A ROUTES & BRANCHES GUiDE to FEEDiNG YOUR MONSTER (October 22, 2026)

A ROUTES & BRANCHES GUiDE to FEEDiNG YOUR MONSTER

good news about good noise

October 22, 2026 

Scott Foley, purveyor of dust

A Routes & Branches Guide To Feeding Your Monster is our new release calendar, updated with terrifying frequency. We're thrilled to see a December 11 release date for Adeem the Artist's long-awaited project. Christians For Goliath is produced by John Darnielle (Four Quarters). On her Instagram, Kacey Musgraves set expectations for the January 15 appearance of something called Middle Of Nowhere Vol 2: Tex Mex Tapes. Consider us curious about the Lost Highway collection. Whait is the duo of Wendy Eisenberg and more eaze (Mari Rubio). They've reserved February 12 for the unleashing of Sympathy At Home (Night School). After dropping plenty of hints, Lake Street Dive have introduced What About Flamingos. February 19 will serve as the release date on their cleverly-named Dive Not Drive label. 

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^ As we mentioned above, Adeem the Artist will be debuting their John Darnielle-produced Christians For Goliath in time for stocking stuffers. Hypebot have published a piece by Adeem documenting the evolution of their relationship with label support. Seems it hasn't been an easy year for the terrific songwriter - This is among the most important essays you could read this month. That is where I am placing my faith now: Not in the institution that might finally let me in, but in the people who hear the noise and choose to gather around it. Amen. 

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Last week Sadurn released one of our favorite recent albums. Our Culture seems to agree. They have shared a profile of the Philadelphia act, where some of the comments of frontperson G DeGroot fold in nicely with Adeem's thoughts - ... if you're curious or excited about something, that is your destiny. If you are curious about it, if you're excited about it, if you feel genuine desire to do something - it doesn't matter if it'll make you money, or if it'll earn you anything, or if anyone will look at it or like it at all - none of that matters. Amen, also. 

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KEXP offered a really good studio set and interview with Gillian Welch and David Rawlings. The duo, joined here by bassist Paul Kowert, chat about their approach to Grateful Dead covers. We genuinely subscribe to the opinion that the world doesn't need more Dead covers, but even drummer Bill Kreutzmann chimed in to praise Welch and Rawlings' work. So we've been outvoted. 

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We love REM, and even devoted an Episode of our Lookback Machine to our thirty favorite tracks. This week, New Music Express shared a clip of Michael Stipe joining members of The National for a spirited run through "E-Bow the Letter". While the embedded video no longer works, by the grace of God, the YouTube link continues to be functional. 

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We mentioned last week that Lee Bains has published a collection of poetry called Work Lunch. This week NPR's Scott Simon chatted with Bains about the importance of lunch breaks, sharing those meals with immigrant coworkers, and a place called Manuel's Tavern. 

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Look how we've managed to include a(nother) story about Twisted Teens in our weekly wrap-up. This week's appreciation comes courtesy of Pitchfork, so it must be true. Therein, we meet Caspian Hollywell's loveable dog, Betty, a diagram of the cockatiel's embryonic development, and the accusation that Twisted Teens are an industry plant. Spoiler: No. We stand behind our statement that these are some of the most likeable figures in our kind of music, a quality that drills all the way through this lengthy but worthwhile profile. Really. This is some fine writing, and it sheds some much needed light on a band that, to date, has been shrouded in ... shrouding stuff.

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Our first of two (2) quality stories from the Guardian arrives on the occasion of the release of You Fuckers Figure It Out: A Jason Molina Story. The piece features a trailer for the doc, or you could visit the official site, which offers dates and locations for forthcoming screenings. 

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Our second Guardian link transports you to an interview with Richard Thompson, who has just released Hippies Thugs and Heroes. The British legends admits, I've never ridden a Vincent Black Lightning, and spills some gossip about Sandy Denny's lifelong difficulty with transportation. The article includes several engaging nuggets, including the fact that Thompson was asked to join the Eagles, the Band, Linda Ronstadt's band, and the Animals. 

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Lots of good stuff we could include this week, but we'll close with something from Seattle Times about Damien Jurado's influence on Phoebe Bridgers' recent smash album. Jurado confesses, I'm kind of an older musician who lives under a rock, so he thought very little when Bridgers reached out for a meeting. Of course, the result is what the article terms the Bridgers bump, which has driven countless fans to discover Jurado for themselves. 

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LOOKBACK MACHiNE: Charlie Parr

ROUTES & BRANCHES

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

October 21, 2026

Scott Foley, purveyor of dust

We mentioned a few weeks ago that we'd had the opportunity back in our Radio Days to interview Charlie Parr. This was for an hour-long live broadcast that featured some chat and a good deal of live music. At the time, Parr was touring behind his excellent Stumpjumper record. While that 2015 project focused on original writing, the Minnesota musician has served his time playing classic blues, traditional folk and gospel. We're especially fond of his work with Black Twig Pickers and Low.

It occurred to us to feature Charlie Parr this week as a recognition of his brand new Rooming House record for Smithsonian Folkways. The label labels this a conceptual folk opera, so we'll add that to Parr's list of accomplishments. 

During our Radio Days, we interviewed everyone from a young and bleary-eyed Nathaniel Rateliff to a profoundly sun-burnt Robert Earl Keen (it hurt just to look at him). We spent an hour in a too-small studio with John Moreland, Lucero, and Todd Snider. More than any of those luminaries, Charlie Parr struck us as Just A Guy. Granted, he could play his guitar and his banjo better than most, but he struck us as grounded and grateful. 

We could name names ...

Anyhow, here are thirty favorites from a decent fellow. 

CHARLiE PARR: thirty favorites

- "1922 Blues" 1922  (2002)

- "To a Scrapyard Bus Stop"

- "Lowdown" Criminals and Sinners  (2002)

- "Possessed By the Devil" King Earl  (2004)

- "King Earl"

- "Dead Cat On the Line" 

- "Cheap Wine"

- "Jubilee" Jubilee  (2007)

- "Just Like Today" 

- "Bonneville"

- "Don't Send Your Child To War" Roustabout  (2008)

- "God Moves On the Water" 

- "I Dreamed I Saw Jesse James Last Night" When the Devil Goes Blind  (2010)

- "Mastodon" 

- "Death's a Black Train" Glory In the Meeting House  (2010)

- "There Ain't No Grave Gonna Hold My Body Down"

- "Poor Lazarus (ft Alan Sparhawk, Mimi Parker)"  Keep Your Hands On the Plow  (2011)

- "Motorcycle Blues" Barnswallow  (2013)

- "Jesus Is a Hobo" 

- "Falcon" Stumpjumper  (2015)

- "Remember Me If I Forget"

- "Over the Red Cedar"

- "Stumpjumper"

- "Jaybird" I Ain't Dead Yet EP  (2016)

- "Dog" Dog  (2017)

- "Last Of the Better Days Ahead" Last Of the Better Days Ahead  (2021)

- "817 Oakland Avenue"

- "Portland Avenue" Little Sun  (2024)

- "Boombox" 

- "Rooming House" Rooming House  (2026)

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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:

IF YOU ONLY LiSTEN to ONE RECORD THiS WEEK (October 20, 2026)

ROUTES & BRANCHES

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

October 20, 2026

Scott Foley, purveyor of dust

This week's prime releases included new stuff from Sadurn, Arborist and @, each of which we considered reviewing at some point. We peeked at next Friday's torrent of albums and entertained a fleeting moment of gratitude for this week's relatively gentle onslaught. So we're fine. 

IF YOU ONLY LiSTEN to ONE RECORD THiS WEEK

The byline for Birmingham's Cornelius Chapel Records is We've never heard of you either. We like that. Over the years, the label has distributed some great artists like the Dexateens, Will Stewart, and Janet Simpson, stuff that might otherwise fall (further) between the cushions. Cornelius Chapel also released Kyle Kimbrell's 2024 Easy Truths collection. In our review, we were drawn to the Birminghamian's championing of novelists like Brad Watson, Harry Crews, Larry Brown and Ron Rash. Songs like "Interstate Living" and "Shape I'm In" were indicative of Kimbrell's early promise. 

Cornelius Chapel has released a follow-up to that record, Lonesome In the Sky. Once again alongside producer/instrumentalist Brad Lyons, Kyle Kimbrell delivers a collection of tracks steeped in the sounds and stories of the Southeast. "Paperbacks" serves as a reminder of where we've been, a resolute electric guitar line burning from one end to the other: Could it be just an old story / Written through life / They claim God gold and glory / Look how that worked out. Kimbrell's muscular delivery recalls the heyday of Jay Farrar and Son Volt, and on the opening cut he is firmly in that pocket. While not a pop writer, his commitment to accessible melody makes songs like "Helmet Head" sticky. A rolling bass drives that number forward into Southern rock territory, 

Like Lee Bains, Kyle Kimbrell's work drops push-pins in real places and tangible things. On the midtempo "Grocery Cart Ordeal", he surveys a hazy cityscape: I summon up some courage / To not hate my hometown ... I hear its call. The pedal steel and barroom piano of "Maker" lend the piece a decidedly country flair, the singer drawling,  I can't explain why the world went insane / Outside my bedroom window. Kimbrell constructs his songs from swept-together moments and fleeting observations, his lyrics as conversational as an overheard aside between coworkers. 

Especially across the second half of Lonesome, Kimbrell gives rein to the blues colors on his palette, from the sidewinding electric guitar on "Demagogue" to the sly slide acoustic of "Bad Apple". Like Kelly Joe Phelps, he glides naturally between influences. "She Feels Like Home" is a sweetly loose expression of love and longing, whether for a person or place: She's piece of a puzzle / Keeps me out of trouble / And always on my knees. "No That's Not Me" provides a signpost for where Kyle Kimbrell might be headed, cloaked in the echo of free-floating guitar and never quite stepping beyond a minor key haze. It's not that short of a rope / I'm hanging on by my neck / My feet so close to the ground / I just can't put my toes down, he sings, closing the project on a curiously dark note. 

At the end of his rope, or crossing a threshold into an uncertain future, it's increasingly worth keeping an ear trained to Kyle Kimbrell. Lonesome In the Sky isn't always a feel-good album, but like the novelists he admires he doesn't mislead us for the sake of making party music or pretty noise. From his vantage, through the haze, the world can be an uncertain place. Kimbrell's truths aren't always easy. 

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ROUTES-cast October 18, 2026

ROUTES & BRANCHES

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

October 18, 2026

Scott Foley, purveyor of dust

ROUTES-cast October 18, 2026

^ Emma Ogier, "Frankie's Gun" Felice Country Fair: Celebration Of the Felice Brothers  (Sony, 26)

- Eels, "Clobbered" Cookie Happened  (EWorlds, 26)

- Johanna Warren, "Automatic" Frog In the Belly Of a Snake  (Well Kept Secret, Jan 29)  D

- Gwenifer Raymond, "Bird Songs For Atomic Skies" single  (Fat Possum, 26)  D

- Napsack, "Blue Eyes" More Mountains  (Just Because, 26)

- Sadurn, "the weight" The Underworld  (Run For Cover, 26)

- Hello Shark, "Coming Down" The River  (Father/Daughter, Nov 6)

- Ruby Gill, "Jacaranda" Fishing Is Not About Fishing  (Gill, 26)  D

- Arborist, "Empty Handed" Looking For Love  (Arborist, 26)

- @, "I Know You Are (But What Am I Thinking)" Autosmile  (4AD, 26)

- Oscar Lindsey, "Knife" Sunshine  (Mom+Pop, 26)

- Frances de Vargas, "The Band's Got Your Gun" Graduation  (Nudie, Nov 13)

- Hunter Watts, "Selfish" I'm Lost Without You EP  (Valentine, Oct 23)

- Lou Turner, "Beaver Moon" Strangels  (Turner, Nov 6)

- Kyle Kimbrell, "Maker" Lonesome In the Sky  (Cornelius Chapel, 26)

- Olivia Wolf, "Galilee" Snake Of Diamonds  (Birdsong Hollow, Jan 22)

- Zach Bryan, "Plainsman (ft Turnpike Troubadours)" Young Manhood and Other Donatable Organs EP  (Belting Bronco, 26)  D

- Whitey Morgan, "No Good Name" Hell On the Highway  (Morgan, Dec 4)

- Wyatt McCubbin, "Boy In the Boat" 650  (Lucille, 26)

- Jonathan Something, "Siren Song" One More Lonesome Cowboy Song  (High Shelter, 26)

- Scott Ballew, "Buried Alive (ft Esther Rose)" single  (Leisure Rodeo, 26)  D

- JW Francis, "Scootin' Boogie" Route 66  (Francis, 26)  D

- Aaron Lee Tasjan, "Good Luck Now" single  (Blue Elan, 26)  D

- Boy Golden, "Fell In Love (Couldn't Get Out) (ft Cat Clyde)" Best Of Our Possible Lives (Deluxe)  (Six Shooter, 26)

- Purple Pilgrims, "Outside" Given To the Night  (AD93, Nov 27)

- Caleb & Reeb, "Old Friends" Long Memory: 20 Years Of Free Dirt Records  (Free Dirt, Nov 6)

- Charlie Parr, "Bank Robber" Rooming House  (Smithsonian, 26)

- Richard Thompson, "Unsung Hero" Hippies Thugs and Heroes  (New West, 26)

- David Newbould, "All I've Got In Front Of Me Is the Past" single  (Blackbird, 26)  D

- Alien Boy, "Spit On a Stranger" Rearrange My Mind  (Get Better, 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:

WHAT's SO GREAT ABOUT THiS WEEK?!! (October 16, 2026)

ROUTES & BRANCHES

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

October 16, 2026

Scott Foley, purveyor of dust

If everything is working properly, change is inevitable in music (and we're very grateful for that). It's just a matter of where that change is happening, where on a genre's frontier conditions are ripe and ready. Last year, it happened at the cutting edge of alternative country. For 2026, it seems to be taking place in the wilds of folk music. Just in the past couple months we've enjoyed great examples from acts like Mary In the Junkyard, Ruby Of Thanks, Hour, and Arborist. And @ (this week's most difficult act to research, given the fact that the duo's name is just a typographical symbol. 

WHAT's SO GREAT ABOUT THiS WEEK?!!

^JW Francis, "Scootin' Boogie"  Route 66  (Mutual Friends, 26)

This new single is so unforgivably cheesy, from the title to the jacket art. We were prepared for a pass, til the thing sunk its charm deep into our ears. Following an LP inspired by a trip on the Mississippi River, the New York writer's second project of the year pays tribute to the asphalt equivalent. Shout out to Francis' mesmerizing hair. 

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Gwenifer Raymond, "Bird Songs For Atomic Skies" single  (Fat Possum, 26)

We're not typically enchanted by solo guitar music. But we're making a strong exception for this debut single celebrating Raymond's signing to Fat Possum. Especially when it careens into the weeds around the four-minute mark. One commenter sagely suggests a collaboration with Chat Pile, a'la Hayden Pedigo. We won't stand in the way.

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@, "I Know You Are (But What Am I Thinking)" Autosmile  (4AD, 26)

We've been spending a fair amount of time wrapping our ears around this new album, and there's a good chance you'll hear more about that early next week. This final single might be the best entry point yet to the teasing, teeming Autosmile. It's wonky without pretension, quirky without indulgence. 

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Aaron Lee Tasjan, "Good Luck Now!" single  (Blue Elan, 26)

Oh good. We've been hoping for a chance to air our fondness for Tasjan's July Get Over It Underdog. This disconnected single is just the thing. Perhaps he's too pop for the roots crowd, and overly acoustic for indie fans, but we'd classify Tasjan as among the most capable pop songcrafters in our kind of music: There went Lady Luck / In a pickup truck / With the radio on / And a song turned up / Albert King was singing / About a man who was clinging / To his troubles. 

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Frances de Vargas, "The Band's Got Your Gun" Graduation  (Nudie, Nov 13)

We discovered this Brooklyn singer-guitarist via the worthy New Commute blog. This second single from her November full-length opens the door to a honky tonk where maybe something is just a little off. All that means is that de Vargas is probably not just another earnest artist toeing the trad party line. Consider that a complement. 

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A ROUTES & BRANCHES GUiDE to FEEDiNG YOUR MONSTER (October 15, 2026)

A ROUTES & BRANCHES GUiDE to FEEDiNG YOUR MONSTER

good news about good noise

October 15, 2026

Scott Foley, purveyor of dust

>Welsh guitar prodigy Gwenifer Raymond has found a new home with the Fat Possum label. As God Is In the TV notes, she has celebrated her signing with a new song, "Bird Songs For Atomic Skies", about which she notes: Lyrebirds are perched in irradiated nests and have grown new heads. Foxes bark in the night, but the barks are all wrong ... New limbs are springing up by the hour. Sounds pretty. 

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This is the kind of stuff we love to share. KLOF publishes a long-form meditation on David Berman's essential Silver Jews project, Natural Bridge on the occasion of its thirtieth anniversary. As we stated in our own Lookback Machine playlist Berman is a patron saint of what we do here at R&B HQ. 

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The internet broke when MJ Lenderman began featuring a couple new songs on the occasion of his return to the concert stage for Sylvan Esso's Good Moon festival. You can find out more in Paste Magazine's account, and as of right now there is also a crowd-sourced video of some of the new stuff. And it's also followed by a piece on Kim Petras that we're okay if you ignore. 

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We had a chance to interview Charlie Parr back in The Radio Days, and can attest to the fact that he is a pretty nice fellow. Glide digs for dirt in their own interview, wherein the songwriter acknowledges that he discovered music in large part due to Johnny Horton's "Battle Of New Orleans", and that listening to Albert Ayler made him wonder if Ayler knew how to play the sax. 

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We've been making noise about Big Thief lately. But wait, there's more. This week the act introduced us to a new site where they would be archiving live sets for free streaming, like we like. It's all reportedly inspired by percussionist James Krivchenia's own fondness for digging around the Grateful Dead archives. Consequence of Sound completes the picture, including a nice recent live take on Big Thief's "Incomprehensible", recorded in Ireland. 

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We're admitted fans of Largehearted Boy's Book Notes features, wherein the site prompt authors to share a playlist related to their recently published book. This week Lee Bains released a collection of poetry, Work Lunch. The instrumental music that inspired his book includes everything from Aphex Twin to J Dilla and William Tyler. New maybe Bains can focus more on recording something new for us. 

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This week would've marked John Prine's 80th birthday. Saving Country Music recounts a star-packed Chicago Theatre celebration that brought together folks like Andrew Sa, Alynda Segarra, Noeline Hoffman, and host John C Reilly, who has inexplicably maintained a presence in the americana community for several years. 

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Are we sending you to the Playboy website? Yes, we are (though it's only for the articles). F'rinstance, Greg Freeman plays 20 Questions as he continues his victory lap for the release of All Set the Bone. 

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If you're still with us, we will refer you to Paste once again, and their nice features on the sprawling ensemble of friends and coworkers called Hour. Assembled by Michael Cormier-O'Leary, they've just released a captivating project called Ghost Bridge. As noted in the profile, depending on the time of day Hour can feature members of 2nd Grade, Fust, Friendship and more. 

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We do a couple things pretty well here at R&B HQ. One of those is to congregate a list of forthcoming releases beneath the heading A Routes & Branches Guide To Feeding Your Monster. We're always adding new stuff when there's new stuff to be added. This time of year the New Music Pipeline starts to sputter and spit, not unlike an automatic sprinkler system being shut down for the season. Nevertheless, we'll keep milking that turnip as long as we're able. Portland's Alien Boy is going acoustic. Fronted by Sonia Weber, the act will release Rearrange My Mind tomorrow (Friday), via Get Better. Wilder Maker has always been acoustic. The New York outift will share Smoking the Bunny via Western Vinyl on November 6. We'll be setting the table for new Johanna Warren just after the New Year. Well Kept Secret has announced a January 29 date for her Frog In the Belly Of a Snake. Finally, just in time for the week after Valentines Day, Marika Hackman will release False Dogs on the Chrysalis label by February 19. 

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LOOKBACK MACHiNE: Wilco

ROUTES & BRANCHES

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

October 14, 2026

Scott Foley, purveyor of dust

On last week's Lookback Machine, we declared Big Thief one of the foremast live bands of their generation. Meet Wilco. Featuring the same lineup since 2005, it's tough to name an act that has proven so consistently excellent for so many years. While they are often considered among the more experimental mainstream outfits, we could argue that Jeff Tweedy is a master pop songwriter in the direct lineage of the Beatles (esp Lennon). 

For our thirty favorites, we chose to limit our options a bit, focusing exclusively on studio tracks from Wilco's thirteen original LPs (and one EP). No apocryphal stuff. No live cuts. No Mermaid Avenue (though this playlist was largely prompted by the announcement that the band would release an even more expanded edition of their Mermaid Avenue: Complete Sessions, an essential document in our kind of music). Even in light of those restrictions, it was a challenge to pare down our list to just thirty (30) favorites, especially given our fondness for championing obscure tracks. And, given the preponderance of classic songs on Wilco's early- and mid-period projects, it pushed us to representing later records (which are really good) with just one song in many cases. 

While we have actually never featured a review of a Wilco LP,  no other band as fully represents the reach and embrace of all we try to do at R&B. 

WiLCO: thirty favorites

- "Box Full Of Letters" AM  (1995)

- "Passenger Side"

- "Outtasite (Outta Mind)" Being There  (1996)

- "Forget the Flowers" 

- "I Got You (At the End Of the Century)" 

- "Can't Stand It" Summerteeth  (1999)

- "Shot In the Arm"

- "I'm Always In Love" 

- "I Am Trying To Break Your Heart" Yankee Hotel Foxtrot  (2001)

- "Jesus Etc"

- "Ashes Of American Flags"

- "Heavy Metal Drummer"

- "Handshake Drugs"  A Ghost Is Born  (2004)

- "Theologians"

- "The Late Greats"

- "Either Way" Sky Blue Sky  (2007)

- "Impossible Germany"

- "What Light"

- "You and I" Wilco (the Album)  (2009)

- "You Never Know"

- "Whole Love"  The Whole Love  (2011)

- "Random Name Generator"  Star Wars  (2015)

- "If I Ever Was a Child" Schmilco  (2016)

- "Love Is Everywhere (Beware)"  Ode To Joy  (2019)

- "Cruel Country" Cruel Country  (2022)

- "Tired Of Taking It Out On You"

- "Falling Apart (Right Now)" 

- "Evicted"  Cousin  (2023)

- "Meant To Be"

- "Annihilation" Hot Sun Cool Shroud EP  (2024)

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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:

IF YOU ONLY LiSTEN to ONE RECORD THiS WEEK (October 13, 2026)

ROUTES & BRANCHES

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

October 13, 2026

Scott Foley, purveyor of dust

As we mentioned this weekend, last week's release date dropped several good options onto our digital doorstep, and we honestly considered no fewer than half-a-dozen of them before settling on the choice that lent itself most readily to our embrace. 

IF YOU ONLY LiSTEN to ONE RECORD THiS WEEK

On the closing number on her sixth album, A Mile South Of Heaven (New West), Jess Williamson tells a story about "The Gem and Mineral Show". I am a tourist here, she sings, I come and I go. As she relates it, it came to her attention that Jack Antonoff really really liked her 2024 song, "Hunter". Reaching out to the uber-producer, Williamson was invited to the year's Grammy afterparty, where she rubbed sequined shoulders with a who's who of the industry (including, of course, Taylor Swift): With the queen of americana / Sipping champagne at the Chateau. At some later date, the singer was driving through Terlingua, Texas, where she stopped by a gem and mineral show, rubbing camouflaged shoulders with the locals. Upshot: Jess Williamson questioned her belonging both beneath the blinding lights of LA and in the dusty parking lot of small town Texas. 

That pivotal 2024 album, Time Ain't Accidental, was structured around the dissolution of a long term relationship, one that found her making that long trip between California and Texas. Produced by Brad Cook, the project was released following her collaboration with Katie Crutchfield (Waxahatchee) under the Plains moniker. Both records chronicled Williamson's artistic journey to devote an increasing amount of her indie-folk sound to roots music influences. Even with its programmed percussion and atmospheric textures, Time spoke clearly to this trend, and hinted both musically and thematically at the direction of her follow-up. 

Produced by Shooter Jennings, A Mile South Of Heaven presents Jess Williamson fronting a band of consummate country and roots professionals, including The Mastersons (Chris Masterson on guitar and Eleanor Whitmore on acoustic guitar and mandolin), bassist Bonnie Whitmore, Jamie Douglass on percussion, and pedal steel and dobro from John Schreffler. Musically, the collection is poised with one boot each in LA and Texas, equally literate in both expressions. The opener, "Goodbye To All That", immediately strikes this balance, placing Williamson's sweetly accented voice further forward in the mix than we'd heard to date. Inspired by Joan Didion's essay of the same name in which the author weighed her decision to leave New York for California, Williamson seems poised at the brink of her own decision: Goodbye to the dreamers, the poets and their songs / I'm afraid there's so much that I still haven't done. Schreffler's pedal steel, so central to the vibe of Mile South, speaks to expanse and distance. "Hum Of the City" adds Shooter's Hammond to the fabric, in addition to Eleanor Whitmore's sturdy fiddle and Chris Masterson's banjo: I've been running out of reasons to stay, the singer notes. 

Both Brad Cook and Shooter Jennings have established themselves as central craftsmen of the current americana sound, even as their expressions are quite different. On "Hum" and elsewhere, Jennings leans into the warmth of a live studio tone, clearly outlining the sound of each individual instrument. Williamson sings, Just play some old country music / Where they find true love / Or lose it, and come back home to everyone they missed. On "High Heels and Blue Jeans" she beckons for the simplicity of a night on the town with friends. Much of the new work is set in the cab of a truck, as portrayed on the album's jacket - if Williamson is equally uncertain about belonging in either locale, she finds her groove in the space between: Now I got a little money, there's gas in the car / And I can drive alone for days / Honey, it's an art. 

It's there in the balance that Jess Williamson decides to remain. She finds a resolution in both/and, as opposed to either/or. As we've learned across her previous work, she is well grounded in mysticism. The writer who claimed I see God in everything recognizes that belonging can rely upon perspective. although some Alice Coltrane / On the floor by the fireplace doesn't hurt. Williamson's transition from her earlier sound to the California-by-way-of-Austin of A Mile South Of Heaven seems more of a natural evolution than her friend Waxahatchee's leap into her own pickup. "Legends Die" presents a fine example of Williamson's suitability for the roots setting, so ably suggested by Jennings and his players: Bring me flowers / Pour me wine, and trust that the rest will apparently take care of itself. 

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ROUTES-cast October 11, 2026

ROUTES & BRANCHES

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

October 11, 2026

Scott Foley, purveyor of dust

Sundays are ROUTES-cast, and Tuesdays are review. But our considerations for that review begin much earlier. On a week like this, we're posed with several legit choices for IYOLtOATW. Frankly, there is an abiding temptation to reach beyond the obvious choices (Jess Williamson, Margo Cilker) to bring a new artist to your attention - thinking Cooper Kenward or Brody Price. We're also fretting good new stuff from Left Arm Tan and Tallest Man On Earth. Give us space.

For today, we bring you thirty (30) good songs from this week's offerings. You'll definitely want to visit our Spotify account and follow us. You can access our ROUTES-casts and Lookback Machine playlists either way, but formalizing our relationship is a real sign of status and commitment. 

ROUTES-cast October 11, 2026

^ Brody Price, "Waste" Leaf Miner's Daughter  (Gar Hole, 26)

- Anna McClellan, "Drank Earlier" South Of Dodge EP  (Exploding In Sound, Nov 20)  D

- Cory Branan, "What Gave Me Away" You'll Live  (Blue Elan, 26)

- Cooper Kenward, "Billy Come Back" Call Me the Knife  (Soggy Anvil, 26) 

- Left Arm Tan, "What's Left Of Me" When Tigers Smoked  (LAT, 26)

- Ben Chapman, "Saving Grace" Porch Sessions EP  (Hippie Shack, 26)  D

- Ags Connolly, "Yesterday's Man" Yesterday's Man  (SofaBurn, Oct 30)  D

- Sylvie, "Not Looking Back Anymore" New Season  (Ghostly, Nov 6)

- Jess Williamson, "Hum Of the City" A Mile South Of Heaven  (New West, 26)

- Kacy Lee Anderson, "Keep Quiet" Hello I'm Irrelevant  (Earth Libraries, Oct 23)

- Foot Ox, "Sagittariat" Topanga Canyon  (Lauren, Oct 23)

- Queen Of Jeans, "Bucks County" hard/SWEET  (Memory Music, 26)

- Small Pond, "Everything's Quiet" single  (Small Pond, 26)

- Woke County Speedway, "Reverse GB" Woke County Speedway  (Halloween On Raspberry Hill, 26)

- Twisted Teens, "Stalks" Holy Cross Tigers  (Sub Pop, Nov 6)

- Star Moles, "Born Again" single  (Dead Oceans, 26)  D

- Tallest Man On Earth, "In the Silver Wire Up the Hill" Just Beyond Endless Mountain  (Anti, 26)

- Johnny & Lillie Flynn, "Rambling Man" Beam Cottage  (Flynn, Nov 6)

- Jess Kerber, "Louisiana Song" World Is Dark But I Want It To Be Funny  (felte, Nov 6)

- Panamint, "Feather" single  (Panamint, 26)  D

- Muireann Bradley, "Last Kind Word Blues" Blackwood Pew EP  (Verve, Oct 23)

- Amble, "Church Bells" Love and All Its Wares  (Warner, Jan 29)

- Margo Cilker, "State Line" Little White Cross  (Fossil, 26)

- Sheagles, "Peaceful Easy Feeling" single  (Mae, 26)  D

- Lowest Pair, "What I Think About When I Sing About Running" single  (Delicata, 26)  D

- Liv Greene, "I Can't Know Now (demo)" Long Memory: 20 Years Of Free Dirt Records  (Free Dirt, Nov 6)

- Hour, "Sky Is Blue" Ghost Bridge  (Dear Life, 26)

- Cameron Winter, "It All Fell In the River" Live At Carnegie Hall  (Partisan, 26)  D

- Menahan Street Band, "There Before the Sun" Illusions  (Diamond West, Nov 13)

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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:

WHAT's SO GREAT ABOUT THiS WEEK?!! (October 9, 2026)

ROUTES & BRANCHES

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

October 9, 2026

Scott Foley, purveyor of dust

WHAT's SO GREAT ABOUT THiS WEEK?!!

^Star Moles, "Born Again"  single  (Dead Oceans, 26)

We really didn't represent Emily Moales' Highway To Hell sufficiently upon its February release. This follow-up single arrives as the songwriter comes on board with the Dead Oceans label. Of the song, Moales notes it's a painting of real frustration, and the best way I can express that feeling is with a strong voice and words that mythologize. I wouldn't say I'm religious, but I think sometimes my emotions are. 

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Anna McClellan, "Drank Earlier" South Of Dodge EP  (Exploding In Sound, Nov 20)

Originally from Nebraska, McClellan provided backup vocals on Greg Freeman's remarkable new record. Now in New York, she has announced her second EP of the year - almost be easier just to assemble everything into an LP as god intended. A sweet and seemingly simple number, "Drank" features everything from a flute and low brass to a pitch perfect jangle guitar. 

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Lowest Pair, "What I Think About When I Sing About Running" single  (Delicata, 26)

The PNW duo of Kendl Winter and Palmer T Lee released Always As Young As We'll Ever Be way back in January. This new single repeats that record's title, the pair's voices weaving and twining beautifully above acoustic instrumentation that never wears out its welcome. Long as we have your attention, you might want to check out Kendl Winter's lovely 2018 Stumbler's Business. 

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Twisted Teens, "Stalks"  Holy Cross Tigers  (Sub Pop, Nov 6)

Yeah, we're not going to let this one get away. While we've featured just about every Twisted Teens single this year (and there have been plenty), that's more of a comment on the quality of the duo's prolific output as opposed to a result of our lack of imagination. Like most of their output, the video for "Stalks" hits like it was recorded off a late-night public access TV broadcast. 

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Iconic Fugues, "2025 Dream / 2025 Blues"  single  (L'Arme, 26)

Finally, it's a new project/band from Andrew Savage of Parquet Courts. Actually, it's two songs jammed together, sounding a bit like a younger Bill Callahan fronting ... well, Parquet Courts. Please watch your step as you enter the stream-of-consciousness: I recognize everything / From the coin-colored carpet / To the little room I slept in / Where I once found a scorpion / Oh its tail had a lilt / Just like a drunk with a pocketknife. 

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A ROUTES & BRANCHES GUiDE to FEEDiNG YOUR MONSTER (October 8, 2026)

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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LOOKBACK MACHiNE: Big Thief

ROUTES & BRANCHES

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

October 7, 2026

Scott Foley, purveyor of dust

We had the great privilege to witness Big Thief Tuesday evening at Red Rocks. Adrianne Lenker, Buck Meek, and James Krivchenia have grown into one of the most transcendent live acts in our kind of music. At last night's performance they were joined by Iris Dement and Bill Frisell, artists who reportedly contribute to Big Thief's pending triple LP, Horsepower. No release date has been announced for what will surely launch the band to new levels of appreciation. The handful of tracks from the project that were included in the Red Rocks show hinted at more direct writing and songs that skewed in a country direction. 

For this week's Lookback Machine, we've included a handful of numbers from Adrianne Lenker's solo stuff (noted in the playlist as AL). While both Krivchenia and Buck Meek maintain side projects as well, Big Thief is arguably first and foremost a vehicle for Lenker's artistic vision. While the band, including bassist Justin Felton, are essential to their captivating performance, she is a riveting stage presence and an increasingly arresting guitarist. 

Of course, we'll make some appropriate noise as soon as we have additional news and advance singles. For today, you could do much worse than to stream our Spotify playlist on repeat. 

BiG THiEF: thirty favorites

- "Steamboat" Hours Were the Birds (AL)  (2014)

- "A Love Of Some Kind"

- "Indiana"  a-sides and besides (AL)  (2014)

- "Angels"

- "Masterpiece" Masterpiece  (2016)

- "Vegas"

- "Real Love"

- "Shark Smile" Capacity  (2017)

- "Mythological Beauty" 

- "Mary"

- "Symbol" abysskiss (AL)  (2018)

- "UFOF" UFOF  (2019)

- "Cattails"

- "Forgotten Eyes" Two Hands  (2019)

- "Not"

- "Two Reverse" Song (AL)  (2020)

- "Anything"

- "Not a Lot Just Forever" 

- "Change" Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You  (2022)

- "Certainty"

- "Little Things"

- "Red Moon"

- "Simulation Swarm"

- "Sadness As a Gift" Bright Future (AL)  (2024)

- "Free Treasure"

- "Vampire Empire"

- "Born For Loving You" single  (2023)

- "Incomprehensible" Double Infinity  (2025)

- "Los Angeles"

- "All Night All Day"

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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:

IF YOU ONLY LiSTEN to ONE RECORD THiS WEEK (October 6, 2026)

ROUTES & BRANCHES

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

October 6, 2026

Scott Foley, purveyor of dust

IF YOU ONLY LiSTEN to ONE RECORD THiS WEEK

The way Greg Freeman tells it, he wasn't really expecting much attention for his 2022 LP, I Looked Out. A slow but steady parade of appreciation led to the album's 2024 reissue on the Transgressive label. His follow-up, Burnover, showed a careful attempt to gather the pieces of his frayed artistry for popular consumption, in case anyone was listening. The Vermont songwriter was being saddled with the mantle of This Week's Jason Molina, likened to the red-hot MJ Lenderman. In interviews, Freeman demonstrated a penchant for self-effacement and humility: I'm not a particularly interesting person. 

And yet, the masses disagreed, finding charm in his unkempt sound. Early reviews of Greg Freeman's third project, All Set the Bone, are already advancing it for year-end consideration. The thirteen-song collection charges between his most radio-ready work and his most experimental efforts, all of which indicates an increased confidence and a more deliberate artistic direction. Freeman dares listeners to remain atop of changing time signatures, discordant vocals, and lyrics sparking doubt and distrust. The seven-plus minute "Marooned" is fractured into divergent movements, ranging from unexpectedly moving to pummeling guitars: Do you feel your world will shatter at the slightest touch. The electric guitars on "Culture" stomp and scratch atonally, until they're tamed and corralled by horns, Freeman declaring, Blood from a stone / A vacant soul / No culture / And no more rock 'n roll. 

All Set the Bone frees much of what was kept in check on Burnover, giving way to clatter and clamor. Even the set's quieter pieces ("Hail Mary", "Bury Me the Shovel") can seem restless and unsteady. Greg Freeman continues to include piano and horns into his arrangements, which often serve as a compass for listeners who threaten to lose their bearing. The captivating "Bury Me" recalls early Felice Brothers or Bright Eyes' more rambling sessions, including fiddle and banjo alongside a trumpet: Who's Up there shaking this cracked snow globe? "Costs" flirts with a playfulness and (dare we say it) soul, the piano and keys lending to the song's late-night barroom vibe: This life works like a palindrome / You're spit out or spitting up into the great unknown. 

And it's all beautiful. Bruised and vulnerable beneath its occasional guitar-hero residue, Freeman's lyrics unfailingly human, both wider-ranging and more grounded than Molina while keeping hold of the late artist's haunted imagery. On "Next To Nothing": They'll stick you in the streets to fill up pot holes / And cut down state crucifixions from telephone poles / It's not the end of the world / But it sure as hell might be the end of yours. But Freeman is pure, howling heart on All Set the Bone, and moments like "Cahokia" and "Indu" masterfully trade heartbreak for a more major key appeal. The singer urges his vocal beyond its breaking point: All I want to do is look at you / Looking at me with the moonlight in your eyes. Dealing with demons elsewhere allows him room for this kind of heartfelt expression without compromise. "Loser's Prize" builds its Southern rock on urgent piano: When I'm alone I can be anyone / But when I'm with you, I'm me. The sentiment is hard-earned. 

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ROUTES-cast October 4, 2026

ROUTES & BRANCHES

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

October 4, 2026

Scott Foley, purveyor of dust

ROUTES-cast October 4, 2026

^ Pony Bradshaw, "Count the Fires" Through a Glass Darkly  (Dogs Of the South, 26)

- Schaefer Llana, "Skateland Baby" Full Circle  (Strolling Bones, Nov 13)

- Flatland Cavalry, "Hard Lessons" Work Of Heart - Heartstrings  (Lost Highway, 26)

- Erin Enderlin, "Ballad Of Delia Green" single  (Black Crow, 26)  D

- Pug Johnson, "Second Chances" From a Beaumont Bar  (Break Maiden, Oct 23)

- Presley Haile, "Hamilton Honey" Hamilton Honey Pt 2 EP  (Columbia, 26)

- Viv & Riley, "Long Game (ft Rachel Baiman)" Long Memory: 20 Years Of Free Dirt Records  (Free Dirt, Nov 6)

- Will Carlisle, "Gas Station" Universal Bubba  (Signature Sounds, Nov 6)

- River Whyless, "One Of a Thousand" single  (River Whyless, 26)  D

- Upstate, "Corner" Abalone  (Royal Potato Family, Nov 6)

- Hunter Watts, "To Be One" I'm Lost Without You EP  (Valentine, Oct 16)  D

- Zach Stephenson, "Broke My Jaw" I Needed To Hear Me Say It  (radius, Oct 30)

- James Yorkston, "Hard Times Of Old Edinburgh" La Magnifica  (Domino, Nov 27)  D

- Hannah Cohen, "Music and Dreams (Cover Version)" Music and Dreams: 50th Anniversary Edition  (Anthology, Oct 16)  D

- Kyle Kimbrell, "Grocery Cart Ordeal" Lonesome In the Sky  (Cornelius Chapel, Oct 16)

- Sam Burton, "Free Again" Fairweather Friend  (Captured Tracks, Oct 30)

- Brody Price, "Waste" Leaf Miner's Daughter  (Gar Hole, Oct 9)

- King Husky, "Punks In the Beerlight" single  (Hype City, 26)  D

- Chris Gantry, "Catchphrase" Worth Every Nail  (Appalachia, Oct 23)

- Jeffrey Silverstein, "Helluva" Doggone  (Full Time Hobby, Oct 23)

- Woke County Speedway, "Cash Considerations" single  (Halloween On Raspberry Hill, 26)  D

- Lily Seabird, "Bindlestiff" Lightspheres On Their Way  (Lame-O, 26)

- Greg Freeman, "Loser's Prize" All Set the Bone  (Transgressive, 26)

- Emma Ogier, "Hands Tied" Fly 1111  (Lost Highway, Nov 11)

- Hudson Freeman, "Fell Ass Backwards" Doom Country  (Mom+Pop, Nov 6)

- Ryley Walker, "Carrier" single  (AD93, 26)  D

- Federale, "I Want a New Drug" Love & Other Lies  (Jealous Butcher, Oct 30)  D

- Meernaa, "A Promise" Methuselah  (OTTB, 26)  D

- Allison de Groot & Rich Ruth, "Rocks From the Moon" Allison de Groot & Rich Ruth  (Western Vinyl, 26)

- Jens Kuross, "Who I Thought I'd Be" single  (Kuross, 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:

WHAT's SO GREAT ABOUT THiS WEEK?!! (October 2, 2026)

ROUTES & BRANCHES

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

October 2, 2026

Scott Foley, purveyor of dust

We're afield this week, which has put us a bit behind in pushing out our Friday five favorites. Actually, we prepared blurbs for the first four songs, but wanted to make sure we caught all the Friday singles for consideration. Turns out it's just a bunch of dudes this week. 

WHAT's SO GREAT ABOUT THiS WEEK?!! 

Westelaken, "Sometimes" In It For the Lack  (Vain Mina, Nov 13)

Like several other artists, Toronto's Westelaken have chosen not to make their music available on Spotify. But don't let that fool you - these photogenic young men have been creating their interesting country-whispering indie folk for more than a decade. In their video for "Sometimes", they boldly flaunt the taboo of playing basketball in church. It's actually quite a resonant song, and the light through the stained glass suggests a perfect setting. 

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Willi Carlisle, "Gas Station" Universal Bubba  (Signature Sounds, Nov 6)

The third single from Universal Bubba has garnered some attention from high places for its creative use of puppetry, depicting producer Tyler Childers and his band like a long forgotten Muppets outtake. Shout out for the cinematography of the hot dogs on the rollers. This thing barely clings to the rails, but we expect Carlisle's November album to clear some space on many year-end lists. 

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Hudson Freeman, "Fell Ass Backwards" Doom Country  (Mom+Pop, Nov 6)

Don't let anyone fool you that alt.country isn't a contact sport. Freeman (and his partner/collaborator Sophie Brown) drip their doom country all over the stage in this chaotic clip. Something tells us our year-end favorites list for 2026 will all sound like Nirvana with acoustic guitars and pedal steel. Nothing to complain about there. 

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Greg Freeman, "Loser's Prize" All Set the Bone  (Transgressive, 26)

We warned you in yesterday's post that we were far from done hearing about Greg Freeman's third LP. And we're still not done. This final single gives us another basketball-themed clip, along with a busy assortment of animations. It's a remarkable project, both profoundly evocative and deeply original. When I'm alone I can be anyone / But when I'm with you I'm me. 

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Ryley Walker, "Carrier" single  (AD93, 26)

Fact is, this week we're apparently all about the noise. Not just Walker's savage electric scratching. But the mental noise as well: A junkie with a rig in a pink limo / A loser who made it in roofing / Hoping the hail is brick sized / Praying a Kentucky bend folds the world. And the video comes with a bunch of staticky images too! We're going to nominate Ryley Walker to deliver the National Anthem on next week's Thursday Night Football game ...

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A ROUTES & BRANCHES GUiDE to FEEDiNG YOUR MONSTER (October 1, 2026)

A ROUTES & BRANCHES GUiDE to FEEDiNG YOUR MONSTER

good news about good noise

October 1, 2026

Scott Foley, purveyor of dust

Hudson Freeman has our attention. He's called his November 6 LP Doom Country, which pretty much tells us what to expect. JamBase shares a bit more in a quick chat with Freeman, who tags iconic state-named records like Illinois and Nebraska as influences on the project, his first for the Mom+Pop label. ^

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Far be it for us to offer spoilers here, but we'll be spilling more digital ink on Greg Freeman's Friday release of All Set the Bone soon. It's a big week for men named Freeman (no relation, though they both seen pretty short). Range has published a nice interview with Freeman (Greg), who admits that he grew up rooting for the worst (sports) franchises in existence, and that he distrusts people who really really like his music (we're not gonna apologize). 

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Otis Gibbs hosts a fine interview show, available via YouTube. This week he's been chatting with guitarist Larry Campbell, who tells stories about Big Names like Levon, Prine, Dylan, and others. We're linking to just one of these streaming things, but you'll want to check out the others as time permits. It's quite the rabbit hole. 

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You know how in some places you can adopt a highway, committing to picking up trash along a precariously busy road in exchange for putting your name on a sign? Stereogum reports that Jess Williamson has done just that. The fact that she collects discarded fast food bags in her spare time makes us like her more, and increases our anticipation of Williamson's A Mile South Of Heaven next week. 

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We're by no means guitar wonks, but you can count us among the fans of Marissa Anderson's Anthology Of Unamerican Folk Music, released by Thrill Jockey way back in May. KLOFmag has published an interview with the guitarist, who talks about browsing Harry Smith's private record collection, laboring in factories to fund her wanderlust, and introducing activism into instrumental folk music. 

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Did you read our piece in celebration of Ian Noe's excellent Canyon Falls Trailer Band? Why or why not? Either way, you'll want to stop down for Bluegrass Situation/Good Country's piece where they actually talk to the guy (we didn't do that). Among several other things, the East Kentucky songwriter mentions how he was able to get legendary country harmonica cat Charlie McCoy to lay down a few minutes of work on his way to the Grand Ole Opry. 

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Portland's Jeffrey Silverstein will release Doggone on the Full Time Hobby label on October 23. The guitarist sat down with Glide Magazine on the occasion of his "Helluva" single. Silverstein waxes about what makes the Northwest different, the iconic cover photo for his new record, and working with members of Y La Bamba, Rose City Band, Akron/Family, and more. 

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James Yorkston has given us countless opportunities to appreciate his eclectic and prolific output. KLOF announces La Magnifica, which pulls together a career retrospective and thereby serves as a fine entry point. Who else among us can claim they have collaborated with members of the Cocteau Twins, Hot Chip, and Bert Jansch?! If you count yourself among that select crowd, we're pretty sure you're lying. 

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It's October here on the lonesome prairie that is A Routes & Branches Guide To Feeding Your Monster (our faithfully updated new release calendar). This week we added an October 16 EP from West Coast country-folk guy Hunter Watts. The Valentine label will release I'm Lost Without You. Michael Kiwanuka shared that he's recovering from a stroke, but that he's been able to prepare a new LP from existing sessions. Fudge lands on virtual shelves October 23 via Geffen. Hudson Freeman has plugged in the guitar for his next project. Expect Doom Country on or about November 6 (Mom+Pop). Emma Ogier has served with Bright Eyes, and will be sharing stages with Hovvdy. She's also proclaimed a November 11 release date for a full-length debut, Fly 1111 (Lost Highway). Finally, British folk-rock artist James Yorkston takes a deserved victory lap with his upcoming collection. La Magnifica serves as a retrospective of his prolific career (November 27, Domino). 

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LOOKBACK MACHiNE: Left Arm Tan

ROUTES & BRANCHES

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

September 30, 2026

Scott Foley, purveyor of dust

We're convinced that there's a timeline out there where Left Arm Tan is as much a household name as Old 97s. Where "Cocaine Skinny" shares jukebox space alongside "Rollerskate Skinny". Of course, the one-to-one comparison only goes so far, but Left Arm Tan share a penchant for Texas roots rock that skews pop, songs that land easy on the ears and cling to the memory like a tire on hot asphalt. We regard the outfit's remarkable streak from Alticana through Lorene and El Camino among the strongest three-album runs in our kind of music. "Best I Never Had" belongs on the soundtrack of a motion picture rom-com - some of Daniel Hines' tunes lend themselves to that sort of big-screen imagery. 

And yet, aside from R&B and a few other bloggers who are bold enough to venture outside the bounds of the mainstream, Left Arm Tan's popularity never reached the audiences we'd anticipated. Following the terrific Undefeated, the band declared an indefinite hiatus. We include just one track from the self-titled Marfa Lights project, one that featured a couple bandmembers and boasted a creative origin story and a helping of Texas/Mexico border spirit. Then a few months ago an email from Daniel Hines shared the very welcome news of a new Left Arm Tan project. When Tigers Smoked is already available on Bandcamp, and has set an official release date of October 9 (with an album release show October 24 at Fort Worth's Magnolia Motor Lodge). We've included a streaming link following our usual Spotify playlist. If you are new to Left Arm Tan, we're excited for you! For those who are already familiar, these thirty songs will no doubt rekindle your appreciation. 

LEFT ARM TAN: thirty favorites

- "Wish" Jim  (2010)

- "Black and White Movie"

- "Nicotine"

- "Nowhere Blues" Thurm EP  (2011)

- "Ghost Of Lila Pearl" 

- "Fading Away" Alticana  (2013)

- " 69 Reasons" 

- "Long Yellow Stripe" 

- "Omaha"

- "Gonna Find Me a Rock" Lorene  (2016)

- "Blacktop Blues" 

- "Freedom Bus" 

- "El Camino" El Camino  (2018)

- "Shortcut To Oblivion" 

- "Looking At the World Through a Windshield"

- "Mistress Freedom" 

- "Best I Never Had"

- "Mexicali Run" Left Arm Tan  (2020)

- "Pawn Shop Heart"

- "Stars and City Lights" 

- "It Ain't Love" Road Songs EP  (2021)

- "California Sands" single  (2022)

- "Pamplona" Undefeated  (2024)

- "Undefeated" 

- "76 Trans Am"

- "Born To Break Your Heart"

- "Cocaine Skinny"

- "Heart Like a Bruise" Marfa Lights  (2024)

- "Rolling Under the Stars"  When Tigers Smoked  (2026)

- "Amsterdam"

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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: