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Celebrating Black History Month: Big Al Downing, Yola, Elizabeth Cotten, and MoreTo celebrate Black History Month – and the vital contributions of Black, Afro-, and African American artists and musicians to American roots music – BGS, Good Country, and our friends at Real Roots Radio in southwestern Ohio have partnered once again. This time, we'll be bringing you weekly collections of a…

Artist of the Month: Sunny WarSunny War has done it again. Her brand new album, Armageddon in a Summer Dress (out February 21 via New West Records), is yet another anarcho-punk-roots masterpiece in her already deep-and-wide catalog of superlative recordings. The project builds on the sonic and rhetorical universe of her critically acclaimed and triumphantly received 2023…

MIXTAPE: Lucero's Ben Nichols & Rick Steff Celebrate the Spaces In Between(Editor's Note: Ben Nichols and Rick Steff, two members of Lucero, recently released a special acoustic album, Lucero Unplugged, reimagining songs from across the band's 25-year catalog. To celebrate its release on January 24, we asked the pair to curate a Mixtape for BGS.) Rick and I each chose five…

With a Collection of 'Vignettes,' Humbird Show How Expansive Love Can BeWhat makes a song? It’s a simple sounding question, one that invites discussion about structure, melody, production techniques and more (and certainly has no real answer). It’s also something Humbird explores on her transcendent new record, Astrovan: The Love Song Vignettes, which follows last year’s critically acclaimed Humbird LP, Right…

Swedish Singer-Songwriter Sarah Klang Brings 'Beautiful Woman' Stateside

John Mailander's Improvisational Forecast Says 'Let The World In'

First & Latest: Half a Century of Gospel Dynasty The Isaacs

For Guitarist Jordan Tice, "Perfect" Recordings Are Never the Goal

FeaturesFeb 4, 2025

BGS 5+5: Crys Matthews

Artist: Crys Matthews Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee Latest Album: Reclamation Personal Nicknames (or rejected band names): Papa Bear to my future-wife, Uncle Bear to our youngest nieces, and just Bear to my chosen nephew, River. What's the toughest time you ever had writing a song? Without question, the song that took me a while to get 'right' is my song…

FeaturesJan 28, 2025

BGS 5+5: Olivia Wolf

(Welcome to another 5+5! Hit play, scroll, and get to know artists, creators, and roots musicians of all sorts with five questions and five songs.) Artist: Olivia Wolf Hometown: Leipers Fork, Tennessee Latest Album: Silver Rounds Which artist has influenced you the most – and how? Gillian Welch. She has shown me that lyrics can…

FeaturesJan 21, 2025

BGS 5+5: Shane Pendergast

Artist: Shane Pendergast Hometown: Corran Ban, Prince Edward Island, Canada Latest Album: Winter Grace Which artist has influenced you the most – and how? I’ve really spent a lot of time studying the music of Gordon Lightfoot. From his lyrics to his intricate melodies to his fingerstyle picking, I keep coming back to him for…

FeaturesJan 17, 2025

With Real Vulnerability and Honesty as Guides, Larkin Poe Continue to 'Bloom'

Megan and Rebecca Lovell are Larkin Poe, a band that nestles into a myriad of genres – and the sisters are good with that. Their newest full-length album effort, Bloom, out January 24, comes fresh off the heels of a GRAMMY win for Best Contemporary Blues Album with last year’s Blood Harmony. They also landed…

FeaturesJan 16, 2025

Combining Classical and Bluegrass, Scroggins & Rose Improvise and Inspire on 'Speranza'

Acutely expressive, profoundly innovative, and ceaselessly gripping, Scroggins & Rose are masters of sonic storytelling. The project consists of Alisa Rose (violin) and Tristan Scroggins (mandolin), both virtuosic talents with a sprawling list of credits each in their own right. While Scroggins primarily forays in the bluegrass sphere and Rose spent her musical upbringing largely…