A Routes & Branches Guide To Feeding Your Monster (June 4, 2026)

A ROUTES & BRANCHES GUiDE to FEEDiNG YOUR MONSTER

good news about good noise

June 4, 2026

Scott Foley, purveyor of dust

Remember when we used to do this? When every week we'd lay out ten (or nine) pretty interesting stories from elsewhere on the internet? Us too. Let's do that again. 

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Let's enjoy this longform write-up about guitarist Ron Steele and his essential role in Chicago music at Chicago Reader . It's part of Mike Stephen's Secret History of Chicago Music radio program. Heck, long as you're there, read this piece about Andrew Sa's very promising June 26 album on Bloodshot. 

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We'll be taking a stab at our favorite records for the first half of 2026 near the end of June. No spoilers, but you can rest assured that we're feeling pretty fond of Ratboys' February release, Singin' To An Empty Chair. You can catch a nice live set from KEXP's live sessions. 

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Big Thief sat in some tall grass in Ireland and played four songs, a couple of them brand new. Of course, they sound terrific, even if all we can think of is all the bugs that must be crawling and flying around them. Adrianne Lenker and co are approaching Maximum Groove. 

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Ray Wylie Hubbard has found his way back to the studio to record a new project. Saving Country Music shares a bit of the story behind Reel 2 Reel 4 Real, set for an August 21 release. 

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Our kind of music is so hot these days. Kevin Morby has followed his lady friend Katie Crutchfield down dusty roads and unmown fields for his very good Little Wide Open. Under the Radar interviews Morby in a field of sunflowers. 

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So so many bloggers are doing the Best Of the Year So Far ... thing. Do we pay attention to them? Yeah, sure we do. Especially when they're from tasteful tastemakers like No Expectations' Josh Terry, aka some guy in Chicago. You should subscribe to his newsletter. 

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Sharp-eyed followers might have noticed that this week's Routes-cast included something from Australian Way Dynamic's Massive Shoe. The project of Dylan Young, the under-the-radar LP will be reissued by Jagjaguwar in October. If the R&B rec isn't enough, the project has been touted by names as diverse as Waxahatchee and Elton John. 

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For those who feel our blog doesn't adequately represent Andean music, Hermanos Gutierrez have announced that their September 25 album, Los Ojos Del Condor (Easy Eye) will be a love letter to South America. The brothers' bloodline runs through Ecuador and Peru. And Sweden. 

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Justin Ringle and Kill Rock Stars have announced a twentieth anniversary reissue of Horse Feathers' debut full-length, Words Are Dead. A US tour featuring members of Blind Pilot and River Whyless is scheduled to begin in August. Can a new project be far behind? We're not asking this rhetorically. 

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LOOKBACK MACHiNE: Freakwater

ROUTES & BRANCHES

featuring the very best of americana, alt.country and roots music

June 3, 2026

Scott Foley, purveyor of dust

Yes, we're returning to our weekly survey of thirty (30) songs by one important artist. This Episode we're focusing on Freakwater, the ensemble surrounding the otherworldly harmonies of vocalist/songwriters Janet Beveridge Bean and Catherine Irwin. There are few if any acts that are simultaneously as deeply rooted in tradition and as likely to depart from trad. To quote Irwin, Freakwater is the sound of hope being destroyed, at least when we're doing it right. 

We'd strongly encourage you to dip into Bean's other Chicago institution, Eleventh Dream Day, as well as Irwin's solo records. But for today we're focusing on the Freakwater projects that remain available for streaming, from 1991's debut to their 2016 Scheherazade. We've also added a pair of tunes from their 2022 collab with the Mekons beneath the Freakons moniker. While the duo's harmonies are essential to their indelible sound, the consistentcy of their writing and musicianship should not be overlooked. Their originals hold their own beside the earlier covers. Once again quoting the band, In all honesty there is not another band like we are, and that is a great thing because there is no one to take our place. 

FREAKWATER: thirty favorites

- "A Song You Could Cry For" Dancing Under Water  (Thrill Jockey, 91)

- "Rank Strangers" 

- "Wild and Blue" 

- "You're Still On My Mind"

- "My Old Drunk Friend" Feels Like the Third Time (Thrill Jockey, Sep 1 93)

- "Forgettable Song" 

- "Crazy Man"

- "You've Never Been This Far Before"

- "Gravity" Old Paint  (Thrill Jockey, Oct 10 95)

- "My One Desire" 

- "Smoking Daddy"

- "Waitress Song" 

- "Picture In My Mind" Springtime  (Thrill Jockey, Jan 20 98)

- "Louisville Lip" 

- "Twisted Wire" 

- "Binding Twine" 

- "Good For Nothing" End Time  (Thrill Jockey, Sep 7 99)

- "Cloak Of Frogs"

- "Cheap Watch"

- "Queen Bee"

- "Right Brothers" Thinking Of You  (Thrill Jockey, Sep 13, 05)

- "So Strange"

- "Loserville"

- "Hi Ho Silver"

- "What the People Want" Scheherazade  (Fluff & Gravy, Feb 15 16)

- "Asp and the Albatross"

- "Velveteen Matador"

- "Number One With a Bullet"

- "Chestnut Blight" Freakons  (Fluff & Gravy, Mar 25, 22)

- "Blackleg Miner" 

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To enjoy any Spotify ROUTES-cast, just open Spotify and search for "routesandbranches" to access this most recent playlist, as well as many others from past months.  Or click here for a preview:

ROUTES-cast May 31, 2026

ROUTES & BRANCHES

featuring the very best of americana, alt.country and roots music

May 31, 2026

Scott Foley, purveyor of dust

If we were a betting blog, our money this week might be on the return of Joshua Ray Walker, whose Ain't Dead Yet marks his seemingly triumphant return from cancer treatment. We're fond as well of No Gasoline, the full-length debut of Chicago's Widemouth, not to mention Greg Mendez's quiet little Beauty Land. And don't overlook Knuckle Sandwich, the excellent new project from Keyland. But for now:

IF YOU ONLY LiSTEN to ONE RECORD THiS WEEK

We were hoping Simon Joyner's new double-LP Tough Love might show up on Spotify this week, after its Bandcamp debut last week. We've shared the link for your required listening in the likely event this fails to materialize. Officially Joyner's nineteenth studio project, Tough Love picks up the pieces behind 2024's understandably mournful Coyote Butterfly, wherein the Nebraska artist surveyed the depths of grief following the passing of his son. Where that session was a stark, solo statement, Joyner's new work returns to an ensemble setting, surrounded by his Nervous Stars cohort. 

Simon Joyner will never be accused of making easy listening music, though moments of Tough Love can seem relatively standard on his terms. "Isn't This How the Story Always Begins" is practically upbeat, with a bass pulse and the singer's Lou Reed-like recitation. With an organ accompaniment and fingersnaps, "In a Room Like This" verges on soulful, and see also "Wild Palms". Joyner's songs are likely products of in-studio noodling, though they sound quite purposeful and directed here. A subtle sax serenades during "Annelie", and pedal steel joins a scratchy violin on "How To Talk To Your Man. The small ensemble inspires some beautiful moments throughout Tough Love, from the exquisite guitar on the politics-adjacent "Allegiances" to the piano and string intro to "Winter Says". 

Of course, Joyner himself is the focal point of the album, both as a lyricist and a familiarly unconventional vocalist. He waxes romantic on "Annelie": I misplaced all the days / Before you walked through my door.  "Two Black Irises" serves as a junk drawer inventory, an inventory of candles and tacks / matches and maps. Like David Berman or Vic Chesnutt, there's both fleeting joy and inevitable tragedy to Joyner's work: The neighbor's cat scratches a hole in your screen / Even she's been trying to let some light in. 

Tough Love's fourth side features a twenty-minute spoken title track, Joyner giving voice to his son's spirit. The damning meditation won't be one you add to your playlists, but it serves the purpose of continuing to process the grief, likely the only way the songwriter knows: You want to know me now that it's too late / Isn't that a sad enough lullaby ... Don't skip this existential blues. Tough love cuts both ways. 

ROUTES-cast May 31, 2026

- Widemouth, "Debbie" No Gasoline  (Urban Scandal, 26)

- Keenan O'Meara, "Please Leave the Light On" Bathe In the Everlasting Light  (Belting Bronco, Jun 28)  D

- Greg Mendez, "So Mean" Beauty Land  (Dead Oceans, 26)

- Hanging Stars, "Let It Slide" Just a Day  (Loose, Jun 19)

- Kurt Vile, "Rock o' Stone" Philadelphia's Been Good To Me  (Verve, 26)

- Wild Pink, "Round Of Applause At the End Of the World" Still Coming Down  (Fire Talk, Aug 21)  D

- Eric Silverman, "Light Me Up" Bitter Honey  (Royal Okie, 26)

- Rodeo Mouth, "Better Try Again / Billsboro Blues" Terrestrial Thrills  (East Of Yonder, 26)

- Mike Richmond, "Small Southern Towns" Without An Audience  (Strolling Bones, Jun 12)  D

- Judah the Lion, "Maybe the Best Is Now" I Am a Prism  (Dualtone, Aug 14)  D

- Tallest Man On Earth, "Colors" single  (Anti, 26)  D

- Styrofoam Winos, "New Friend" Any River  (Dear Life, Jul 19)

- Maya de Vitry, "All My Faith" All My Faith  (Mad Maker, Jul 24)  

- SUSTO, "Black River Gospel" SUSTO Stringband Vol 2  (Susto, 26)

- Johnny Delaware, "Crystal Ball" On God's Time  (Normaltown, Jul 24)  D

- Jesper Lindell, "Whicha Way Did It Go" Royal  (Yep Roc, Jun 26)

- Leeroy Stagger, "Summer Rain" Pilgrimage  (Cordova Bay, 26)  D

- Mama's Broke, "The Nameless" Reunion  (Free Dirt, Aug 28)  D

- Silverada, "Jack" Living Proof  (Prairie Rose, Aug 7)

- Railroad Earth, "Cameras (ft Lindsay Lou)" single  (Ineffable, 26)  D

- Clover Valley Boys, "Bum Bum Blues" Clover Valley Boys  (Jalopy, Aug 21)  D

- Kaitlin Butts, "Never Really Mine" single  (Republic, 26)  D

- Joshua Ray Walker, "Ain't Dead Yet" Ain't Dead Yet  (East Dallas, 26)

- Kimmi Bitter, "Love Me Or Leave Me Alone" single  (Bitter, 26)  D

- Keyland, "Cannonball" Knuckle Sandwich  (One Riot, 26)

- Ray Wylie Hubbard, "Cassette Mix Tape" Reel 2 Reel 4 Real  (WylieWorld, Aug 21)  D

- Ransom Brothers, "Mexican Coke (ft Band Of Heathens)" single  (Ransom, 26)  D

- Michael Nau, "New Star Buried" Wooden Bouncy Ball  (relearn to boogie, 26)  D

- Way Dynamic, "Miffed It" Massive Shoe (Reissue)  (Jagjaguwar, Oct 2)  D

- Casual Technicians, "Higher Power" Well Once There Was a King  (Historic New Jersey, 26)

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To enjoy any Spotify ROUTES-cast, just open Spotify and search for "routesandbranches" to access this most recent playlist, as well as many others from past months.  Or click here for a preview:

ROUTES-cast May 24, 2026

ROUTES & BRANCHES

featuring the very best of americana, alt.country and roots music

May 24, 2026

Scott Foley, purveyor of dust

Many things to choose from this week for your virtual turntabling, posing somewhat of a challenge in tagging just one LP to recommend. Been a couple years since we last heard from Alela Diane, now serving up her handcrafted indie folk on the Fluff & Gravy label. We're also happy to hear from Ben Chapman, whose own strain of americana grows more soulful with every release. And we were pleasantly surprised to see that Waterspouts packaged their excellent singles into a full album. But if your time allotted is limited ... 

IF YOU ONLY LiSTEN to ONE RECORD THiS WEEK

Thomas Dollbaum's approach to his songs isn't precious, more a product of sound and fit than pretty poetry or a detailed description of people or place. A poet and carpenter by trade, he grew up in Florida and currently called New Orleans home, though the songwriter admits that his Florida youth serves roughly as the setting for his second full-length, Birds Of Paradise (Dear Life). His stock was endorsed by MJ Lenderman who deliberately wore a Dollbaum t-shirt during his own NPR Tiny Desk set. 

Lenderman plays alongside Thomas Dollbaum on these new sessions, primarily on drums but occasionally on guitar and harmony vocals. Birds Of Paradise was set to tape at Dial Back Sound in Water Valley, Mississippi in the wake of his 2022 debut, Wellswood, with Clay Jones producing and Nick Corson and Josh Halper on bass and guitar. Label disagreements delayed the formal release until the Dear Life label added it to their schedule. An EP, Drive All Night, saw the light of day last year, further priming the pump for what has been an enthusiastic welcome for Birds. 

Playing largely live to tape, the new tunes are more muscular than Dollbaum's earlier work, with "Dozen Roses" solidly landing its heavy guitar punches as the singer delivers with more confidence in his own role. "Pulverize" lives up to its billing, dark rural rock that could hold its own against standards like Dirty South. Dollbaum bellows in his throaty vocal, Pulverize this heart / I don't even need it. On what seems to be the collection's most directly personal song, "Rabbits" pictures a young artist chasing rabbits with an iron bar alongside his sister. 

True to its title, Dollbaum's new set flocks with birds of paradise, calling out scrub jays, waterbirds, and cardinals. As heavy and guitar-driven as the record is, some of the writer's most impactful moments happen during his more restrained pieces such as "Waterbirds" and "Scrub Jay". Like Jason Molina or Richard Buckner, Dollbaum isn't a virtuosic vocalist, though his delivery is pitch-perfect for his stories. On "Scrub Jay" he asks, Leave me in the only place I know / I love to hang out in the mangroves. As a writer, Thomas Dollbaum looks to classic poets and short story masters for inspiration. Birds is not simply literature with an electric guitar accompaniment, though the lyrics speak to a writerly level of intention. As his own star seems to be rising, Dollbaum's new project deserves a place alongside the LPs of his collaborator Lenderman. 

ROUTES-cast May 24, 2026

^ Thomas Dollbaum, "Rabbits" Birds Of Paradise  (Dear Life, 26)

- Widemouth, "Raincoat" No Gasoline  (Urban Scandal, May 29)

- Casual Technicians, "Power City USA Pt 2" Well Once There Was a King  (Historic New Jersey, 26)  D

- Natural Child, "Born Lucky" Wooden  (Natural Child, 26)

- Rodeo Mouth, "Sunset Blues Revisited" Terrestrial Thrills  (East Of Yonder, 26)  D

- Waterspouts, "Heart Underneath the Foot" Reverse Aging Junkyard Dog  (Approaching Perfection, 26)

- Shaun Couture, "My Stove Burned Out" single  (General Store, 26)  D

- Bill Kirchen, "Cat Out Of the Bag" Cat Out Of the Bag  (Last Music, 26)  D

- Ed Askew, "Gray Air-o-Plane (ft Sharon Van Etten)" The Final Painting  (Drag City, Jul 31)  D

- Jesse Welles, "Masks Off" Masks Off  (Welles, Jun 12)  D

- Alela Diane, "Piss Coffee Blood Or Wine" Who's Keeping Time  (Fluff & Gravy, 26)

- Andrew Sa, "Your Whisper" American Rough  (Bloodshot, Jun 26)

- Lily Meola, "Daisies" Lucky To Be  (Nettwerk, Jul 17)

- Keyland, "Crayon" Knuckle Sandwich  (One Riot, May 29)

- Cory Branan, "Kathleen" You'll Live  (Blue Elan, Oct 9)  D

- Tift Merritt, "Everyday Singing" Sugar  (One Riot, Jun 26)

- Deslondes, "I'm Gone" Don't Let It Die Vol 1  (New West, 26)

- Whitney Rose, "Tootsies" Tennessee Polaroids EP  (MCG, 26)

- Ben Chapman, "All Day" Feet On Fire  (Hippie Shack, 26)

- Dallas Good & Richard Reed Parry, "Echo the Part" We're the Watchtowers  (Yep Roc, Jun 26)  D

- Nora Kelly Band, "Salt Mine" So Wrong For So Long  (Mint, 26)

- Son Volt, "Skeleton At the Feast" single  (Transmit Sound, 26)  D

- Houndmouth, "Never Gonna Die" Lordy  (Dualtone, Jul 10)

- Magic Tuber Stringband, "Marker Of a Drowning" Heavy Water  (Thrill Jockey, 26)

- Will Sheff, "Always Everything" Extra Mile  (Solid Ghost, Jul 10)

- Shannon Lay, "Past the Veil" Past the Veil  (Lay, Jul 28)  D

- Johanna Samuels, "Circles (ft Tyler Ballgame)" Sorry Kid  (Odd Man Out, Aug 14)  D

- Le Ren, "Free Wheeling" Don't Be Funny Without Me  (Royal Mountain, Aug 28)  D

- Swamp Dogg, "Waka Waka Waka (ft Gary US Bonds)" Contemplates the Afterlife  (S-Curve, Jul 19)

- Bill Orcutt & Mabe Fratti, "A Rural Pen" Almost Waking  (Tin Angel, 26)  D

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To enjoy any Spotify ROUTES-cast, just open Spotify and search for "routesandbranches" to access this most recent playlist, as well as many others from past months.  Or click here for a preview:

ROUTES-cast May 17, 2026

ROUTES & BRANCHES

featuring the very best of americana, alt.country and roots music

May 17, 2026

Scott Foley, purveyor of dust

This week brings us back to a stronger slate of new stuff, from Kevin Morby to Jobi Riccio. We also gave some consideration to quality collections from 49 Winchester and Ryan Bingham (with Texas Gentlemen). When it comes down to brass tacks, however ...

IF YOU ONLY LiSTEN to ONE RECORD THiS WEEK

Honestly, Alejandro Rose-Garcia has almost never layered the production onto his folk-blues songs. Even with the growth of his reputation, the Austin artist has maintained the spirit of a street busker with little more than a suitcase and an acoustic guitar (although street performing has never been his style). Nevertheless, the artist known as Shakey Graves characterizes his new collection as a full creative reset - emphasizing a grittier, lo-fi sound and analog warmth. 

His fifth full-length, Fondness Etc (Dualtone), follows 2023's Movie Of the Week, arguably the most ambitiously produced of Rose-Garcia's projects. More soulful and inventive than a simple folky strummer, there is typically more to a Shakey Graves song than meets the ear. These are full songs rather than demos, watery synth textures beneath guitars and vocals on the languid "Don't Change a Thing". The groove-happy "When the Love Is New" lopes along on the slap of a drum machine and Rose-Garcia's melodically bluesy guitar. A pair of instrumentals included on Fondness attest to his inventiveness, overflowing his folky reputation. 

Shakey Graves took hold for his early lo-fi projects, reissued as Roll the Bones and And the Horse He Rode In On. Similar to M Ward's early work, except that Rose-Garcia managed to maintain his appeal as he added polish and popularity (whereas M Ward has been unable to match his initial appeal). An obscure cover, "Time Flies" is a string-sweetened early pop number, with the singer exercising his upper register. "On My Own" epitomizes that grittiness, its tuneful appeal projecting through the session's lo-fi buffer. Fondness, Etc succeeds as a reset as opposed to a reinvention, a reminder of Alejandro Rose-Garcia's abiding ability as a writer and musician. 

ROUTES-cast May 17, 2026

^ Shakey Graves, "The Boilermaker" Fondness Etc  (Dualtone, 26)

- Ryan Bingham, "Let the Big Dog Eat" They Call Us the Lucky Ones  (Bingham, 26)

- Mac Cornish, "Wayfaring Woman" single  (Cornish, Sep 25)  D

- Charles Wesley Godwin, "Better Than Way (ft Luke Combs)" Christian Name  (Big Loud, Jul 24) D

- 49 Winchester, "Heavy Chevy" Change Of Plans  (New West, 26)

- River Shook, "Country Angel" River Shook  (Blackberry River, Jun 26)

- Wilder Blue, "High Livin'" single  (Hill Country, 26)  D

- Old Crow Medicine Show, "Last American Waltz (ft Molly Tuttle)" Union Made  (Hartland, Jun 5)

- Fruition, "Oh Well" Something More  (Bloodshot, Aug 28)  D

- Jobi Riccio, "Idaho" Face the Feeling  (Yep Roc, 26)

- Pokey LaFarge, "Rent Money" Rent Money  (ONErpm, Sep 11)  D

- SG Goodman, "Planting By the Signs (ft Senora May, Tyler Childers)" Planting By the Signs (Deluxe)  (Slough Water, 26)

- Bella White, "Better" Sign In the Weather  (Rounder, Jun 5)

- Scott Ballew, "Summer Baby" single  (Leisure Rodeo, 26)  D

- Katie Pruitt, "Same Boat" single  (Rounder, 26)  D

- Sera Cahoone, "Say Something" single  (Sub Pop, 26)  D

- Ramsey Thornton, "Chase After You" Called It!  (Gar Hole, 26)

- Ken Pomeroy, "Look At Miss Ohio" Tonight's News EP  (Rounder, Aug 21)  D

- William Matheny, "If I Were a River" Material Witness  (Diamond Teeth, Jul 10)

- Teddy Thompson, "Worst Two Weeks Of My Life" Never Be the Same  (Royal Potato, 26)

- Pieta Brown, "Dreamin' Of" Dreamin' Of  (Righteous Babe, Aug 21)  D

- Angus & Julia Stone, "Karaoke Bar" Bar  (Stone, Sep 4)  D

- Jerry Joseph, "I Think I'm Here" single  (Cavity Search, 26)  D

- Alex Amen, "California Blues" Sun Of Amen  (ATO, Jun 12)

- Kevin Morby, "Bible Belt" Little Wide Open  (Dead Oceans, 26)

- Widowspeak, "Soft Cover" Roses  (Captured Tracks, Jun 5)

- Fruit Bats, "That Goddamn Sun" The Landfill  (Merge, Jun 12)

- Caroline Rose, "Yip Yip Yow" single  (SUCK, 26)  D

- Jon Spencer, "Orange Slice Blues" Songs Of Personal Loss and Protest  (Shove, Jun 12)

- Clem Snide, "Afterlife" Turpentine Rags  (Only One On the Mountain, 26)  D

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To enjoy any Spotify ROUTES-cast, just open Spotify and search for "routesandbranches" to access this most recent playlist, as well as many others from past months.  Or click here for a preview:

ROUTES-cast May 10, 2026

ROUTES & BRANCHES

featuring the very best of americana, alt.country and roots music

May 10, 2026

Scott Foley, purveyor of dust

Some weeks are just like this. Sure, there are some good records hitting the digital shelves from artists like Josiah & the Bonnevilles, Aldous Harding and the mysterious Daughn Gibson (Lake Mary, Not Mysterious). But none of those are especially speaking to us at the moment. Um ...

IF YOU ONLY LiSTEN to ONE RECORD THiS WEEK

Couple weeks ago Texas music legand Terry Allen released Blood Sucking Maniacs (Paradise of Bachelors), a project created with family and close friends. The track we shared, "No Rush To Fly", featured lead vocals by Terry's grandson Calder Allen. Turns out we whiffed on Calder's solo album, Fault Lines, back in March. 

Calder Allen's third project pairs him again with producer/instrumentalist Charlie Sexton (and Jacob Sciba), who lends the sessions a clean, direct polish. It's not just Allen's lineage that draws our attention. He is becoming an excellent songwriter, drawing from the deep and muddy Texas tradition without becoming mired in its easy conventions. "Howl" glows like a summer sunset, with Martie Maguire's fiddle and tastefully restrained pedal steel (plus, Uncle Bukka's keyboard). A guitar-forward blues-rocker, "Norwood County Line" speaks to Allen's confidence as a bandleader. 

As a vocalist, Allen dodges expectations as well, his delivery favoring rock edge over country twang. The hooky "Sideways" unspools with the appeal of 90s chart-rockers like the Wallflowers. There's more than a touch of Ryan Bingham in Allen's singing as well, another artist who has gathered the young artist under his wing. "Fault Lines" addresses his decision to pursue the family trade rather than college or his love for sport fishing. But to his credit, Calder's music sounds nothing like his grandfather's output. Despite subtle contributions from Jon Randall and Jack Ingram, Fault Lines succeeds on the strength of Allen's songs. Sexton and Sciba bring the sessions an undeniable sonic relevance, but the album owes its depth to Calder Allen. "Daylight Saves" merits repeat spins, an acoustic beauty that will compete among our favorites at the year's end. Let it serve as our intro to a promising artist whose trajectory is worth following. 

ROUTES-cast May 10, 2026

^ Calder Allen, "Daylight Saves" Fault Lines  (Allen, 26)  D

- Ashley McBryde, "Water In the River" Wild  (Warner, 26)

- 49 Winchester, "Oh Savannah" Change Of Plans  (New West, May 15)

- Waylon Payne, "Holding On To Lonely" single  (Big Loud Texas, 26)  D

- Caleb Caudle, "Anxious" Heavy Thrill  (Handplow, Jun 5)

- Michaela Anne, "Will You Still Love Me With a Broken Heart" These Are the Days  (Georgia June, 26)

- Ben Chapman, "Baby Blue" Feet On Fire  (Hippie Shack, May 22)

- JW Francis, "Jeffrey" single  (JFW, 26)  D

- Susto, "E-350 (ft Joshua Hedley)" Susto Stringband Vol 2  (Susto, May 29)

- Whitehorse, "Pure Poetry" All I Want Is All Of It  (Six Shooter, 26)

- Ramsey Thornton, "Tony's Song (ft Ken Pomeroy)" I Called It!  (Gar Hole, May 15)

- Haylie Davis, "Give Me a Rainbow" Wandering Star  (Fire, Jun 5)

- Breakfield, "Straight For Heartbreak" Breakfield  (Rounder, Jun 12)

- Josiah & the Bonnevilles, "Carolina Heart" As Is  (Rounder, 26)

- Allison Russell, "Cold April (ft Kara Jackson, Denitia)" In the Hour Of Chaos  (Fantasy, Jul 10)  D

- Eli Paperboy Reed, "Nobody But Me" single  (Yep Roc, 26)  D

- Low Cut Connie, "Can't Be Wrong" Livin In the USA  (Contender, Jul 3)

- Whitney, "See You Later I'm Gone" single  (Whitney, 26)  D

- Thomas Dollbaum, "Pulverize" Birds Of Paradise  (Dear Life, May 22)

- Tracey Nelson, "86"  Hercules  (perennial, Jul 10)

- Futurebirds, "Fly On" Far Out Country  (Dualtone, Sep 4)

- Deer Tick, "ACI"  Coin-O-Matic  (ATO, Jun 5)

- Natural Child, "Biloxi Blues" Wooden  (Natural Child, May 22)

- Kurt Vile, "Zoom 97"  Philadelphia's Been Good To Me  (Verve, May 29)

- Zoh Amba, "Eyes Full" Eyes Full  (Matador, Jun 5)

- Case Oats, "Bottom Of An Afternoon" single  (Merge, 26)  D

- Gun Outfit, "A Little Game" Process and Reality  (Upset the Rhythm, 26)

- Aldous Harding, "What Am I Gonna Do" Train On the Island  (4AD, 26)

- Daughn Gibson, "Saint Paul" Lake Mary Not Mysterious  (El Ed Eb, 26)

- Lambchop, "Weakened" Punching the Clown  (Merge, Aug 21)  D

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To enjoy any Spotify ROUTES-cast, just open Spotify and search for "routesandbranches" to access this most recent playlist, as well as many others from past months.  Or click here for a preview:

ROUTES-cast May 3, 2026

ROUTES & BRANCHES

featuring the very best of americana, alt.country and roots music

May 3, 2026

Scott Foley, purveyor of dust

Commendable listening options for this week include a debut full-length from Nashville folk 'n blues artist Maisy Owen and a fine return to form from Kacey Musgraves. The Woodsist label has also signed artist Ruby Of Thanks, and reissued their 2020 project, In Another World. Or ...

IF YOU ONLY LiSTEN to ONE RECORD THiS WEEK

Maybe we're taking Hiss Golden Messenger for granted. We've been sharing stuff from MC Taylor and his cast of collaborators since his early Court & Spark days. As Hiss Golden Messenger, his output has gradually abandoned the old weird and settled into a comfortable folk expression. Especially since 2016's Heart Like a Levee, we could make a case for Taylor serving as the epitome of an americana artist, batching folk, soul, and gospel in service of his heartfilled songcraft. 

By way of intro, North Carolinian MC Taylor explains that he felt fried and adrift following 2023's Jump For Joy, eventually casting about for reconnection through writing retreats in California and New Mexico before meeting producer and instrumentalist Josh Kaufman at Woodstock Studios in New York. As heard on I'm People (Chrysalis), the results are more a reinvestment than a change of course. Working with percussionist JT Bates and bassplayer Cameron Ralston, the new songs bear a live, immediate spirit, sessions that reveal the fingerprints of the participants (which here include guests such as Sam Beam, Sara Watkins, and Eric D Johnson).  

Working with Cook for the first time since 2019's Terms Of Surrender, these songs serve as a reminder of his golden ear as a player and producer. "In the Middle Of It" and "Shaky Eyes" are soulful jams with lovely hooks. "Alright and Then Some" whittles the arrangement back to fiddle, mandolin, and acoustic strum. Hiss Golden Messenger has never indulged in extended rave-ups, but even restrained songs like "Seneca" (featuring Sara Watkins' fiddle) kindle a satisfying groove. 

Taylor has always been a thoughtful writer, wading into streams of spirituality or the natural world for inspiration. On his notes for I'm People, he states These songs first and foremost are me singing to me. Hiss Golden Messenger doesn't preach or proselytize, but isn't beyond calling out our present storm, especially in light of halcyon days: Those pearly days / When all was revolution and light. Liner notes speak to a hard-won hope, a spirit that elevates the record. On "Heavy World", Taylor sings, Heavy world keep on suffering / We're suffering now / It ain't over then advises, Don't numb yourself to the ache / And don't try to understand it. 

With horns and hallelujah backing vocals, I'm People simmers to an uplift, though a more careful reading of Taylor's lyrics might reveal a thread of melancholy. On "Shaky Eyes" he sings, You got nothing to match my nothing. "Last Orders" suggests, Let's just never get older. Perhaps it's all a product of wandering in the wilderness since the last HGM LP. Taylor has emerged older and wiser, definitely ready to add to his already excellent catalog. On "Who You Gonna Run To", he reflects, Hard as it's been for everyone / I've never felt so perfect. 

ROUTES-cast May 3, 2026

^ Hiss Golden Messenger, "Seneca"  I'm People  (Chrysalis, 26)

- Houndmouth, "Lordy" Lordy  (Dualtone, Jul 10)

- Hanging Stars, "All Your Yesterdays" Just a Day  (Loose, Jun 19)

- Gun Outfit, "Whiplash" Process and Reality  (Upset the Rhythm, May 8)

- Jesus Christ Taxi Driver, "Record Machine" Taxi the Rich  (Midtopia, 26)

- Widemouth, "Hotel Pool" No Gasoline  (Urban Scandal, May 29)

- Jeffrey Silverstein, "Coming Back Around" single  (Full Time Hobby, 26)  D

- Bobby Dove, "Dreamt I Met John Prine" Fortune Teller  (New Motor, 26)

- Joshua Ray Walker, "Shoot Me Straight" Ain't Dead Yet  (Easy Dallas, May 29)

- Emily Nenni, "Yes It Hurt" Movin' Shoes  (New West, 26)

- Keyland, "Stick" Knuckle Sandwich  (One Riot, May 29)

- Margo Price, "Rita Ballou" Old No 1 Revisited  (Truly Handmade, 26)

- Charley Crockett, "Waylon Rides Again" Clovis  ($10 Cowboy, 26)  D

- Erin Enderlin, "I Wrote This Song For You" single  (Black Crow, 26)  D

- Eric Silverman, "Light Me Up" Bitter Honey  (Royal Oakie, May 29)

- Kacey Musgraves, "Mexico Honey" Middle Of Nowhere  (Lost Highway, 26)

- Southall, "Pocketknife and Pliers" Kinfolk  (Smoklahoma, 26)  D

- Charlie Franklin, "Patchwork Of Colours" single  (Franklin, 26)  D

- Maisy Owen, "My Youth Is All For You" Dark On a Sunny Day  (Tompkins Square, 26)

- Bobby Bare Jr, "Ridin' On the Soul Road" Let's Go Dancing: Stopped a Freight Train With a Grain Of Sand  (Tasty Goody, 26)

- Ducks Ltd, "Easy Come Easy Go (ft Martin Courtney)" Easy Come Easy Go EP  (Carpark, 26)  D

- Greg Mendez, "No Evil" Beauty Land  (Dead Oceans, May 29)

- Black Keys, "Stop Arguing Over Me" Peaches!  (Easy Eye, 26)

- Jesper Lindell, "Sweeter Tomorrow" Royal  (Yep Roc, Jun 26)

- Teddy Thompson, "The Game" Never Be the Same  (Royal Potato, May 15)

- Mildred, "UPS Brown" Fenceline  (Dog Day, 26)

- Pinkerton Raid, "All the Protest Songs Are About You" All the Protest Songs Are About You EP  (DeConto, 26)  D

- Magic Tuber Stringband, "Blooms In the Rapids" Heavy Water  (Thrill Jockey, May 22)

- Hannah Cohen, "Golden Chain" single  (Congrats, 26)  D

- Alex Izenberg, "Old Gold" single  (Mexican Summer, 26)  D

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