A ROUTES & BRANCHES GUiDE to FEEDiNG YOUR MONSTER (July 2, 2026)

A ROUTES & BRANCHES GUiDE to FEEDiNG YOUR MONSTER

good news about good noise

July 2, 2026

Scott Foley, purveyor of dust

A Routes & Branches Guide To Feeding Your Monster is our darling album release calendar. Since our last missive, Charlie Crockett has found a home for his wayward Clovis LP, being released by Atlantic Outpost on Friday. Billy Strings, savior of all things with strings, has set August 28 for the unveiling of So Much For Goodbyes (Reprise). We've been eagerly awaiting an announcement from Angela Autumn regarding her second full-length. The increasingly busy Gar Hole label will deliver Believer come September 11. Folk music savant Rhiannon Giddens calls her September 18 project Hope Is the Things With Feathers (Nonesuch). And, in an entirely different spirit, JP Harris' October 23 record is called Shaving a Dead Man (Bloodshot). 

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^ Adam Weiner is Low Cut Connie. His Livin' In the USA hits virtual shelves this week. Twangville asks the questions we've all wanted to ask, about the Gherkins, "Lover, Discover Me" and his touring vehicle. 

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We'll go on record saying that Bright Eyes is one of our favorite live bands. Cardinal Sessions has made a fantastic 2025 set available, set to tape in Berlin. While Conor Oberst can be unpredictable, here he is unpredictably good. 

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Among the year's finest developments is the recent news that Wilco and friends gathered to perform songs from the Mermaid Avenue albums at their Solid Sound set in NYC. Joining them on stage was a plethora of notoriety including Natalie Merchant, Sally Timms, Billy Bragg, and more. Brooklyn Vegan has pics and vids. 

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Kevin Morby's new I Ride Passenger video series is the anti-Carpool Karaoke. For his first episode, he eats ice cream with Katie Crutchfield, discusses album titles, and their cool situation (ie relationship). Also, they're apparently expecting, preparing to bring an indie-folk prince into the world!

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What better way to celebrate 250 years of (relative) independence! Otis Gibbs is streaming, A Love Letter To Handsome John,  his documentary about Todd Snider for free on July 4. The songwriter/filmmaker guarantees, 99.9% of the world will absolutely hate this film. 

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Been way too long since we've heard from Emmylou Harris. She's apparently been wandering the library at Nonesuch Records, and spends seven minutes reflecting upon her treasures. Spoiler: she shares our fondness for Low Anthem's debut LP. 

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It's not often we're able to connect you to PBS News. That changes today! The site interviews Willy Vlautin about his books and music with Richmond Fontaine and the Delines. He's one of the best: I feel like got invited to a party that I wasn't supposed to get invited to. 

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Courtney Barnett surprised us with March's Creature Of Habit, a collection that portrays the Australian artist as a still-evolving songwriter and vocalist. Barnett uploaded a really good live set, recorded with just a bassist and drummer at Levon Helm Studios. 

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Beth Orton tells Hearing Things about her Judds phase, wanting to be a criminologist, and a brief encounter with Kate Bush. There are also some nice videos of Orton performing songs from her Ground Above gem. 

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