ROUTES-cast March 8, 2026

ROUTES & BRANCHES

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

March 8, 2026

Scott Foley, purveyor of dust

Our best options this week include a stunning assortment of "b-sides" from Anna Tivel and a step further into the limelight from Brit Taylor. You'll also want to spend some time with Natalie Jane Hill's excellent set. Still ...

IF YOU ONLY LiSTEN to ONE RECORD THiS WEEK

Deloyd Elze is the stage name of Jacob Allen, a Berklee grad from Los Angeles by way of Florida, a moniker borrowed from the artist's grandfather. This week saw the release of Deloyd Elze's second EP, Nellene, named after his grandmother. It follows on the heels of November's Horse Named Proletariat EP, both released on the Concord label. Allen refers to these as sibling projects, so we'd suggest you enjoy them side-by-side. 

Here at R&B HQ, we appreciate creatives who try new things with the familiar pieces of folk and country music. Some artists may sacrifice writing at the altar of clever production, while others will settle for no-frills songwriting sans innovative arrangement. The songs of Deloyd Elze honor both sides of the spectrum, delivering great songwriting supported by visionary production. From Horse, "High Praise" reads like Hiss Golden Messenger or Bon Iver with a deep programmed groove. "God's Cruel Joke" washes ashore on a wave of Ghost Is Born-worthy knob-twiddling, Allen muttering I'm gonna keep goin' through this intense passion and fervor til I finally plateau. 

Deloyd Elze isn't flirting with Metal Machine Music or Trans levels of experimentation on these EPs. The lovely "George Jones" features backing from Angela Autumn and fiddling by Seamus Guy, dropping familiar names in a scene of domestic bliss: If you be my Tammy Wynette / I'll be your George Jones ... Foreplay is planning out the next meal we're cooking. "Dog Will Hunt" comes close to contemporary country, boosted by Pearce Gronek's electric guitar. There is even a run through Fred Eaglesmith's classic "Trucker Speed". 

But Deloyd Elze is at their strongest while deconstructing the familiar. "Gatorade & Menthols" swims beautifully in breathy effects, Allen singing of Catching lizards in backyard glow / Just to wear them on my ear lobes. These sibling EPs share a common vibe, even as Horse seems a touch less mannered than Nellene. Even with the support of the Concord label, there is a sense that Deloyd Elze has only begun their journey through our kind of music, that even more genre-busting awaits just over the horizon. 

ROUTES-cast March 7, 2026

^ Deloyd Elze, "Queen Of Spades" Nellene EP  (Concord, 26) 

- Natalie Jane Hill, "Kitchen Table" Hopeful Woman  (Dear Life, 26)

- Manor Close, "You & I" single  (Manor Close, 26)  D

- Tracey Nelson, "Dolly's Coat" single  (Perennial, 26)  D

- Mildred, "Fenceline" Fenceline  (Dog Day, Apr 24)  D

- New Pornograhers, "Spooky Action" Former Site Of  (Merge, Mar 27)

- Jackie West, "Overlooking Glass" Silent Century  (Ruination, 26)  D

- Greg Mendez, "I Wanna Feel Pretty" Beauty Land  (Dead Oceans, May 29)  D

- Matt Berninger & Rosanne Cash, "Who Loves the Sun" single  (Concord, 26)  D

- Aldous Harding, "One Stop" Train On the Island  (4AD, May 8)  D

- Spencer Cullum, "Jackie Paints" Coin Collection 3  (Full Time Hobby, Mar 27)

- Anna Tivel, "Gunmetal Blue" Animal Poem B-Sides EP  (Fluff & Gravy, 26)

- Bonnie Prince Billy, "Life Is Scary Horses" We Are Together Again  (No Quarter, 26)

- Charlotte Cornfield, "Lost Leader (ft Christian Lee Hutson)" Hurts Like Hell  (Merge, Mar 27)

- Shakey Graves, "Time Flies" Fondness Etc  (Dualtone, May 15)  D

- Yarn, "Might As Well Be King" Saturday Night Sermon  (333, Apr 24)

- Haylie Davis, "Wandering Star" Wandering Star  (Fire, Jun 5)  D

- Caleb Caudle, "Ballad Of Country Ham" Heavy Thrill  (Handplow, Jun 5)  D

- Bella White, "False Start" A Sign In the Weather  (Rounder, Jun 5)  D

- Alex Amen, "Cabin By the Sea" single  (ATO, 26)  D

- Erin Rae, "Whip-Poor-Will" single  (Secretly Canadian, 26)  D

- Joshua Ray Walker, "Capital Letters" Ain't Dead Yet  (East Dallas, May 29)  D

- Brit Taylor, "Land Of the Forgotten" Land Of the Forgotten  (Cut A Shine, 26)

- Chaparelle, "Don't Waste Your Prayers" single  (Mom + Pop, 26)  D

- Eric Silverman, "Living the Dream" Bitter Honey  (Royal Oakie, May 29)  D

- Reds Pinks & Purples, "Worthy Of Love" Acknowledge Kindness  (Fire, Apr 24)

- Souled American, "Freeing Wheels" Sanctions  (Jealous Butcher, Apr 17)

- Delines, "Can You Get Me Out Of Phoenix" The Set Up  (Jealous Butcher, 26)

- Low Cut Connie, "Little Freakers" Livin' In the USA  (Contender, Jul 3)

- Barns Courtney, "Green Door" single  (Avenue A, 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 March 1, 2026

ROUTES & BRANCHES

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

March 1, 2026

Scott Foley, purveyor of dust

Whoops. Looks like February's gone. That was quick. But moving onto March, we're facing some potentially good new stuff from acts like Bonny Prince Billy, Morgan Nagler, Cat Clyde, Johnny Blue Skies, Charlotte Cornfield, Big Harp and good god so much more. March's onslaught began on Friday with no fewer than twenty-five (25) new releases (check A Routes & Branches Guide To Feeding Your Monster for a complete accounting). We're pleased with LPs from Bill Callahan and the return of Crooked Fingers. We're also looking at a new solo record from Buck Meek, and Iron & Wine's new project. Nevertheless ...

IF YOU ONLY LiSTEN to ONE RECORD THiS WEEK

As we've noted, it's not our job here to psychoanalyze or label an artist. We're all about the music. But we've been concerned about Adeem the Artist lately, based on several social media posts. At one point they announced their retirement. Fortunately, Adeem now declares I miss it, seemingly looking for a more sustainable, supportive avenue for what they call my road chaplaincy. For now, Adeem the Artist has shared a wonderful, rough-grained collection via Bandcamp. Notes From Inside doesn't feature the relative polish of 2022's high-water mark White Trash Revelry or '24's terrific Anniversary, but these raw new songs land hard and cut deep. 

The expectation for this sort of under-the-radar project might be lower, but while these are relatively lo-fi recordings, all acoustic, and often brief in duration, there's nothing tossed away here. Songs like "Jason Isbell B-Side" are short, but are built on Adeem the Artist's inescapable lyrical gift: The hardest part of all this / I can't even slit my wrists / Without the risk that I will get my whole life poorly summarized / In shocking grit with grizzled wit by strangers who know half of it. Yes, the subject matter of Notes From the Inside can be heavy lifting, but we've come to expect that from the gender-fluid, confessionally-oriented songwriter. Especially on "Learning To Drive Again" or "Ruin Me", the artist edges near the sort of rapid-fire, rambling storytelling of John Darnielle or Craig Finn (Immerse me in your perspicuity, Adeem barks on the latter). 

Adeem the Artist's songs don't engage in self-indulgent navel-gazing, but tend to focus on moments of meeting with others. They reference the late Todd Snider on "St Todd (I Grow Lonely In New Ways)": When I was a child I was meek and mild / I was effeminate, prophetic, and articulate / I was possessed by the fire of an ancient desire. On the passionate "Canvas To the Frame", they observe of another, You're a mess of stars and poetry, rising from the clay. The fact that Adeem the Artist rattled these dozen tunes off on the fly, apparently in hopes of raising funds for ongoing mental health support, serves to attest to their brilliance. "Cowards Together" was released as a single last June, recorded with a fuller band. While these Nebraska-esque vignettes are not lacking, there's a sense that a more traditional approach to their recording would have resulted in a project at least as impactful as Adeem's last few collections. Adeem the Artist has recently scheduled a few one-off shows, and on "Impossible", they're almost reassuring: I will make it / But not how you planned. 

While we draw from Spotify at the moment for our weekly ROUTES-casts, we will try to direct your valuable attention to projects available elsewhere where possible. Essential names like Lucinda Williams have excluded the ubiquitous platform from their publicity plans, and Sturgill Simpson is apparently making his second Johnny Blue Skies album Mutiny After Midnight available only in physical format. This is not to mention an increasing number of lesser-known acts like Clearwater Swimmers who we can't include on our recurring playlists. 

ROUTES-cast March 1, 2026

- Bill Callahan, "And Dream Land" My Days Of 58  (Drag City, 26)

- Iron & Wine, "Singing Saw" Hen's Teeth  (Sub Pop, 26)

- Michael Cormier-O'Leary, "Pressed Flowers" Proof Enough EP  (Dear Life, 26)

- Sluice, "Zillow" Companion  (Mtn Laurel, Mar 27)

- Terry Allen & Blood Sucking Maniacs, "Blood Sucking Maniacs" Blood Sucking Maniacs  (Paradise Of Bachelors, Apr 24)  D

- Donovan Woods, "Losing Everything (ft Anais Mitchell)" Squander Your Gifts EP  (Meant Well, 26)

- Libby DeCamp, "Tigers Of Wrath" single  (Hylaphonic Sound, 26)  D

- Buck Meek, "God Knows Why" The Mirror  (4AD, 26)

- Pearla, "Imagine Your Face" Song Room  (Pearla, Apr 24)

- Crooked Fingers, "Empty Love and Cheap Thrills" Swet Deth  (Merge, 26)

- Rose Hotel, "Patterns" single  (Strolling Bones, 26)  D

- Julianna Riolino, "Would That It Were So Simple" Echo In the Dust (Deluxe)  (MoonWhistle, 26)

- Danny George Wilson, "Arcade" Arcade  (Loose, Mar 20)

- Ben Chapman, "Everything's Different" single  (Hippie Shack, 26)  D

- Bobby Dove, "Leaving Mantioba" Fortune Teller  (New Motor, Apr 24)  D

- Tender Things, "Eatin' At Home" single  (Spaceflight, 26)

- Nora Kelly Band, "Port City Blues" So Wrong For So Long  (Mint, May 22)  D

- Kevin Carducci, "House Of Cards" Easy Does It  (Fossil, Apr 24)  D

- Mikaela Davis, "Rose Colored Glasses (ft Madison Cunningham)" Graceland Way  (Kill Rock Stars, Apr 24)  D

- Pert Near Sandstone, "Quiet Hours" Side By Side  (PNS, 26)

- Tenille Townes, "the acrobat (ft Lori McKenna)" the acrobat  (Township Road, Apr 10)  D

- Aaron Lee Tasjan, "Science Friction" single  (Blue Elan, 26)  D

- Hurray For the Riff Raff, "Rhododendron (Live)" Live Forever  (Nonesuch, Mar 20)  D

- Builders & the Butchers, "Rise My Son" No Tomorrow  (Badman, Apr 3)

- Little Barrie, "More Band Miles Of Road" Gravity Freeze  (Easy Eye, May 22)  D

- King Tuff, "Invisible Ink" MOO  (MUP, Mar 27)

- Courtney Barnett, "Mantis" Creature Of Habit  (Mom + Pop, Mar 27)

- Magic Tuber Stringband, "Tribute To the Angels" Heavy Water  (Thrill Jockey, May 22)  D

- Family Worship Center, "Malibu By Midnight" single  (Groove Family, 26)  D

- Rodney Crowell, 'Go Light a Candle (ft Emmylou Harris, Lera Lynn)" single  (New West, 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 February 22, 2026

ROUTES & BRANCHES

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

February 22, 2026

Scott Foley, purveyor of dust

For god knows what reason, this week's new release bin is all but empty. That said, we're confident that there's new music to be discovered every week of the year. You might want to try the live set from Jeffrey Martin, among our favorite singer-songwriters. We were also very pleasantly surprised by the release of unheard stuff from later-80s alt.roots act Beggar Weeds. See also: 

IF YOU ONLY LiSTEN to ONE RECORD THiS WEEK

We spend so much of our time from week-to-week drawing your attention to new stuff, artists and albums that might change how we think about our kind of music. The presence of these outliers implies that there must be an americana baseline, artists who capably define the boundaries of roots music. Band Of Heathens are one of those bands. With the arrival of Country Sides, Ed Jurdi and Gordy Quist celebrate their group's twentieth anniversary. What the Austin act began with a couple live records has grown into as reliable an entity as you'll find in americana. 

Maybe just as importantly, Jurdi and Quist have accomplished this without the support of an established label, releasing their own records from year to year. During the pandemic, Band Of Heathens used Patron to launch a recurring series called the Good Time Supper Club, featuring new songs and covers and profiles that served to keep fans looking their way until they would once again be able to join them in concert halls. 

To extend the food analogy, Country Sides offers a hearty and familiar meal. Co-produced with Jim Vollentine, the new project relies on simplicity and directness rather than setting out for new musical horizons. Songs like "No Direction" and "Good As I Can Be" establish a mid-tempo shuffle, building on good vibes and positivity. With both Jurdi and Quist contributing, lyrics offer affirmations like Destiny is intention ... Create a world you wanna live all around you, from "Lead Don't Follow". As with earlier favorites like 2013's Sunday Morning Record or Duende from 2017, the new project incorporates bits of soulfulness with grooving keys and gospel harmonies as heard on "High On Our Own Supply". "Finish Something I Started" explores the vocalists' upper register, while "Take the Cake" echoes the upbeat funk of Wood Brothers: If you love yourself / And give a little ground / Give it all away / It'll come back around. Spice with cowbell and stir moderately. 

We've addressed likeability in recent reviews, a quality which Band Of Heathens delivers as well as anyone. Twenty years since their introduction, the band very capably represents the americana mainstream with taste and artistry on Country Sides. While their new set carves few new paths, they also show no signs of reheating their leftovers. These songs stand sturdily alongside earlier achievements, further cementing Band Of Heathens' status in our kind of music. 

ROUTES-cast February 22, 2026

^ Band Of Heathens, "Lead Don't Follow" Country Sides  (BoH, 26)

- Deslondes, "Lawdy Mama" Don't Let It Die Vol 1  (New West, May 22)  D

- Emily Nenni, "Livin' In Shame" Movin' Shoes  (New West, May 1)  D

- Ryan Bingham, "Ballad Of the Texas Gentlemen (ft Texas Gentlemen)" They Call Us the Lucky Ones  (Bingham, May 15)  D

- Taylor Hunnicut, "Did We Forget About Love (ft John Moreland)" single  (Soundly, 26)  D

- Benjamin Tod, "I Ain't Bound" Vengeance and Grace  (Tod, Apr 17)

- Cactus Lee, "By Sunday" Lee's Dream  (Western Vinyl, Apr 10)  D

- Montvales, "Carolina" Path Of Totality  (Free Dirt, Mar 20)

- Breakfield, "Ever-Loving Mind" Breakfield  (Rounder, Jun 12)  D

- Leah Blevins, "Lonely" All Dressed Up  (Easy Eye, Mar 20)

- Milk Carton Kids, "Blue Water" Lost Cause Lover Fool  (Far Cry, Apr 24)

- Jeffrey Martin, "Galveston (Live)" Alive July 25 2025  (Fluff & Gravy, 26)

- Michaela Anne, "Two Pianos (ft Caroline Spence)" single  (Georgia June, 26)  D

- Tim Easton, "615 Heartbreaker" Firehorse  (Campfire Propaganda, 26)  D

- Joe Pernice, "Deep Into the Dawn (ft Aimee Mann)" Sunny I Was Wrong  (New West, Apr 3)

- Nic Panken, "Dear Companion" Near Divine or Merely Rhyme  (Useful Objects, Apr 10)  D

- Hrishikesh Hirway, "Stray Dogs (ft Iron & Wine)" In the Last Hour Of Light  (Keeled Scales, Apr 24)  D

- Dean Johnson, "My Mistake" I Hope We Can Still Be Friend (Deluxe)  (Saddle Creek, 26)

- Spencer Cullum, "Look At the Moon (ft Erin Rae)" Coin Collection 3  (Full Time Hobby, Mar 27)

- Wendy Eisenberg, "Old Myth Dying" Wendy Eisenberg  (Joyful Noise, Apr 3)

- Jobi Riccio, "Pilar, NM" Face the Feeling  (Yep Roc, May 15)  D

- Delines, "Meter Keeps Ticking" Set Up  (Jealous Butcher, Mar 6)

- M Ross Perkins, "I Turned On My Mirror" single  (Karma Chief, 26)  D

- John Andrews & the Yawns, "Goodbye Dirty Snow" Streetsweeper  (Earth Libraries, Apr 3)

- Brown Horse, "Sorrow Reigns" Total Dive  (Loose, Apr 10)

- White Fence, "Your Eyes" Orange  (Drag City, Apr 24)  D

- Twisted Teens, "100 Bill Is Gone" Blame the Clown  (Jazz Life, 26)

- Ora Cogan, "Division" Hard Hearted Woman  (Sacred Bones, Mar 13)

- Alela Diane, "California" Who's Keeping Time  (Fluff & Gravy, May 22)  D

- Beggar Weeds, "Churchin'" Tragedy In US History  (Strolling Bones, 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 February 15, 2026

ROUTES & BRANCHES

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

February 15, 2026

Scott Foley, purveyor of dust

Interesting week. A rude rush of new music, so much that we were faced with the challenge of winnowing an initial list of nearly sixty songs to our requisite thirty. While we noted twenty-five new full-lengths on our Routes & Branches Guide To Feeding Your Monster, only a couple of these stand apart for us as meriting special notice. We'd bring to your attention the indie rock of Remember Sports, the folk-pop of the under-recognized Boy Golden, and another strong collection from Jeremy Ivey. See also, some uncommonly fun garage grease from Twisted Teens. That said ...

IF YOU ONLY LiSTEN to ONE RECORD THiS WEEK

There is nothing pure about our kind of music - call it americana if you like. By definition it is a hybrid, a blending of ingredients: Country-blues; indie-folk; southern-surf-punk, etc. The best of what we offer features a handful of these elements, tossed in a box and shaken hard. Sometimes what makes one artist rise above cliche is an intangible vibe, a groove that can't be commodified. The New York ensemble Nude Party embodies this as well as any other, a good-natured garage act with a name-that-influence approach across their four records, including the just-released Look Who's Back. 

Nude Party is a sprawling seven members, most of whom have held their post since the outfit's inception at a North Carolina college. Fronted by Patton Magee, most of the players also contribute to songwriting here and there, certainly contributing to Nude Party's chameleonic effect. The loose coastal vibe of "Not That Bad" morphs into the Byrds-y sway of "Sweetheart Of the Radio". With guest vocals from Lady Apple Tree and Pearl Charles, "Sweetheart" sways atop Magee's harmonica and John Delorme's throwback pedal steel. With its shout-along chorus, "Honey For the Barflies" moves the party to the Texas border: Life is but a dream / But here's the funny thing / It's also what you wake up to. 

Early pop sounds populate pieces like "Love Is Electric" and "Walk That Walk", with its glam drums and sticky guitar hook. "Carolyn" sharpens Nude Party's edge with a punky instrumental freakout. As a singer, Patton Magee never seems over his head, and his partners ably navigate the playlist from one style to the next. The pervasive spirit never strays far from the capable band at your college rager territory, as Nude Party won't become too cerebral or self-serious. Our kind of music benefits from records like Look Who's Back, familiar and well-executed jams with their origins and their hearts firmly planted in the garage. 

ROUTES-cast February 15, 2026

^ Nude Party, "Taking Hangers Off the Line" Look Who's Back  (Nude Party, 26)

- Cat Clyde, "Man's World" Mud Blood & Bone  (Concord, Mar 13)

- Shakey Graves, "When the Love Is New" single  (Dualtone, 26)  D

- Hiss Golden Messenger, "In the Middle Of It" I'm People  (Chrysalis, May 1)  D

- Luke Winslow-King, "Shoot From the Hip" Coast Of Light  (Bloodshot, Mar 27)

- Cut Worms, "Dream" Transmitter  (Jagjaguwar, Mar 13)

- Kiki Cavazos, "Hawthorne and Heartache" Goodbye Blues  (Jalopy, Apr 24)  D

- Anna Bates & Maggie Antone, "White Horses" single  (Westinghouse, 26)  D

- Bonnie Prince Billy, "Hey Little" We Are Together Again  (No Quarter, Mar 6)

- New Pornographers, "Pure Sticker Shock" Former Site Of  (Merge, Mar 27)

- Westside Cowboy, "Strange Taxidermy" So Much Country Till We Get There  (Universal, 26)  D

- Kevin Morby, "Javelin" Little Wide Open  (Dead Oceans, May 15)  D

- Josiah & the Bonnevilles, "Hell Without the Flames" As Is  (Rounder, May 8)  D

- Boy Golden, "Bad Habits" Best Of Our Possible Lives  (Six Shooter, 26)

- Jeremy Ivey, "Modern World" Its Shape Will Reveal Itself  (Soggy Anvil, 26)

- Aubrie Sellers, "Little Rooms" Attachment Theory  (Carnival, Mar 20)

- Drayton Farley, "I Need Your Love" Heavy Duty Heart  (Hargrove, Mar 27)

- Rachel Brooke, "I Chose Poorly" This One's For You  (MA:, Apr 24)  D

- Pokey LaFarge, "Arkansas" Travelin' With Pokey LaFarge: Voice and Guitar Vol 1  (ONErpm, 26)

- Morgan Nagler, "Heartbreak City" I've Got Nothing To Lose and I'm Losing It  (Little Operation, Mar 13)

- Waterspouts, "Where the Mule Died" single  (Approaching Perfection, 26)  D

- Flatland Cavalry, "On and On" Work Of Heart  (Lost Highway, Mar 27)  D

- Charley Crockett, "Kentucky Too Long" Age Of the Ram  (Island, 26)  D

- Red Clay Strays, "If I Didn't Know You" single  (RCA, 26)  D

- Clay Street Unit, "Left Unsaid" Sin & Squalor  (Leo33, 26)

- Gun Outfit, "Unfelt Loss" Process and Reality  (Upset the Rhythm, May 12)  D

- Remember Sports, "Across the Line" Refrigerator  (Get Better, 26)  D

- Wiley Gaby, "IDGAF No More" IDGAF No More EP  (Dial Back Sound)  D

- Twisted Teens, "Is It Real" Blame the Clown  (Jazz Life, 26)

- Touch Girl Apple Blossom, "Springtime Reminds Me Of ..."  Graceful  (perennial, May 15)  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 February 8, 2026

ROUTES & BRANCHES

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

February 8, 2026

Scott Foley, purveyor of dust

IF YOU ONLY LiSTEN to ONE RECORD THiS WEEK

The Uproxx site recently declared Ratboys likeable in the way your mailman is likeable (certainly a backhanded compliment). Frontperson Julia Steiner is more grounded than Adrianne Lenker and less screamy than Karly Hartzman, demonstrating a charm even as she works through personal catharsis on Ratboys' sixth album, Singin' To An Empty Chair. Credit the New West label for embracing the Chicago quartet, whose music only occasionally brushes against anything rootsy even as they will sometimes call themselves post-country. Produced by Chris Walla who worked on 2023's The Window, the collection favors a guitar-forward indie pop vibe, with elements of punk and emo. 

Especially since 2020's Printer's Devil, Ratboys have steadily grown into an exceptional band. While Steiner remains the focal point, Dave Sagan's expressive guitars are essential to the quartet's strength, jangling on "Open Up", then rumbling as the song unfolds. Pick all the locks inside our heads, Steiner beckons, It takes a while, in your defense / But I got lots of time. Lengthier numbers such as "Just Want Your To Know the Truth" grant the players space to play off one another, Sagan's guitar wandering restlessly until it's corralled for a momentary resolution. 

"Just Want You To Know" is one of the handful of tunes that most clearly work from a roots music palette. "Penny In the Lake" progresses at a rural walking pace: There's a penny in the lake / But it's not what I thought / It's just someone's wish they forgot. As a  vocalist, Julia Steiner recalls Katie Crutchfield, favoring emotional authenticity over prettiness and perfection. "Late Night Mountains All That" features the singer's least mannered delivery, repeating the accusation, You didn't care / You didn't care. "What's Right" demonstrates Steiner's more certain writing, as well as Singin' To An Empty Chair's theme of processing feelings of abandonment and estrangement: My subconscious is a man / He softly says to me / I'll vanish when you need me to / I'll hold you when you sleep. 

Ratboys don't take an either/or approach to their genre of choice, but tend to feature a sound that is overall more blended and balanced from song to song. The closer, "At Peace In the Hundred Acre Wood", stands as the project's quietest and most poetic moment. Above an almost folky twang, Steiner offers the image: Birds on a wire / They fell asleep because they all forgot to sing. Ten months from now, Singin' To An Empty Chair will rightly earn its place among the year's best records, both here at R&B HQ an no doubt at other right-minded sites. 

ROUTES-cast February 8, 2026

^ Ratboys, "Penny In the Lake" Singin' To An Empty Chair  (New West, 26)

- Buck Meek, "Ring Of Fire" The Mirror  (4AD, Feb 27)

- Big Harp, "I Got An Itch" Runs To Blue  (Saddle Creek, Mar 27)

- Sluice, "Beadie" Companion  (Mtn Laurel, Mar 27)  D

- Natalie Jane Hill, "Colors" Hopeful Woman  (Dear Life, Mar 6)

- Reds Pinks & Purples, "Heaven Of Love" Acknowledge Kindness  (Fire, Apr 24)  D

- Voxtrot, "My Peace" Dreamers In Exile  (Voxtrot, Feb 27)  D

- Crooked Fingers, "Insomnia" Swet Deth  (Merge, Feb 27)

- Daniel Romano & Outfit, "Cardinal Star" Preservers Of the Pearl  (You've Changed, Mar 13)

- Meg Lui, "Gone Girl" single  (Asthmatic Kitty, 26)  D

- Iron & Wine, "Roses" Hen's Teeth  (Sub Pop, Feb 27)

- Low Cut Connie, "Livin' In the USA" Livin' In the USA  (Contender, Jul 3)

- Jesper Lindell, "If Love Was Money" 3614 Jackson Highway  (Yep Roc, Mar 6)

- Black Keys, "You Got To Lose" Peaches!  (Easy Eye, Mar 1)  D

- Charlotte Cornfield, "Living With It (ft Feist)" Hurts Like Hell  (Marge, Mar 26)

- Leeroy Stagger, "Swimming Back To You" single  (Cordova Bay, 26)  D

- Tender Things, "Sleeping Bag Blues" single  (Spaceflight, 26)  D

- Ole Kirking, "Bare Minimum" Cowboy Lie Detector Machine  (Die With Your Boots, 26)

- 49 Winchester, "Pardon Me" Change Of Plans  (New West, May 15)  D

- Benjamin Tod, "Vengeance and Grace" Vengeance and Grace  (Tod, Apr 17)  D

- Brit Taylor, "Around and Around" Land Of the Forgotten  (Cut A Shine, Mar 6)

- Jay Buchanan, "Deep Swimming" Weapons Of Beauty  (Sacred Tongue, 26)

- Pert Near Sandstone, "Shooting Star" Side By Side  (PNS, Feb 27)

- Yarn, "Never Enough" Saturday Night Sermon  (Ardsley, Apr 24)

- John Craigie, "Call Me a Bullet" I Swam Here  (Zabriskie Point, 26)

- Chicago Farmer, "Great River Road" Homeaid  (LoHi, Mar 6)

- I'm With Her, "Obvious Child" Sing Me Alive  (Rounder, Apr 17)  D

- Big Richard, "Alaska" Pet  (Signature Sounds, 26)

- Melissa Carper & Theo Lawrence, "Joyous Time" Havin' a Talk  (Warner, 26)

- Anna Tivel, "Saint Of Scrap Metal" Animal Poem B-sides EP  (Fluff & Gravy, Mar 6)

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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 February 1, 2026

ROUTES & BRANCHES

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

February 1, 2026

Scott Foley, purveyor of cozy folk

What's Next? That's a recurring mantra here at R&B HQ, perched precariously at the precipice of roots music. Increasingly over the past couple years, our attention has been on artists who are helping to define the future of our kind of music. Of course, you're welcome to stop wherever you like, to decide that maybe you're tired of the perennial quest for novelty, and that's understandable. For our part, however, we're defined by our restlessness. If we publish one of our weekly ROUTES-casts without prompting listeners to ask what the hell, we're not doing our job. 

This week brought us a debut album by Tyler Ballgame that ticks boxes alongside treasured names like Harry Nilsson and Nathaniel Rateliff. We're also gifted with a new project from the Cordovas, and the return of Emily Scott Robinson. See also, the alarmingly good second studio collection from Norway's Ole Kirkeng. 

IF YOU ONLY LiSTEN to ONE RECORD THiS WEEK

... make it One Wheel Fireworks Show's sophomore album, Jason Eternal (Jan 28). By no means the cleanest or most polished project of the week, it hails from the same rich North Carolina soil that has produced acts like Wednesday, MJ Lenderman, and Fust. Largely the work of Will Cole and Colin Miller, Jason was created at Miller's Haw Creek studio in Asheville. The collection weaves between more experimental, almost psychedelic numbers and more complete and cohesive songs, incorporating Xandy Chelmis' pedal steel throughout. The sludgy blues of "Dollywood" shapeshifts into the hooky slacker country of "Jarrett's House": We're pulling up linoleum floors all summer / Trying to figure out what's under them / Quikrete? Hardwood? Drafts of Genesis? / Think I'd tear this whole thing down. Those less structured tracks can be dark and dense, even haunted like "Old Dead Dogs": They'll slip out of sight / But you're on their mind. While the sessions can seem almost lazy or tossed off at first, Jason reveals greater cohesion and purpose with repeated listens. The title cut makes an impression, even at just under two-minutes running time. "Jason, Eternal" takes inspiration from Jason Polan, a late artist who sought to draw every person in new york: I shouldn't tell you, Cole sings, I'm still jealous / Of incomplete and scribbled lines. "Woody" recalls Lenderman's earlier crunchy guitar-drenched roots rock, while "You're a Line Drive" offers a measured drawl, with Chelmis' valuable steel assuming the lead. Like Colin Miller's Losin' from last year, One Wheel Fireworks Show is a beneath-the-radar gem that merits discovery by listeners who also enjoyed Merce Lemon and Florry. 

ROUTES-cast February 1, 2026

^ One Wheel Fireworks Show, "Jason" Jason Eternal  (OWFS, 26)

- Michael Cormier O'Leary, "Marilyn" Proof Enough EP  (Dear Life, Feb 25)  D

- Brown Horse, "Twisters" Total Dive  (Loose, Apr 10)  D

- Laney Jones, "Cheers To the Future" single  (AHPO, 26)  D

- Sky Chiefs, "Engines" Sky Chiefs  (Chimney Bird, Feb 13)

- Natalie del Carmen, "Heyday" Pastures  (Torrez, 26)

- Lily Meola, "Never Kissed a Cowboy" single  (Nettwerk, 26)

- Ole Kirkeng, "Cowboy Lie Detector Machine" Cowboy Lie Detector Machine  (Die With Your Boots On, 26)  D

- Natalie Prauser, "Tobacco + Water" Everything Is Fine  (Prauser, 26)

- Hannah Juanita, "Do I Ever Cross Your Mind" single  (Songbird, 26)  D

- Noeline Hoffmann, "Dublin Blues" single  (Mercury, 26)  D

- Cordovas, "Josefina" Back To Life  (Yep Roc, 26)

- Haylie Davis, "Young Man" single  (Fire, 26)  D

- Emily Scott Robinson, "Cast Iron Heart (ft John Paul White)" Appalachia  (Oh Boy, 26)

- Lowest Pair, "Shitty Light" Always As Young As We'll Ever Be  (Delicata, 26)

- Meels, "Willow Song" Across the Raccoon Strait EP  (Lost Highway, 26)

- Marfa, "American Blues" single  (Big Machine, 26)

- Leroy From the North, "My Favorite Gun" My Favorite Gun  (From the North, 26)  D

- Deloyd Elze, "George Jones (ft Angela Autumn)" Nellene EP  (Concord, Mar 6)  D

- Pearla, "Be Around" Song Room  (Pearla, Apr 24)

- Valley Queen, "Open Hand" single  (Valley Queen, 26)  D

- Dutch Interior, "Ground Scores" It's Glass EP  (Fat Possum, Mar 6)  D

- Tyler Ballgame, "Got a New Car" For the First Time Again  (Rough Trade, 26)

- Maria Taylor, "Story's End" Story's End  (Million Stars, Apr 3)  D

- John R Miller, "A World Away" single  (Rounder, 26)  D

- Twisted Teens, "Peekaboo Hand" single  (Jazz Life, 26)  D

- King Tuff, "Twisted On a Train" MOO  (MUP, Mar 27)  D

- Jessica Lea Mayfield & Dolour, "Why Bother" Pinkerton  (Inverness, 26)  D

- Jeb Loy Nichols, "Some Of Your Dreams" single  (Timmion, 26)  D

- Dash Rip Rock, "Water Valley Throwdown" A Song In Everyone  (Davis, 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 January 26, 2026

ROUTES & BRANCHES

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

January 26, 2026

Scott Foley, purveyor of dust

This week's haul features quality stuff from British rock outfit Langkamer, and a project that finds Sammy Brue partnering with the late Justin Townes Earle. We're also drawn to the return of talented folk duo Lowest Pair, and the reliably reliable Lucinda Williams. 

IF YOU ONLY LiSTEN to ONE RECORD THiS WEEK

Under the marquee of Sophie and the Broken Things, Sophie Gault delivered an excellent 2022 debut in Delusions Of Grandeur, and followed it as a solo artist with an even more promising Baltic Street Hotel in '24. Gault returns with well-earned confidence for Unhinged (Torrez, January 23), a session which suggests she merits a place alongside Margo Price as one of the foremost artists in our sort of music. 

Where those first albums dwelt on the songwriter's relationships and mental wellbeing, there is a looseness and abandon to Gault's new set. With producers Alex Torrez and David Dorn, the record boasts a live, guitars-forward mix. Atop its nasty groove, the title cut remarks, If winning was whiskey / We'd be on a binge. Her run through Robert Johnson's "Stop Breaking Down" turbo fuels the original, at the crossroads of alt.country and juke joint blues. 

Sophie Gault is a strong writer, but demonstrates a personal touch on tunes by Buck Owens, Mando Saenz and others. Unhinged explodes with her take on "Love's Gonna Live Here", splitting the difference between Bakersfield and Memphis. The original "Last Call Rock and Roll" is a nod to country-rock, while "Merlot Dodge Dart" simmers: I must admit it felt so good / When I dug my key into the hood. Gault celebrates the undersung Gurf Morlix on a cover of his "Is There Anyone Out There", laying down a lovely, soulful vocal. 

The songwriter has acknowledged that Unhinged isn't the project she initially expected to record, but fate and label politics intervened to encourage this largely live-in-studio rock 'n roots session. Recording alongside seasoned pros like Fred Eltringham, Adam Kurtz, and Sol Littlefield, Sophie Gault has produced a deeply satisfying reminder of the valued places where rock rubs shoulders with country and blues for a shot of last call rock and roll. 

ROUTES-cast January 25, 2026

^ Sophie Gault, "Merlot Dodge Dart" Unhinged  (Torrez, 26)

- Sammy Brue, "Older Than I Thought I'd Ever Be" The Journals  (Bloodshot, 26)

- Pokey LaFarge, "Pickup Truck" Travelin' With Pokey LaFarge  (ONErp, Feb 13)

- Jobi Riccio, "Buzzkill" single  (Yep Roc, 26)  D

- Milk Carton Kids, "Friend Like You" Lost Cause Lover Fool  (Far Cry, Apr 24)  D

- Clover Country, "Airpark" Finer Things (Deluxe Edition)  (Undercover Lover, 26)

- Bill Callahan, "Stepping Out For Air" My Days Of 58  (Drag City, Feb 27)

- Spencer Cullum, "Rowan Tree" Coin Collection Vol 3  (Full Time Hobby, Mar 27)  D

- Lowest Pair, "Diamonds" As Young As We'll Ever Be  (Delicata, 26)

- Montvales, "World Of Trouble" Path Of Totality  (Free Dirt, Mar 20)  D

- Glass Hours, "Not Your Ordinary Heart" Chapel Glass  (Cornelius Chapel, 26)  D

- Donovan Woods, "I Talk About You" Squander Your Gifts EP  (Meant Well, Feb 27)  D

- Molly Parden, "I Envy the Wind" single  (Parden, 26)  D

- Natalie Prauser, "Dice" Everything Is Fine  (Prauser, 26)  D

- Hannah White, "Melody Of Love (ft Dirk Powell)" single  (Last Music Co, 26)  D

- Bella White, "Dream Song" single  (Rounder, 26)

- Cat Clyde, "Another Time" Mud Blood Bone  (Concord, Mar 13)  D

- John Craigie, "Edna Strange" I Swam Here  (Zabriskie Point, Feb 6)

- Leah Blevins, "Diggin' In the Coal" All Dressed Up  (Easy Eye, Mar 20) 

- Danny George Wilson, "Distant Seasons" Arcade  (Loose, Mar 20)  D

- Old 97s, "Off My Mind" single  (ATO, 26)  D

- John Andrews & the Yawns, "Something To Be Said" Streetsweeper  (Earth Libraries, Apr 3)  D

- Wendy Eisenberg, "Meaning Business" Wendy Eisenberg  (Joyful Noise, Apr 3)

- Lindsey Troy, "Love Is Deeper" single  (Troy, 26)  D

- Builders and the Butchers, "Blood/Death" No Tomorrow  (Badman, Apr 3)  D

- Langkamer, "Summer That I Hit the Wall" No  (Breakfast, 26)

- New Pornographers, "Votive" Former Site Of  (Merge, Mar 27)  D

- Courtney Barnett, "Site Unseen (ft Waxahatchee)" Creature Of Habit  (Mom + Pop, Mar 27)  D

- White Denim, "(God Created) Lock and Key" 13  (Bella Union, Apr 24)  D

- Cat Power, "Nothing Compares 2 U" Redux EP  (Domino, 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: