Tag: news

Blue Ox Festival Stretches Bluegrass Boundaries

Posted on by Editor

The Blue Ox Festival is bringing the good stuff to Eau Claire, Wisconsin, on June 13-15, with headliners like the Infamous Stringdusters, Trampled by Turtles, and Railroad Earth. Nearly all of the bands on the three-day lineup share a strong acoustic music influence. And while more than a few of these bands are stretching the boundaries of bluegrass, they’re also picking up thousands of new fans along the way.

Here are some highlights from this year’s lineup:

THURSDAY: The Infamous Stringdusters (pictured above) are back with Rise Sun, their first album since winning a Grammy. They’ll top off the night on Thursday, taking the stage at 10:30 pm and playing until midnight. Earlier in the night, fans can catch local favorites Horseshoes & Hand Grenades, approaching a decade together after meeting in college in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. The Lil Smokies and The Lowest Pair will also perform on the Main Stage, while Old Salt Union and Grassfed play the Side Stage. After midnight, Black River Revue and Chicken Wire Empire take on the Backwoods Stage.

FRIDAY: Trampled by Turtles, the pride of the upper Midwest music scene, are making their first-ever appearance at Blue Ox this year, just after a set from their friends in Pert Near Sandstone. The exceptional lineup also boasts the Travelin’ McCourys, who will play a set dedicated to Sam Bush (who bowed out of the festival to recover from a recent surgery), along with their own material. The roster also features Fruition, the Del McCoury Band, and Jeff Austin Band, as well as Americana favorites Sarah Shook & the Disarmers and Pokey LaFarge. Check out the Side Stage for sets by the Larry Keel Experience, Cascade Crescendo, Barbaro, and David Huckfelt. Once again, night owls can swoop down to the Backwoods Stage for more music — this time from Horseshoes & Hand Grenades and Jeff Austin Band.

SATURDAY: One of the most entertaining bands on the festival trail, Railroad Earth effortlessly connect fans of quality songwriting, awesome jamming, and exceptional musicianship. They’ll follow Pert Near Sandstone on the main stage – but this is not the day to arrive late. The inspired afternoon lineup features the innovation of Billy Strings, the undeniable power of The Dead South, cool insight from acoustic blues artist Charlie Parr, and the straightforward bluegrass sounds of The Earls of Leicester featuring Jerry Douglas. Grab some lunch and check out Peter Rowan’s Carter Stanley’s Eyes as well as Them Coulee Boys as the festival grounds start to fill up.

The Side Stage offers a compelling roster as well, with sets by the People Brothers Band, The Wooks, Feeding Leroy, and Dusty Heart. After midnight, Armchair Boogie settles into the Backwoods Stage, along with the Blue Ox Superjam.

Even if you can’t make it to the festival, you can watch key sets from the weekend on The Bluegrass Situation via JamgrassTV!

Photo of Infamous Stringdusters: Aaron Farrington
Photo of Trampled by Turtles: David McClister
Photo of Railroad Earth: Jason Siegel

ANNOUNCING: 2019 American Roots Music Grammy Nominations

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

The nominations for the 61st annual GRAMMY Awards were announced this morning, featuring a number of BGS favorites as well as plenty of artists we’re eager to check out. Take a look at the American Roots Music nominations and tune into the GRAMMY Awards on Sunday, February 10, on CBS. See additional categories and the entire nominations list here. 

Best American Roots Performance

“Kick Rocks” — Sean Ardoin
“Saint James Infirmary Blues” — Jon Batiste
“The Joke” — Brandi Carlile
“All On My Mind” — Anderson East
“Last Man Standing” — Willie Nelson

Best American Roots Song

“All the Trouble” — Waylon Payne, Lee Ann Womack & Adam Wright, songwriters (Lee Ann Womack)
“Build a Bridge” — Jeff Tweedy, songwriter (Mavis Staples)
“The Joke” — Brandi Carlile, Dave Cobb, Phil Hanseroth & Tim Hanseroth, songwriters (Brandi Carlile)
“Knockin’ on Your Screen Door” — Pat McLaughlin & John Prine, songwriters (John Prine)
“Summer’s End” — Pat McLaughlin & John Prine, songwriters (John Prine)

Best Americana Album

By the Way, I Forgive You — Brandi Carlile
Things Have Changed — Bettye LaVette
The Tree of Forgiveness — John Prine
The Lonely, the Lonesome & the Gone — Lee Ann Womack
One Drop of Truth — The Wood Brothers

Best Bluegrass Album

Portraits in Fiddles — Mike Barnett
Sister Sadie II — Sister Sadie
Rivers and Roads — Special Consensus
The Travelin’ McCourys — The Travelin’ McCourys
North of Despair — Wood & Wire

Best Traditional Blues Album

Something Smells Funky ‘Round Here — Elvin Bishop’s Big Fun Trio
Benton County Relic — Cedric Burnside
The Blues is Alive and Well — Buddy Guy
No Mercy in This Land — Ben Harper And Charlie Musselwhite
Don’t You Feel My Leg (The Naughty Bawdy Blues of Blue Lu Barker) — Maria Muldaur

Best Contemporary Blues Album

Please Don’t Be Dead — Fantastic Negrito
Here in Babylon — Teresa James And The Rhythm Tramps
Cry No More — Danielle Nicole
Out of the Blues — Boz Scaggs
Victor Wainwright And The Train — Victor Wainwright And The Train

Best Folk Album

Whistle Down the Wind — Joan Baez
Black Cowboys — Dom Flemons
Rifles & Rosary Beads — Mary Gauthier
Weed Garden — Iron & Wine
All Ashore — Punch Brothers

Best Regional Roots Music Album

Kreole Rock and Soul — Sean Ardoin
Spyboy — Cha Wa
Alohoa from Na Hoa — Na Hoa
No ‘Ane’i — Kalani Pe’a
Mewasinsational – Cree Round Dance Songs — Young Spirit

Lede artwork courtesy of the Recording Academy™/Getty Images © 2018

Ralph Stanley Exhibit Opens at Country Music Hall of Fame

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum is shining a light on a bluegrass legend in the new exhibit, Ralph Stanley: Voice from on High. Presented with the participation of the Stanley family, the exhibit will remain open through January 9, 2019.

For generations, Ralph Stanley found a home in bluegrass music, starting with the influential recordings made with his brother Carter as The Stanley Brothers. Following Carter’s death in 1966, Ralph’s own journey led him to the Grand Ole Opry and the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame, with national recognition ranging from the Library of Congress to the Grammy Awards.

“I just want to say that I’m so glad to see this happen for Dad,” said Ralph Stanley II at the exhibit’s opening party. In his remarks, he remembered receiving a banjo from his father as a boy, although ultimately Ralph II ended up gravitating toward the guitar. Ralph II reminisced about falling asleep to the Clinch Mountain Gospel album while growing up – a ritual that led to dreams of sharing the stage with his father.

“Thanks to the good Lord, I got to do that,” he stated. “There’s been a lot of great banjo players and a lot of great singers. But nobody could play it with the emotion and feel that Dad had. That’s for sure.”

Photos by Jason Davis/Getty Images

Ask Jolie Holland: Getting Bogged Down by the News

Posted on by Editor

Dear Jolie, 

Since the election, I have been despondent. Maybe depressed is the right word, I don’t know. And I realize that Trump voters could say, “Oh boo hoo, get over it,” and that’s fine, but I think what I’m asking here is not really partisan and maybe applies to everyone. The thing is, I’m normally what I would call a voracious news consumer: I read the newspaper every day; I read magazine articles; I listen to news radio. I’ve never had much patience for people who say, “Oh, I don’t read the news, it’s too depressing.” I’ve always felt everyone should make an effort to at least be aware of what’s going on in the world — no matter how bad it might seem — otherwise, how will we ever change anything for the better?

But lately, this is me: For two weeks or so after the election, I couldn’t pick up a newspaper or turn on the radio. It would just disgust me as soon as I did. Now I’ve swung back the other way. I’m devouring every article I can, spending stupid amounts of time reading and listening to all sorts of news, but it’s not really helping. I feel more depressed, in general, not less, and I don’t feel empowered by it. I think it’s making me less productive in other areas of my life, too. Last night at dinner, my wife suggested I stop reading the newspaper, maybe just read more in-depth magazines every now and then, but just take a break. I’m sure she’s right, but I don’t know. I’m trying to figure out how to balance my desire for information and wanting to stay active politically with the knowledge that all this information is likely making me less active and less productive and more discouraged. Any advice?

*   *   *   *   *

Dear News Consumer,

I really respect people who have the stomach to stay on top of the news. I’m definitely a voracious reader, and I can overdose on news. The experience could be characterized as an angst hangover. 

I think it all depends on what you do with your angst hangover. How will you mine your angst hangover? Will you pull diamonds out of it? Will you create works of art out of the information you’ve absorbed? Will inspired social action arise from all this turmoil you’re putting yourself through? 

Or will you abstain from over-indulgence in the news, and give yourself angst withdrawal instead? 

Which is more painful? Which one would make you happier? Which one would make your wife happier? 

I’ve taken news-breaks before, and I’ve found that word-of-mouth is surprisingly reliable. Most news subjects can be summarized in a series of brief questions, usually only three at the most. During one news-fast I was taking, my boyfriend at the time chided me for being “irresponsible and uninformed.” I told him to quiz me on news stories, and it turns out I knew the answer to every question he posed. You will hear most angles of most news stories simply by being an involved and thoughtful member of your community. I found that it’s not always necessary to even talk to strangers to get this kind of news. You’ll just hear it.

Certainly, this technique doesn’t apply in very complicated situations. But if you want to know about something ongoing and very complex, you can always talk to friends who are involved. My Syrian-American buddy and another friend who runs a charity to support Syrian refugees help me understand what’s happening in that terrifying quagmire. There are so many plus sides to this approach: You don’t have to plough through a bunch of poorly written or chatty articles looking for the answers to those three questions you have about the subject, and making room for peace in your life gives you the wherewithal to respond meaningfully to current events. 

Give it a try and see how you like it.

Love,
Jolie

Have a questioni for Jolie? Email it to [email protected]

 

Over the span of her career, Jolie Holland has knotted together a century of American song in jazz, blues, folk, soul, and rock ‘n’ roll. A founding member of the Be Good Tanyas, Holland has released a half-dozen critically lauded albums of her own material over the last 12 years. She recently rejoined forces with Samantha Parton — her former Be Good Tanyas bandmate — for a new duo project simply called Jolie Holland and Samantha Parton. Holland currently resides in Los Angeles.