IF YOU ONLY LiSTEN to ONE RECORD THiS WEEK (September 22, 2026)

ROUTES & BRANCHES

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

September 22, 2026

Scott Foley, purveyor of dust

On the jacket for his third original full-length album, Orville Peck perches atop a stool, stripped of all but his t-shirt, briefs, and his trademark fringed mask and white cowboy hat. Mule is certainly Peck's most thematically cohesive record to date, maybe his most personally revealing. Like the cover photo, the new songs suggest a vulnerability, addressing the artist's own journey from addiction to sobriety.

Mule opens with a Greek chorus of Noah Cyrus, Allison Russell and Emmylou Harris setting the stage a'la O Brother with a short acapella Eulogy for the man turned mule. Peck has indicated that the songs are arranged along a timeline, from addiction to the dissolution of his relationship, through rehab to a tentative sobriety. On "Big Ol' House", he sways on the brink of indecision: Echoed notes of songs I wrote / No one left to play 'em for. 

Since his 2019 debut, Orville Peck's artistry has grown, still rooted in classic country while gathering confidence in reaching further afield. He has called this my bluegrass album, incorporating both the fiddle of Ketch Secor and Molly Tuttle's banjo throughout. Nothing on Mule digs too deeply into the genre beyond the use of this instrumentation. "Rehab Blues" confirms that the road to recovery is no fun, loping along with Dillon Casey's barroom piano: I hate it here / I don't care / And I wanna die. Peck's theatrical camp exhibits in his walk between drama and self-deprecation: Catch me on the evening news / Dumb fag dies from the rehab blues. 

"Cowboy Heart" exhibits Peck's ease with the country genre, backed with steel guitar as he wanders the LA streets in the company of the ghost of Jim Morrison. "Run Out Of Road" alternates an interesting percussive guitar line with a typically dramatic chorus: The price of being wild and free / Can leave you more alone. Always a generationally strong singer, Peck sounds terrific here, his trademark elastic yodel betraying more vulnerability, especially on the record's moving title cut. 

Songs on Mule are often unusually brief, but are peppered with some of the most pop-flavored country of his career in "Too Little Too Late" and "Already Gone". Both are deeply melodic, with the bright and tuneful arrangements often juxtaposed with more overcast lyrics: Lonesome heart by design / Broken head in decline / Telling anyone who'll listen it'll all be fine. "Mule" acknowledges some resolution to the album's story arc, even if it seems to be qualified: I went away to find / What happened to my mind / I think I found it partly / I don't know. The title cut almost finds Orville Peck letting his mask down, though he is quick to attribute the stage prop as part of the camp and drag that have always been part of the country genre since the days of Johnny Cash and Dolly Parton. It's not change, he concludes, I think it's more like coming home. 

--------------------------

ROUTES-cast September 20, 2026

ROUTES & BRANCHES

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

September 20, 2026

Scott Foley, purveyor of dust

ROUTES-cast September 20, 2026

^ Goodnight Texas, "Dopamine"  Wooden Machine  (Goodnight, 26)

- Milk Carton Kids, "Making a Fool Of Myself" single  (Far Cry, 26)  D

- John Prine, "Dogs In Burlington" Found Dogs  (Oh Boy, Oct 9)

- JP Harris, "Hang Me (ft Chance McCoy)" Shaving a Dead Man  (Bloodshot, Oct 23)

- Sam Baker, "Mennonite" Survivor  (RC!, 26)  D

- Jake Xerxes Fussell, "Every Time I Go To Town" Old Beloved Path  (Fat Possum, 26)

- Arborist, "Bye Bye Johnny Cash" Looking For Love  (Arborist, Oct 16)

- Katie Pruitt, "Fools For the Fleeting" Fools For the Fleeting  (Rounder, 26)

- Brandy Clark, "American Roots" the bird  (Reprise, Jan 15)  D

- Presley Haile, "Folded Moon" Hamilton Honey Pt 2 EP  (Columbia, Oct 2)  D

- John Paul White, "Old History (ft Morgan Wade)" single  (Warner, 26)  D

- Jonathan Something, "The Garden" One More Lonesome Cowboy Song  (High Shelter, Oct 16)

- Brother Bird, "Pessimist" Lodge In Miller County  (Easy Does It, Sep 25)

- Ransom Brothers, "Percocets and Porcelain" Cryin' Shame  (Ransom, 26)

- Old Crow Medicine Show, "Penn Station" Felice County Fair: Celebration Of Felice Brothers  (Sony, Oct 16)

- Noeline Hofmann, "Wilson Silverstar 402 Blues" single  (Mercury, 26)  D

- Muscadine Bloodline, "Escatawpa Hollow" single  (Stancaster, 26)  D

- Palmyra, "Guilty" Cheap Beer EP  (Oh Boy, 26)

- Aubory Bugg, "Just Embers Now" I Think I Had Something Once  (Dualtone, 26)

- Hiss Golden Messenger, "Pontiac (ft Bruce Hornsby)" single  (Chrysalis, 26)  D

- Nicki Bluhm, "How Strong Is a Woman" single  (Bluhm, 26)  D

- Nicole Atkins, "For No One" Drama  (Sun, 26)

- Orville Peck, "Cowboy Heart" Mule  (Warner, 26)

- Napsack, "Inside/Outside" More Mountains  (Just Because, Oct 16)

- Foot Ox, "Church (In a Box)" Topanga Canyon  (Lauren, Oct 23)

- Queen Of Jeans, "Nothin'" hard/SWEET  (Memory, Oct 9)

- Mildred, "Bird Laugh" single  (Dog Day x Memorials Of Distinction, 26)  D

- Free Range, "What's Right" Singin' To An Empty Chair (Deluxe)  (New West, 26)

- Wednesday, "June 2 (Early Version)" Bleeds (Deluxe)  (Dead Oceans, 26)  D

- Kevin Morby, "PBJ" single  (Dead Oceans, 26)  D

--------------------------

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:

 

WHAT's SO GREAT ABOUT THiS WEEK?!! (September 18, 2026)

ROUTES & BRANCHES

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

September 18, 2026

Scott Foley, purveyor of dust

We start with the assumption that our readers care about new music. You arrive at our doorstep hoping for something to feed that appetite for discovery, be it a new song from a familiar artist, or maybe even something from a band that's brand new to you. We also recognize that it can be overwhelming to arrive at the table in search of a little something, only to be faced with a sprawling buffet! So it's our job to make you a more manageable plate. You might want to try these. Start here. 

Plus, we work on the premise that you want a little of everything. Faced with a buffet table, you'd rather not simply pile your plate with mashed potatoes (or perhaps you would?). So we strive for a diversity of flavors and colors, we hope to strike a nice balance knowing that everyone is likely to find something that way. 

Thus ends today's food analogy. It's all just music. We've chosen five (5) singles from the week that we enjoy. We hope/expect you will as well. We call it 

WHAT"S SO GREAT ABOUT THiS WEEK?!!  

^Queen Of Jeans, "Nothin'"  hard/SWEET  (Memory, Oct 9)

We're told that hard/SWEET is the Philadelphia trio's fourth LP, though they're new to us. hard/SWEET might hint at the sound of the record, characterized by heavy, almost shoegaze guitars and more melodic vocal harmonies. "Nothin'" arrives with a homey video and lyrics about finding places of true meeting, even with strangers. And playin' your instruments on the roof. Which is ill advised. 

--------------------------

Mildred, "Bird Laugh" single  (Dog Day x Memorials Of Distinction, 26)

It's true. The Oakland act Mildred is fresh off the release of Fenceline, their appealing April full-length debut. "Bird Laugh" is reportedly one side of a double-sided single, both songs written during the tour behind that first collection. The four members of Mildred rotate writing and singing. Says Jack Schrott who penned this one: I think this song is about resigning yourself to something. Some things you can't fight, like snow falling. And sometimes the things you resign yourself to are the most beautiful things. 

--------------------------

Noeline Hofmann, "Wilson Silverstar 402 Blues" single  (Mercury, 26)

Is this the first sign of a follow-up to the Canadian artist's Purple Gas? Hofmann's new single is a truckin' song, with lyrics we can only assume talk about truckin' things: Hide sticking out the ovals / Of the corrugated wilson / 53ft Silverstar tri-axle behind me. Props to fellow longhaul enthusiast Jesse Daniel who plays the role of the trucker with authenticity and aplomb.

--------------------------

Arborist, "Bye Bye Johnny Cash"  Looking For Love  (Arborist, Oct 16)

We were pretty sure this new Arborist single was the smoothest thing we'd heard all week, then the sax accompaniment kicked in and secured our suspicion. From Belfast, Arborist is the product of Mark McCambridge, whose new collection explores the seedier haunts and the undesirables of his Irish home. Played by a true burlesque artist, the dancer in this video really commits to those large feather props. 

--------------------------

Presley Haile, "Folded Moon"  Hamilton Honey Pt 2 EP  (Columbia, Oct 2)

Part 1 of the Texas artist's two-part EP series was released in July, and exceeded our expectations for her songs, which occasionally recalled a young Nanci Griffith: We wore our souls as thin as Goodwill boots. She's also identified Townes Van Zandt and horror auteur Stephen King as writing influences ... 

--------------------------

A ROUTES & BRANCHES GUiDE to FEEDiNG YOUR MONSTER (September 17, 2026)

A ROUTES & BRANCHES GUiDE to FEEDiNG YOUR MONSTER

good news about good noise

September 17, 2026

Scott Foley, purveyor of dust

Just last night, the Americana Honors & Awards were ... well, honored & awarded in Nashville. While we are by no means guided by the organization's work, we do recognize that they put on quite a show with their yearly Americanafest, and that their award recognitions aren't as off as, say, the Grammys. You can stream the whole thing (for now) at NPR's World Cafe site, and they usually clean it up for wider consumption at a later date. In addition to the Tom Petty tribute (noted below), there were moments in celebration of Todd Snider and Dolly Parton (who recorded an acceptance speech prior to her passing (of course)). 

--------------------------

Alright, it's been four years since Lydia Loveless' last LP. Signs are looking very positive for (in her words) something something about something coming soon. You can hear five seconds of something at her Instagram page. Just press repeat and it's almost like a new song!

--------------------------

The world needs more supergroups! Bumperstickers should be issued. Grateful Web shares information about Toy Factory Project, a welcome collaboration between folks like Marcus King, Blackberry Smoke's Charlie Starr, Oteil Burbridge, and more. The outfit formed in tribute to Toy Caldwell, founder of Marshall Tucker Band. Check out their tour info, as well as a performance video. Can a record be far behind?

--------------------------

On the New Pornographers' substack, AC Newman quotes Jonathan Richman: We have to learn to play with nothing. Our guitars are broken and it's raining. For Newman's band, the challenges began with difficulty obtaining visas for the Canadian members of New Pornographers, and unspooled from there, to include Covid, rehearsals at a studio in the hills above Santa Fe that feels like a Breaking Bad theme park, and simply rolling with the punches to carry out the US leg of their tour. 

--------------------------

Tom Petty is one of those adjacent artists that influenced many of the folks we represent, but who don't appear on our ROUTES-cast playlists. Petty & the Heartbreakers are receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award at this week's Americana Honors & Awards program, and the remaining members are scheduled to reunite for a special performance. Petty's estate has also just announced a boxed set of his early work, mostly between the end of Mudcrutch and the first recordings with the Heartbreakers. You can read more in Grateful Web's writeup. 

--------------------------

^Is it time for a new album from Whitey Morgan & the 78s? No, it's way past time. Saving Country Music reminds readers that it's been a full eight (8) years since 2018's Hard Times and White Lines. Looks like they still haven't improved the appeal of their jacket art, but we look forward to hearing what's in the wings, beginning with next Friday's debut single. 

--------------------------

Beck doesn't need our help. While we don't include him in our blog, we admire a bunch of what he's done, especially on Sea Change. His new Ride Lonesome project rings many of those same bells. New Music Express chats with Beck about his first original record in seven years, what he terms a heartbreak record. 

--------------------------

Okay, more Alabama Shakes stuff. Brittany Howard and Heath Fogg discover that some radio stations continue to have physical libraries. When asked by KCRW to pick a couple of their personal favorites we'd love for them to go deep, but they settle on something pretty familiar. Nevertheless, Howard sets the stage for a Shakes/Sade collab, so it's with it in the end. 

--------------------------

These can be crazy days at A Routes & Branches Guide To Feeding Your Monster, our enduringly updated record release calendar. This week's adds included a deluxe edition of Wednesday's 2025 Bleeds LP. This one will feature remixes and demos (Dead Oceans, Sep 18). Keeping folk music safe for sensitive ears, Shovel Dance Collective have returned with their third album. Expect Everything In Readiness on or about October 23, courtesy of the tak:til imprint. We are shameless fans of holiday music, and are pleased to see Sufjan Stevens announce Worst Christmas Ever! The collection distills the songwriter's prodigious seasonal output, adding a new song as well (Asthmatic Kitty, Nov 6). A touring member of bands for Jimbo Mathus and Shinyribs, Llana Shaefer has announced her debut solo project. Strolling Bones has set aside November 13 for the release of Full Circle. Finally, see above for more info on the first Whitey Morgan & the 78s collection in several years. If all goes as planned, Hell On the Highway will arrive on digital shelves on December 4. 

--------------------------

LOOKBACK MACHiNE: Buddy Miller (ft Julie Miller)

ROUTES & BRANCHES

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

September 16, 2026

Scott Foley, purveyor of dust

An exhaustive list of Buddy Miller's contributions and accolades would run several pages. For many years, Buddy Miller has been leading the house band for the annual Americana Honors & Awards show, a recognition he himself has won a dozen times, including for his 2001 project alongside his wife, Julie. Miller has served as a member of Emmylou Harris' Spyboy, as well as supporting acts like Steve Earle and Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, and he has produced records for Patty Griffin, Solomon Burke, Richard Thompson, and many more. This is all on top of releasing his own music, including the self-titled collection that just landed on shelves this week. 

For this week's Lookback Machine, we focus on Miller's solo records, as well as his releases alongside Julie, and 2012's collaboration with Jim Lauderdale. One challenge was posed by the fact that Buddy Miller has covered songs from many other artists, and actually has relatively few writing credits. His most streamed songs tend to be from tribute albums, or covers like his run through Tom T Hall's "That's How I Got To Memphis". Julie Miller is a truly underappreciated songwriter, and wrote the majority of the songs below. You'll hear her vocal on some of these tracks as well. 

Few artists in our kind of music have embraced the full range of americana music in all its facets, from country and folk to blues, gospel, and bluegrass. 

BUDDY MiLLER (ft Julie Miller), thirty favorites 

- "You Wrecked Up My Heart" Your Love and Other Lies  (1995)

- "My Love Will Follow You" 

- "Love Grown Wild"

- "Love Snuck Up"

- "Does My Ring Burn Your Finger" Cruel Moon  (1999)

- "Love Match"

- "Somewhere Trouble Don't Go" 

- "River's Gonna Run" Buddy & Julie Miller  (2001)

- "You Make My Heart Beat Too Fast" 

- "Dirty Water" 

- "Can't Get Over You" Midnight and Lonesome  (2002)

- "When It Comes To You" 

- "Water When the Well Is Dry" 

- "Worry Too Much" Universal United House Of Prayer   (2004)

- "Shelter Me"

- "Wide River To Cross"

- "Out In the Rain" Love Snuck Up (w/Julie)  (2004)

- "Ellis County" Written In Chalk (w/Julie)  (2009)

- "Gasoline and Matches"

- "Chalk"

- "God's Winged Horse" Majestic Silver Strings  (2011)

- "Looking For a Heartache Like You" Buddy & Jim (w/Jim Lauderdale)  (2012)

- "Breakdown On 20th Ave South" Breakdown On 20th Ave South (w/Julie)  (2019)

- "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me" 

- "Spittin' On Fire" 

- "Let It Rain (ft McCrary Sisters, Steve Earle)" Lockdown Songs (w/Julie)  (2020)

- "In the Throes" In the Throes (w/Julie)  (2023)

- "Painkillers Ain't Workin'" 

- "I'll Never Live It Down" 

- "Losers' Celebration (ft Julie)  Buddy Miller  (2026)

--------------------------

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:

IF YOU ONLY LiSTEN to ONE RECORD THiS WEEK (September 15)

ROUTES & BRANCHES

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

September 15, 2026

Scott Foley, purveyor of dust

IF YOU ONLY LiSTEN to ONE RECORD THiS WEEK

The present and the future of our kind of music is driven by producers and artists who bring their experiences and perspective to play, generational winds that interact with and bend tradition, encouraging new sounds. It's what keeps the music we represent relatable and relevant to the larger music-consuming culture. In the case of Angela Autumn's second LP, Believer, the forces at play include her youth in Pennsylvania's Allegheny Mountains, coming of age under the influence of acts like Lou Reed and Cat Power, cutting her musical teeth in bluegrass outfits in Pittsburgh, then North Carolina, before ending up in Nashville. That's where she met producer Isaiah Beard, who first partnered with Autumn on a 2023 breakthrough single, "Electric Lizard". 

Angela Autumn's work prior to Believer is more traditional, familiar arrangements that introduce her banjo and her vocal charm along with her evolving lyrical perspective. Beard (whose resume under the name 'Baerd' features primarily non-roots artists) works with the songwriter to update the setting and the atmosphere in which her songs happen. It's not a full-scale reinterpretation, though the collaboration has proven impactful. "Electric Lizard" apposes Autumn's clawhammer banjo and decidedly trad vocal with electric flourishes and an up-to-the-minute arrangement for a song rivaling Lydia Loveless for spirit and spite. It's what her friend Victor Furtado called, doing her folk punk thing.

Autumn is not looking to escape the bounds of traditional music, but rather seeks to achieve a more honest expression in light of her age and experience. "I Don't Think About You At All" builds on those familiar elements, but augments them with contemporary, organic drum and bass sounds and attitude: You don't have what it takes to make me feel happy. She plays every instrument on "Sage Bundle", first released in 2024, from acoustic strum to sharp bursts of electricity. While her vocal draws from that rich Appalachian well, her sentiments are decidedly current: There is a space between my legs / Where time stops and no thoughts can penetrate. She addresses this juxtaposition in labeling herself a bluegrass surrogate child in one interview. On "In the South", she further stakes her claim: We are at mortal war between loss and restoring / What we uncovered and what we discovered. 

"Heavy Tobacco" recalls Angela Autumn's time in North Carolina, adding Isaiah Beard's pedal steel and a popping bass line from Rhees Williams. The effect emphasizes alchemy over artifice, never abandoning those roots elements but refusing to simply settle with sounds and signifiers from another time. "Millionaire Money" and "Mountain Stream" deploy studio burbles and whirls, even as they would be identified as country or folk music by most listeners. Believer establishes itself confidently in the middle ground between Ken Pomeroy and Lily Seabird. Autumn explains the album's title: Having belief and trust in the songs. Belief in my validity in this space ...

--------------------------

ROUTES-cast September 13, 2026

ROUTES & BRANCHES

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

September 13, 2026

Scott Foley, purveyor of dust

This week's battle for our favorite release is a tight one between the country-inflected indie of This Is Lorelei and the new Appalachian country-folk of Angela Autumn. Rest assured, we'll arrive at a resolution before Tuesday's If You Only Listen To One Record. Pretty sure. 

The coming two weeks before the onset of October brings us more than fifty (50) new albums, with both September 18 and 25 release dates absolutely stupid with interesting stuff. We're especially looking forward to pending records by Jake Xerxes Fussell, Orville Peck, Star Room Boys, and Ian Noe. 

Always good to know we continue to have valuable work to do. 

ROUTES-cast September 13, 2026

^ Valerie June, "Trouble In Mind (ft Sam Amidon)" Brighter Blue EP  (Concord, 26)

- Menahan Street Band, "Palace Of Illusions" Illusions  (Diamond West, Nov 13)  D

- Eli Paperboy Reid, "One Man's Trash (ft Swamp Dogg)" Getting There  (Yep Roc, 26)

- Sierra Ferrell, "Pair Of Dice" single  (Rounder, 26)  D

- Jess Williamson, "High Heels and Blue Jeans" A Mile South Of Heaven  (New West, Oct 9)

- Olivia Wolf, "Drag It Back" Snake Of Diamonds  (Birdsong Hollow, Jan 22)  D

- Frances de Vargas, "To Be Dust" Graduation  (Nudie, Nov 13)  D

- This Is Lorelei, "Kid With the Crown" Singer In My Band  (Matador, 26)

- Ratboys, "Fix My Brain" Singin' To An Empty Chair (Deluxe) (New West, Sep 18)  D

- Twisted Teens, "When We First Met" Holy Cross Tigers  (Sub Pop, Nov 6)  D

- War On Drugs, "Who's That" single  (Super High Quality, 26)  D

- Star Room Boys, "Both Our Towns" Why Do Lonely Men and Women Want To Break  (Strolling Bones, Sep 25)

- Left Arm Tan, "Amsterdam" When Tigers Smoked  (LAT, Oct 9)

- Angela Autumn, "Believer" Believer  (Gar Hole, 26)

- Buddy Miller, "Losers' Celebration" Buddy Miller  (New West, 26)

- Schaefer Llana, "Wednesday Is Green" Full Circle  (Strolling Bones, Nov 13)  D

- Lawrence Rothman, "Demons (ft Delaney Ramsdell)" Here Lies Love/Sawdust To Stardust  (KRO, Sep 25)

- Emma Ogier, "Keep You" single  (Lost Highway, 26)  D

- Boy Golden, "Pity" Best Of Our Possible Lives (Deluxe)  (Six Shooter, Oct 16)  D

- Margo Cilker, "Molly and Me" Little White Cross  (Fossil, Oct 9)

- Chaparelle, "Endless Texas Summer" single  (Chaparelle, 26)  D

- Charlie Parr, "(What's So Funny About) Universal Healthcare" Rooming House  (Smithsonian, Oct 16)

- Jude Brothers, "Oak & Ache" Dogwood Maiden Voyage  (Gar Hole, Sep 25)

- Johnny & Lillie Flynn, "Music Of the Spheres" Beam Cottage  (Flynn, Nov 6)

- Hello Shark, "The River" The River  (Father/Daughter, Nov 6)

- Sadurn, "Can't Stop" The Underworld  (Run For Cover, Oct 16)

- Tallest Man On Earth, "Overboda (ft Sofia HK)" Just Beyond Endless Mountain  (Anti, Oct 9)

- Sylvie, "Rina (ft Alex Amen)" New Season  (Ghostly International, Nov 6)  D

- Hour, "Pearls" Ghost Bridge  (Dear Life, Oct 9)

- Lemonheads, "Rake" Townesville  (Fire)  D

--------------------------

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: