Engine 145 - A Roots Music Publication

Holly Williams had to cancel this week’s shows so that she could start treatment for polyps on her vocal cords. Russell Moore is on vocal rest as well due to “extreme laryngitis;” Dustin Pyrtle and IIIrd Tyme Out’s Edgar Loudermilk are filling in on lead vocals until Moore is back in action. On March 23, [...]

Continue reading "Alan Jackson to Release Precious Memories Sequel; Hall of Fame to Salute Paul Franklin; Holly Williams, Russell Moore on Vocal Rest"

George Strait kicks off his The Cowboy Rides Away Tour this Friday in Lubbock. There’s a Holly Williams EP available on NoiseTrade. Iris DeMent, Kelly Hogan, Taylor Swift, and Todd Snider are a few of the acts whose albums were in the Top 50 of the Village Voice Pazz & Jop Critics Poll. Jewly Hight [...]

Continue reading "Eddie Stubbs Marks 30 Years in Broadcasting; Richard Thompson, Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell Announce Tour Dates; Stream Carrie Rodriguez’s New Record"

Loretta Lynn, Barbara Mandrell, Dolly Parton, and Lee Ann Womack all made statements about Kitty Wells’ passing. Janis Martin’s final album, The Blanco Sessions, will be released on September 18. The album, produced by Rosie Flores and Bobby Trimble, was funded through Kickstarter. (via press release) Punch Brothers announced a bunch of new North American [...]

Continue reading "Country Stars Remember Kitty Wells; New Little Big Town Album Due in September; Punch Brothers Announce New Tour Dates"

  There’s much that all genres and sub-genres along the American roots music space-time continuum have in common, from the most overtly pop and polished mainstream country to the most obscure flavor of traditional regional folklore or edgy roots rock. Inevitably, their fans have much in common, too—most basically, enjoying hearing favored artists take their [...]

Continue reading "Roots Watch: Across the Roots Rock Rasp Divide"

Chet Flippo remembers Frances Preston: Every music hall of fame that really matters has inducted her as a member, and she received honors galore. But those were not the things she talked about. She talked about what still needed to be done and about songs that she loved and songwriters who were continuing to be [...]

Continue reading "Thirty Miles West Debuts at No. 1; Ron Block Works on Solo Album; Chet Flippo Remembers Frances Preston"

Here’s an interesting article about a man making banjos with wood salvaged from a nuclear facility that’s being decommissioned. Dallas Maverick Dirk Nowitzki played some tambourine for the Avett Brothers at the band’s show in Grand Prairie, Texas on Sunday. At the Diamond Jubilee Concert across the pond, Cheryl Cole and Gary Barlow covered “Need You [...]

Continue reading "Stream New Music from Rhett Miller and Alejandro Escovedo; Kenny Chesney Renews Sony Music Nashville Deal; Album Releases"

The 2012 Country Music Hall of Fame inductees were announced this morning: Hargus “Pig” Robbins (Recording and/or Touring Musician) , Connie Smith (Veterans Era Artist), and Garth Brooks (Modern Era Artist). On April 2, Cracker Barrel will release CD/DVD set An Evening with…Dolly, featuring performances from Parton’s sold-out concert at London’s O2 Arena. The name on Tammy [...]

Continue reading "HoF Inductees Announced; Cracker Barrel Plans Two-Disc Dolly Release; New Albums"