Engine 145 - A Roots Music Publication

Carrie Underwood has donated $1 million to the Red Cross for tornado relief efforts. Paul Thorn has announced that anyone who attends his May 30 concert in Oklahoma and brings items to help aid the relief efforts will receive a free CD. Bill Kirchen talks about his Telecaster in this nifty video. On June 15, [...]

Continue reading "Carrie Underwood Donates $1 Million for Oklahoma Relief; Bill Kirchen Talks Tele; HoF to Salute Bergen White"

A look at some new books, albums and a broadcast that look at where we’ve been to show us where we are: Springsteen on Springsteen: Interviews, Speeches and Encounters, edited by Jeff Burger. Those of us who interview and profile performers for articles concerning what they do sometimes get, and occasionally deserve, credit for pulling [...]

Continue reading "Roots Watch: Spring Words and Music — History Worth Catching, Part 2"

Here’s a fine New York Times feature on the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. An excerpt: At a time when the troubled economy is causing many museums to pull back, the hall is blasting ahead with an expansion that will more than double its size to 350,000 square feet. It has raised $71.6 [...]

Continue reading "Library of Congress Adds to National Recording Registry; George Strait & Garth Brooks to Perform Together at ACM Awards; Iris DeMent on Mountain Stage"

Ryan Adams will release a new album in the fall. Steve Chandler is working with Merle Haggard and Mac Wiseman and mixing a “country-bluegrass” record. Donna Ulisse wants you in her next video. On May 7, the Ryman will host “Honor Thy Song,” an event to celebrate the late songwriter Tim Johnson. Joey + Rory, [...]

Continue reading "Ryan Adams to Release New Album in Fall; “Honor Thy Song” Concert to Remember Songwriter Tim Johnson; Taylor Swift Named RIAA’s Top-Selling Digital Singles Artist"

Holly Gleason wrote about Mindy McCready for NPR’s music blog. Ashley Monroe’s duet with Blake Shelton, “You Ain’t Dolly (And You Ain’t Porter)” premiered on USA Today‘s website. Barry Mazor wrote a feature on Kelly Willis and Bruce Robison for The Wall Street Journal. This week’s episode of A Prairie Home Companion celebrates “all things banjo” [...]

Continue reading "Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum to Offer Free Admission 2/23; Stream New Drew Holcomb, Caitlin Rose Records; New Album Releases"

Billy Joe Foster, who played with Bill Monroe, Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder, Special Edition, and Country Gazette passed away at the age of 51. Red Simpson is the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s newest “Poet and Prophet.” He’ll take part in an in-depth interview and performance at the HoF on February 23. [...]

Continue reading "Red Simpson Named HoF’s New Poet & Prophet; Billy Joe Foster Passes Away; Miranda Lambert to Perform at Grammys"

Willie Nelson’s next album, Let’s Face the Music and Dance, will be released March 5. The press release states that the album’s songs “include American standards and country classics, Irving Berlin and Carl Perkins, Django Reinhardt as well as Willie-penned originals.” Peter Cooper wrote a feature on the tragic tale of Glen Sherley, the Folsom inmate who wrote “Greystone Chapel.” [...]

Continue reading "Frank Page, John Wilkinson Pass Away; Skynyrd, Paisley to Take Part in Inaugural Festivities; New Music Videos"

One of the elder statesmen of bluegrass, Grammy-winning Skaggs delivers straight-forward bluegrass, Celtic-inflected tunes, mournful country ballads, and gospel-infused songs, even as he continues to experiment with new musical styles, illustrating his playfulness and his musical genius. “Music to My Ears,” the title track, sounds like an old-time hymn song, with Celtic fiddles skittering behind [...]

Continue reading "Album Review: Ricky Skaggs — Music to My Ears"

Scott Bernstein of Glide Magazine did a song-by-song recap (with a few videos) of Wednesday’s Love for Levon concert. The concert was also reviewed in the New York Times and American Songwriter. There’s a legal battle going on about the right to use Bill Monroe’s name: Campbell “Doc” Mercer can’t use Monroe’s likeness or name [...]

Continue reading "Lyle Lovett to Receive ASCAP Creative Voice Award; Legal Battle Over Right to Use Bill Monroe’s Name; New Ryan Bingham Video"

After the Red Sox, Patriots, Celtics and Bruins seemingly won every possible league championship earlier this decade, it was easy to feel jealous of all of those Boston sports fans. Now, the Red Sox have had to overhaul their whole line-up, the Celtics have seemingly passed their window in the NBA, the Patriots are still [...]

Continue reading "Friday Five: Boston"