Quarantine Hoedown Livestreams (Sarah Shook, Vandoliers, Bela Fleck, Abigail Washburn, more)

Today’s Livestreams (Friday, March 20):

Bloodshot Records Virtual SXSW Day Part. 2PM-9PM via Facebook Live/a>. Live performances by Unkle Schmidty, Jason Hawk Harris Sarah Shook, The Waco Brothers, Rookie, Big Cedar Fever & Vandoliers!

Rhett Miller “pay-what-you-can” performance on Stageit at 9pm EDT, 6pm PDT. “Yes it’s weird, but what isn’t these days. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to continue to do the thing I love, and to be able to connect with y’all.”

American Aquarium frontman BJ Barham continues playing AA albums in their entirety. Tonight is Night Four: Wolves – 5:00 PM PDT via Stageit

Bela Fleck & Abigail Washburn Announce ‘Banjo House Lockdown’ Live Stream 7 p.m. ET Facebook Live

Happy Hour w/ Ben & Alex of The Brothers Comatose 4 PM – 5 PM PDT via Facebook Live

Joshua Fleming (Vandoliers) 8pm CST on Facebook Live.

Third Man Records hosts “Third Man Public Access,” a series of live-streamed performances from their Blue Room in Nashville, broadcast on Youtube at 1 PM ET daily. Details here.

Read More: Today’s self-isolation livestreams (BB King tribute, Colin Meloy, Baxter Dury, Ultra Fest, more) | http://www.brooklynvegan.com/todays-self-isolation-livestreams-b-b-king-tribute-baxter-dury-ultra-music-festival-more/?trackback=tsmclip

Wade Bowen’s Wade’s World “Quaranstream” straight from his man cave in New Braunfels Texas. Featuring Cody Canada – Facebook Live– 8 PM CST.

Robert’s Western World – The famous lower Broadway honky-tonk remains closed to the public, but it’s stage features some of Nashville’s finest. Joshua Hedley, Sara Gayle Meech, and Rachel Hester are just some of the RWW regulars keeping the twang alive. Facebook Live.

Livestreams (Saturday, March 21):

Mercy Bell will perform at 8pm CST/9pm EST via Facebook Live

Drop Dead Dangerous 7 PM EDT on Facebook Live.

Livestreams (Sunday, March 22):

American Aquarium frontman BJ Barham continues playing AA albums in their entirety. Tonight is Night Six: the newest release ‘Laminations’ – 5:00 PM PDT via Stageit

Sunny Sweeney – Live from Quarantine Prison Blues (Everywhere) – 7 PM – 10 PM – Facebook Live

Cream of the Crop – Twang Nation Top Americana and Roots Music Picks of 2019

2019 continued to be a stellar year for Americana and roots music, but with the genre’s growing popularity it’s getting harder to find off the beaten path talent. Since starting this blog finding great music has moved from rutting through a forest of the mundane to dig up occasional tasty sonic truffles to having mounds of music arrive in my inbox.

This is a good problem to have but it’s a growing concern that I’ve probably missed something great out on the fringes. I hope to continue to look for those artists in the upcoming new year.

Below are the albums that have stuck with me for a variety of reasons. Winnowing down to only 10 is getting harder each year for reasons outlined above and I’m sure my list will not reflect the subjective preferences of all.

Criteria – Calendar year 2019. No EPs, live, covers or re-release albums no matter how awesome.

Don’t see your favorite represented? Leave it in the comments and here’s to a new year of twang.

Mike and the Moonpies – Cheap Silver & Solid Country Gold [artist site | buy]
Kendell Marvel – Solid Gold Sounds [artist site | buy]
John Paul White – The Hurting Kind [artist site | buy]
Kelsey Waldon – White Noise/White Lines [artist site | buy]
Vandoliers – Forever [artist site | buy]
Molly Tuttle – When You’re Ready [artist site | buy]
Hayes Carll – What It Is [artist site | buy]
Cody Jinx – After the Fire and The Wanting [artist site | buy]
Boo Ray – Tennessee Alabama Fireworks [artist site | buy]
Chris Knight – Almost Daylight [artist site | buy]

Wanted! – Notable Americana and Roots Music Releases for 2019

2018 is now in the pages of history and as America shifts (lurches?) into an uncertain future. Americana and roots music, unlike many other genres, continues to be true to its legacy and addresses our times with art that refuses to chase the charts and churn out reflexively commercial product and, lucky for us, refuses to treat the audience as mindless consumers.

That’s not to say that Americana and roots music is merely a barometer for political and social conditions and change. No sane person wants their favorite artists to be righteous yet starve. As the music industry continues to reflect changing consumer demands artists are also finding opportunities to reach audiences and generate revenue in movies and video games.

Some albums I’m  personally looking forward to because I’ve heard some cuts, or on my faith in the artist,  are Hayes Carll’s  â€œWhat It Is,” Feb. 15: Dale Watson’s Call Me Lucky and Ryan Bingham – “American Love Song” , all on February 15th,  Mandolin Orange’s “Tides of a Teardrop” on February 1st, and Joshua Ray Walker’s “Wish You Were Here” on January 25th as well as Son Volt’s “Union’ on March 29th.

As more dates come throughout the year I will be updating the list. If you know of an actual release not listed yet please leave it in the comments.

As always I appreciate your visiting the site and hope you join me in another great year for Americana and roots music.

January: Jan. 18th: Danny Burns – “North Country”
Jan. 25th: Lula Wiles – ‘What Will We Do’
Jan. 4th: Balsam Range – “Aeonic”
Jan. 18th: Alice Wallace – “ Into the Blue”
Jan. 18th: Ronnie Milsap – “Ronnie Milsap: The Duets”
Jan. 18th: Greensky Bluegrass – “All for Money”
Jan. 18th: The Steel Woods – “Old News”
Jan. 18th: Whitehorse – “The Northern South Vol. 2”
Feb. 22: Vandoliers – “Forever” 

February:
Feb. 1st: Mandolin Orange – “Tides of a Teardrop”
Feb. 1st: Abigail Lapelle – “Getaway”
Feb. 8th: Gurf Morlix – ‘Impossible Blue’
Feb. 15th: Hayes Carll – “What It Is”
Feb. 15th: Dale Watson – “Call Me Lucky”
Feb. 15th: Ryan Bingham – “American Love Song”
Feb. 15th: Joey McGee – “El Camino Real”
Feb. 15th: Kalyn Fay – “Good Company”
Feb. 22nd: Dearling – “Silver and Gold” (EP)
Feb. 22nd Vandoliers – “Forever”
Feb. 22nd – Rhiannon Giddens, Amythyst Kiah, Leyla McCalla, and Allison Russell – ‘Songs of Our Native Daughters’ March:
March 1st: Mary Bragg – “Diamonds as Camouflage”
March 1st: The Cactus Blossoms – “Easy Way”
March 1st: Dave Ernst – “Hickory Switch”
March 2nd: The Honey Dewdrops – “Anyone Can See”
March 7th: Townes Van Zandt – “Sky Blue”
March 8th: Patty Griffin – “Patty Griffin” March 8th: Clara Baker – “Things To Burn”
March 22nd: Allison de Groot & Tatiana March 22nd: Orville Peck – “Pony” March 22nd: Luther Dickinson and Sisters of the Strawberry Moon – “Solstice” March 29th: Son Volt – “Union”

April: April 2nd: John Paul White – ‘The Hurting Kind” April 5th: Molly Tuttle – “When You’re Ready.” April 5th: Megg Farrell -“Megg Farrell” April 12th: Shovels & Rope – “By Blood” April 12th: Taylor Alexander – “Good Old Fashioned Pain” April 19th: Daniel Norgren – “Wooh Dang” May:
May 3rd: Pete Seeger – ‘The Smithsonian Folkways Collection’ May 3rd: Caroline Spence – “Mint Condition” May 10th: The Shootouts – “Quick Draw” May 24th: Willard Gayheart – “At Home in the Blue Ridge”

June:
June 14th: Hank Williams – ‘Health & Happiness Show’ June 21st: Buddy and Julie Miller -‘Breakdown on 20th Ave. South’ June 28th: Chuck Mead – “Close To Home” August 16th The Messenger: A Tribute to Ray Wylie Hubbard August 23rd Esther Rose – ‘You Made It This Far’ Erin Enderlin – ‘Chapter Three: Whatever Gets You Through The Night’ Tanya Tucker – ‘While I’m Livin’ ‘ Vince Gill – ‘Okie’ Dalton Domino – ‘Songs From the Exile’ Jason Hawk Harris – Love & the Dark The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys – ‘Toil, Tears & Trouble’ Leslie Stevens – ‘Sinner’ Croy and the Boys – ‘Howdy High-Rise’ Seth James – Midland – ‘Let It Roll’ September 7th The Highwomen – Self-Titled’ Terri Hendrix – ‘Talk To A Human’ Jason Tyler Burton – ‘Kentuckian’ Paul Cauthen – ‘Room 41’ Cut Throat Francis – ‘This Garden’s Never Gonna Grow’ Ana Egge – ‘Is It the Kiss’ NRBQ – ‘Turn On, Tune In’ Amy Speace – ‘Me and the Ghosts of Charlemagne’ These Wild Plains – ‘Thrilled To Be Here’ Trailerpark Idlers – ‘Ghost Town Nights September 13th Jeremy Ivey – ‘The Dream And The Dreamer’ September 27th Hot Club of Cowtown – ‘Wild Kingdom’ October 4th The North Mississippi Allstars – “Up and Rolling” October 13th Cody Jinks – ‘After The Fire’ North Mississippi Allstars – ‘Up and Rolling’ Corb Lund – ‘Cover Your Tracks’ Jonah Tolchin – ‘Fires for the Cold’ Marti Brom – ‘Midnight Bus’ Ted Drozdowski – ‘Learn To Love The Moon’ Jeremy Ivey – ‘The Dream And The Dreamer; Janiva Magness – ‘Change In The Weather: Janiva Magness Sings John Fogerty’ October 18th The Milk Carton Kids – ‘The Only Ones’ Darin Aldridge & Brooke Aldridge – ‘Inner Journey’ Driftwood Soldier – ‘Stay Ahead Of The Wolf’ The Drunken Hearts – ‘Wheels of the City’ Rory Ellis – ‘Inner Outlaw’ EmiSunshine and The Rain – ‘Family Wars’ Jimmy “Duck” Holmes – ‘Cypress Grove’ Jake La Botz – ‘They’re Coming For Me’ New Copasetics – ‘Twang-Ucopia’ David Newbould – ‘Sin & Redemption’ Karen & the Sorrows – ‘Guaranteed Broken Heart’ Zachary Lucky – ‘Midwestern’ October 25th Allison Moorer – ‘Blood’ Neil Young & Crazy Horse – ‘Colorado’ Craig Cummings – ‘Absolute Surprise’ Karen & the Sorrows – ‘Guaranteed Broken Heart’ Van Morrison – ‘Three Chords and the Truth’ Jackson Stokes – ‘Jackson Stokes’ Zack Walther Band – ‘The Westerner’ November 20th Bill Scorzari – ‘Now I’m Free’ January 31st Dustbowl Revival – ‘Is It You, Is It Me?’