About.com Folk Music

Kris Kristofferson To Be Honored by BMI

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 13:59:44 +0000

CMT reports today that the hugely influential folk and country singer-songwriter Kris Kristofferson will be honored as a BMI Icon at the BMI Country Awards this November. According to CMT:

The Icon designation is given to BMI songwriters and artists who have had "a unique and indelible influence on generations of music makers." Kristofferson's catalog will also be the subject of a musical tribute during the ceremony.

In addition to Kristofferson's numerous solo albums, his career has been boosted and defined by the version of his songs recorded by other artists. From Johnny Cash's "Sunday Morning Coming Down" to Janis Joplin's "Me and Bobbie McGhee," Kristofferson's songs have defied genres and influenced numerous artists throughout the past four decades. Learn more about Kris Kristofferson

photo courtesy Planet Bluegrass

Review: Shawn Colvin - Live

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 13:24:08 +0000

Shawn Colvin is one of contemporary folk music's finest live performaers. She doesn't dance about or shred on her instrument. Instead, she stands (or sits) still, calmly delving into the deepest - and frequently darkest - reaches of her psyche. With little or no physical affect she delivers pure emotion. When she addresses the audience, it's with wry wit and charming stories. All these things are captured on her latest live album, titled appropriately Live. Read my full review of Shawn Colvin Live.

image © Nonesuch

Songs For and About the Fourth of July

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 15:20:42 +0000

Independence Day is now about a week away. We all know one of the most important parts of party planning is making sure you get the music just right. So before you start stressing on that front, let me help you get ahead of the game. While you're planning your celebratory barbecues, road trips, or other celebrations, now is a great time to get that 4th of July playlist in order. To help you out, here's a list of contemporary folk songs about the holiday and the history behind some of America's most unmatchably patriotic folk songs.

photo: Getty

Review: Sarah Jarosz - Song Up In Her Head

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 19:38:24 +0000

Sarah Jarosz is still a teenager - a fact that makes her Sugar Hill debut that much more remarkable. Joining a long line of teen talents to grow up in the contemporary bluegrass scene (Alison Krauss, Nickel Creek, more recently Sierra Hull), Jarosz draws influence no doubt from the teenagers who preceded her. She's also managed to surround herself with the same folks who helped launch those folks' careers. The result is a community effort album that seeks to lift Jarosz above the din of bluegrass-influenced artists breaking onto the national radar, and succeeds. Read my full review of Sarah Jarosz - Song Up In Her Head.

image © Sugar Hill Records

Best Folk CDs of 2009...So Far

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 13:46:28 +0000

It's been a great year for new music releases in the roots realm. Folk, bluegrass, alt-country, and Americana music are dominating the popular music scene lately, with artists old and new releasing some of the best music around. Neko Case's Middle Cyclone has made enormous waves on the mainstream charts, while artists like Eilen Jewell and Gregory Alan Isakov have begun to break through to even wider audiences so far this year. Take a look at my top picks for the best folk music albums of 2009...so far.

image © Anti- Records

Interview With Bearfoot's Odessa Jorgenson

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 14:48:15 +0000

Bearfoot has been making progressive bluegrass music for nearly a decade, churning out an average of one album every three years. With the departure of long-time lead singer Analisa Tornfelt in late 2008, the band brought in Odessa Jorgenson, who had been performing with the Biscuit Burners, inked a deal with Compass Records, and went to work on album number four, Doors and Windows. In the wake of that disc�s release, Jorgenson was kind enough to chat with me about filling Tornfelt�s shoes and the new album. Read my full interview with Odessa Jorgenson.

photo © Daniel Meigs

Americana for Kids

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 16:11:09 +0000

Every now and then I get an email from someone looking for great covert ways to introduce their children to folk and Americana music. Lucky for those folks, our About.com Children's Music Guide Warren Truitt has made a list of the best new Americana albums for kids.

As you may know, folk music can be very serious or very goofy, or very much everything between. So many of the old, old folk songs we learned as children turn out to have verses about murder or blatant racism. Now familiar with the story behind something like "Oh Susanna," you may be reticent to play the entire traditional version for your kids. But there are plenty of ways to introduce the kiddies to traditional and traditionally-influenced music. Check out Warren's top picks. (He also, incidentally, reviewed Worlds of Sound: The Story of Smithsonian Folkways Records, which isn't really about kids but may be a book of great interest.)

Review: Todd Snider - The Excitement Plan

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 21:48:35 +0000

Todd Snider has, for more than two decades, been one of the best mostly-under-the-radar singer-songwriters in contemporary folk music. His songs have ranged from hilarious, endearing narratives about workaday life to hard-biting protest songs. On his latest album, he tends more toward the former, but one thing is certain. Above all else, Todd Snider is an excellent storyteller, and The Excitement Plan is a tremendous example of this skill. Read my full review of Todd Snider's The Excitement Plan.

What is Americana Music?

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 14:05:04 +0000

Americana artists—from Lucinda Williams to Johnny Cash, Gillian Welch, Emmylou Harris, Ryan Adams, Peter Case, and many others—frequently pull from traditional and contemporary folk, bluegrass, country, alt-country, soul, gospel, and rock. While this may sound a bit vague or confluent, Americana artists, enthusiasts and fans are content to say they know it when they hear it. The best way to learn what defines Americana music is to listen to it (and debate at length with other fans). Learn more about what constitutes this rapidly emerging genre with this basic introduction to Americana music.

photo of Lucinda Williams: Robert Mora / Getty Images

Profile: Old Crow Medicine Show

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 21:51:19 +0000

As I mentioned yesterday, one of the biggest things happening in folk music this summer is the Big Surprise Tour, featuring Old Crow Medicine Show and other special guests. For more than a decade, OCMS has been testing (and expanding) the definition of American folk music. Their influence has been felt throughout the national music scene as other artists with a similar approach to traditional music have sprung up left and right in recent years. Most people are familiar with their song "Wagon Wheel," which has been covered by numerous artists through the years, but now is your chance to learn more. Check out my profile of Old Crow Medicine Show.