A ROUTES & BRANCHES GUiDE to FEEDiNG YOUR MONSTER
good news about good noise
October 8, 2026
Scott Foley, purveyor of dust
A Routes & Branches Guide To Feeding Your Monster eliminates any excuse for being caught off-guard with any new release in our kind of music. This week we added news of the second volume of Brent Cobb's Live a Song Write a Memory series. That thing will land on shelves wherever music matters tomorrow (Ol' Buddy, Oct 9). Bay Area acoustic ensemble Crooked Jades returns with Beautiful World on October 26. You can hear their sweet take on New Order's "Temptation" on their Bandcamp camp. British traditionalist Ags Connolly will be freeing his next work in time for Halloween. Yesterday's Man is set for an October 30 release (SofaBurn). Time will tell if it's available for streaming, but we're happy to see Westelaken's In It For the Lack given a street date (Vain Mina, Nov 13). Finally, following her stint in support of Greg Freeman's new record, Anna McClellan returns with something all her own. South Of Dodge EP will be delivered by Exploding In Sound on November 20.
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Chicago Reader boldly declares that America still needs John Prine (in case you doubted). Their thoughtful longform piece relates the legendary songwriter's story, with an eye towards his recurring jabs at The Man.
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Ahead of Friday's release of A Mile South Of Heaven, there are several new online appreciations for Jess Williamson. F'rinstance, American Highways interviews the songwriter, who recalls hearing Dolly Parton on the radio as a youngster, and deciding she would be just like Dolly. Paste adds their voice to the tumult with a piece where Williamson chats about dividing her time between Marfa and LA, settling on Shooter Jennings to produce her new sessions, and embracing her banjo.
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Do we need more supergroups? Turns out that yes we do. This week, Stereogum introduced us to Tommy, a project that brings together Courtney Marie Andrews, Cornelia Murr, Lola Kirke, and Katie Pearlman. No recordings just yet, but you can check out their origin story, inspired by 80s folk music.
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As you've heard here, Elvis Costello has released a 49th Anniversary edition for his iconic My Aim Is True. The Real Elvis appears on Amoeba's What's In My Bag, providing some great insight into his own musical inspirations and distractions. These weekly things can be very hit-and-miss, but Costello's contribution is thoughtful and revealing.
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While everything is definitely not right with the world, we took one step in the right direction this week with the first full-scale reunion of Drive-by Truckers and Jason Isbell. JamBase provides details about their Shoalsfest appearance, performing Decoration Day in its entirety. The piece includes a handful of great videos, in addition to the ensemble's take on "Rockin' In the Free World".
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We've featured plenty of pieces lately on the reconvening of Alabama Shakes. Here is one more. DIYmag visits with Brittany Howard, who shares about waiting for Prince to appear on stage for his planned guitar solo, how plans for an EP blossomed into a proper LP, and Why data centers?
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Our Tuesday appreciation of Greg Freeman's All Set the Bone is still warm. And yet there's more. Our Culture devotes their artist spotlight to him. In addition to including the word bleaken, the interview includes info on the transient nature of Freeman's new project, writing songs about current events without being corny or cheesy, and soundtracking a long drive across the desert Southwest with so much MF DOOM and older hip hop.
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Are we ready for Friday's new live Cameron Winter album? Then how about the forthcoming documentary from Paul Thomas Anderson? Winter bears his soul, talking to Vulture about the experience: Having Paul close up like he was, I was able to watch his nostrils flare, left-right, left-right, like lights at a train crossing ...
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Americana Podcast: the 51st State features a tet-a-tet between Hayes Carll and Robert Earl Keen. We're hoping Mr Earl Keen doesn't give up his day job, even as the thing relaxes into more of an informal chat, like we like. Hayes delivers a progress report about new recordings with Band of Heathens, a collection of duets, and a project with Corb Lund and John Evans called The Ego Brothers.
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