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Featuring Nigerian vocalist Agosa, this triumphant song takes the power of African music and combines it with the message of the collective strength of revolution.

The album’s songs were ‘written during a period of immense struggle with—and ultimately triumph over—breast cancer. ‘Hourglass’ touches on the cyclical nature of life. Patty says, “It brings humor to the feeling that all we do is start over, over and over again—try stuff out, get lost, and start all over again. The older I get, the more I appreciate the clueless, curious, and adventurous dreamer inside me. It’s gotten me here, and that’s pretty good.”

Recorded at the Cowboy Arms Hotel & Recording Spa, Nashville, TN. Originally intended for German-only release, the album consists of new performances of some of Prine's most popular early songs. John had originally released this in 1972, on his album ‘Diamonds In The Rough’. Steve Goodman joined him on guitar and harmony vocals on that one.

Singer-songwriter and guitar hero Mary Timony’s been called “Mary Shelley with a guitar”. ‘Dominoes’ is ‘a cynical and funny description of a relationship not working out, and a reminder of the healing power of music.’

This all-female group formed in early 1967 in San Francisco. They got good enough to open shows for the likes of Jimi Hendrix, but never got a record deal. They split up in the early ‘70’s. Well, they finally released their debut album in 2018! The eponymous album also features guests such as Buffy Sainte-Marie and Taj Mahal.

‘Books are stacked on my table; I've got books filling my shelves. Day and night I've been trying to unravel myself.’

English guitarist and melodeon player, born in Belgium. “This song is most commonly known by the alternative titles, ‘Oxford City’, ‘The Cup of Poison’ or ‘Jealousy’, though it appears on many broadsides under the title of ‘In _ Town’, a device to allow for localization.” In 19th-century Britain, ‘tales of murderous jealousy were all the rage.’ He’s singing about Worcester, England, not our beloved town!

This is the original. The Moodies copped her arrangement!

This is the album version. A re-recorded version was included on the August 1966 single. First recorded by Sam the Sham and The Pharaohs in 1965.

In honor of Elvis’s birthday this past Monday, here’s a little something I wrote about the ‘Elvis is Still Alive’ phenomenon that started the day he died, in 1977. If you listen carefully, you will hear some allusions to the current MAGA ‘cult’.

The Eighth of January’! That’s not only a date – it’s also the name of a fiddle tune from the War of 1812 era. It uses the melody of the folk song ‘Battle of New Orleans’. The battle took place 15 days after the signing of the Treaty of Ghent, which formally ended the War of 1812, as news of the agreement had not yet reached the United States from Europe. The Osborne Brothers on banjo and mandolin, David Crow on guitar. That’s Chubby on the fiddle! He played with Bill Monroe's Blue Grass Boys, Flatt & Scruggs, and other big-name bluegrass outfits over the years. Chubby was almost 80 when he recorded this album.

15th album from Oklahoma born singer/songwriter. Recorded in Nashville at the Sound Emporium.

A song Dylan has never recorded, nor has he ever performed live. The GREAT studio band on this double album was led by Grady Martin. Joan Baez turned 83 on Tuesday!

Baton Rouge native singer-songwriter and guitar slinger. The song was first collected in Appalachia in the 1930s, but probably has its roots in traditional English folk song.

This lead single from Aoife’s upcoming album features The Westerlies, The Knights, and the San Francisco Girls Chorus. ‘The song memorializes the Tennessee summer of 1920, when voices for and against suffragism battled bitterly over the final state signatory needed to ratify the amendment.’

This band is a collaboration between Matthew Logan Vasquez and five friends, who all head their own groups. They holed up in a rented house to create and record the album.

‘A proud declaration of resilience and self-care’, and specifically the use of cannabis’. Melissa says, “I am no longer looking to Western medicine for a pill or ‘cure.’ I know how I think and feel about myself and my world will be reflected in my body.”

Back pOrchEstra is a Shelter-in-Place-inspired musical outfit, a small singer-songwriter combo befitting the newfound minimalism of the times, going back to the basics, dishing out new original material and yet also some historic American Roots heirloom selections. Formed for the first time in the locked-down summer of 2020, it started out as a back-porch thing, just guitar & drums. When the 3rd person, a violinist, was added, it was jokingly called a back-porch orchestra. Then it kept growing as the pandemic allowed, to the point where the name actually became appropriate.’

The album, Songs of Our Native Daughters, was conceived to interpret and revive long-extinct forms of music. Here, Amythyst Kiah and Allison Russell reimagine the John Henry story, the late 19th-century tale of a “steel-driving” railroad man who, in his noble quest to outwork modern steam-drill technology, ends up working himself to death. His story has been sung by Mississippi John Hurt, Pete Seeger, Johnny Cash and Woody Guthrie; more recently Gillian Welch, Jason Isbell and Justin Townes Earle. The last verse of that well-traveled song goes: John Henry had a woman, Well her name was Polly Ann, Well John Henry took sick and he had to go to bed, Well and Polly drove steel like a man (well, well), Well and Polly drove steel like a man. “That story has always been inherently there,” says Russell, “it just hadn’t been excavated and highlighted.”

Jimmy LaFave, Slaid Cleaves, Eliza Gilkyson, Sarah Lee Guthrie, Johnny Irion, Ellis Paul... Austin, TX.

Called a "songwriter's songwriter," Louisa Branscomb is one of the most awarded songwriters and performers in acoustic music. Lead vocal by Claire Lynch; Louisa Branscomb is on fingerstyle guitar. Oh, she wrote this, too!

A British band previously calling themselves the Hellions. Members included Jim Capaldi and Dave Mason. Those two later teamed up with Stevie Winwood, from the Spencer Davis Group, to form Traffic.

Cher's solo debut album, produced by Sonny Bono, who was working with Phil Spector, hence that "Wall of Sound" ambiance. It was recorded at Gold Star Studios, which had ‘exceptional echo chambers’, and backed by the Wrecking Crew. ‘This cover helped Cher to establish herself as a solo artist with a unique vision.’ I actually have the 45 somewhere!

Single released in September of 1964 on Reprise. This was the duo’s first recording as ‘Sonny & Cher’ – they’d previously released some singles in ’64 as "Caesar and Cleo". Sonny didn’t have much of a voice, but he had serious song-writing and producing chops. We need say nothing more about Cherilyn Sarkisian.

‘When reading of the Cajun/Swamp Pop musician Joe Barry, time and time again one comes across the word “legend”. He has indeed cut a wide swath, both musically and as a sort of Cajun Kali, a bayou-born god of destruction. Survivor of thousands of binges and a pioneer of the fine art of hotel room disassembly, it should not be forgotten that Barry was one of Acadiana’s most talented musicians to emerge in the 1950’s and 60’s.’ This track, ‘a smoulderingly menacing rocker, awaits discovery by Quentin Tarantino.’ -John Nova Lomax.

This coming Monday is Martin Luther King Day, when we celebrate the birth of the man who said, "I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality... I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word."

John Legend and Common won an Oscar for this soundtrack to the film 'Selma'. "We can't expect the world to get better by itself." - Gwen Ifill

Originally released as a single and on her LP ‘The Best Of Dolly Parton’ in 1970 by RCA Victor. It earned Parton a Grammy nomination.