Two weeks ago, BGS once again teamed up as media partner of the Brooklyn Country Cantina as it celebrated its 10th year at SXSW, expanding into the Eastside Doublewide double showcase. In conjunction with Hank & Ed Management, the day featured more than 25 Americana, bluegrass, and rock 'n' roll bands on three alternating stages in two adjacent venues…

River Whyless stepped onto the stage at That Tent while the temperature was still bearable, the dust was still minimal, and the sky was bright blue -- that signature Tennessee summer haze would come later. Their fiddle and harmonium wafted out over Centeroo like a roots music call to prayer. The BGS stage had begun!Aaron…

“This is one of the coolest, kindest, coziest, and vibey-ist things here at SXSW,” Langhorne Slim announced with a grin, as he kicked off this year’s Brooklyn Country Cantina, energizing the packed crowd that had come to enjoy the annual day-long party. The Cantina has been described by fans and musicians, alike, as a pilgrimage,…

Of the three big roots music conferences -- World of Bluegrass, AmericanaFest, and Folk Alliance International -- Folk Alliance demands the most mental musical bandwidth. More than 1,000 musicians were on hand in Kansas City, Missouri, between February 15 and 19, organizing themselves into more than 3,000 individual showcases, designated either “official” (jury-selected for the…

The election may currently loom large over America like a toupée-shaped storm cloud, but yesterday, there was one rumor floating around that managed to cut through the noise: Beyoncé might perform at the CMA Awards. Speculation swirled around Nashville and online before it was officially announced late Wednesday afternoon that Queen Bey would, in fact,…