Search results for

Featuring Buddy Mondlock, Tim Easton & Paisley Fields

Episode #250 of The String opens with thoughts about the seemingly divergent music genres of indie rock and folk music, because in my rambling through this year’s coolest, Americana chart-making albums, I came across a couple of fascinating artists who split the difference in their own ways. Cat Clyde is an exciting young songwriter from Canada whose current album Down Rounder impresses with its moody grace and confrontive lyrics. About the same time, Eric D. Johnson released yet another album under his moniker Fruit Bats, and in the wake of his award-winning work with folk trio Bonny Light Horseman, his bright and uplifting pop sounds downright rootsy. They split a fresh-sounding hour of the show.

Tim O’Brien, one of the most creative and consistent masters of bluegrass and traditional music of the past forty years, is back. His new album Cup Of Sugar is the first in his career he says featuring all original songs, and a lot of them seem to be about animals. We recently featured the first single “Little Lamb,” while this week’s featured tune is “Bear.” Meanwhile in old time business, the Ozark Highballers offer “Bear Creek” and Michael Hurley brings “Hog of the Forsaken,” whatever that means. I plucked songs by The Grassifieds and Maddie Denton, while Amy curated a set of Round Peak fiddling to celebrate the annual gathering in Mt. Airy, NC.

Featuring Ed Snodderly, Megan And Shane & The Arcadian Wild

Ed Snodderly is more than just an exceptional singer-songwriter. He's a culture maker and culture keeper for the rich roots music region of East Tennessee. Raised near Knoxville, he launched into music in the mid 70s as an artist and as co-founder of the iconic Down Home listening room in Johnson City, TN. His band the Brother Boys made an impact and his songs have been covered and even enshrined at the Country Music Hall of Fame. Now he's released arguably his best album, a tapestry of impressions of modern Appalachia with scintillating music called Chimney Smoke. Also in the hour, getting to know Miles Miller, the longtime drummer for Sturgill Simpson who's broken cover as a songwriter himself with the album Solid Gold.

Featuring Patty Pershayla & The Mayhaps, Kevin William Ball & Denitia

Featuring Twisted Pine, Erin Viancourt & Jill Andrews

Featuring Wyatt Flores, John P. Strohm & Dallas Moore

For well over a decade, Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors have been among Nashville's most beloved local bands and national stars of folk rock at the same time. This weekend, Drew gathers his Neighbors, friends and family to mark turning 40 with two shows at the Ryman Auditorium. How he got here is a story with many layers, and that’s what we explore in Episode 210 of The String.

The story of Peter One is as warming as his music. As a young man in his native Côte d’Ivoire, he latched on to folk and country music more than most of his peers, until he met collaborator Jess Sah Bi, with whom he formed a celebrated, socially conscious duo in West Africa. Both had to leave the country due to political turmoil, and Peter One started over in the US, first in Delaware then in Nashville where he moved for a career in nursing. A rediscovery and reissue of his best African record reignited a music career that had been interrupted for 30 years, and this summer he’s everywhere from the Opry to Newport Folk Fest. I spend an hour with this kind and fascinating songwriter/guitarist.