Folk Music

Billy Bragg: With Tooth & Nail The British Folk Singer Continues to Evoke Woody Guthrie

Once again, it's a sort of apprenticeship with Woody Guthrie that's drawn Billy Bragg into a new realm. Thirty years since his debut, the seven-song Life's a Riot with Spy Vs Spy, Bragg is back with a new album, Tooth & Nail, which came out Tuesday, March 18, on Cooking Vinyl. Bragg calls the albu ... More >>

Carolina Chocolate Drops Have Roots in Arizona, Too

Good Old War @ Crescent Ballroom

Color Story

Decker: Love, God, and Sex in Sedona

decker.​The music of Brandon Decker, who records as decker. has proven to be a pleasant surprise. Primarily based in Sedona, an area known more for snoozy New Age, smooth jazz, and coffeehouse folk, Decker's third record, Broken Belts, Broken Bones doesn't sound unlike something you might hear ove ... More >>

Happy 70th Birthday Bob Dylan: The Seven Best "New Dylans"

​ Bob Dylan turns 70 today. The man who gave us "The Times They Are A-Changin'," the man who wrote "Like a Rolling Stone," "Mr. Tambourine Man," and "With God On Our Side." Over the years, he's influenced and remained busy. He inspired Sam Cook to write "A Change is Gonna Come," and even gave his ... More >>

River Jones & Friends Music Festival at The Paisley Violin Last Night

Melissa FossumMichelle Blades playing live at the River Jones Music & Friends Festival at Paisley Violin in Phoenix.​River Jones Music Festival The Paisley Violin Sunday, January 16, 2011 The first images that came to mind when I heard about a folk festival at The Paisley Violin? Tie-dyed col ... More >>

Woody Guthrie's American Song Was Made for You and Me

Woody? You Betcha.

Mr. Guthrie comes to town

By the Time I Get to Phoenix

Courtney Marie Andrews Is the Biggest Star in the Valley's Blooming Pop-Folk Scene

Bob Dylan's Ticketless Warfield Show Finds Underwhelming Support

​America's favorite old man/recording artist Bob Dylan tried to stick it to the man this past Wednesday night at San Francisco's Warfield Theater.The 69-year-old folk legend decided he was going to rebel against Ticketmaster and surplus ticket charges and nix issuing tickets to his show altogether ... More >>

Feedback from the Issue of Thursday, April 29, 2010

Is Bob Dylan a 'Fake?' Joni Mitchell Sure Thinks So

Bob Dylan's fake? Them's fightin' words, Joni Mitchell​In an interview with the LA Times, noted folk singer Joni Mitchell called out Bob Dylan, telling the interviewer she thought the celebrated musician was  "not authentic at all."The two folk artists are no strangers, having spent plenty of ... More >>

By the Time I Get to Phoenix: Courtney Marie Andrews Is the Biggest Star in the Valley's Blooming Pop-Folk Scene

Bob Dylan Opens White House Concert Series

​Last night began the "In Performance at the White House" concert series, and focused on music from the civil rights era. Both Bob Dylan and Joan Baez performed, though not in fact together. (Initial buzz had specualted that they would be singing a duet.) Smokey Robinson, Yolanda Adams, the Blind ... More >>

Leonard Cohen and the Most Overlooked Live Album of 2009

​Leonard Cohen Live at the Isle of Wight 1970 is not just some re-mastered re-issue. It ain't no run-of-the-mill recording. This is the first time that Cohen's entire performance at the historic festival has been released. Why is this exciting and noteworthy, you may ask? For several reasons.& ... More >>

New Release Tuesday: Bob Dylan's Christmas Album

Bob Dylan's mystifying new Christmas music album is a confusing concept that makes for a disjointed, bizarre album​Do you hear what I hear? Yes, that is Bob Dylan singing "Little Drummer Boy." October 13 is finally upon us, and that means Christmas has come early for...Christmas music. Bob Dy ... More >>

Lucero Live: Why Country Music Needs Some Punk Blood

I love discussing music with our new Music Editor, Martin. More often than not we basically agree on most things. But I could not disagree more with his review of the Lucero show last night at the Rhythm Room. The first of my complaints is when talking about how the crowd was reacting (or the fact t ... More >>

Dylan Brings Minor League Ballpark Tour To Glendale

Come one, come all to The Bob Dylan Show! Be in town early! Kids rock for free!Bob Dylan, ever the people's musician, has announced he will take on a summer tour of America's prestigious minor league baseball stadiums to Glendale's brand new Camelback Ranch Ballpark on August 11. He has also employ ... More >>

Vetiver

Rolling Stone: Still Blowing Bob Dylan

Rolling Stone, that music magazine that felt it necessary to feature the ladies from MTV's The Hills on the cover of its May issue, just released its list of top 50 albums of 2008. Wouldn't you know it; they put Bob Dylan at number two. Why not number one, Rolling Stone? Maybe because they realize ... More >>

Crossing Seas and Dotting Eyes

Folksy trio brings the Americana to America's birthday party

Like a Complete Unknown

The changing face of Bob Dylan on film

One of Us Must Know

The elusive Dylan, masterfully considered

Finger-Pluckin' Good

The family-size box

Ray LaMontagne

Follow his bliss

Los Lobos

Heavy on the roots this time out

Battle Hymns

Iraq and roll don't go together well when rockers protest

The Band

The Last Waltz (WB/Rhino)

Blowing Rufus' Mind

A roundup of the latest batch of eclectica that fell through the cracks

Eliza Gilkyson

Hard Times in Babylon (Red House)

O Sister, Where Art Thou?

You'll hear America singing in folksy Songcatcher

Sweet Judy Blue Eyes

Send in the crowds for folk legend Judy Collins

Emerald Guile

Exploring a variety of the world's folk traditions with daring aplomb, the Chieftains continue to draw on a musical well that looks as if it may never run dry

Musicology 101

Former Blaster Dave Alvin delves into America's folk traditions with Public Domain

On the Road Again

The Ballad of Ramblin' Jack proves that great artists don't always make good fathers

Good Wood

Various Artists 'Til We Outnumber 'Em: The Songs of Woody Guthrie (Righteous Babe) and Woody Guthrie Dust Bowl Ballads (Buddha/Original Masters Series)

Folk Implosion

Billy Bragg and Wilco continue to decipher the mystery and misunderstood legend of Woody Guthrie with the second installment of Mermaid Avenue

Smooth Operators

Haikus and lows abound in this month's jazz and heritage releases

Kings of the Road

Molten Wax

Stone Blues

After a lifetime backing musical legends, drummer Sam Lay has become one himself

Molten Wax

Local Folk

Babe (Up) in Arms

Ani DiFranco is still not a pretty girl

Recordings

Sixty-One Things to Know About Bob Dylan

RAFFI COME HOME

RAFFI'S FIRST CHILDREN'S ALBUM IN AGES PROVES HE'S STILL TOP BANANA IN THE BUNCH

REFUSE FROM RIOALTHOUGH IT'S CURRENTLY THE WORLD MUSIC OF CHOICE, NOT ALL BRAZILIAN JAZZ IS CALIENTE

THE WORTHY DISCIPLENANCI GRIFFITH LEADS A FOLK RENAISSANCE BY HARKENING TO THE MASTER