musicreporterblog

Musings on folk, Americana, country, bluegrass and newgrass

Author Archives: lsnedeker


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Give yourself the musical gift of a Chatham County Line Electric Holiday Tour show this weekend

If, like me, you missed a chance to catch Chatham County Line’s “electric” show, you’re in luck.

The Raleigh, North Carolina-based acoustic string ensemble played the set last year at MerleFest and the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA)’s annual festival.

But they’re far from done.

These harmonic boys, whose music has been described as falling somewhere between Del McCoury and the Jayhawks, are back in Richmond, Virginia; Washington, D.C.; and Saxapahaw, North Carolina, over the next three days.

Trust me, you don’t want to miss this show. Continue reading →


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Caleb Caudle partners with Crossroads at SECCA for ‘Crushed Coins’ official album release party on Feb. 23, 2018

This just in from the good folks over at The Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art (SECCA):

The Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art (SECCA) is proud to announce Winston-Salem, North Carolina, native Caleb Caudle will headline Crossroads @ SECCA #020 on Friday, Feb. 23, 2018. The show that is set to begin at 7 p.m. will be the official album release party for his new album, “Crushed Coins,“ on Cornelius Chapel Records.

Opening for Caudle will be Jake Xerxes Fussell. 

Tickets for the show go on sale at 3 p.m. on Dec. 13, 2017. You can read my review of Caudle’s last album release, “Carolina Ghost,” on my Huffington Post blog.

Stay tuned for an exclusive release of one of his upcoming singles from his latest album. Continue reading →


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Taylor Swift vs. Ed Sheeran: Models for releasing new music continue to evolve

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Music artists are faced with a conundrum today that is worthy of a song. And it’s not just music artists. Ask anyone who is trying to promote a book or any other form of artistry. Do you give your artistic works away to gain exposure? Or do you try to get fans to pay for your hard-earned efforts, instead?

For example, many musicians these days are giving away new tunes on Amazon Prime, Apple Music, SoundCloud and Spotify, just to name a few, in order to try to build a following in the hopes that the masses will then seek out live shows. Continue reading →


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MerleFest announces artist additions to April 26-29, 2018, lineup

Greensboro, North Carolina, native and Grammy Award winner Rhiannon Giddens is among the more than 75 artists scheduled to perform April 26-29 at MerleFest on the campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, festival organizers announced today.

Giddens, who is also a recent $625,000 MacArthur “Genius Grant” recipient and a welcome addition to the hit TV show, “Nashville,” is among four additional artists revealed by the festival along with Elephant Revival, Rodney Crowell and Shinyribs. Continue reading →


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Rooster Walk 10 announces initial lineup featuring JJ Grey & Mofro, Marcus King Band, Billy Strings and Jerry Douglas

Rooster Walk Music and Arts Festival fans, listen up:

The Axton, Virginia, Memorial Day weekend music festival set for May 24-27 turns 10 in 2018 and the initial roll out of artists in the lineup doesn’t disappoint.

J Grey & Mofro,, a southern soul and funk band from Florida, and The Marcus King Band along with  Billy Strings will return, both of whom were big hits at Rooster Walk 9. MerleFest favorite and dobro master Jerry Douglas and his jazz-grass band including guitarist Mike Seal and drummer Doug Belote, will make their Rooster Walk debut.

Also announced were Rooster Walk staples Americana/alt-country rockers Yarn  and R&B rockers Commonheart.

Of these acts, The Marcus King Band, Billy Stirngs, Yarn and The Commonheart are slated to play two sets each.

Early bird tickets are now on sale at this link. http://roosterwalk.com/rw-10/rw9-tickets/
The family friendly festival is held at the idyllic Pop’s Farm music venue located just outside of Martinsville.
Rooster Walk 10 will feature some 50 bands as well as arts/crafts/food vendors, kids’ activities, outdoor activities, on-site camping and more.


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Time is running out to get tickets to Doc Watson tribute ‘Docabilly’ featuring Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder

From the good folks at Acoustic Routes Concerts:

ANN ARBOR, Michigan – Acoustic Routes Concerts has announced Docabilly! – a celebration of the music of Arthel “Doc” Watson on what would have been his 95th birthday – is on track to sell out with fewer than 100 tickets remaining. Continue reading →


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Six questions with Robert Earl Keen, who kicks off his ‘Merry Christmas From the Fam-O-Lee’ holiday show tour on Monday, Nov. 27

If you haven’t bought your tickets for Americana icon Robert Earl Keen’s annual holiday show tour, “Merry Christmas From the Fam-O-Lee,” that kicks off Monday, Nov. 27, at the Tivoli Theatre in Chattanooga, Tennessee, it’s not too late. And if you’ve never experienced it’s sure to become a favorite family tradition. Continue reading →


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Lowland​ ​Hum​ ​releases​ ‘S​ongs for Christmas Time’ just in time for the holidays

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It’s a week before Black Friday, but you can start easing into the holiday spirit today with ​Lowland ​Hum’s ​”Songs ​for Christmas ​Time,” a ​collection of low-key holiday tunes “f​or ​those ​who ​need ​something ​a little ​less ​triumphantly ​cheerful ​during ​their ​holiday ​season.” Continue reading →


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Leftover Salmon to perform at The Rives Theatre in Martinsville, Virginia

Rooster Walk Music and Arts Festival and FloydFest fans, listen up: You can catch a rare acousticLeftover Salmon! set beginning at 9 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 16, at the historic Rives Theatre in Martinsville, Virginia. Continue reading →