WARREN HELLMAN, The Billionaire Who Loved Bluegrass, died in late December, there is a tribute concert set for Feb. 19th in San Francisco, story here...The 2012 Grammy nominations are in with Americana nods going out to LUCINDA WILLIAMS, LEVON HELM, EMMYLOU HARRIS , RY COODER readKim Ruehl's summery... more news
Try the new FTB podcasts... now on iTunes... The Freight Train Boogie "terrestrial" radio show can be heard live Thursday nights, 8 to 10 PM pacific time, on KRCB in Sonoma County, CA, which can also be heard on the internet.
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This One's For Him: A Tribute to Guy Clark, the amazing double CD that includes nearly everyone from the Americana songwriting world get a 5-star review from Kevin Russell.
The Freight Train Boogie is dedicated to Americana Music: which includes the edgier country & folk singers, Hillbilly Twang, some bluegrass, blues and rock. We place a special emphasis on "Alt.Country", Roots Rock and many small label and independent releases. We love Country music, as long as it's "real" Country.
Americana music is influenced by elements of rock, country, blues and folk. Many of the more established artists you've probably already heard of: Emmylou Harris, Lyle Lovett, Steve Earle, Gram Parsons, sometimes Neil Young, Wilco or Lucinda Williams. Many people come to this music after feeling disconnected from rock or country that's heard on commercial radio. Perhaps the best way to illustrate what Americana music is, is to list a hundred or so Essential Freight Train Boogie Artists.
The Reviews section is where we write about new CD releases, and there's a huge archive of past reviews. The FTB News is mostly links to current Roots music articles and information on the web and in other media, including info on upcoming CD releases. The Links section is of course, links to other good, interesting or useful websites, although it's a little out of date. FTB Editor Bill Frater also does a biweekly radio show on KRCB-FM in Sonoma County, California.
FTB podcast #148 features the debut album by THE FAR WEST. Also new music from JEFF BLACK, BROCK ZEMAN and THE JAMES LOW WESTERN FRONT. Here's the iTunes link to subscribe to the FTB podcasts. Here's the direct link to listen now! Here is the RSS feed: http://ftbpodcasts.libsyn.com/rss.
Produced by Fred and Scott Merritt at Fred's studio in Vittoria. It's a one mic, analogue, reel to reel recording, that has an awesome, swamp rock, songwriter sound. Vintage sound, vintage recording, vintage Fred. A few songs about Love lost and ones called "Trucker Speed" and "Johnny Cash" hint at a return to Fred's "golden era" despite to minimal recording audio.
Four CD collection containing music from Patty Smith, Mark Knopfler, Pete Townshend, Diana Krall, My Morning Jacket, Carolina Chocolate Drops, Jackson Browne, Lucinda Williams, Joan Baez, Flogging Molly, Kris Kristofferson and many others. The subtitle of the release is "Honoring 50 years of Amnesty International", that combined with the songs of Dylan are saluted by the diverse collection of musicians who contribute new or previously unreleased tracks.
The newly recorded version of the title track is a funk-fueled epic, incorporating not just Ani's band, but Pete Seeger himself alongside The Rivertown Kids, a Hudson Valley-based children's chorus, and The Roots of Music Marching Crusaders, a brass band consisting of students from The Roots of Music, a music education program for at-risk middle-school students in New Orleans. DiFranco contributed her own straight-from-the headlines verses to the song and has used it to close her own live shows ever since. The album represents an extraordinary snapshot of DiFranco's own life as well her sense of where the country stands at this particular moment in time.
This is her fourth album, and first since 2008, and it just might be the best. Everything comes together on this one. The songs are just right for the times and the tunes have a solid sound that takes full advantage of the accompanying musicians. She’s also really arrived as a singer. Her voice is rich and expressive which suit’s these selections. (Village Records)
Bill Frater interviews Grant Peeples & Renee Wahl, 2 Americana singer-songwriters who had just met before the interview. Recorded in the lobby of the Sheraton Hotel in Nashville, TN at the Americana Music Conference and Festival on Oct. 15th, 2011
FTB's Bill Frater interviews Will Kimbrough & Tommy Womack, otherwise known as DADDY. Recorded in Nashville during the Americana Music Association Conference & Festival.
FTB podcast #148
FRED EAGLESMITH
Various Artists
ANI DIFRANCO
KATHLEEN EDWARDS
