Category Archives: alt.country

Twang Nation: Best of 2025 Americana and Country Music

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Country music didn’t need saving in 2025—it needed listening.
The records that mattered this year didn’t chase radio, algorithms, or nostalgia. They showed up with songs that knew where they were from and didn’t flinch when they said it out loud.
This is Twang Nation’s Best of 2025: real voices, real twang, and records built to last longer than the hype cycle and the typical tik-tok users attention span.

1. Summer Dean — The Biggest Life
A honky-tonk record that stands on discipline and restraint. Summer Dean doesn’t modernize or sentimentalize—she commits. Clean melodies, clear-eyed songwriting, and twang that carries its weight without decoration. One of the year’s most honest country albums.

2. Joshua Hedley — Neon Blue
Pure country, no costume. Hedley’s baritone and Bakersfield-informed sound feel lived-in, not revived. These are songs built the old way because the old way still works. Continuity country at its finest.

3. Ellis Bullard — Honky Tonk Ain’t Noise Pollution
Loose, funny, and sharp without winking. Bullard brings barroom wisdom and lived humor back to country music, letting rough edges stay rough. Proof that honky-tonk still has a pulse—and a sense of humor.

4.Riddy Arman — Silver Line
Minimalist Western twang where space does as much work as sound. Arman’s songs move slowly and land quietly, built for long roads and late hours. A record that trusts silence and earns it.

5. Rachel Brooke — Sings Sad Songs
Dark honky-tonk realism with no interest in redemption arcs. Brooke sings about regret and bad decisions without smoothing them over. Cold, clean twang that leaves the door shut when the song ends.

6. Kaitlin Butts — Roadrunner
Red Dirt storytelling rooted in place and consequence. Butts writes with specificity and strength, keeping the focus on people rather than scale. Twang that stays personal instead of performative.

7. Melissa Carper — Borned In Ya
Country that remembers how to swing. Upright bass, jazz-inflected phrasing, and a loose communal feel give this record warmth without softness. A reminder that twang once danced—and still can.

8. Rattlesnake Milk — Into the Black
Desert-baked, amp-blown twang with a dangerous streak. This record leans outlaw blues but earns its country stripes through attitude and refusal to behave. Raw, loud, and unapologetic.

9. Will Banister — Living the Dream?
Classic country singing as a craft, not a gimmick. Banister delivers well-built songs with effortless phrasing and emotional clarity. No irony, no updates—just country done right.

10. Sterling Drake — The Shape I’m In
Haunted, lonesome, and stripped close to the bone. Drake blends Appalachian and Southern roots into songs that feel written to survive, not succeed. Twang with scars still showing.

In 2025, the best country records didn’t beg for attention.
They trusted the song. They trusted the twang.
And they let the rest sort itself out.
That’s the music we can all stand behind.

Willie, Waylon, and the Real Reason The “Outlaws” Walked Away

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Photography©? @jimmarshallphoto
Photography©? @jimmarshallphoto

The common mythology of “outlaw country” paints Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, and their peers as hard-living renegades who defied Nashville through wild behavior, heavy drinking, and a refusal to play by polite society’s rules. While these personal traits were real and contributed to the legend, they obscure the deeper motivations and industry dynamics that gave rise to the outlaw movement. At its core, the outlaw revolt was less about bourbon-soaked rebellion and more about artists’ struggle for creative control, financial autonomy, and liberation from an exploitative recording system. Willie and Waylon were not rebelling against morality; they were rebelling against a business model.

Background: Nashville’s Tight Grip

By the late 1960s, Nashville’s music industry was a well-oiled machine. The “Nashville Sound” relied on producer-driven recordings, studio musicians, and a formula intended to reach a pop-leaning audience. Artists signed restrictive contracts that dictated:

What songs they recorded
Which producers they worked with
Which musicians played on their albums
How frequently albums were released
How royalties were allocated

Songwriting royalties often stayed with publishing companies. Production decisions were top-down. The artist’s identity became secondary to the system’s commercial efficiency. Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, and others bridled under this arrangement. Their “outlaw” stance grew from a desire to escape this machinery.

The Economic Roots of Rebellion

1. Control of Production

Willie and Waylon wanted the same autonomy that rock musicians were beginning to claim. In Austin, Willie discovered he could record with the band he wanted, in the style he wanted, without an executive dictating the sound. Waylon insisted on choosing his own musicians. RCA resisted, because it challenged the tightly controlled Nashville studio model. Their rebellion was fundamentally a labor negotiation: **the right to make their own music on their own terms.**

2. Ownership and Royalties

Under older contracts, artists earned little from their recordings. Producers and publishers captured most of the revenue. Willie and Waylon pushed for fairer royalty structures, ownership of masters, and the ability to keep more of what they created. This was not a drunken protest; it was a calculated effort to rewrite the business relationship between artist and label.

3. The Marketing of “Outlaw”

The irony is that the outlaw image itself became a financial engine. When RCA compiled *Wanted! The Outlaws* in 1976—the first country album to go platinum—they did so to capitalize on this identity. The album’s success proved that the outlaw stance had **market value**, and the labels embraced what they once resisted. The movement’s legend grew even as the industry profited from it.

There is no denying that Willie and Waylon lived rough at times. But their personal habits are not what made them outlaws. Plenty of Nashville artists drank hard and misbehaved. What separated Willie and Waylon was not behavior; it was **non-compliance with a business structure that demanded obedience.**

* If Waylon had been drinking but fully compliant, he would not have been an “outlaw.”
* If Willie had partied yet accepted creative confinement, he would have been simply another Nashville act.

Their outlaw identity emerged because they refused to be interchangeable parts in the Nashville machine. Behavior was the smoke. Control and money were the fire.

The outlaw movement reshaped the entire relationship between artists and the country music industry:

* Artists gained greater leverage in contracts.
* Self-production became more common.
* Labels increasingly marketed authenticity rather than formula.
* The boundaries between country, rock, and folk loosened.

In this sense, the outlaw revolt was a precursor to modern conversations about artistic rights, from ownership of masters to independence from labels.

The legend of Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings as hard-drinking outlaws makes great storytelling, but it obscures the truth. Their rebellion was fundamentally economic and creative, not behavioral. It was a fight for autonomy, for the freedom to define their own artistic identities, and for fair compensation in a system that historically denied both.

Outlaw country was not a revolt of whiskey bottles—it was a revolt of contracts.

Listen Up! Waylon Jennings – Songbird (2025)

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Even though Waylon Jennings’ latest posthumous release ‘Songbird’ spans 1973 to 1984, his voice is vivid and raw throughout. Shooter Jennings resists temptation to “smooth over” imperfections, allowing his grit and phrasing to shine. Shooter Jennings and engineer Nate Haessly leaned analog, mixing on vintage gear to preserve an organic feel. The occasional overdubs come from surviving members of The Waylors and guest vocalists, but it’s generally restrained and respectful to the original tapes.

Compiled and mixed by Shooter Jennings at Hollywood, CA’s hallowed Sunset Sound Studio 3, Songbird collects recordings produced in various studios by Waylon Jennings and his longtime drummer and co-producer Richie Albright, featuring members of his indelible backing band, The Waylors, including Albright and renowned pedal steel guitarist Ralph Mooney, along with such special guests as Tony Joe White, Jessi Colter, and more. Jennings’ reinterpretation of Fleetwood Mac’s “Songbird” is a standout. It imbues the gentle original with honky-tonk steel, strong back-beat, and an emotional delivery. The addition of Elizabeth Cook and Ashley Monroe on backing vocals gives it a delicate lift without crowding out Jennings’ growl.

— 4 of 5 stars —

Listen Up – Caroline Spence’s *Heart Go Wild’ (2025)

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*Heart Go Wild* is Spence’s fifth studio album, released August 29, 2025. It arrives after *True North* (2022), a record that leaned into vulnerability and emotional introspection. Since then, Spence has entered several new life phases: marriage, motherhood, and a period of creative recalibration. She describes ‘Heart Go Wild’ as giving herself “permission … to stay vulnerable and unfiltered … to stay in that wildness.the co-produced the album alongside Mark Campbell and Peter Groenwald, and the record is structured with 12 tracks.

Given Spence’s consistent track record for lyrical clarity and emotional candor, expectations were high: could she deepen her voice while also expanding her sonic palette? In many ways, *Heart Go Wild* succeeds.

One of Spence’s stronge’ leaned more toward introspection and quiet landscapes, ‘Heart Go Wild’ invites more movement — musically and thematically. Yet Spence never abandons what feels essential to her: clear melodies, expressive vocals, and lyric-driven storytelling.

“Effortless” (is a stand-out. The lyric is about “not settling” and trusting timing — a theme that seems to echo Spence’s artistic journey. The melody is graceful, the instrumentation supportive rather than showy, and the overall posture is one of quiet confidence. The album benefits from production that rarely gets in the way of the songs. Campbell, Groenwald, and Spence are careful to not over-embellish; arrangements often allow space for voice and lyric. In a few places, textures step in (strings, subtle percussion, atmospheric touches), but never in a way that distracts. The production feels like it serves the emotional arc of the record. The tracklist shows Spence working in multiple shades: from more immediate or mid-tempo songs to quiet ballads. She avoids monotony by varying pacing, instrumentation, and vocal dynamics. The title track “Heart Go Wild,” “Confront It,” and more playful songs like “Fun at Parties” offer contrast.

Standout Tracks
* “Effortless” — As noted, sharp in message and melody; a strong introduction to the record’s tone.
* “Soft Animal” — Echoes the more delicate side of Spence’s writing, offering vulnerability wrapped in subtle musical texture.
* Title Track, “Heart Go Wild”** — Acts as a thematic anchor.
* “Confront It” — Opens the album; sets up a tension-spill that gives shape to what follows.
* “Fun at Parties” — Provides contrast, lighter energy in a mostly introspective set.

Overall Take

*Heart Go Wild* is a mature, earnest, and quietly ambitious record. It doesn’t aim for bombast — instead, it leans into gentler evolution. For longtime fans, it feels like a natural next step, deepening rather than veering off course. For newcomers, it offers a compelling entry into Spence’s world: singer-songwriter grounded in emotion, with a voice that holds both fragility and resolve.

It may not always surprise you, but it will stay with you — in the spaces between the lines and the breath before her voice returns. And that feels exactly what Spence intended.

Rating 4 out of 5 stars

Record Store Day Announces 2025 RSD Releases

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Record Store Day has recently announced its list of exclusive titles for RSD Black Friday 2024, which happens on Aprl 12th. See here for the complete list.

Some of the notable country and roots-rock releases include:

The Blasters – An American Music Story: The Complete Studio Recordings 1979-1985 – The Blasters are one of the bedrock acts that formed the template for the “Americana” music movement in the 1980s. Since their inception in 1979, the core members of the band have been Phil Alvin and his younger brother, principal songwriter and guitarist Dave Alvin, drummer Bill Bateman and bassist John Bazz. The box set consists of the band’s four studio albums — American Music, The Blasters, Non Fiction and Hard Line– along with a bonus disc of rarities. The 5 LP set is packaged inside a hard cover slip case box with a 24-page book featuring extensive liner notes by music journalist Chris Morris and interviews with the band members. Includes rare photos from the band’s personal collection with memorabilia and collector’s item images, along with a rare promotional poster for the Non Fiction album. The hand-numbered set will be limited to 1,000 copies and available only in the US. A must have for fans of the legendary American music band.

Jeff Bridges– Slow Magic, 1977-1978 – 3 “Music is the weed that keeps popping out of the concrete in my life. It just seems to want to come out.” –Jeff Bridges
Culled from a single decaying cassette tape labeled “July 1978,” these recordings are a window into the secret musical life of the Dude. Even after becoming one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, Bridges spent all his free time jamming and recording with a trusted circle of musicians composed of childhood friends, artists, and assorted L.A. oddballs. Imagine The Band playing at CBGB with The Exploding Plastic Inevitable. Or Arthur Russell and the Talking Heads collaborating on a suite of mutant disco. Though Bridges and his friends were brought up around the movie industry, they decided to create their own private musical universe, where they could be as weird as they wanted.
•All tracks previously unreleased
•20-pg booklet including liner notes by Sam Sweet, new interview with Jeff Bridges, and never-before-seen archival photos
•Featuring Burgess Meredith (Rocky)
•Vinyl pressed on transparent blue wax at RTI

Patsy Cline – Imagine That: The Lost Recordings (1954-1963) – Imagine That: The Lost Recordings (1954-1963) gathers unreleased performances of legendary country singer Patsy Cline. Though some have traded as bootlegs, all tracks are officially available in this collection and presented for the first time on vinyl. Expertly curated by discographer George Hewitt, this release provides a comprehensive selection of both rare cuts and live versions of chart hits. Introducing 15 new songs, such as “The Wrong Side of Town” and “Old Lonesome Time,” this marks the first new release of a Patsy Cline album in 13 years and is fully endorsed by the Patsy Cline Estate. Presented in loose chronology, this set traces the evolution of Patsy’s artistry from regional beginnings as a featured vocalist with Bill Peer’s Melody Boys in 1954 to hosting radio shows as a national headliner by 1963. Every period of Patsy’s storied career is represented in the tracklist and the book features insights and commentary on the music, the production, the era, and Patsy. Of special note, this collection offers the long sought “missing middle” by including many recordings from the pivotal year of 1959. Then a proud young mother, Patsy relocated to Nashville and soon after joined the cast of the Grand Ole Opry. A string of timeless hit records followed for posterity. This limited and numbered 2 LP set is pressed on 180g vinyl and released for Record Store Day 2025.

Ry Cooder – The Main Point – Live 1972 – The first-ever archival release from Warner’s vaults featuring the legendary songwriter, composer, and producer Ry Cooder. This collection includes a rare solo performance recorded at The Main Point in Bryn Mawr, PA, on November 19, 1972. While one track from this performance appeared on a Warner promotional release in 1972, this marks the first time the entire set will be available on black vinyl.

Cowboy Junkies– More Acoustic Junk – a new collection celebrating the iconic sound of Cowboy Junkies in stripped-down form.This Record Store Day exclusive release features five brand-new acoustic recordings alongside five tracks from the original Acoustic Junk album—three of which have been remixed for this compilation. Known for their haunting melodies and introspective songwriting, the band’s acoustic arrangements showcase the raw beauty and emotional depth that have captivated fans for decades. 180g Yellow Vinyl, Polylined inner sleeve, 3mm Spined LP Sleeve.

Hank III– Rebel Within – Unlike most post-millennium country “outlaws,” Hank Williams III has actually been fighting against something concrete instead of just nursing a bad attitude. Hank III likes his music as strong as his drink, and includes both his hard-edged trad-styled country and his “hellbilly” thrash metal project Assjack. There’s an undercurrent of metal/punk creeping through a few tracks on Rebel Within (the bursts of Cookie Monster vocals on the title cut and the breakneck finale of “Drinkin’ Over Momma”), but for the most part, this is the most straight forward country music Hank III has released since 2002’s Lovesick, Broke and Drifitin’; Billly Contreras fiddle, Andy Gibson’s steel guitar, and Johnny Hiland’s guitar give these songs a classic acoustic honky tonk feel while adding just enough electric elements to keep this from sounding like an exercise in retro-nostalgia. More than one writer has noted that Hank III sounds a lot more like his grandfather Hank Williams than his dad Hank Willimas Jr. ever did, and he writes the kind of melodies that suit his weathered, soulful twang just right. Rebel Within captures a tone of bad luck and trouble with a grace and gravity that’s manna from heaven for fans of 100-proof roadhouse music. Rebel Within is strong, heartfelt work that proves Hank III hasn’t turned his back on pure country music. Pressed on acid-washed colored vinyl!

The Jayhawks– Blue Earth -The Jayhawks’ second album, released on Twin-Tone Records, has not been on LP since it was originally issued in 1989. This Record Store Day 2025 release includes a 7” EP with four bonus tracks never on vinyl.

Ralph Stanley– Man of Constant Sorrow – Ralph Stanley cut his first recordings with the Stanley Brothers in 1947, and nearly 70 years later, is still one of the leading stars of bluegrass music, as well as one of the towering figures of American roots music. Long a hero in bluegrass circles, Stanley broke through to mainstream popularity in 2000 with his striking performance of “O Death” in the movie O Brother, Where Art Thou?, and since then he’s continued to record and perform, teaching new fans about the beauty and history of mountain music.On Man of Constant Sorrow, Stanley and his latest edition of the Clinch Mountain Boys are joined by a diverse cast of vocalists who help perform a collection of bluegrass classics; guests include Robert Plant, Dierks Bentley, Ricky Skaggs, Jim Lauderdale, Gillian Welch, Buddy Miller, David Rawlings, Old Crow Medicine Show, and many more. 12″ LP, Coke Bottle Clear vinyl, 4/C Gatefold Jacket, 4/C Inner Sleeve.

Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives– Space Junk – Space Junk, a 20-track double LP, is the first full instrumental album from country legend Marty Stuart And His Fabulous Superlatives. This limited-edition release features previously unreleased recordings, focusing on a celebrated aspect of Marty’s longstanding recording career. “Dreamcatcher”, the artwork for Space Junk, has been provided by Herb Alpert of Tijuana Brass and A&M Records fame.

Record Store Day Announces 2024 RSD Black Friday Exclusive Titles

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Record Store Day has recently announced its list of exclusive titles for RSD Black Friday 2024, which happens on Friday, November 29. See here for the complete list.

Some of the notable country and roots-rock releases include:

Allman Brothers Band – Manley Field House, Syracuse NY April 7 , 1972 – 3 x LP – The complete live recording of the Allman Brothers Band’s April 7, 1972 performance at Manley Field House at Syracuse University in Syracuse NY. The two disc set is pressed on Syracuse colors of orange and blue, and numbered for RSD Black Friday.

Dickey Betts & Great Southern – Southern Jam New York 1978 – 3 x LP – This 110-minute concert performance from the legendary Allman Brothers Band guitarist was recorded at the Calderone Concert Hall on Long Island, New York on August 11, 1978. The show features thirteen tracks including the ABB classics “Jessica”, Southbound”, “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed”, “Blue Sky” and “Ramblin Man” along with tracks from the 1977 album from his band, Great Southern. The live performance was previously released digitally and on CD in 2017, but this triple LP set will be packaged in a gatefold sleeve with new liner notes and photos.

The Blasters – Over There: Live at The Venue London 1982, The Complete Concert – 2X LP – On their first international tour, in May of 1982, Americana music legends The Blasters were recorded at the Venue in London England. Six of those tracks were released on Slash Records as a 12” EP later that year. Four more tracks were uncovered and included on the Rhino/Warner Bros anthology album Testament in 1997. As part of a new catalog deal for the Blasters recordings with Liberation Hall, the label has uncovered the thirteen remaining tracks and is releasing the complete concert.
The show found The Blasters firing on all cylinders as they were taking off in London, after Shakin Stevens’ version of the Dave Alvin-written “Marie Marie” hit the top 20 of the UK charts. It is quintessential listening, and a magical music moment uncovered for any fan of the band. The RSD Black Friday classic black vinyl double LP exclusive is housed in a gatefold sleeve with new liner notes, rare photos and memorabilia images.

The Byrds/Buffalo Springfield – Live at the Monterey International Pop Festival – 2X Lp – The two most important American rock bands performing at the Monterey International Pop Festival—Buffalo Springfield and The Byrds—had one thing in common: David Crosby. These sets mark a pivotal moment in Crosby’s career: One of his final performances before leaving The Byrds and, sitting in with Buffalo Springfield at the request of Stephen Stills, the beginnings of the partnership that would become Crosby, Stills, and Nash. While the sets by Otis, The Who, Janis Joplin, and Jimi Hendrix were revolutionary moments, these sets by The Byrds and Buffalo Springfield tell a different story, of one artist’s evolution that in turn changed rock music itself.

Buck Owens – I’ve Got A Tiger By The Tail – LP – Out of print on vinyl since the ’70s, this prime slab of ’65 Buck is Buck at his best. Topping the country charts and being named the Billboard Country Album Of The Year, the interest in this album never waned. This is THE Buck Owens album to own, as it is the apex of his career with the Buckaroos. Don Rich never sounded tighter (and even throws a guest vocal with “Wham Bam”). There has never been a more distinctive nor instantly recognizable sound in country music than Buck Owens, and this album is reflective of that. There are a handful of hits on this one, including the title track, “Cryin’ Time,” and “Memphis.” If you only have room for one Buck Owens album, well, this is it! Cut all analog and pressed on orange vinyl for RSD Black Friday
2024.

Leon Russell – Hymns Of Christmas – Lp – For the first time on vinyl, Dark Horse Records reissues Leon Russell’s 1995 instrumental album Hymns of Christmas, offering a unique and reflective take on traditional holiday music. Featuring Russell’s masterful piano playing as the centerpiece alongside intricate orchestral arrangements, the album features ten holiday classics including “O Holy Night,” “Silent Night,” and “Away in a Manger. Hymns of Christmas stands as a testament to Leon Russell’s versatility and his gift for creating deeply moving recordings.

Review: Lucero – Should’ve Learned by Now

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In a time of sobriety the alt-country Memphis rockers bring us a round and and takes us back to the rowdy old days.

There was a time, in the early 90s, when if you swung a cat youâ’d hit a country influenced rock band. Local hers Slobberbone and the Old 97s as well as the underground kings, Uncle Tupelo. The Drive-By Truckers developed in their wake and MTV brought Lone Justice, The Georgia Satellites and Jason and the Scorchers into unsuspecting suburban households. Dwight Yoakum moved from the L.A. underground to start a neo-trad movement as he and his skin tight jeans took off into stardom.

These days, unfortunately, alt.country bands are as rare as hen’s teeth. Well, good ones anyway.

Stalwarts of the genre Luceros dirty dozenth release blasts out of the shoot with Roy Berry beating his cowbell like a rented mule. Brian Venable rips into his guitar then pulls back into a tasteful melody and Rick Steff tickles the ivories with an E. Street wide throttle. Vocalist Ben Nichols has had enough of a bar fly buzzing around his whiskey. “It wasn’t like I came here thinking, ‘Man, this bar is great to drink in’,” Nichols declares in his familiar velvet-gravel voice, “It’s one more ‘fuck you,’ that’s it and I’m gone.”

The redneck rave-up “Macon If We Make It” is about waiting out a gale force in some Florida bar while reminiscing about another Gail forcing herself into his mind.

“The bar starts to sink
And all my ears do is ring
I heard you crying
All I hear’s wind howling now”

“At the Show,” is Nichols reflecting back on life as well as the audience as he puts himself in their boots. All the while hoping that a certain young lady will come around and hear his song he’s written just for her.

“Nothing’s Alright” is an epic heart buster that could easily bring a tear to even the hardest soul.

“But I don’t think about her anymore
The way she looked when she walked through the door
We all fell hopelessly in love
Now I don’t think about her much”

Lucero has dicked around with horns and blues scales recently, which I’d all fine and good. But this is the band at their best. Lean songs for troubled times. Simple love and a fistfight between friends.

And whiskey all around. God bless alt.country and Lucero.

Son Volt Continue To Inspire And Challenge On Electro Melodier Set For Summer Release

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Son Volt - Electro Melodier

It’s been a couple of years since Alt.country stalwarts Son Volt last release, Union and Jay Farrar and company have not been idle in these pandemic times. Their tenth studio album will be released July 30th and will feature Son Volt’s current lineup of Mark Spencer, Chris Fame, Mark Patterson and Andrew DuPlantis..

The title, Electro Melodier, is taken from the names of two vintage amplifiers from the late ‘40s and early ‘50s, and will feature more intimate and socio-political musings from Farrar, who originally set out to make a nostalgic record that paid tribute to the music of his youth.

“I wanted to concentrate on the melodies which got me into music in the first place,” Farrar said in a statement. “I wanted politics to take a back seat this time, but it always seems to find a way back in there.”

The first cut from Electro Melodier is “Reverie,” (below) a song of hope and sepia memories laced with organ swells and chiming guitar.

Pre-order Electro Melodier.

The follow-up to 2019’s acclaimed release Union, Electro Melodier finds band founder Jay Farrar’s unparalleled songwriting as poignant and intelligent as ever. Electro Melodier touches on the thought-provoking issues that impact us all, including the pandemic, love, and the inevitable passing of time. The current political divide makes its appearance on the album as well. “I wanted to concentrate on the melodies which got me into music in the first place,” says Farrar. “I wanted politics to take a back seat this time, but it always seems to find a way back in there.”

“Livin’ in the USA” echoes protest songs of old, highlighting both the breakdown of our culture and planet. “Share a little truth with your neighbor down the block, We’ve all got fossil fuel lungs while we run out the clock,” Farrar sings. “The Globe” reverberates with the tensions that arise with the fight for equality. “People climbing skyward stairs, Deciders of their fate, You can see it everywhere, Change is in the air…” The sentimental “Diamonds and Cigarettes,” featuring vocals by country singer Laura Cantrell, lovingly pays homage to his wife, while “Lucky Ones” is a weary tale of gratitude.

Electro Melodier features band members Mark Spencer (piano, organ, acoustic slide, lap steel, backing vocals) Andrew DuPlantis (bass, backing vocals), Chris Frame (guitar) Mark Patterson (drums, percussion). Son Volt will take Electro Melodier on the road with select tour date in summer and fall. See below and for tickets go to https://sonvolt.net/.

Farrar started Son Volt in 1994 after leaving the seminal group Uncle Tupelo, whose No Depression album helped define the alt-country and Americana genre. Son Volt’s debut Trace was heavily lauded and remains a defining document of the ’90s alt-country movement. Two decades later, the group continue to decidedly capture the times while breaking new musical ground on Electro Melodier.

Chris Thile & Folk Alliance Int’l: 10 Collaborations for COVID Relief

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Folk Alliance International commissioned ten musical collaborations between U.S.-based and global artists, applying their exceptional talent to address this moment in history, presented in partnership with Chris Thile.

The first is out today, featuring John Paul White and Rose Cousins (below) Each will be available via the FAI YouTube channel every two weeks. The whole project also asks folk fans to contribute to FAI’s COVID-relief Village Fund and each video features Thile speaking on its importance at the close of each video. Fans can donate to the Village Fund.