is no Other, invites us to do more than share our misery. It asks us to see ourselves as part of something bigger.
