featuring the very best of americana, alt.country and roots music
April 26, 2026
Scott Foley, purveyor of dust
For completely arbitrary reasons, we regard the calendar year in thirds. If AI serves us, we're seeing that May 1 marks the one-third point for 2026. It must be time for a list.
Following are our thirty (30) favorite albums from the front third of the year, displayed in order of appearance. While we're not hopelessly in left field with our picks, it wouldn't be a long-distance call. It's not that there is no value in mainstream americana. Acts such as Cat Clyde and Courtney Marie Andrews have resonated with the genre's status quo, and while Ratboys or Sturgill Simpson position themselves along the alt edge of our kind of music, they are two of the year's biggest success stories to date.
But we've always held that we're defined by our exceptions, and there's some exceptional stuff on our list. We'll revisit it again at the half-year point, and then again as 2026 limps to a close. Traditionally, about a third of our one-third year list crosses that finish line (and about one-half of our half-year list). For now, these are the records that rattled our cage in the past four months.
IF YOU ONLY LiSTEN to THiRTY (30) RECORDS THiS WEEK
Euphoria Again & Dogwood Tales, Destination Heaven (Born Losers, Jan 7)
Courtney Marie Andrews, Valentine (Loose Future, Jan 18)
Sophie Gault, Unhinged (Torrez, Jan 23)
Lowest Pair, Always As Young As We'll Ever Be (Delicata, Jan 23)
One Wheel Fireworks Show, Jason Eternal (OWFS, Jan 28)
Emily Scott Robinson, Appalachia (Oh Boy, Jan 30)
Ratboys, Singin' To An Empty Chair (New West, Feb 6)
Nude Party, Look Who's Back (Nude Party, Feb 13)
Twisted Teens, Blame the Clown (Jazz Life, Feb 13)
Adeem the Artist, Notes From the Inside (Adeem, Feb 25)
Bill Callahan, My Days Of 58 (Drag City, Feb 27)
Crooked Fingers, Swet Deth (Merge, Feb 27)
Buck Meek, The Mirror (4AD, Feb 27)
Natalie Jane Hill, Hopeful Woman (Dear Life, Mar 6)
Deloyd Elze, Nellene EP (Concord, Mar 6)
Brit Taylor, Land Of the Forgotten (Cut A Shine, Mar 6)
Morgan Nagler, I've Got Nothing To Lose and I'm Losing It (Little Operation, Mar 13)
Cat Clyde, Mud Blood Bone (Concord, Mar 13)
Johnny Blue Skies, Mutiny After Midnight (Atlantic Outpost, Mar 13)
Charlotte Cornfield, Hurts Like Hell (Merge, Mar 27)
Sluice, Companion (Mtn Laurel, Mar 27)
Big Harp, Turns To Blue (Saddle Creek, Mar 27)
Drayton Farley, A Heavy Duty Heart (Hargrove, Mar 27)
Droptines, Drought Flower (Big Loud Texas, Apr 3)
Brown Horse, Total Dive (Loose, Apr 10)
Natalie Wildgoose, Rural Hours EP (state51, Apr 15)
Souled American, Sanctions (Jealous Butcher, Apr 17)
Kiki Cavazos, Goodbye Blues (Jalopy, Apr 24)
Hrishikesh Hirway, In the Last Hour Of Light (Keeled Scales, Apr 24)
Bobby Dove, Fortune Teller (New Motor, Apr 24)
Even as we disperse our breadcrumbs from the past several months, we are always looking forward. More specifically, we're most looking forward to the following projects, due in the coming weeks and months.
Hiss Golden Messenger, I'm People (Chrysalis, May 1)
Alela Diane, Who's Keeping Time (Fluff & Gravy, May 22)
Thomas Dollbaum, Birds Of Paradise (Dear Life, May 22)
Bella White, Sign In the Weather (Rounder, Jun 5)
Zoh Amba, Eyes Full (Matador, Jun 5)
Alex Amen, Sun Of Amen (ATO, Jun 12)
Styrofoam Winos, Any River (Dear Life, Jun 19)
River Shook, River Shook (Blackberry River, Jun 26)
Houndmouth, Lordy (Dualtone, Jul 10)
John R Miller, The Great Unknowning (Rounder, Jul 17)
ROUTES-cast April 26, 2026
^ Kiki Cavazos, "Goodbye the Crazies" Goodbye Blues (Jalopy, 26)
- Mama's Broke, "Heaven" single (Free Dirt, 26) D
- Terry Allen, "No Rush To Fly" Blood Sucking Maniacs (Paradise Of Bachelors, 26)
- River Shook, "If We Got a Chance" River Shook (Blackberry River, Jun 26) D
- Styrofoam Winos, "Next Thing" Any River (Dear Life, Jun 19)
- Rachel Brooke, "North Star" This One's For You (MAL, 26)
- JW Francis, "Watery Road" single (JWF, 26) D
- Milk Carton Kids, "Blinded and Smiling" Lost Cause Lover Fool (Far Cry, 26)
- Tift Merritt, "Someone To Watch the Band With Me" Sugar (One Riot, Jun 26)
- Ryan Bingham, "Blue Skies (ft Texas Gentlemen)" They Call Us the Lucky Ones (Bingham, May 15)
- Alela Diane, "Dusty Roses" Who's Keeping Time (Fluff & Gravy, May 22)
- Deslondes, "Try Again" Don't Let It Die Vol 1 (New West, May 22)
- Mikaela Davis, "Nothin's On the Radio" Graceland Way (Kill Rock Stars, 26)
- Old Crow Medicine Show, "My Side Of the Mountain (ft Molly Tuttle, McCourys)" Union Made (Hartland, Jun 5) D
- Bobby Dove, "Fortune Teller" Fortune Teller (New Motor, 26)
- Red Clay Strays, "Demons In Your Choir" Grateful (RCA, Jun 5) D
- Whitney Rose, "Marquee" single (MCG, 26) D
- John R Miller, "Tollbooth" The Great Unknowing (Rounder, Jul 17) D
- Houndmouth, "Tiger Blood" Lordy (Dualtone, Jul 10) D
- Fruit Bats, "Think Aboutcha" The Landfill (Merge, Jun 12)
- Jessica Lea Mayfield & Dolour, "Good Life" Pinkerton (Inverness, May 22)
- Johanna Samuels, "Two People In the Moon" single (Odd Man Out, 26) D
- Hrishikesh Hirway, "Your Voice (ft Ken Pomeroy)" In the Last Hour Of Light (Keeled Scales, 26)
- Mildred, "Cobwebs" Fenceline (Dog Day, 26)
- Jesus Chris Taxi Driver, "White Roses" Taxi the Rich (Midtopia, 26) D
- White Fence, "Blind Your Sun" Orange (Drag City, 26)
- White Denim, "Matchbook Baby" 13 (Bella Union, 26)
- Natural Child, "Smokin' In the Kitchen" Wooden (Natural Child, May 22) D
- Beth Orton, "Waiting" Ground Above (Partisan, Jun 26) D
- Swamp Dogg, "Searching For Heaven" Swamp Dogg Contemplates the Afterlife (S-Curve, Jun 19) 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:
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