Our Favorite Songs in August
New Music from the Blue Ridge and Beyond Every month our editors curate a playlist of new music, mainly focusing on independent artists from the South. In August we’re highlighting new tunes from Old...
View ArticleScenes from Earl Scruggs Music Festival
Trying to sum up the second annual Earl Scruggs Music Festival in 10 photos is like trying to fit all of the festival’s performers on one stage at one time. But if Scruggs Fest can try that second...
View ArticleOur Favorite Songs in September
New Music from the Blue Ridge and Beyond Every month our editors curate a playlist of new music, mainly focusing on independent artists from the South. In September we’re highlighting new tunes from...
View ArticleFresh Tracks: Margo Cilker’s “I Remember Carolina”
Margo Cilker goes down memory lane in this standout track from her new album, “Valley of Heart’s Delight,” which came out earlier this month on Fluff & Gravy Records. “I Remember Carolina” is a...
View ArticleNorth Carolina’s New Music Town
Anchored by the Earl Scruggs Center, Shelby is Becoming a Must-Visit Destination for Bluegrass and Country Fans At the center of Shelby, N.C., there is music. Drive into uptown and you can’t miss the...
View ArticleOur Favorite Songs in October
New Music from the Blue Ridge and Beyond Every month our editors curate a playlist of new music, mainly focusing on independent artists from the South. In October we’re highlighting new tunes from...
View ArticleOur Favorite Songs in November
New Music from the Blue Ridge and Beyond Every month our editors curate a playlist of new music, mainly focusing on independent artists from the South. In November we’re highlighting new tunes from Cat...
View ArticleFresh Tracks: Woody Platt and Del McCoury Try to Fix a “Broke Down Engine”
Last year Woody Platt surprised the bluegrass world when he announced he was leaving Steep Canyon Rangers, the Grammy-winning band he co-founded two-plus decades ago in North Carolina. But the...
View ArticleFestival Line-Ups: Merlefest, FloydFest, and Shaky Knees
Some of the region’s biggest festivals have started to unveil impressive line-ups for 2024. Merlefest, the annual Americana bash that takes place on the campus on Wilkes Community College in...
View ArticleOur Favorite Songs in December
New Music from the Blue Ridge and Beyond Every month our editors curate a playlist of new music, mainly focusing on independent artists from the South. In December we’re highlighting new tracks from...
View ArticleFresh Tracks: Tyler Ramsey’s “New Lost Ages”
Tyler Ramsey is perhaps best known for his stretch as lead guitarist in Band of Horses, but beyond that he’s been fixture on the Blue Ridge music scene since the early 2000s. The western North Carolina...
View ArticleReady to Rock: The Steep Canyon Rangers Climb Now
After years of ascending the bluegrass charts with Grammy-winning band Steep Canyon Rangers, ace banjo picker Graham Sharp has found a new passion for climbing crags in the Blue Ridge. It’s an early...
View ArticleFresh Tracks: Phosphorescent Returns with “Revelator”
After six years, Phosphorescent is back with new music. The long-running project of Nashville (by way of Alabama) tunesmith Matthew Houck will release a new album, “Revelator,” on April 5. The title...
View ArticleFresh Tracks: The Steel Wheels Go “Sideways”
The members of mainstay Virginia string band the Steel Wheels have expanded their sound on the new album, “Sideways,” which was released on February 9. The album’s title track, which you can hear...
View ArticleTop Tunes for February
Our Favorite New Music from the Blue Ridge and Beyond Every month, our editors curate a playlist of new music, mainly focusing on independent artists from the South. In February we’re highlighting new...
View ArticleRooster Walk Line-Up: Emmylou Harris and a Rare Bluegrass Reunion
Last week, the Rooster Walk Music and Arts Festival finalized the line-up for its 14th running, and this year organizers have put together one of the event’s strongest slates of music to date. The...
View ArticleTop Tunes for March
Our Favorite New Music from the Blue Ridge and Beyond Every month our editors curate a playlist of new music, mainly focusing on independent artists from the South. In March we’re highlighting new...
View ArticleFresh Tracks: Adrianne Lenker Unearths “Free Treasure”
Big Thief’s Adrianne Lenker is preparing to release a new solo album, “Bright Future,” on Friday. But first she’s sharing one last preview of the record, the idyllic folk song “Free Treasure.” The...
View ArticleFresh Tracks: A Parting Song from Malcolm Holcombe
Malcolm Holcombe, one of the finest songwriters to ever come from the Blue Ridge, passed away on March 9 after battling a long illness. For fans of regional roots music, he was an essential figure, a...
View ArticleThis Year’s Highland County Maple Festival in 10 Photos
Tucked against the rugged edge of Virginia’s western border at the headwaters of the Potomac, Highland County holds a small, close-knit community in the mountains, but for two weekends in March the...
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