Billy Strings injects some contemporary vibes into Me/And/Dad, but this is first and foremost a back-to-the-roots album.
Folk
Book Review: “Folk Music — A Bob Dylan Biography in Seven Songs”
At points Greil Marcus’ digressive style can seem like nervy brilliance, at others, idle whimsy. What ennobles the book is the critic’s love for his underlying subject: the soulful search for a truer America.
Book Review: Bob Dylan’s “Philosophy of Modern Song”
The point of Bob Dylan’s project is emotional rather than definitive: to probe the power of song to influence us, make us feel, and ultimately transform us.
Concert Review: Eminent Singer-Songwriter and Guitarist Richard Thompson at the Shalin Liu Performance Center
The caliber of Richard Thompson’s voice is undiminished. His always expressive, frequently soothing timbre was perfectly intact.
Music Festival Review: Northlands Music & Arts Festival — Chill Vibes
Northlands lacks the infrastructure, diversity, and history of some of New England’s finest music fests, but its two-day debut provided a rustic oasis for jambands.
Album Review: “Hurray for the Riff Raff” — Making Art Out of American Angst
Life on Earth aches with the sadness of the human condition, touching on personal trauma and reaching into the malaise of a week of national bad news.
Concert Review: Molly Tuttle and Golden Highway Dazzle at The Sinclair in Cambridge
The brilliant set was a celebratory exploration of Molly Tuttle’s bluegrass roots, albeit with a fresh perspective.
Rock Album Review: The Gravel Project — An Impressive Musical Reach
The Gravel Project respects its roots, but its new album demonstrates how a band can honor its influences without being smothered by them.
Book Review: “Hard Rain” — For Dylan Completists Only
It’s a work that shifts gears often, which is not in itself a bad idea for a book about a famed shape-shifter.
Music Interview: Cowboy Junkies’ Michael Timmins on “Songs of the Recollection”
“I may second guess how a song was recorded. But I can say that all that we have done has come from an honest place.”