Lambchop's Choir Answers Back
Kurt Wagner discusses Lambchop's 17th album, 'Punching the Clown,' in a conversation running from untrained singers and lined-out gospel to the difference between spiritualism and religion.
Roots Music
A Word for Melody, Mood, and Land — Wild Gods on 'The Glorious Abysmal'
Recorded in five days and sung in Gàidhlig and English, 'The Glorious Abysmal' draws on the waulking songs of the Hebrides, Georg Cantor's set theory, and the year Livingstone spent learning production alongside people leaving prison.
The Tune Isn't Fragile — Sophie Wellington on a Living Tradition
Raised in the Shenandoah Valley and jazz-trained at Berklee, Wellington discusses old-time repertoire, the constant calibration between dancing and playing, and the making of the solo album 'Her Bright Smile Haunts Me Still.'
Through a Glass Dimly — Matt Hinton Returns 'Awake, My Soul' to the Screen
Filmmaker Matt Hinton speaks about the technical resurrection of 'Awake, My Soul', the expanding world of Sacred Harp singing, and the difference between hearing this music on a recording, hearing it in a room, and standing in the middle of the square.
From the Sideman Seat to the Front Porch — Bob Wagner's 'I've Been Down'
With a cast of Nashville heavyweights and a philosophy borrowed from improv comedy, Burlington-based guitarist and songwriter Bob Wagner makes his long-overdue case for the front of the stage.
The Alien Americana of Phil Geraldi's 'Rural Deceased Undiscovered'
On his debut LP 'Rural Deceased Undiscovered,' the San Diego-based composer takes country music's familiar palette and divorces it from all human context, in pursuit of the universal hook buried beneath the American one.
Charlotte Cornfield's Hard-Won Reckoning
Charlotte Cornfield's album 'Hurts Like Hell' maps a songwriter's life from drink-ticket gigs in Montreal to the steadier ground of family, community, and creative confidence in Toronto.
Frank Fairfield — Around the World at 78 RPM
Born Frank Martinez and raised as a Mennonite in Guatemala, the self-taught musician scoured junk shops and swap meets around the country and abroad for 78 RPM records, reinventing himself as a pre-war folk and blues character during a brief recording career.
Sibyl and the Unbroken Channel
The Holgate sisters discuss their self-titled debut, the eccentric visionary women — from Hildegard von Bingen to Emily Dickinson — who populate their vocal lineage, and the uncanny resonance two siblings can achieve when they know each other almost too well.
Red Roses and Open Roads — The Amram Siblings Step Out
Alana incorporates her father David's beatnik wisdom into the EP 'Movies' while brother Adam channels Dylan-esque wanderlust on 'To The End', each forging distinct identities that occasionally converge for powerful family performances.
Phil Haynes, Free Country, and the Sound of Political Urgency
Jazz drummer Phil Haynes's string band Free Country reconvened after a decade to record original compositions, but hours before the first session, trumpeter Herb Robertson died, and the 2024 election delivered its verdict—the double album 'Liberty Now!' carries both griefs.
Unbroken Circle — Nick Shoulders Reclaims Ozark Tradition
The Fayetteville singer-songwriter discusses his solo album 'Refugia Blues,' his path from punk rock to the music his grandparents sang, and the resistance embedded in Southern Gospel and string band music.