Joel D’Aubin – “Come Home” -This is a song about hard work and dedication. The instrumentation is a bit more chill than the Americana we’ve been curating lately, but I really liked the vocal harmonies here. There’s a whole atmospheric vibe about the song that makes it resonate. The lyrics are encouraging and supportive, which we are definitely happy to support here. If you have someone to be blessed to “come home” to, this song will feel good. It sure does for me. Kiefer Luttrell – “Every Shade of Blue” -If you like old fashioned folk music in the vein of Woody Guthrie or even later artists l ..read more

Remy Sher – “Barstow” -The first thing I did when I heard this song was share it with a friend of mine who is a songwriter. If that’s not an endorsement, I don’t know what is. It’s a beautiful story that shows how broken human life can be sometimes. It’s full of pain and anguish. But you know what? It’s also got this underlying beautiful hope about striving to love. It’s a little bit philosophical, a little bit theological, and an absolutely heart wrenching listening experience. This is what alt country is all about right here, folks. Dom Glynn and His Sunday Best – “Time Would Slow Down” -Wh ..read more

Blair Borax – “Tender Lately” -If you’re a fan of chill Americana blending classic elements like folk and jazz, you’ll enjoy the talented singer songwriter Blair Borax. There’s an expressiveness in the vocal here that is hard to find in music today. It’s timeless and absolutely calming. If you’ve ever felt a disconnection in a relationship, like you’re going in different directions and just long to reconnect, the lyrics of this song will certainly resonate. The easy going jazzy flavor is charming, but don’t let that distract you from the deep, personal meaning in the lyrics. This is a great pi ..read more

Rose Brokenshire – “Habit to Help” To be clear, songwriter Rose Brokenshire could sing the alphabet and we would be completely enthralled. Yet her emotive vocals are only a small piece of her incredible talent. Musically, “Habit to Help” is dreamy and expansive, reminding us of the rich layers of a Mason Jennings. Lyrically, “Habit to Help” is uplifting with the artist writing it as a way to uplift yourself and friends. This spirit of helping is alive and well with her “day” job as a Wildland Firefighter. She is the quintessential definition of an undiscovered talent. If “Habit to Help” is any ..read more

Montana Sand – “The Great Divide” -There’s a jangle to this track that I really appreciate. The vocal comes through with clarity and charm. The lyrics have a nice connection to natural beauty and geography. The jangling banjo is probably my favorite part. It’s nice to have a poppy folk tune with some hints of bluegrass as a way to set the mood for a chill old fashioned playlist. New Family Dog – “Trouble” -If you’re looking for a throwback Americana sound, give this track from New Family Dog a spin. It reminds me a bit of the ramblin’ New Orleans storytelling brand of folk. The story has rela ..read more

B. Knox – “Second Spark” (Acoustic) -The phrase that pops into my mind when I listen to this song from B. Knox is “the genuine article.” Knox writes from a deep, sincere place. This is a heartache, heartbroken song. It’s also deeply relatable to anyone who has ever experienced the end of a once-white-hot relationship. The call for forgiveness implies some real pain here. But even without the lyrical pain, Knox sings through the emotional pain. This is a fantastic performance of a captivating song. Lean into it, friends. It’s a good one. Trapper Schoepp – “Kate Blood” -The way Trapper Schoepp ..read more

Cat Rose Smith – “Silver Song” -Cat Rose Smith is a fantastically talented songwriter and it only takes about one verse of this song to hear it. Smith reminds me of the greats – and I mean the GREATS – people like Kristofferson and Tom T. Hall – in terms of the ability to describe wonderful common experiences in life with beautiful detail. By the time the listener gets to the “la-la” part of the song, your heart is already stolen by Smith’s vocal and imagery. I’m not the type to say I fully understand the lyrical meaning of a song, but I think this one’s telling us we could all do a little bit ..read more

Jet City Sports Club – “Sunny Morning” -Okay, admittedly this feels as much like a pop rock track as it does folk rock. But I LOVE the harmonies so much it was an easy “yes” for me. The vocals are wonderful from start to finish. I appreciate how the momentum of the rhythm keeps it all moving, yet it feels comfortable and easy going. It’s active enough to be energetic rock but not so wild that it feels aggressive. It’s a great feel good tune about being content in a relationship. The lyrics show how being in a good relationship make it seem like everything is better (like sunny mornings), but n ..read more

Trapper Schoepp – “Kate Blood” -Maybe it’s because his name’s Trapper and he writes songs like he’s from the early 20th century, but I have trouble hearing Trapper Schoepp’s music as anything but Americana. Bringing back the sad, tragic, and emotional songwriting of yesteryear, Schoepp reminds me a bit of Colter Wall. While the vocal is quite different, the overall vibe is certainly timeless and engaging. I could listen to this style of narrative storytelling for hours and hours. I appreciate how the instrumentation calls on equal parts classic country and mid century folk music. To quote Kris ..read more

Genevieve Racette – “Same Old Me” -This is a beautiful song. Everything from the orchestral backing to the quality of the vocal all works incredibly well here. It’s a song that has a cinematic charm while also feeling beautifully accessible as all folk music should be. Fans of artists like Andrea von Kampen will find a lot to like about this sound from Racette. The lyrical theme is about being sure of who you are in the midst of a world that is noisy and full of fake perfection. It’s a raw and honest message that a lot of people will connect with if they are honest regarding their own ego and ..read more