One of the reasons I attend Americana music festivals is for the opportunity to be exposed to new music and musicians I might never have sampled on my own. Following is a list of some my favorite Americana musical discoveries of 2014 at some of my favorite festivals in no particular order and where I first heard them. I hope that you will share your own discoveries.
Author Archives: lsnedeker
Seven questions with bluegrass master Tim O’Brien of Hot Rize, Earls of Leicester fame
Tim O’Brien has been called a lot of things throughout his musical career, which spans more than four decades: newgrass, bluegrass, singer, songwriter, mandolin aficionado.
He has been called a lot of things because, well, he does a lot of things. Continue reading
42nd Telluride Bluegrass Festival initial lineup includes historic collaboration of Cooder, White and Skaggs and new faces among usual suspects
I’m using my least favorite day of the year, Winter Solstice, to tell you about a show you don’t want to miss on my favorite day of the year, Summer Solstice: the Telluride Bluegrass Festival. This festival holds a special place in my heart. It is the first bluegrass festival I ever attended. One of my best friends and fellow music lover, Lynn Holt, introduced me to the magic of the box canyon that is topped by the twin Bridal Veil Falls and a river running through its lush valley. If Kevin Costner’s dad in “Field of Dreams” showed up there, he would ask if it was heaven. You seriously have to see it to understand how amazing it is. Continue reading
Rooster Walk 7 Music and Arts Festival announces initial lineup, early-bird ticket sales for May 21-24, 2015, event event
Rooster Walk Music & Arts Festival organizers have announced the initial lineup for Rooster Walk 7 set for May 21-24, 2015. The event will feature Yarn (Saturday and Sunday), Southern Culture on the Skids (Thursday), the Kings of Belmont, After Jack, Major & the Monbacks and Lizzy Ross.
“We’re super excited to welcome SCOTS into the fold for the first time, and thrilled to bring the other five Rooster Walk vets back again,” says Johnny Buck, Rooster Walk executive director.
Give yourself a gift: Go hear After Jack perform at the Rives Theatre on Saturday, Dec. 20
After Jack, a Franklin County-based “hot folk” trio, is scheduled to perform at 9 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 20, at the Rives Theatre in uptown Martinsville, Va., as part of The Bluegrass at the Rives Concert Series. Continue reading
Catch Justin Townes Earle and Caleb Caudle on Saturday, Dec. 13, @SECCA concert series
Fresh off the success of his newest album, “Single Mothers,” Justin Townes Earle is preparing to release, “Absent Fathers,” (hmm wonder who’s the subject?), which he recorded simultaneously. But first he’s coming to Winston-Salem on Saturday, Dec. 13, to headline The Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art (SECCA) Crossroads@SECCA concert series. Winston-Salem-based alt-country singer-songwriter Caleb Caudle will open the show that marks the 11th installment of the series. I had the pleasure of catching Caudle at a private performance at Underdog Records earlier this year and I thought he was great. I haven’t had the pleasure of hearing Earle perform live. Hoping to change that this weekend.
Robert Earl Keen added to MerleFest 2015 lineup
WILKESBORO, N.C. — Robert Earl Keen fans will be thrilled to learn that the Texas American singer-songwriter is joining the lineup for MerleFest, set for April 23-26, 2015. The four-day event, an annual homecoming of musicians and music fans, will once again take place on the campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, N.C. Continue reading
Stop whatever you are doing and watch HBO’s ‘Foo Fighters Sonic Highways’
If you consider yourself a music lover, you MUST watch the new HBO series, “Foo Fighters Sonic Highways.” No seriously. Stop whatever you are doing and watch it right now. Don’t have HBO? No excuse. Order it, watch this series and then cancel your subscription. “Sonic Highways” is that good. Continue reading
Taylor Swift left Nashville a long time ago folks
It seems Taylor Swift is everywhere these days except Nashville. The guy selling newspapers on the corner in the nation’s capital listening to gospel tunes through his ear buds has heard her newest ditty “Shake It Off,” even if it was a muffled version in a passing car. Since her fifth album release and a public battle with Spotify following her decision to remove her music from the free streaming service, something has shifted. Instead of People and Cosmo, this week Swift is gracing the cover of Time and stories about her are littering news sites such Bloomberg and Forbes. It appears she is finally being recognized for the calculating business woman I think she has always been. It’s just taken others time to catch up and realize it. An editorial she wrote in the Wall Street Journal last summer was a warning shot to Spotify: “My hope for the future, not just in the music industry, but in every young girl I meet…is that they all realize their worth and ask for it.” Continue reading
Drive-By Truckers, Leftover Salmon, Shovels and Rope, Greensky Bluegrass and Sam Bush announced among FloydFest 14 initial lineup
FLOYD, Va. — On the heels of MerleFest’s initial lineup announcement comes one from FloydFest. “Fire on the Mountain,” otherwise known as FloydFest 14, will return to the 170.5 milepost of Blue Ridge Parkway on July 22 to 26, 2015, with a renaissance of thick, rich newgrass, Americana and rock, according to organizers. Continue reading
