WHAT's SO GREAT ABOUT THiS WEEK?!! (July 24, 2026)

ROUTES & BRANCHES

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

July 24, 2026

Scott Foley, purveyor of dust

WHAT's SO GREAT ABOUT THiS WEEK?!!

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

All I want to do / Is look at you / Looking at me with the moonlight in your eyes. Much has been said about our kind of music, but seldom has it been deemed romantic. Of all people, Greg Freeman has delivered the year's sweetest moment via the first single from his October record. It's nice to be reminded that lasting musical gems like "Indu" are still possible. 

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Sally Rose ft Palmyra, "Trash Heap Mountain Treasure"  Feral  (Rose, Nov)

Here's a charming bit of feral folk that very few are talking about so far. Backed by a couple members of Palmyra, Rose's little acoustic number lands with the innocence of early Lily Seabird or like an outtake from Dragon New Warm Mountain. Tbh, we don't even recall where we came across this, but it's been spinning on repeat ever since. 

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Orville Peck, "Too Little Too Late"  Mule  (Warner, Sep 17)

Is this exactly what we hoped Orville Peck's new record might sound like? Yes. Yes it is. The very buff singer (has he always been this muscly?) bouncing from pose to pose, the clappy mechanics, and Orville locking eyes meaningfully with a horse. Happy, happy Friday. 

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Alex Izenberg, "South California Blues" single  (Mexican Summer, 26)

We likened Izenberg's 2024 record to the sad boy pop of the late Richard Swift. Dripping with pedal steel, and arriving with a video featuring surfers and mermaid, this second single from an inevitable follow-up is a melancholy psychedelic-flavored treat. We're not fond of sand, so we'll wait in the car while you stroll meaningfully along the shore. 

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Stef Chura, "Danny" Dancing Alone On the Concrete  (Saddle Creek, Oct 2)

We don't feature much from Detroit these days, but we're happy to present the first single from Stef Chura's first project in seven years. For this tough-as-nails roots rocker, David Barbe put Chura in touch with Peter Buck and Mike Mills, formerly of REM, both of them featured on this cut. Since it might be awhile before we have something new from Lydia Loveless, "Danny" will more than suffice. 

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A ROUTES & BRANCHES GUiDE to FEEDiNG YOUR MONSTER (July 23, 2026)

A ROUTES & BRANCHES GUiDE to FEEDiNG YOUR MONSTER

good news about good noise

July 23, 2026

Scott Foley, purveyor of dust

Back again for updates to A Routes & Branches Guide To Feeding Your Monster, our routinely updated new release calendar. Buddy Miller is ubiquitous in our kind of music, which is why it's surprising that it's been fifteen (15) years since his last solo album. This will be rectified with the September 11 release of his new self-titled project (New West). On the other hand, Greg Freeman released his very good last record less that a year ago. Transgressive Records has announced a follow-up, All Set the Bone, all set for an October 2 appearance. We're still awaiting the first single from Left Arm Tan's reunion album. But the band has set October 9th for the release of When Tigers Smoked! Minnesota folker Charlie Parr is working with Smithsonian Records to share Rooming House, slated for an October 16 street date. That same date, you'll want to set aside your allowance for that Felice Brothers tribute we've mentioned. Felice County Fair is hitting virtual shelves courtesy of Sony Music. 

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^Aaron Lee Tasjan is presently touring behind his new Get Over It, Underdog LP. Over the years, we've come to appreciate how he readily and intelligently speaks his mind. This refreshing habit recently resulted in a handful of concertgoers leaving his show, apparently offended by his song, "I Love America Better Than You". We're not familiar with suggest.com, but we suggest you look at their chat with ALT in which he gives his own account of the episode. 

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We've been adding singles to our ROUTES-casts from Sam & Louise Sullivan's Love & Devotion, released tomorrow (Friday). Paste calls them the next great family band, and elaborates on their lofty claim in a recent piece. The siblings address their ceramics side hustle, their shared love of the Roches' Seductive Reasoning, and unsuccessful poets who become English teachers. 

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The Guardian catches up with Brittany Howard and Alabama Shakes as we eagerly await August 28th's I Must Be Dreaming. Read all about the events leading up to the trio's reunion, as well as some info about the direction of their forthcoming project. 

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It makes us happy that Jobi Riccio is garnering increased attention for her Face the Feeling collection. Check out Bluegrass Situation's interview to find out more about Riccio's connection with John Prine, migrating from a weird hippie town in Colorado to Nashville, and the best pen she ever owned. 

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We believe Free Dirt Records does trad right. If you concur, or if you're not certain what they do, you'll want to check out Daily Bandcamp's celebration of the label's second decade. The piece also includes several streamable instances of their artists' work. 

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The Overeducated & Underemployed video blog wrangles the very well educated and quite busy David Barbe, producer/musician/director of the Music Business Certificate Program at University Of Georgia. The thorough interview touches on his work as a bassist for Sugar, his work as a drummer for Drive-by Truckers, and the impact of a 1976 Lynyrd Skynyrd show. 

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We're genuinely fond of Styrofoam Winos' recent Any River record from last month. Trevor and Joe from the band wander into the studios for Raven Sings the Blues to sing the praises of a pair of under-the-radar LPs. One of them is called The Singing Hobo and His Hobos!

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We've been following Have Gun Will Travel since their earliest years, including last year's Voyager Golden EP. Americana UK pins down frontguy Matt Burke, and provides a nice overview of the act's past, present, future. We realized that we completely missed their "Angry Monkey" single in May!

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One of last year's most interesting tribute records spoke to the national pastime of covering Neil Young. A pair of follow-up albums have been announced, both benefiting Bridge School and arriving on November 6. Heart Of Gold, Vol 2 and 3, will feature tracks from artists like Tyler Ballgame, MJ Lenderman, Lucinda Williams, and so many more. Read more at the KLOFmag blog. 

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LOOKBACK MACHiNE: Felice Brothers

ROUTES & BRANCHES

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

July 22, 2026

Scott Foley, purveyor of dust

Last week's announcement of Felice County Fair: A Celebration Of the Felice Brothers (Sony, Oct 16) pleased us beyond measure. We're typically a tentative fan when it comes to tribute collections, which can be hit-and-miss, but this one seems especially promising. In addition to Bright Eyes (whose "Wonderful Life" we included in last week's ROUTES-cast) contributors include Nathaniel Rateliff, Deer Tick, Old Crow Medicine Show and more. 

The news triggered in us memories of our initial discovery of Felice Brothers prior to the 2007 release of Tonight At the Arizona, back when Catskill brothers Ian, James, and Simone recorded tracks for Through These Reins and Gone in chicken coops and subway stations. Those earliest tapes are unavailable for streaming (as are a few other collections), but we have enough to assemble this week's thirty favorites streaming below. If we really wanted to muddy the waters, we would include some of the stuff Simone recorded under his own name and beneath the Duke & the King moniker, as well as James' very good Little Ones from last year. We also chose to leave off anything from 2015's Felice Navidad holiday EP. 

But what's below ably represents the ramshackle outfit, from their lovably diy material to more current material that is admittedly more polished though still loose. We'll quote Ian Felice here, who responds to the tribute sessions in typically charming, albeit cryptic fashion: Now imagine animal crackers, goldfinches, quiz shows and chestnut vendors and just know that things will continue as they always have. The only difference is that there will be a tribute record to the Felice Brothers, but know that, in general, things will progress more or less as they always have; the coyotes will continue to chase rabbits through the heather and the windblown tents of circus folk will tumble down the canyons. 

FELiCE BROTHERS: thirty favorites

- "Roll On Arte" Tonight At the Arizona  (2007)

- "Hey Hey Revolver"

- "Your Belly In My Arms"

- "Rockefeller Druglaw Blues"

- "Take This Hammer"

- "Frankie's Gun!" Felice Brothers  (2008)

- "Wonderful Life" 

- "Love Me Tenderly" 

- "Whiskey In My Whiskey"

- "Penn Station" Yonder Is the Clock  (2009)

- "Run Chicken Run"

- "Cooperstown"

- "Fire At the Pageant" Celebration Florida  (2011)

- "Honda Civic"

- "River Jordan"

- "Dream On" God Bless You Amigo  (2012)

- "Lincoln Continental"

- "Bird On a Broken Wing" Favorite Waitress  (2014)

- "Cherry Licorice" 

- "Aerosol Ball" Life In the Dark  (2016)

- "Plunder"

- "Special Announcement" Undress  (2019)

- "Poor Blind Birds" 

- "Days Of the Years"

- "Jazz On the Autobahn" From Dreams To Dust  (2021)

- "To-Do List"

- "Inferno"

- "Crime Scene Queen" Valley Of Abandoned Songs  (2024)

- "Flowers By the Roadside"

- "Younger As the Days Go By"

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IF YOU ONLY LiSTEN to ONE RECORD THiS WEEK (July 21, 2026)

ROUTES & BRANCHES

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

July 21, 2026

Scott Foley, purveyor of dust

IF YOU ONLY LiSTEN to ONE RECORD THiS WEEK

Waylon Payne's 2020 album served as a comeback following years wandering in the wilderness. The songwriter, musician, and actor had come of age in the family business, as the son of Sammi Smith and Jody Payne. One of our five favorite LPs for the year, Blue Eyes the Harlot the Queer the Pusher & Me eloquently tells Payne's story of addiction, sobriety, redemption, identity, and legacy. The follow-up, Wayward, asks what's next? when the writer has already shared so much. 

Payne is a masterful songwriter in the continuing lineage of country music writers. Where Blue Eyes served as a confessional, Wayward returns to simply telling good stories. A tidy bow can't be affixed to a story like Payne's, so new songs like "The Roses" and "Watch Him Die" continue to mine these rich personal narratives. But, by and large, Waylon Payne has brought us a selection of tunes about the struggle 'n strife of everyday life. A cowrite with Pam Tillis, "Looking For a Feeling" addresses our individual search for meaning and drama: We all get high and low / Turning over every stone. The Latin-inflected "Caramelo" tells a tragic Romeo & Juliet lovestory set to horns and rousing percussion. 

The new project again pairs Payne with award-winning producer Frank Liddell, celebrated for his work with Miranda Lambert and Lee Ann Womack. Alongside Eric Masse, Liddell provides a bed of classic country and soul not unlike Shelby Lynne's records. Wayward's arrangements are both slightly retro and timeless, supported by a veteran band featuring Matt Chamberlain (drum), Glenn Worf (bass), Jedd Hughes (guitar) and the great Chuck Leavell (keys). On "Looking For a Feeling" and "Holding On To Lonely", Payne and his supporting band cruise through bright-sounding, melodic country rock. The latter, written with Charlie Worsham, challenges us to push against our comfort zones in search of companionship. As a vocalist, Payne recalls Rodney Crowell and Guy Clark, a singer who is capable of showy moments, but who opts for tasteful restraint. 

Many of Waylon Payne's best songs follow him into those dramatic, larger-than-life episodes. He relates an especially harrowing dream in "Hell Is Empty", and is haunted by a friend's death on "Watch Him Die": I struggle not to hate myself daily for the way it all went down. Elsewhere, "The Roses" is a masterclass in simplicity of phrasing and arrangement. With its strings and jazz-adjacent bridge, "The Delta" charts a lazy, lilting course into deception: Make believe that you really love me / And tell me so as we walk through the moon. With half of Wayward written solely by Payne, the writer collaborates elsewhere with Ashley Monroe, Miranda Lambert, Matraca Berg, Aaron Raitiere and others. 

One of the project's highlights, "Weed By the Wall" demonstrates Payne's abiding patience and unadorned beauty: I am a freight train / Forged out of steel / I am a highway rolling west in the morning / My hands on the wheel / I am a full-grown man / I stand alone / And I sacrifice nothing for the sake of the cause / I am God and nature / I am a weed by the wall. Most impactfully, Waylon Payne ends the song and the album with the simple statement, I am a songwriter. Like his parents before him, Payne is currently touring with Willie Nelson's band, embracing the inheritance that was left him. While the path leading to this moment might have been a genuinely dramatic one, Wayward finds the artist seemingly comfortable in his role as country songwriter. 

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ROUTES-cast July 19, 2026

ROUTES & BRANCHES

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

July 19, 2026

Scott Foley, purveyor of dust

As far as we're concerned, this is the best that we do. We serve our followers most valuably by drawing your attention to the new stuff we track down from week to week, month to month, etc. Is every single thing we include here essential? Naw. While we think it all fits, and that some slice of our audience will enjoy this or that, we know that only a handful of these songs will probably make it beyond this year's short attention span. But from one Episode to the next, we tell a story about what we call our kind of music. It's a story we assume you want to hear (otherwise, what are you doing here). You'll find a gob of our ROUTES-casts at the Spotify link below, which will also gain you access to several years' worth of year-end favorites lists, Lookback Episodes, and plenty of holiday lists. Ho ho ho:

ROUTES-cast July 19, 2026

^ Willi Carlisle, "Mason Jar At the Center Of the World" Universal Bubba  (Signature Sounds, Nov 6)  D

- Two Runner, "Roadrunner" Porchlight  (Gar Hole, Aug 28)

- Chris Acker, "Overdrafted" single  (Gar Hole, 26)  D

- Mama's Broke, "Build It Up" Reunion  (Free Dirt, Aug 28)

- Candi Jenkins, "Holding Out (On Moving On)" single  (Cloverdale, 26)  D

- Waylon Payne, "The Delta" Wayward  (Big Loud Texas, 26)

- Elizabeth Cook, "Girls Of Atomic City" Great Television  (Agent Love, Aug 13)

- Jason James, "One More Cry" Cut the Chain  (Heart Of Texas, Sep 11)

- Gasoline Lollipops, "Last Thing I Needed First Thing This Morning" single  (GasPops, 26)  D

- John R Miller, "Steering Wheel Drums" The Great Unknowing  (Rounder, 26)

- Presley Haile, "Longtime Lonely" Hamilton Honey Pt 1 EP  (Columbia, 26)

- Riley Downing, "Hurt To Fall" Landfill Poetry  (Oh Boy, Aug 28)

- Bright Eyes, "Wonderful Life" Felice County Fair: Celebration Of Felice Brothers  (Sony, Oct 16)  D

- Leon III, "Invisible Ink" Candy Cigarettes  (MonoSonic, Sep 18)  D

- True Mountain Laurel, "Holy Hell" Angel So Bad  (Birthday Cake, Aug 28)

- Lawrence Rothman, "Word's a Weapon" Here Lies Love/Sawdust To Stardust  (KRO, Sep 25)

- Jess Williamson, "Goodbye To All That" A Mile South Of Heaven  (New West, Oct 9)  D

- Tyler Ballgame, "Live It Down" single  (Rough Trade, 26)  D

- Julia Jacklin, "I Wish (ft the Maes)" The Gem  (4AD, Sep 25)

- Hank Heaven, "I Wanna Be Your Man" Welterweight EP  (Nice Life, Aug 14)  D

- Aaron Lee Tasjan, "Clown Show" Get Over It Underdog  (Blue Elan, 26)

- Lily Seabird, "Portal To the Past" Lightspheres On Their Way  (Lame-O, Oct 2)

- OK Cowgirl, "Cruise the Town" Rhinestone Cowgirl  (Easy Does It, Aug 21)  D

- Attic Abasement, "Player Sky" Moonlight Passes On  (Father/Daughter, Aug 14)

- Horse Feathers, "Like Lavender (demo)" Words Are Dead (Deluxe Edition)  (Kill Rock Stars, Aug 28)

- Clay Street Unit, "Kids (Live From Charlotte, NC)" Live From the Road Vol 1  (Leo33, Aug 21)  D

- Fenne Lily, "Thank You Sorry" Win Win  (Nettwerk, Oct 22)  

- Jake Xerxes Fussell, "Rock Island Line" Old Beloved Path  (Fat Possum, Sep 18)  D

- St Paul & Broken Bones, "Mess I Made" single  (Oasis Pizza, 26)  D

- Leon Bridges, "Tears Of Joy" Happiness Anytime  (Columbia, Sep 25)  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?!! (July 17, 2026)

ROUTES & BRANCHES

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

July 17, 2026

Scott Foley, purveyor of dust

WHAT's SO GREAT ABOUT THiS WEEK?!!

Bright Eyes, "Wonderful Life" Felice County Fair: Celebration Of Felice Brothers  (Sony, Oct 16)

Such a thoughtful gift for the lover of all things Felice and Oberst in your life. This lovingly assembled collection features a great lineup of artists paying tribute to the Brother Felice. Here we'll cite the frontguy for Bright Eyes himself: Whatever little checkmarks in my heart need to be checked to make the perfect music, they check all those things. The poetry is there, the soulfulness is there, the song craft

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Jess Williamson, "Goodbye To All That" A Mile South Of Heaven  (New West, Oct 9)

As devoted admirers of Jess Williamson's work, we didn't necessarily need to her follow her friend Katie Crutchfield down the road to Saint Cloud. Nevertheless, that's what she seems to be doing with her first project for New West. Produced by Shooter Jennings and featuring the Mastersons as her accompanists, "Goodbye" is a fine intro to what should be a great collection. 

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Candi Jenkins, "Holding Out (On Moving On)"  single  (Cloverdale, 26)

Another very strong single from Ms Jenkins, who also gifted us a cover of Fred Eaglesmith's "Trucker Speed" a few weeks ago. With producer Andrija Tokik, there should be a full-length on the horizon featuring more of this seemingly effortless country cheer. 

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Hank Heaven, "I Wanna Be Your Man" Welterweight EP  (Nice Life, Aug 14)

This is the sweetest lovesong we've heard featuring the line, I got my own place but got no rent to pay / Cause it turns out the landlord is in prison. It's the debut single from a just-announced EP from the New York songwriter, who has also served with folks like Del Water Gap and Samia. Chances are you'll also want to their "Thread" single from a few weeks ago. 

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Tyler Ballgame, "Live It Down" single  (Rough Trade, 26)

Tyler Ballgame's January full-length is one of our favorite debuts of 2026. This follow-up single from the fascinating performer slides nicely alongside those songs. It's rhythms and progressions remind us a bit of Lindsey Buckingham's "Second Hand News", without those unnecessary bow-bow's. 

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A ROUTES & BRANCHES GUiDE to FEEDiNG YOUR MONSTER (July 16, 2026)

A ROUTES & BRANCHES GUiDE to FEEDiNG YOUR MONSTER

good news about good noise

July 16, 2026

Scott Foley, purveyor of dust

If you're thinkin' that the Rolling Stones' new record is the biggest story of the week, boy have we got news for you! Our Routes & Branches Guide To Feeding Your Monster delivers a jawdropping calendar of new releases so you never miss a thing. Since we last spoke, we added a newly announced project from traditionalist Jake Xerxes Fussell. With a September 18 street date, The Old Beloved Path will appear courtesy of the Fat Possum label. That same day, it seems we'll be graced with a new Orville Peck record. You can thank Warner for the arrival of Mule. We're cautiously optimistic about Leon Bridges' Happiness Anytime album (Sep 25, Columbia), as long as it doesn't sound like Jimmy Buffett doing reggae. Jess Williamson's next LP, A Mile South Of Heaven, marks her debut with a new label. New West will release the collection on October 9. Finally, Willi Carlisle's next is a double-CD produced by Tyler Childers. Universal Bubba will bear a Signature Sounds imprimatur come November 6. 

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^ We meaningfully included Bella White's A Sign In the Weather among our favorites for the first half of the year. Bluegrass Situation chats with the songwriter about relocating to New Orleans, being unable to record at the Deslondes' studio so doing so in the house next door, and Muji pens. 

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Aaron Lee Tasjan's Get Over It Underdog appears wherever music matters this Friday. The songwriter speaks to Glide Magazine about the influence of Todd Snider. And also Mitch Hedberg. And Jonathan Winters ...

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News has spread that Amy Helm has been removed from the Board for Levon Helm Studios, and that any future Midnight Ramble plans are suspended. Hm. Showbiz 411 has a few details. 

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Here at R&B HQ, we're rumored to be allergic to bluegrass. While that's only situationally true, we're impressed with the news that Lindsay Lou will be releasing an album paying tribute to the women who helped lay the foundation of bluegrass. Co-conspirators are plenty, including Sarah Jarosz, Molly Tuttle, Sierra Hull, and many more. Grateful Web details the project, and also includes the trailer for a multi-part documentary about the sessions. 

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In the week's oddest story, Charley Crockett has booted satanic doo-wop act Twin Temple from his tour. Saving Country Music saves country music by exploring why they were there in the first place, and why there are there no longer. Also, we're hereby updating our byline to read featuring the very best of americana, alt.country, roots music, and satanic doo-wop. 

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Oh no: More bluegrass! The revolving door known as Old Crow Medicine Show has welcomed back Chance McCoy for their current tour. No doubt inspired by our recent Lookback Machine segment, Bluegrass Standard checks in with the multi-instrumentalist to see if he's up for the challenge. 

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Newport Folk Festival has released a series of videos called Sea To Shining Sea, talking to artists about the importance of music in the 250 years of our country. Sierra Ferrell, who seems to have been on the road for the past 8 years, offers some perspective around Mindy Smith's "Come To Jesus". Also, let's encourage more of our artists to wear grills and facial piercings. As a national treasure, Ferrell can pull it off. 

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When is it still legal to perform Grateful Dead covers? When you're Gillian Welch and David Rawlings. Relix reports that the duo are continuing what they call their Acoustic Reckoning concert series. You can also read a fuller article for the small cost of your email address!

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Finally, we're impressed with River Shook's recent self-titled collection. Good Country shares our appreciation, and interviews Shook about building the album around their vocals, striking out with labels, and what was up with that Mightmare thing. 

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LOOKBACK MACHiNE: Be Good Tanyas

ROUTES & BRANCHES

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

July 15, 2026

Scott Foley, purveyor of dust

Frazey Ford, Jolie Holland, Trish Klein, Samantha Parton. In their various combinations, Be Good Tanyas released just three (3) records during their collaboration. But Blue Horse, Chinatown and Hello Love remain unparalleled as the product of the coming together of such unique voices. Of course, the Trio sessions of Harris, Parton, and Ronstadt were remarkable, but Be Good Tanyas featured almost unknown artists creating something new. 

For this Episode of Lookback Machine, we're not only celebrating the music of Be Good Tanyas. We're reaching into the solo work of Ford, Holland, Klein, and Parton and extracting the gems. While most of their work featured original songs, they were also deeply guided by trad music, as well as a handful of terrific covers - we could make a case for BGTs' run through "When Doves Cry" as among the very best in our kind of music. We also gave some thought to featuring songs from Po' Girl, Trish Klein's act with Allison Russell, but didn't want to cast our net too wide. 

BE GOOD TANYAS: thirty favorites

- "The Littlest Birds" Blue Horse (Be Good Tanyas, 2001)

- "Lakes Of Pontchartrain" 

- "Light Enough To Travel" 

- "Roll My Blues" Catalpa (Jolie Holland, 2003)

- "Wandering Angus" 

- "It's Not Happening" Chinatown (Be Good Tanyas, 2003)

- "In Spite Of All the Damage" 

- "In My Time Of Dying" 

- "Rudy" Maybe This Christmas Too (Be Good Tanyas, 2003)

- "Old Fashioned Morphine" Escondida (Jolie Holland, 2004)

- "Amen" 

- "Goodbye California" 

- "Crush In the Ghetto" Springtime Can Kill You (Jolie Holland, 2006)

- "Mexican Blue" 

- "For the Turnstiles" Hello Love (Be Good Tanyas, 2006)

- "Draft Daughter's Blues aka Ootischenia" 

- "When Doves Cry" 

- "Mexico City (ft M Ward)" Living and the Dead (Jolie Holland, 2008)

- "Firecracker" Obadiah (Frazey Ford, 2010)

- "One More Cup Of Coffee" 

- "All Those Girls" Pint Of Blood (Jolie Holland, 2011)

- "September Fields" Indian Ocean (Frazey Ford, 2014)

- "Done" 

- "On and On" Wine Dark Sea (Jolie Holland, 2014)

- "Waiting For the Sun" 

- "Wildflower Blues" Wildflower Blues (Jolie Holland, Samantha Parton, 2017)

- "Louisiana 1927" single (Jolie Holland, 2018)

- "Azad" U kin B the Sun (Frazey Ford, 2020)

- "Highway 72 (ft Buck Meek)" Haunted Mountain (Jolie Holland, 2023)

- "Haunted Mountain" 

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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 (July 14, 2026)

ROUTES & BRANCHES

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

July 14, 2026

Scott Foley, purveyor of dust

Another tough week, forcing us to tag just one record to highlight. We could easily have waxed enthusiastic about any of the promising projects mentioned in Sunday's ROUTES-cast. Nevertheless, we persist. 

IF YOU ONLY LiSTEN to ONE RECORD THiS WEEK

Let's start with a playlist Twisted Teens have apparently assembled on Spotify. Friends Of the Twisted Teens seems to feature acts the duo have played with or encountered during their travels, several hailing from New Orleans' underheralded arts scene. In addition to more familiar names like the Lostines and Kiki Cavazos, there are very indie artists like Remi Dean or Forty Drop Few with no more than a handful of listeners. Stylistically, the playlist veers between punk and roots, pop and folk, most decidedly lo-fi and bearing a musty garage essence. In all the best ways. 

We mention this playlist as a way of wrapping our ears around Twisted Teens. The playlist is one of several online from CPNPC, otherwise known as Caspian Hollywell. Alongside RJ Santos, he makes up Twisted Teens, who have just shared Florida Water Blues, their second record of 2026 and their third LP since a self-titled project appeared in 2024. While there is an unrehearsed immediacy to his music, Hollywell knows stuff. He understands the tradition of which the duo are a part, the idea that punk is a community as opposed to a genre. 

These songs were a product of Twisted Teens' sessions for Blame the Clown, mined from the same vein of country, folk, and blues forced through a lo-fi filter and occasionally collaged with found noise. "Swamp" begins with a patch of sound, then: I live in a crazy swamp just about in the crotch of America / Smells like ket and two piece chicken. Santos' steel guitar provides a foil to Hollywell's phlegmy bark, a juxtaposition that defines the push-pull of Twisted Teens. As the singer explains in an interview, it's traditional music with a weird, awkward, future element to it. "Weather the Season" establishes an early rock 'n stroll, featuring Hollywell's strongest vocal and his primitive electric guitar jangle. 

Even Twisted Teens' relatively tame moments vibrate with outsider energy. One of the year's worthiest songs, the title cut lays out its Southern rock, replete with Santos' genuine steel solo before things take a Mojo Nixon turn: The sun and the rain make a golden shower / And I would drink it all if I had my power. Songs like "Top Of the World Hwy No 2" and "Concealed Weepin'" speak most readily to the Teens' punk connections. With its rapidfire bass, the latter delivers spoken verses from Caspian: Little fucker with a big attitude / Did not socially integrate to the school / Did not get in the deep end of the pool / Was not considered super duper cool. 

Tunes start and finish abruptly, sometimes bookended with manipulated noise. "Riding" closes with a length of digitized shape note singing, morphing into the next song's gospel snippet which stumbles into the twang guitar and spoken vocal of "Business". The mess and clutter is essential to the success of Florida Water Blues, the programmed percussion or throwback synth simply contributes to the Twisted Teens' oddity, as does the humidity of the production. "Javelina" offers a near-standard alt.country arrangement, and "Sun Go Down" falls just this side of a country balled, until the final two minutes dissolve into soggy strings and a wheeze of noise. While occasionally tough to pigeonhole, it's all a part of the living tradition of vernacular music. We eagerly await this fall's promised Holy Cross Tigers, a new project the duo refer to as their Blood On the Tracks. Is nothing sacred? No, thank God. 

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ROUTES-cast July 12, 2026

ROUTES & BRANCHES

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

July 12, 2026

Scott Foley, purveyor of dust

There is no shortage of appealing options for this week's recommendations. At present, we're considering devoting our weekly review to William Matheny, Tracey Nelson, Houndmouth, Twisted Teens, Idle County, or this dark horse candidate, Dean Schlabowske's ambitious production about Davy Crockett's unsuccessful 1833 run for the White House. But, as we're quick to acknowledge, too much is better than not enough, and we're patiently awaiting the right album to rise organically to the top. In the meantime, we have this thing:

ROUTES-cast July 12, 2026

^ William Matheny, "Material Witness" Material Witness  (Diamond Teeth, 26)

- John Moreland, "Faded Love and Memories (ft Lydia Loveless)" Sittin' With Blaze: Tribute To Blaze Foley  (Lost Art, Aug 7)

- Mary Gauthier, "Reckoning" Reckoning  (In the Black, Sep 28)  D

- Palmyra, "Sleep Softly" Cheap Beer EP  (Oh Boy, Sep 17)

- Will Sheff, "Lapsed Catholic" Extra Mile  (Solid Ghost, 26)

- Madeleine Edwards, "American Psycho" single  (Mississippi Rain, 26)  D

- Elanor Moss, "The Way That It Feels" The Knife the Needle  (Merge, Aug 21)

- Hollow Hand, "I Turned My Back On the World" Wish Road South  (Loose, Sep 4)

- Anna Graves, "Goldmine" America's Greatest Burnout  (Rounder, Aug 21)

- Biita Houdei, "The Ground Here" This Bed Was Made For Me  (Father/Daughter, Sep 18)  D

- Lindsay Lou, "All I Ever Loved Was You" Bluegrass Women  (Work Of Bart, Aug 14)  D

- Goodnight Texas, "Winter Of '68"  Wooden Machine  (Goodnight, Sep 16)  D

- Idle County, "Wilson Watts Dr" Long Gone Saviors  (Idle County, 26)  

- Dogwood Tales, "Ralph Sampson" Every Star In Rockingham County  (Born Losers, Aug 28)

- Houndmouth, "Carbondale" Lordy  (Dualtone, 26)

- Squirrel Flower, "Not Me" Say a Prayer To the Gods Of Getting Going  (Polyvinyl, Aug 20)

- Bures Band, "High Tide" single  (Love Police, 26)  D

- Futurebirds, "Sober Somewhere" Far Out Country  (Dualtone, Sep 3)

- Tracey Nelson, "St John's River" Hercules  (Perennial, 26)

- David Quinn, "Cold Turkey" single  (Quinn, 26)  D

- Twisted Teens, "Florida Water Blues" Florida Water Blues  (Going Underground, 26)  D

- Alabama Shakes, "I Feel Hope Coming" I Must Be Dreaming  (Island, Aug 28)  D

- Sam & Louise Sullivan, "Love & Devotion" Love & Devotion  (Historic New Jersey, Jul 24)

- Magic City Hippies, "Snakes" single  (MCH, 26)  D

- Allison Russell, "Love Is a Golden Lion (ft Devon Gillfillian)" In the Hour Of Chaos  (Fantasy, 26)

- Cory Branan, "Ricochet" You'll Live  (Blue Elan, Oct 9)

- Mountain Goats, "Candlebox" Days  (Cadmean Dawn, Aug 6)

- Ada Lea, "copycat" the end is a wave  (Saddle Creek, Aug 12)  D

- HUG, "Cow With Half Moon Parasol" HUG  (Luaka Bop, Sep 11)  D

- Kelly Hogan/Nora O'Connor/Sally Timms, "A Song About Power" Congressman Davy: A Musical  (Plenty Tuff, 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?!! (July 10, 2026)

ROUTES & BRANCHES

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

July 10, 2026

Scott Foley, purveyor of dust

We hope your week has been blooming with great new music. Just in case you need some encouragement, we're here with five (5) songs that we've been enjoying over the past several days. Consider it a spoiler for the Spotify ROUTES-cast that's waiting in the wings for Sunday. We'll remind you that we consider any song that's been released as a single, rather than just any old album track. We call it

WHAT's SO GREAT ABOUT THiS WEEK?!!

Twisted Teens, "Florida Water Blues" Florida Water Blues  (Going Underground, Jul 10)

Yes, we're going here again (and there's a good chance it won't be the last time in the next couple days). Though we're still working to get our heads around what's exactly going on with Twisted Teens, the New Orleans duo of Caspian and RJ are making music that is so messed up that it's perfect. Like the band itself, the story behind their video isn't entirely clear, but we know it won't end well. 

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Squirrel Flower, "Not Me" Say a Prayer To the Gods Of Getting Going  (Polyvinyl, Aug 21)

We don't recall Ella Williams' first couple records as Squirrel Flower being as good as the singles we've heard from her August release. Co-produced by the suddenly ubiquitous Alex Farrar, "Not Me" encourages a country lilt, albeit with a thickened electric guitar buzz like we like. 

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Alabama Shakes, "I Feel Hope Coming" I Must Be Dreaming  (Island, Aug 28)

This week's announcement of the first Alabama Shakes project in forever fulfilled at least one of our wishes for 2026. The accompanying single is both dreamy and chewy, landing between the Shakes' more organic early stuff and Brittany Howard's bolder solo work. It's our intention to simply follow the lyric here, and Get dug in. 

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Dogwood Tales, "Ralph Sampson" Every Star In Rockingham County  (Born Losers, Aug 28)

We expect this Virginia band's August album to be among the year's sleepers - their second collection of 2026, counting January's project with Euphoria Again. "Ralph Sampson" is a stony alt.country number with that humid southeast vibe that's inescapable nowadays: My grandmad swears her dog was a Christian / And I sleep better knowing / Delly's up in Heaven ...

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Magic City Hippies, "Snakes" single  (MCH, 26)

You ever come across a band's name and just know what they're probably going to sound like? We're new to this Miami trio, but can vibe with this groovy, laid-back single. If we had a pool (and if the air wasn't chunky with particulate matter), we'd be soundtracking our swim with stuff like this. And we'd make sure the bass was bumped up enough to rattle the fences. 

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A ROUTES & BRANCHES GUiDE to FEEDiNG YOUR MONSTER (July 9, 2026)

A ROUTES & BRANCHES GUiDE to FEEDiNG YOUR MONSTER

good news about good noise

July 9, 2026

Scott Foley, purveyor of dust

A Routes & Branches Guide To Feeding Your Monster keeps you supplied with news about new and forthcoming records. Since we last gathered, we have added new stuff from Twisted Teens (see below for a link to an interview that only deepens the mystery). Ada Lea seems to be morphing into a pop artist on the end is a wave, set for an August 12 debut via Saddle Creek. Alabama Shakes (see below, too), returns with the August 28 I Must Be Dreaming. HUG marks the return of Devendra Banhart, performing with a new group. Their self-titled debut hits September 11 (Luaka Bop). Finally, Hayley Heynderickx serves as assistant producer on the debut of Biita Houdei. Expect This Bed Was Made For Me (Father/Daughter) wherever music matters on September 18.  

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Twisted Teens' February record is one of our favorites for 2026. The garage punk 'n blues duo have already announced the follow-up, Florida Water Blues, and yet another in the wings. Paste features Caspian and RJ, two of the more curious figures in our type of music. 

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On the eve of the release of William Matheny's Material Witness, the songwriter sits with Twangville to discuss eating tinned fish in close spaces, Trump's creepy looking kid, and finding empty Go-Gurt tubes in his touring vehicle. 

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NME introduces us to Little Grandad, another in a continuing series of British alt.country acts. The London quartet are stirring up a buzz despite the fact that they've released only two songs to date. 

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Is it time for another Geese story? Yes. Yes, it is. Far Out makes a case for a very early Geese project, released in 2021, prior to the band's high school graduation. 

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Oh good! World Cafe has uploaded a live interview and performance from Max Clarke and Cut Worms. Our take here is that their songs sound even better live than on March's Transmitter LP. 

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The release date for the first Alabama Shakes collection in over a decade has been announced (Aug 28!). Frontperson Brittany Howard gives Our Culture a few details. 

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We've been riding the Mildred wagon since the April release of their terrific Fenceline project. The Ugly Hug share some time with the Oakland band, dropping some tea regarding shared songwriting, great $9 martinis, petting Jones the cat, and more sexy stuff. 

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Kisser is a project that pairs Buck Meek, Germaine Dunes, Luke Temple, and more. Their first two songs have appeared on Bandcamp so far. And now they're on Routes & Branches. Kisser have earned the opening spot on Buck's solo tour. 

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We profiled Styrofoam Winos and published an appreciation of their Any River record a few weeks ago. We don't know much about downtown_lanc_zine, but we notice they've uploaded an interview with the Winos to their Insta. 

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LOOKBACK MACHiNE: Old Crow Medicine Show

ROUTES & BRANCHES

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

July 8, 2026

Scott Foley, purveyor of dust

We've been featuring these Lookback Episodes for a couple years. As we determine the showcase artist from week to week, we do our best to highlight a diversity of artists, from early influencers and legends to more contemporary americana fixtures and our lesser known favorites. Over the years, we've selected our thirty favorites from artists like Lydia Loveless, Todd Snider, Richmond Fontaine, and so many more. 

This Episode we're calling out the artist that currently sits atop the Americana Radio Charts for both their June Union Made record and their "Last American Waltz" single with Molly Tuttle. Legend tells how Old Crow Medicine Show was discovered by Doc Watson while busking in Boone, North Carolina. Over the years the outfit has been championed by Marty Stuart and Gillian Welch & David Rawlings. Of course, "Wagon Wheel" has become one of the most polarizing songs in all of our kind of music (but we'd argue it remains a great song even as it's been over-exposed thanks to Hootie's cover). 

Built largely around the writing of Ketch Secor and Critter Fuqua, members of OCMS have included Willie Watson, Gill Landry, Charlie Worsham, Mason Via, Chance McCoy, and others. While their music has become more polished since their 2001 debut, their stew of string band, old time, bluegrass, country and folk (with occasional sightings of punk) has been impressively consistent, and it largely defines the reaches of the americana genre. 

For our playlist below, we've opted primarily for OCMS originals, with some trad and some Dylan thrown in. We've also included a handful of live tracks, acknowledging the ensemble's sterling reputation as a stellar force on stage. 

OLD CROW MEDiCiNE SHOW: thirty favorites

- "Hesitation Blues" Eutaw (2001)

- "Tell It To Me" OCMS (2004)

- "Take 'Em Away"

- "Wagon Wheel"

- "Down Home Girl" Big Iron World (2006)

- "My Good Gal" 

- "James River Blues" 

- "I Hear Them All"

- "Methamphetamine" Tennessee Pusher (2008)

- "Alabama High Test"

- "Caroline" 

- "Fall On My Knees (live)" Live (2008)

- "Levi" Carry Me Back (2012)

- "Brushy Mountain Conjugal Trailer" Remedy (2014)

- "Sweet Amarillo" 

- "Dearly Departed Friend"

- "Black-Haired Quebecois" Best Of (2017)

- "Obviously 5 Believers (live) 50 Years Of Blonde On Blonde (2017)

- "Dixie Avenue" Volunteer (2018)

- "Old Hickory" 

- "Whirlwind" 

- "Louisiana Woman Mississippi Man (live, ft Margo Price)" Live At the Ryman (2019)

- "I Hope I'm Stoned (When Jesus Takes Me Home)" single (Charlie Worsham) (2019)

- "Paint This Town" Paint This Town (2022)

- "Gloryland" 

- "Belle Meade Cockfight (ft Sierra Ferrell)" Jubilee (2023)

- "Miles Away (ft Willie Watson)" 

- "Store Bought Christmas" OCMS XMAS (2025)

- "Last American Waltz (ft Molly Tuttle)" Union Made (2026)

- "Revolution Now (ft Evan Felker)" 

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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:

ROUTES & BRANCHES

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

July 7, 2026

Scott Foley, purveyor of dust

With our most recent new release date falling on the July 3rd holiday, our inbox has remained unusually empty this week. As we see it, this allows us time to draw your attention to a handful of things we've whiffed at during the first half of 2026. While we did include several of these in a ROUTES-cast or two, we feel we sorely underrepresented them, and would like to repair our mistake by doing so in this Episode. Please know that a couple of these dwell near the fringes of our kind of music, but we've always been very up-front about our commitment to filling in your musical ruts. 

IF YOU ONLY LiSTEN to ONE RECORD THiS WEEK

... or maybe nine?

We'll highlight these in order of appearance, because that's what we do here. 

- Talise, Bowling Green EP  (Run On Records, Feb 5)

We first caught wind of this banjo-wielding Canadian when she was tagged to open for Willi Carlisle on a few dates. More recently, Talise showed up on a Western AF session singing "The Road" from this February EP. We're sure glad there's an interesting story about the dead something hanging from the mic stand. Talise's voice is both reliably trad and deeply original. 

- Ovven, Gnawing At the Cord  (Ovven, Feb 6)

Nashville's Owen Burton is one-third of the band Dallas Ugly (whose 2025 album See Me Now could easily have been in a whiffed Episode for that year). On a whim, Burton phoned Drop Of Sun Studios in Asheville with three songs that producer Alex Farrar agreed to produce. Ovven's debut is thick on guitar a'la MJ Lenderman, but boasts slacker-country lyrics that are more thoughtful:  I read a lot of creative types keep it messy / Surely Jackson Pollock had some paint stains on his couch / Not to mention the stuff between his teeth / And the turpentine smell stuck in his sheets. 

- Georgia Maq, "Tropical Lush Ice" / "10 Drunk Cigarettes"  (Maq, Feb 13)

We are strong believers that you can frequently judge an artist by the company they keep on the road. Australia's Georgia Maq will join John Moreland for several dates beginning in August. The onetime front person for Camp Cope shared these singles in February, as well as a fine EP last September, God's Favourite. Maq's songs tread the adult pop side of the indie folk equation, a balance that tips rootsward in a live setting. With Ben Lee, she toured as The Two Most Annoying People You Love.

- Jackie West, Silent Century  (Ruination, Feb 27)

The songs from Jackie West's sophomore LP are subtle and smart, steadily sinking their way into our awareness rather than insisting upon access. Perhaps that's why it took us so long to fall in line. Like Rosali, songs like "Overlooking Glass" and "These Are Not Sweet Girls" are delivered in cool, torchy confidence, with organic accompaniment that won't overreach. While West's project occasionally deals in more jagged arrangements, the record typically dwells in exquisitely ethereal moments. Please stay for the ten-minute largely spoken closer, "Offer". 

- i26connector, i26 connector  (Haw Creek, Mar 11)

We're all here for the current emo Southern rock moment. That's how this proggy Asheville act labels its sound, as likely to build on gravely electric guitar as evocative strings (and possibly gutteral vocals). The work of frontguy Caelan Burris will appeal to many who pray for us to feature something heavier, louder, maybe capable of summoning the neighbors. "Spirit Manger" sounds all Fust-like until just past the two-minute mark when the mosh pit opens for business. 

- Casual Technicians, Well Once There Was a King  (Historic New Jersey, May 15)

We're told this marks the third full-length album from the Oregon outfit, which makes us wonder if we're really spending our music discovery time wisely enough. The trio embrace a wild variety of sound across this twenty-four track sampler, though most of it can be shoehorned into a lo-fi indie-folk box. But save room for Magnetic Fields-like pop ("This Manic State"), old-weird string band ("Heathen Ways") and whatever's happening on "What Is My Deal". 

- Huntress & the Holder Of Hands, Babylon  (Swain, Jun 5)

We first encountered MorganEve Swain as one-half of Brown Bird with her late husband Dave Lamb, then as a more recent member of Devil Makes Three. Under the Huntress moniker, Swain's songs check a similar gothic box as some of David Eugene Edwards' stuff with Sixteen Horsepower. The music spirals and trudges behind strings and almost tribal percussion, with the singer and her accompanists rarely far from minor key reckoning. Babylon isn't easy listening, and it won't sound great blowing from your dusty truck windows, but it's impressive in its ambition and originality. 

- Jack M Senff & Heartland Mission, Grace & Sorrow  (Skeletal Lightning, Jun 26)

Like many others, Senff came to his pop-inflected folk via a youthful dabbling in noisy diy punk. His fifth collection with Heartland Mission was tracked in the loft space of a family cottage on Mullet Lake outside Cheboygan, Michigan. And it sounds just like that, very likably understated. Senff and his cohort deploy banjo, harmonica, and a wall full of other things with strings on this set refreshingly devoid of pretense: I'll meet you for a coffee in the afternoon / Can someone borrow me a dollar. 

^ Mary In the Junkyard, Role Model Hermit  (AMF, Jul 3)

This British trio sounds like the audio version of an old weird fable retold by Edward Gorey or Maurice Sendak. There are bits on their debut LP that recall Big Thief, while others might bring Bjork to mind, owing to the wonderfully unkiltered vocals of Clari Freeman-Taylor. "Blood" and "Thou Shalt Sprout" trip along on a deep groove of percussion, while "Mouse" is a genuinely odd fever dream, this side of gorgeous. You might worry about us if we told you it's what we've been listening to more than anything else this week ...

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ROUTES-cast July 5, 2026

ROUTES & BRANCHES

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

July 5, 2026

Scott Foley, purveyor of dust

We find music that matters even in these music-desert weeks that seemingly offer so little by way of new stuff. We're still not certain what we'll do for Tuesday's post, but we'll figure something. Prob'ly. This week brings an unexpected debut (D) from Margo Price, as well as debuts from Angela Autumn's just-announced Believer, JP Harris, Yawpers, and several more. We've also found room for a couple things we had to trim down from last week's Episode. Please set them on repeat as your soundtrack for scrubbing down the backyard grill. Or what have you. 

ROUTES-cast July 5, 2026

^ Nixon Boyd, "How I Know I'm Home" Every Time We Turn a Corner  (Royal Mountain, 26)

- Michigander, "Taxi" Over Before You Know It  (Totally Normal, Jun 30)  D

- Margaret Glaspy, "That Rose" I'm Both  (ATO, Aug 7)

- Angus & Julia Stone, "Monroe" Karaoke Bar  (Virgin, Sep 4)

- American Aquarium, "Dollar General" New Ways To Lose  (Losing Side, 26)

- Son Volt, "If I Could" single  (Transmit Sound, 26)  D

- Mara Connor, "Joe" single  (Side Hustle, 26)  D

- Elizabeth Moen, "Renaissance Man" single  (Moen, 26)  D

- Briscoe, "Heart Of Texas" single  (Briscoe, 26)  D

- Margo Price, "Can't Stand Still" Days Of Unrest  (Loma Vista, 26)  D

- Band Of Heathens, "Strangers Here" single  (BoH, 26)  D

- Angela Autumn, "Mountain Stream" Believer  (Gar Hole, Sep 11)  D

- Charley Crockett, "Image Of a Woman" Clovis  (Atlantic Outpost, 26)  

- Silverada, "Drag" Living Proof  (Edgewater, Aug 7)

- Hannah Juanita, "I'm Not Drunk" Magnolia Sessions  (Anti Corp, 26)

- JP Harris, "Say Darling Say" Shaving a Dead Man  (Bloodshot, Oct 23)  D

- Otis Gibbs, "Darker Side Of Me" single  (Wanamaker, 26)

- Ransom Brothers, "I've Been Known" single  (Ransom, 26)

- Billy Strings, "Burn the Other End" So Much For Goodbyes  (Reprise, Aug 28)  D

- Pieta Brown, "Love Letters" Dreamin' Of  (Righteous Babe, Aug 20)

- Jeffrey Silverstein, "Out Of Tune (ft Devendra Banhart)" Doggone  (Full Time Hobby, Oct 23)  D

- Alex Dupree, "You're a Dog Don't Talk To Me" Talking To the Dog  (Scissor Tail, Aug 14)  

- Little Gold, "Public Dog" Public Dog  (Tall Texan, Jul 24)  D

- Sadurn, "Whole Thing" The Underworld  (Run For Cover, Oct 16)  D

- Yawpers, "Starting Over" single  (DTTW, 26)  D

- Sunken Man, "Fall For It Again" Sunken Man  (Single Lock, Sep 25)  D

- Pokey LaFarge, "The Thing" Rent Money  (ONErpm, Sep 10)

- Low Cut Connie, "Let Me Speak To Bobby" Livin' In the USA  (Contender, 26)

- Mary In the Junkyard, "Blood" Role Model Hermit  (AMF, 26)  D

- Slow Accordion, "Castle" Slow Accordion  (Royal Potato Family, Jul 17)

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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 the FiRST HALF of THiS YEAR?!!

ROUTES & BRANCHES

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

July 3, 2026

Scott Foley, purveyor of independence 

Welcome to this special Heat Dome Edition of WSGATW?!! In recognition of the fact that we've just passed the halfway point through 2026, and in the spirit of independence, we're dedicating the day to our favorite records of the year to date. As you might expect, our list embraces a diversity of sounds, from folk and americana to several things that would be preceded with indie-this or alt-that. We list these in order of appearance, onaccountof we don't want to give any spoilers to our end-of-year lists. That said, we're especially partial to Ratboys, Johnny Blue Skies, Brown Horse, Thomas Dollbaum, and Zoh Amba. But don't hold us to that. A lot can happen in six months. 

WHAT's SO GREAT ABOUT the FiRST HALF of THiS YEAR?!!

- Courtney Marie Andrews, Valentine  (Loose Future, Jan 16)

- Sophie Gault, Unhinged  (Torrez, Jan 23)

- Ratboys, Singin' To An Empty Chair  (New West, Feb 6)

- Twisted Teens, Blame the Clown  (Jazz Life, Feb 13)

- Bill Callahan, My Days Of 58  (Drag City, Feb 27)

- Natalie Jane Hill, Hopeful Woman  (Dear Life, Mar 6)

- Deloyd Elze, Nellene EP  (Concord, 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)

- Droptines, Drought Flower  (Big Loud Texas, Apr 3)

- Brown Horse, Total Dive  (Loose, Apr 10)

- Kiki Cavazos, Goodbye Blues  (Jalopy, Apr 24)

- Bobby Dove, Fortune Teller  (New Motor, Apr 24)

- Hiss Golden Messenger, I'm People  (Chrysalis, May 1)

- Kevin Morby, Little Wide Open  (Dead Oceans, May 15)

- Shakey Graves, Fondness Etc  (Dualtone, May 15)

- Jobi Riccio, Face the Feeling  (Yep Roc, May 15)

- Thomas Dollbaum, Birds Of Paradise  (Dear Life, May 22)

- Alela Diane, Who's Keeping Time  (Fluff & Gravy, May 22)

- Simon Joyner, Tough Love  (Grapefruit, May 22)

- Zoh Amba, Eyes Full  (Matador, Jun 5)

- Bella White, A Sign In the Weather  (Rounder, Jun 5)

- Alex Amen, Sun Of Amen  (ATO, Jun 12)

- Styrofoam Winos, Any River  (Dear Life, Jun 19)

- American Aquarium, New Ways To Lose  (Losing Side, Jun 26)

- River Shook, River Shook   (Blackberry River, Jun 26)

- Andrew Sa, American Rough  (Bloodshot, Jun 26)

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Looking to the horizons a bit, here are the five (5) releases to which we're most looking forward in the days, weeks, months to come:

Waylon Payne, Wayward  (Big Loud Texas, Jul 16)

Lambchop, Punching the Clown  (Merge, Aug 21)

Dogwood Tales, Every Star In Rockingham County  (Born Losers, Aug 28)

Angela Autumn, Believer  (Gar Hole, Sep 11)

Lily Seabird, Lightspheres On Their Way  (Lame-O, Oct 2)

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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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