• The Crowe Brothers are Bridging The Gap

    Rural Rhythm Records recently announced the release of the Crowe Brothers’ album, Bridging The Gap (RUR 1087). Maggie Valley’s Crowe Brothers have followed their 2008 CD for Rural Rhythm, Brothers-N-Harmony, with a second collection that shows off their talents as standard

  • Beat The Devil and Carry A Rail – Noam Pikelny

    Beat The Devil and Carry A Rail, the latest recorded offering from banjoist extraordinaire Noam Pikelny, is available today (10/25) on Compass Records. Yesterday's hilarious Funny Or Die video notwithstanding, this is an almost-entirely instrumental project, with two lone vocal tracks,

  • The Kenny & Amanda Smith BAND

    We just heard again from Kenny Smith, who said he is getting all sorts of phone calls from folks who think that he and Amanda have disbanded their group, and will be playing strictly as a duo henceforth. News flash:

  • New look for Kenny & Amanda

    We heard today from Zak McLamb, bass player with Kenny & Amanda Smith this past 7 years, with news that he has left the band. He tells us that mandolinist Spencer Strickland and banjo man Trent Calicutt are also moving on. On

  • Paul Kramer to Charlie Sizemore Band

    The newest member of The Charlie Sizemore Band was announced this morning. Paul Kramer will be with the group on fiddle, and will also offer his vocal and songwriting skills to Sizemore's show. Paul got his start as a member of Special

  • Writing that High Lonesome Sound

    The following report comes from comes from Max Gainey. He details his experiences at World of Bluegrass 2011 from the perspective of an aspiring songwriter.  This September, as in past years, I went to Nashville to meet with bluegrass professionals as

  • Dixie Bee-Liners back in the studio

    The Dixie Bee-Liners just finished a few days in the studio working on new material. The band has decided to approach this next release a bit differently than their two previous albums, as Buddy Woodward – founding Bee-Liner, vocalist, songwriter, and

  • Thinking About Christmas Yet?

    Christmas along the Crooked Road is the first Christmas CD ever recorded by master musicians living along the Crooked Road, Virginia's Heritage Music Trail. The collection features musicians from Southwest Virginia and Northwest North Carolina performing new and old holiday songs

  • Jens Kruger visits Berklee

    Swiss-born North Carolina banjo wizard Jens Kruger spent two days earlier this week at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, sharing his wisdom with the banjo students there. His visit was sponsored by the Berklee American Roots Music Program,

  • Darin & Brooke Aldridge – So Much In Between

    After listening to Darin & Brooke Aldridge's So Much In Between several times, the thing that most struck me is the many positive messages in their music. It's about love. And who better to sing about that than America's bluegrass sweethearts? What a breath