Craig Havighurst

Years ago, one of my most trusted music hound recommendation friends urged me to check out a Canadian folk duo called the Small Glories, and when I did, I was blown away, especially in live performance and especially by the bold charm of singer Cara Luft. Alas the Glories have gone on to glory as a band, but Cara, a veteran of the great and legendary Wailin' Jennys, is out with My Heart Will Always Be , her first solo album in 13 years. Some of it's more rhythmic and Americana feeling, but we're happy to share the clawhammer-driven title track. The album's been available in physical formats and download sale only, but it will soon be streaming. Also this week, the exciting first single from Linday Lou's upcoming all-star album Bluegrass Women, a new instrumental from Alan Bibey inspired by his late mentor Herschel Sizemore, a new album from Ashby Frank, and a naturalistic new single by Michael Prewitt.

In her song “The Real Pretender,” the narrator, a thinly disguised Rachel Brooke, arrives at the Nashville party a little late and gets news colder

The timing could not have been better for all involved. I was getting ready to lock the script for String episode 268 with Charlie Worsham when news

Kenny Feinstein is a character, and you'd better be when your business is making bluegrass and trad music in Los Angeles. For twenty years now, he's led the band Water Tower, building a scene, playing live, and kicking out albums and bootlegs. He brings street energy and DIY ethos to roots. We mark here the release of his latest, an album under his own name called Lonesome LA Cowboy . The title track is a Peter Rowan country-rock cover, but other tracks, including the week's “Richmond Prison” merge the old vine mountain sound with his unique cityscape. The personnel is top-tier, including Carter and Jason Eddy, Ron Stewart and the killer singer Michael Daves. This one scratches a lot of itches. Also this week, a new album from Louisiana master Dirk Powell, Colorado hippie grassers Slay And Stinson, an advance single from Matt Combs, and a new song from Asheville's The Wilder Flower.

Since the pandemic, lovers of creative roots music and bluegrass may well have noticed a curious studio name popping up on albums and in the

Dolly Parton's passing on Tuesday at 80 years old marks the end of one of American music's most important chapters.

Lindsay Lou came to Nashville from Michigan about a decade ago leading her band The Flatbellys, and they were, I would say, bluegrass-plus or bluegrass-adjacent. With a voice as supple as hers, she feels free to go in a lot of folk and Americana directions. But there's nothing fuzzy about the point of her new album Lindsay Lou Presents Bluegrass Women . This, folks, is one of the year's biggest releases, because of the caliber of repertoire (all women writers) and musicianship (all women), with LL's gorgeous pipes leading the way. It's a snapshot of where bluegrass music is today, with a rich array of guests. On its release weekend we featured the Hazel Dickens classic “Won't You Come And Sing For Me” with Tatiana Hargreaves, Phoebe Hunt, Maddie Witler, Alison Brown, and Hasee Ciaccio. We look ahead with songs from upcoming albums by JP Harris and Mountain Grass Unit. I love the new instrumental from Colorado flatpicker Alex Graff. And we have a set of music curated by Amy Alvey, inspired by her recent sojourn in Milwaukee, WI. So naturally we've got Jimmy Martin singing “Milwaukee Here I Come.”

Margo Price isn't just a Hard Headed Woman , the title she chose for her 2025 return to outlaw country music.

Rhiannon Giddens can sing and arrange anything from contemporary country to global groove to opera, but man we love it when she sings unadorned folk music. On her most recent album What Did The Blackbird Say To The Crow? she played old-time banjo with fiddler Justin Robinson (they were founding members together of the Carolina Chocolate Drops). But on her upcoming album Hope Is The Thing With Feathers (due Sept. 18 from Nonesuch) she lets her voice twine round the old lyrics of “High On A Mountain” and the new single “Freight Train,” the classic by Elizabeth Cotten. She made the album with her recent touring companion Dirk Powell and we are excited about it. Also this week, Jake Blount releases one of his most exciting and hard-driving sides, with a unique interpretation of “Shady Grove.” Thomas Cassell picks with Frank Rische from his new mando/guitar duos album. And Austin roots cats Tony Kamel and Kym Warner really hit one with the original “That Guy.”

When it comes to Americanafest, I suppose you could say I was in the right place in the right era.