Americana Music Magazine – Bluegrass, Roots, Folk, Blues, and Old-Time

Charly Markwart was born and raised in rural Michigan. However, it was a love and a quest for Appalachian music that led her to pursue an education at Bluefield College near the Appalachian Mountains of Southwestern Virginia. “Growing up I listened to a lot of country music, that was always my favorite,” Charly said. “I was more inclined towards the ...

Craig Bignell and Suzanne Levesque make up the acoustic duo called Over The Moon. Their new CD, Moondancer, recorded recently, is already earning favorable reviews. But it’s just the continuation of years of music history. Today, Craig and Suzanne live on an isolated ranch about an hour and a half southwest of Calgary, Canada. But there’s another side to this ...

David Huebner (cello, electric guitar, vocals), Julie Szewc (guitar/vocals), Fred Serna (drums/percussion), and Russell Smith (upright bass) combine to produce the rich Americana sounds of Wyoming’s The Two Tracks on their latest project, Postcard Town. It’s a telling travelogue of stories. The Two Tracks have been together for several years now Dave told me. Dave got his start in classical ...

Marc grew up like many other kids who are exposed to music – learning to play the piano. Rural Spokane, Washington was home most of his early life before moving to California and pursuing a professional music career. “I grew up in a musical family of very talented musicians,” he said, “so it sort of created this path for me ...

Depending on which set you happen to catch of the Jason Lee McKinney Band, you might think they were a different band on another night. Jason says it’s because the band teeters on the edge of several different genres. It’s an alternative country sound at the heart, yet at any given show they could lean to the rock, to the ...

Barbara Jo Kammer has been making music for quite a while. Her career as a music therapist working with the elderly and folks suffering from addiction keeps her quite occupied. When she’s not doing that, she entertains guests at the local coffee house with band, The Hippie Buckaroos. “It’s been a dream come true,” she told us recently, referring to ...

Brothers Jens and Uwe Kruger, originally from Switzerland, began singing and playing instruments at a very young age. “I always wanted to be a musician and a composer,” Jenz told me recently. “I had great encouragement when I was growing up. Although I never had formal training, I always had the opportunity to play with really good people.” German Folk ...

Album of the Year American Band Drive-By Truckers, Produced by David Barbe Close Ties Rodney Crowell, Produced by Kim Buie and Jordan Lehning Freedom Highway Rhiannon Giddens, Produced David Bither, Rhiannon Giddens and Dirk Powell The Navigator Hurray for the Riff Raff, Produced by Paul Butler A Sailor’s Guide to Earth Sturgill Simpson, Produced by Sturgill Simpson Artist of the ...

Canadians Matt Epp and Faouzia Ouihya are this year’s International Songwriting Contest grand prize winner(s). The winning duet, “The Sound” is the perfect synergy between the seasoned Canadian troubadour Matt Epp and the Morocco-born Manitoba-raised 16-year old phenom Faouzia. A great duet can be magical, and “The Sound” is just that. It showcases the talents of each songwriter and singer, ...

There’s a quaint, unassuming, little park and campground nestled in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley (Mt. Solon, VA) surrounded by one of nature’s natural pheromones; Natural Chimneys. For three days in July, however, this tucked away space in Virginia comes alive with a gathering of some of the best Americana music in the country. Organizers of the fifth annual ...