http://www.americanaroots.net/features/detail/ en shaun@americanaroots.com Copyright 2008 2008-05-06T14:04:00-06:00 http://www.americanaroots.com/features/detail/the_long_and_winding_road_bob_martin_and_the_re_birth_of_an_americana_class/ http://www.americanaroots.com/features/detail/the_long_and_winding_road_bob_martin_and_the_re_birth_of_an_americana_class/#When:14:04:00Z Every now and then I come across a masterpiece album that somehow flew underneath my musical radar or because of my age and the tender innocence of my ear, I just hadn’t arrived at the place in time to fully understand or appreciate its magic. Once found though, these albums more often than not become a touchstone, a fork in the journey where the well-worn road is left behind in favor of the rarely trodden path. Many times these albums remind me of an old, long-abandoned farmhouse seen for the first time in many years with all of its ancient stories and mysteries blowing in and out of glassless windows. I’ve collected quite a list of such albums:  Townes Van Zandt’s For the Sake of the Song, Guy Clark’s Old No. 1, Tom Russell’s Box of Visions, Willis Alan Ramsey’s one and only classic offering, and more recently, David Rodriguez’s Proud Heart, just to name a few. I can now add Bob Martin’s Midwest Farm Disaster to that list. 2008-05-06T14:04:00-06:00 http://www.americanaroots.com/features/detail/fleeting_glimpses_and_frozen_hearts_james_mcmurtry_plays_with_just_us_kids/ http://www.americanaroots.com/features/detail/fleeting_glimpses_and_frozen_hearts_james_mcmurtry_plays_with_just_us_kids/#When:13:16:00Z In the week prior to the contentious 2004 presidential election, singer/songwriter/guitarist James McMurtry delivered “We Can’t Make it Here” to the Internet. The song was his first-ever foray into delivering free new music via the Web.  The seven-plus-minute, six-string-driven rant marked another debut for the songwriter — his first stab at overtly political material. Examining the failure of trickle-down economics and the loss of the nation’s manufacturing base to atrophy and outsourcing, the song greatly boosted McMurtry’s presence on the Web, and helped him capture the best radio exposure he’d seen in years.  2008-04-09T13:16:00-06:00 http://www.americanaroots.com/features/detail/justin_townes_earle_the_good_life/ http://www.americanaroots.com/features/detail/justin_townes_earle_the_good_life/#When:20:09:00Z “Now what do you do when you’re lonesome, Where do you go when you’re blue? And how do you deal with such emotion, When you’re just an ordinary fool?” Justin Townes Earle – from “The Good Life” CD 2008-03-21T20:09:00-06:00 http://www.americanaroots.com/features/detail/otis_taylor_recaptures_the_banjo/ http://www.americanaroots.com/features/detail/otis_taylor_recaptures_the_banjo/#When:17:53:00Z “It’s a piece of American history that sort of got lost,” Blues artist Otis Taylor says about the topic of his new release, Recapturing The Banjo, a set of songs that find Taylor joined by notable Blues artists Alvin Youngblood Hart, Corey Harris, Keb Mo and Guy Davis as they explore the African-American connections of the history and influence of the banjo. Known for his “trance-blues” style and willingness to tackle the tough social issues, Taylor brings his unique perspective to educating music fans. 2008-03-21T17:53:00-06:00 http://www.americanaroots.com/features/detail/paul_thorn_is_a_long_way_from_tupelo/ http://www.americanaroots.com/features/detail/paul_thorn_is_a_long_way_from_tupelo/#When:21:08:00Z Paul Thorn is a unique combination of keen intellect and humorous story telling. He is perhaps most widely known for his song “It’s a Great Day to Whup Somebody’s Ass” which is one of the most requested tunes daily on the nationally syndicated ‘Bob and Tom Show.’ His brilliance goes far beyond this novelty song, however. Great songwriters such as Kris Kristofferson say Paul Thorn is one of the best-kept secrets in the music business - high praise for this down home southern gentleman. 2008-02-22T21:08:00-06:00 http://www.americanaroots.com/features/detail/stranger_for_a_little_while_an_interview_with_jon_dee_graham/ http://www.americanaroots.com/features/detail/stranger_for_a_little_while_an_interview_with_jon_dee_graham/#When:21:08:01Z The border country of the American Southwest is harsh, unforgiving. The scarcity of water makes it so. And even when the water finally arrives, it’s doesn’t exactly pat in on little cat’s feet. Raging monsoons scour the land, taking down everything in their path. 2008-02-01T21:08:01-06:00 http://www.americanaroots.com/features/detail/q_a_with_darrin_vincent/ http://www.americanaroots.com/features/detail/q_a_with_darrin_vincent/#When:21:08:00Z Darrin Vincent started in bluegrass at age 1 and a half when he joined his parents� band, The Sally Mountain Show, where he honed his performance skills before eventually backing artists like big sister Rhonda, John Hartford and, most recently, Ricky Skaggs.  Adept at fiddle, mandolin, guitar and bass, Vincent soon developed a keen ear in the studio under the tutelage of mentor Ronny Light, one time RCA producer of acts like Waylon Jennings and Skeeter Davis. 2008-01-30T21:08:00-06:00 http://www.americanaroots.com/features/detail/crossing_the_bridge_with_eric_taylor/ http://www.americanaroots.com/features/detail/crossing_the_bridge_with_eric_taylor/#When:21:08:00Z Looking for a new beginning after a short stint in California, Taylor arrived in Houston, Texas at a very opportune time. In the early 1970s Houston  was the place to be if you had the desire to play or write music. When Taylor arrived, he met  Townes Van Zandt, and they quickly became friends. Also in Houston at the time were Guy Clark, blues legends Lightin� Hopkins and Mance Lipscomb, among several others. Constantly listening toand learning from these legends enabled Taylor to create his own successfully unique style. His amazing finger pickin� guitar playing, reminds many of Townes during his heyday. The deep soulful voice and keen ability to tell a good story with his music were all fine tuned during this time as well. 2008-01-24T21:08:00-06:00 http://www.americanaroots.com/features/detail/qa_with_russell_moore_of_iiird_tyme_out/ http://www.americanaroots.com/features/detail/qa_with_russell_moore_of_iiird_tyme_out/#When:21:08:00Z In a genre known for the high lonesome sound, Russell Moore possesses one of the most distinctive voices in bluegrass.  His soulful and expressive tenor brings a bluesy soul sound to the music and he has been a highly sought after harmony singer. 2008-01-15T21:08:00-06:00 http://www.americanaroots.com/features/detail/power_of_a_song/ http://www.americanaroots.com/features/detail/power_of_a_song/#When:21:08:00Z Creating a top ten list of CD�s for last year was a tall order. But strangely, finding one song with special meaning from last year�s offerings is surprisingly easy. The song Heaven�s My Home is relatively simple, the lyrics have been sung and repeated over generations, but for some reason, hearing it from the mouths of this young group triggers thoughts near to my heart�even deeper�the song quickens my soul. 2007-04-04T21:08:00-06:00