WHAT's SO GREAT ABOUT THiS WEEK?!! (August 28, 2026)

ROUTES & BRANCHES

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

August 28, 2026

Scott Foley, purveyor of dust

Just about every Friday we convene here to suggest our five (5) favorite singles for the week. Consider it an advance peek or a promissory note for our Sunday Spotify ROUTES-cast. We also include video content where available, even as we admit that folks who trade in our kind of music aren't always great at the visual arts. 

As the most generous day for new music, Friday is our favorite day of the week. We spend much of it exuberantly scouring our sources for what's new. It's in this breathless spirit of music discovery that we offer this, what we call

WHAT's SO GREAT ABOUT THiS WEEK?!!

^Greg Freeman, "Cahokia" All Set the Bone  (Transgressive, Oct 2)

Hearing this second single from Freeman's October full-length assures us that it will take some pretty weak stuff to bump All Set the Bone from among our year-end favorites. After embracing anonymity, the video for "Cahokia" places Freeman front and center, both on stage and walking through New York City wearing bright red socks. 

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Ian Noe, "LeeAnn" Canyon Falls Trailer Band  (Lock13, Sep 24)

A terrific new single from Noe's eagerly-awaited third LP. The 70s country throwback features a Live Rust callout, along with some just-right piano and pedal steel. The young man has come a long way since winning Kentucky's Appalachian Star Search in 2007. 

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Angela Autumn, "I Didn't Think About You At All" Believer  (Gar Hole, Sep 11)

We've been anticipating Angela Autumn's first widely-released collection for several months. This homemade video features the songwriter posing upon moss while wearing a bright red cowboy hat that she might or might not have bedazzled. It's a decidedly quirk-forward presentation. 

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Willi Carlisle, "Marlboro Vinyasa" Universal Bubba  (Signature Sounds, Nov 6)

Carlisle's forthcoming double album is produced by Tyler Childers, and features members of his band. The preliminary results seem to expand upon Carlisle's sound, exchanging folk for country. Per the songwriter, the inspiration for his new single came while visiting a bar associated with Davenport's Raccoon Motel, where yoga classes were offered on the sticky floor. 

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Michael Nau, "Popfly" Popfly  (Suicide Squeeze, Oct 23)

The former purveyor of Cotton Jones has released a stream of impressively eclectic music this year, stuff that he'd written and recorded but is just getting around to sharing. Popfly seems more an official project, rumored to feature supporting vocals from Nau's elusive partner Whitney McGraw. Per the record's advance: Radiant folk melodies, tape-warped textures, and flashes of everyday wonder coexist in perfect balance. 

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