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 ...

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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

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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:

WHAT's SO GREAT ABOUT THiS WEEK?!! (September 11, 2026)

ROUTES & BRANCHES

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

September 11, 2026

Scott Foley, purveyor of dust

A heap of satisfying singles this week from some familiar friends. As we work through everything that's come our way in preparation for Sunday's weekly Spotify ROUTES-cast, we're eager to share it all with you, but we'll have to start with these five (5) gems. It never feels great to trim the fat, but we're pleased with what remains. We call it

WHAT's SO GREAT ABOUT THiS WEEK?!!

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

There's nothing like an out-of-nowhere artist that doesn't know how good they are. Following a year of going from obscurity to a Sub Pop signing, Caspian and Santos can no longer claim that. The time will come when they can no longer spend good label money on an amateurish video dressing up and goofing off. For today, we're okay with it all. 

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

Car crashes, fireworks, explosions! The release of Nate Amos' new This Is Lorelei project! "Kid With the Crown" has something for everyone, from an LP that seems poised to leave a mark. 

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

We'll press <pause> on all this video nonsense for a new single from Margo Cilker's forthcoming record, produced with Bruce Robison. "Molly" expands on the barebones sound of her first pair of albums, without losing the intimacy and impact of her lyrical gift. 

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

Jess Williamson and her friends fit into a truck for a memorable night on the town. Another excellent single from next month's increasingly promising project. 

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

Adam Granduciel retrieves his anthemic synthesizers from storage after a five-year sabbatical with a stirring taste of midwest roots rock. There's a lion hanging from my teeth / I can taste it but I can't get close / It's only my depression baby.  

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A ROUTES & BRANCHES GUiDE to FEEDiNG YOUR MONSTER (September 10, 2026)

A ROUTES & BRANCHES GUiDE to FEEDiNG YOUR MONSTER

good news about good noise

September 10, 2026

Scott Foley, purveyor of dust 

A Routes & Branches Guide To Feeding Your Monster is our ardently updated new release calendar. This week's adds include a deluxe edition of Singin' To An Empty Chair (New West), < Ratboys' excellent February record. Set for a September 18 appearance, the reissue features covers of the original songs by band friends Free Range, Wild Pink, Ducks Ltd, and more. Boy Golden is also getting in on the deluxe edition deal, with an October 16 release of his own February Best Of Our Possible Lives (SIx Shooter). This one offers acoustic takes on certain tunes, as well as some new stuff. A bunch of announcements were made for November 6, including Twisted Teens' third (3rd) full length of the year, Holy Cross Tigers (Sub Pop). Free Dirt Records will observe twenty (20) years on your turntable with The Long Memory, a collection of unreleased stuff from artists like Willi Carlisle, Kaia Kater, Viv & Riley, and more. Finally, our early 2027 calendar is becoming populated, thanks to artists like Olivia Wolf, who has tagged January 22 for the release of Snake Of Diamonds (Birdsong Hollow). 

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^ More Ratboys love, this time from NPR's Tiny Desk. Turns out that half a year on the road does a band good, which is great given the fact that their road goes on at least til the end of 2026. 

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Fast on the heels of Wednesday's Lookback Machine feature on Townes Van Zandt covers, Lemonheads have announced a forthcoming project called Townesville. Fat Angel Sings has a little more info on the project, as well as a video of Evan Dando's take on "Rake", featuring Brazilian string-guy Almir Sater. 

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Curated by Zach Bryan himself, in-between rapidfire album releases, the Belting Bronco series features artists performing in his truck. This week's installation features Jason Isbell, who shares acoustic takes on a couple of his own songs. Nothing like the acoustics in the back of a pickup. 

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Are you someone who sees Taylor Swift's song for the Toy Story 9 soundtrack as one of the best things you've heard this year? If so, then this week's CMA Award nominations might be for you. Of course, it's not all dross, but Billboard has the full swoonworthy list. 

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No doubt inspired by our recent R&B review, Paste Magazine has decided that Lily Seabird Will Never Die. The ensuing interview reveals that Lightspheres was initially a double album, and that it drew direct inspiration from Elliott Smith, PJ Harvey and Cat Power. 

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Consider Kristin Hersh among the artists we admire more than we feature in our playlists. If nothing else, she wrote our favorite book about Vic Chesnutt, Don't Suck Don't Die. Bandcamp Daily visits with the Throwing Muses force-of-nature about her autobiographical Sugar On Blackstone project, due on digital shelves next week. 

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Saving Country Music celebrates the return of the Ameripolitan Music Awards following a two-year break. A true labor of love for longtime driving force Dale Watson, the show has partnered with something called the Lonestar Rod & Kustom Round Up. You can also check out ameripolitan.org to find out more and to place your nominations. 

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Gillian Welch & David Rawlings pay tribute to Dolly Parton with a magical take on "Coat Of Many Colors". The song is just one moment in a fifteen minute clip where the duo revisit RCA Victor Studio B where "Coat" was recorded, as well as Welch's classic, Time (the Revelator). It's all courtesy of Country Music Hall Of Fame and Museum. 

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LOOKBACK MACHiNE: Townes Van Zandt Covers

ROUTES & BRANCHES

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

September 9, 2026

Scott Foley, purveyor of dust

We actually began this Episode of the Lookback Machine considering our thirty (30) favorite songs from the rich catalog of Townes Van Zandt himself, before decided to do something a bit different. Several years ago, back in our Radio Daze, we presented a program featuring nothing but Townes covers. Of course, there are plenty of these to choose from - we're pretty confident that only Dylan covers outnumber TVZ takes in our kind of music. In most instances, we haven't highlighted some of the more obvious, front-of-mind choices (Willie Nelson's "Poncho & Lefty"), opting for a wider range and reach. 

We've arranged these in order of appearance, like we like. Songs are ordered based on their initial studio recording - Townes had a habit of recording certain tunes multiple times for different albums. Following the artist and song, we've noted the record which included the cover and the year of that release. Of course, there have been copious posthumous collections (of varying quality). With a couple exceptions, we focus on the man's legendary stuff, released during his lifetime. 

TOWNES VAN ZANDT COVERS: thirty favorites

For the Sake Of the Song  (1968)

   - Azure Ray, "For the Sake Of the Song" November EP  (2002)

   - Nanci Griffith, "Tecumseh Valley" Other Voices Other Rooms  (1993)

   - Shane McGowan, "Waitin' Around To Die" Riding the Range: Songs Of Townes Van Zandt  (2010)

   - Jason Molina, "I'll Be Here In the Morning" Townes Van Zandt Covers EP  (2016)

   - Lemonheads, "Sad Cinderella" single  (2025)

Our Mother the Mountain  (1969)

   - Erika Wennerstrom & Heartless Bastards, "Be Here To Love Me" Tribute To Townes Van Zandt EP  (2019)

   - Jonell Mosser, "St John the Gambler" Around Townes  (1996)

Townes Van Zandt  (1969)

   - Jay Farrar & Shannon McNally, "Don't Take It Too Bad" Don't Ya Take It Too Bad  (2025)

   - Shelby Lynne & Allison Moorer, "Lungs" Not Dark Yet  (2017)

   - Bright Eyes, "Fare Thee Well Miss Carousel" I'm Wide Awake It's Morning: Companion EP  (2005)

High Low and In Between  (1971)

   - Jolie Holland & Samantha Parton, "You Are Not Needed Now" Wildflower Blues  (2017)

   - Scott H Biram, "Highway Kind" Fever Dreams  (2020)

   - Guy Clark, "To Live Is To Fly" Old Friends  (2006)

   - Pete Bernhard, "Mr Mudd and Mr Gold" Straight Line  (2009)

   - Bart Budwig, "High Low and In Between" The Moon and Other Things  (2016)

Delta Momma Blues  (1971)

   - Hurray For the Riff Raff, "Delta Momma Blues" My Dearest Darkest Neighbor  (2013)

   - Steve Earle, "Brand New Companion" Townes  (2009)

   - Alela Diane, "Rake" Alela & Alina  (2009)

   - Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, "Nothin'" Raising Sand  (2007)

The Late Great  (1972)

   - Jason Isbell & Elizabeth Cook, "Poncho & Lefty" single  (2013)

   - Holmes Brothers, "If I Needed You" Simple Truths  (2004)

Flyin' Shoes  (1978)

   - Sallie Ford, "Loretta" Days Full Of Rain  (2016)

   - Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan, "No Place To Fall" Hawk  (2010)

   - Lyle Lovett, "Flyin' Shoes" Step Inside This House  (1998)

   - Malcolm Holcombe, "Dollar Bill Blues" When the Wind Blows: Songs Of Townes Van Zandt  (2018)

   - Son Volt & Kelly Willis, "Rex's Blues" A Retrospective 1995-2000  (1995)

At My Window  (1987)

   - Gretchen Peters & Tom Russell, "Snowin' On Raton" One To the Heart One To the Head  (2009)

   - Peter Case, "Ain't Leavin' Your Love" Beeline  (2002)

Abnormal  (1998)

   - Gourds, "Two Girls" Shinebox  (2001)

No Deeper Blue  (1995)

   - Cowboy Junkies, "Cowboy Junkies Lament" Black Eyed Man  (1992)

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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:

IF YOU ONLY LiSTEN to ONE RECORD THiS WEEK (September 8, 2026)

ROUTES & BRANCHES

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

September 8, 2026

Scott Foley, purveyor of dust

For this week's WSGATW?!! we gave some thought to reviews of records from Hollow Hand and the two-disc set from Futurebirds. We puzzled over the possibility of shedding light on the rebirth of the Yawpers. And we flirted with rewinding the clock for an appreciation of a couple earlier projects that we discovered through some of our fellow blogging pals - Convinced Friend and Will Hasell. In the end, we settled on this. 

IF YOU ONLY LiSTEN to ONE RECORD THiS WEEK

Listening to Lily Seabird is a thrill, akin to witnessing a wirewalker about whose fate you're genuinely concerned and uncertain. Most met the Vermont songwriter (nee Lily Seward) on 2025's rootsy Trash Mountain, a project that served as an exception from her first pair of albums, 2021's Beside Myself and '24's superb Alas, both of which dwelt in more noise. While Lightspheres On Their Way (Lame-O, presently in physical release, streaming on October 2) strikes a balance, it is more a return to the noise and sprawl than an extension of last year's work. 

Coproduced with Garret Linck, Lightspheres speaks to instability and change, but is ultimately victorious in its confidence of expression. Seabird invests more in her singing voice on these songs, an often unsteady instrument that can't help but betray a touch of twang. This is most evident on "Bindlestiff", a piece that owes its imagery to the itinerant wanderers of Steinbeck's East Of Eden: Jumbled up and wandering men, drifters with associations only for a day or two. Rick Soszynski's polished lap steel carries across a strummed acoustic guitar and Seabird's wordy delivery. Seabird's lyrics are uncommonly poetic, bending the visionary and personal to meet familiar detail: I saw the road going on forever long after you had departed / And there will always be that lonesome dog barking / And the low and tumbling hum of the forever young. "Slipswitch" portrays the songwriter recklessly balancing her lyrics atop a rickety acoustic guitar for a stunning effect. 

"Election Day" and "Portal To the Past" trade acoustic for a savage and growling electric guitar, sometimes resembling Magnolia Electric Co. at their most unleashed. Lily Seabird launches her vocals aloft during these moments, contributing to the air of abandonment and intensity. On several tracks, Eliza Niemi's cello stirs the tempest, contributing an ominous note to the arrangements. Lyrics seldom reach for the rhyme, and songs eschew a verse-chorus-verse structure in favor of a stream-of-consciousness sprawl. An impact often triggers with just one phrase or tangle of words. The album's opener, "The Pulley" pulls us along with a steady harmonium and acoustic strings, the singer asking, Am I still allowed to pray even if I don't believe anymore. 

On the LP's closing title cut, Lily Seabird sketches the figure of her mother: Underneath those Bucks Country stars, with her cigarettes in the snow / Bleary-eyed and too far gone, crying out to her daily dose of the Dead. Following eight-and-a-half songs of doubt and soul-searching, "Lightspheres On Their Way" resolves with the emotional major chord release. The songs of Lightspheres identify where we've been severed from one-another, but also hint at what might gather us back together and pull us forward. From the voice of Lily Seabird, it's an intensely personal message, relayed via music and lyrics that are stirringly original. 

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ROUTES-cast September 6, 2026

ROUTES & BRANCHES

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

September 6, 2026

Scott Foley, purveyor of dust

ROUTES-cast September 6, 2026

^ Hollow Hand, "Love Again" Wish Road South  (Loose, 26)

- Rubber Band Gun, "Carlo" Bloodwork  (Historic New Jersey, 26)  D

- Little Grandad, "Tiny Feet" Speak Softly Son  (Communion, Jan 22)  D

- GracieHorse, "5 Card Stud" Breaking and Entering  (Wharf Cat, Jan 29)  D

- Convinced Friend, "On Fire" Nowhere Songs  (Suddenly, 26)

- James Eichman, "4am" St Catherine Street  (Eichman, 26)

- Lou Turner, "Ants Underfoot" Strangels  (Turner, Nov 6)  D

- Angus & Julia Stone, "Take Me Back To Japan" Karaoke Bar  (Stone, 26)

- Bill Baird, "Horse Moon" Life Creates Itself  (Royal Oakie, Sep 25)

- Israel Nash, "Pretty Boy Floyd" Sweetheart Of the Rodeo  (Desert Folklore, Sep 25)

- Lily Seabird, "Lightspheres On Their Way" Lightspheres On Their Way  (Lame-O, Oct 2)

- Yawpers, "Starting Over" Teething  (DTTW, 26)

- Aaron Frazer, "Paint the Picture" Corners EP  (Dead Oceans, Oct 30)  D

- Liam Kazar, "Brain Dry" single  (Congrats, 26)  D

- Muireann Bradley, "Dancing On My Grave" Blackwood Pew EP  (Fontana, Oct 23)

- Sam Burton, "Fairweather Friend" Fairweather Friend  (Captured Tracks, Oct 30)

- Maisy Owen, "Fair Thee Well Miss Carousel (ft BJ Cole)" single  (Tompkins Square, 26)  D

- Anna Graves, "Damn In Love" America's Favorite Burnout  (Rounder, 26)

- AJ Fullerton, "All the Wrong Choices" Baretone EP  (Gitcha, 26)  D

- Cory Branan, "Price and the Cost" You'll Live  (Blue Elan, Oct 9)

- Johnny Delaware, "Less Fear More Soul" On God's Time  (Normaltown, Nov 6)

- Big Trouble, "Pipeno" On Elephant Hill  (Royal Oakie, Sep 18)

- Kacy Lee Anderson, "Outdated Songs" Hello I'm Irrelevant  (Earth Libraries, Oct 23)

- Bures Band, "Ozonia" Ozonia  (Love Police, 26)

- Futurebirds, "All I Want" Far Out Country I & II  (Dualtone, 26)

- Flatland Cavalry, "Strangers & Angels" Work Of Heart - Heartstrings  (Lost Highway, Oct 2)

- Benjamin Tod, "Some Broken Hearts Never Mend" Country Is Dead  (Tod, 26)

- case/lang/veirs, "Best Kept Secret (live)" case/lang/veirs (10th Anniversary Edition)  (Anti, 26)

- Allison de Groot & Rich Ruth, "Distance From Then" Allison de Groot & Rich Ruth  (Western Vinyl, Oct 2)

- Alabama Shakes, "Tea Time" I Must Be Dreaming  (ATO, 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: