”Houston this is my goodbye but it does not mean that we have to part,” sang Robert Ellis. The 22-year-old songwriter is packing up for Nashville next month, he told the Americana crowd on Friday night. Before Ellis and his five-piece band kicked off their set in the Cannery Ballroom, the San Francisco garage duo [...]

Stream Bob Dylan’s highly anticipated Tempest and read our extensive review of the album before it comes out on September 11. More Check out our latest reviews, featuring new albums from The Avett Brothers, St. Vincent & David Byrne, Corb Lund, Matchbox Twenty, Alanis Morissette, My Darling Clementine and The Time Jumpers. More Our Ronnie Milsap “Country Cut” [...]

In conjunction with our September/October issue, American Songwriter proudly presents The Muse September Sampler, featuring 12 must-hear tracks from some of our favorite artists. And the best thing about it? It’s free! You can download the sampler by going to this url: http://americansongwriter.bandcamp.com/ Turbo Fruits, “Sweet Thang” “Sugar, why are you leaving?” So begins “Sweet [...]

Dylan LeBlanc Cast The Same Old Shadow (Rough Trade) Rating: 3 out of 5 stars “I love it when music puts me in a melancholy mood,” says Dylan LeBlanc in the publicity material for his sophomore album “…and I want to give people that feeling too.” Mission accomplished as these lovely, occasionally bleary but beautifully [...]

In conjunction with our new country music issue, American Songwriter and CMT proudly present The Country Way Digital Volume 2, featuring 31 must-hear tracks from some of our favorite artists. And the best thing about it? It’s free! You can download the sampler on May 2nd, 2011, by going to this URL: http://americansongwriter.bandcamp.com/album/country-way-digital-sampler-presented-by-cmt Check out [...]

FAME, the Muscle Shoals, Alabama studio, has launched the new video series “Songwriters of FAME”. In these webisodes, songwriters will discuss the perils and peaks of songwriting and the music business. First on the roster is songwriting veteran Brad Crisler (Kenny Chesney, Rascal Flatts). Later on in the month, FAME will release an episode on [...]

It’s been a great year for music. Here are 50 staff favorites from 2010. Let us know your picks for the best albums of the year in the comments. 1.Black Keys – Brothers 2.Mumford and Sons- Sigh No More 3.Dylan LeBlanc – Pauper’s Field 4.Jamey Johnson – The Guitar Song 5.Yeasayer – Odd Blood 6.Robert [...]

“I never really knew who I was hanging out with ‘til I got older,” says Dylan LeBlanc from behind a greasy forelock of light brown hair. LeBlanc grew up at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, one of the epicenters of soul music in the ‘50s and ‘60s, around hall of famers like David Hood [...]

American Songwriter interviewed some of the 2010 Next BIG Nashville performers, including Henry Wagons, Tallest Trees, Tristen, Rayland Baxter, Natalie Prass, The Jompson Brothers’ Chris Stapleton, Jonny Corndawg, Andrew Combs and Majestico. We talked about the artists’ perspectives on this year’s festival and Nashville’s future as a music town. Award-winning director Jeff Wyatt Wilson caught [...]

A collection of photographs from the Next BIG Nashville festival, from Wednesday, September 29, through Saturday, October 2. Photographs by Ben Azevedo, Laura Brown, and Katie Chow.

The Bridges perform at 12th and Porter. Photo by Katie Chow. The Next Big Nashville And Leadership Music Digital Summit has come and gone, and this year’s edition was easily the best one ever. Here are some highlights: Jonny Corndawg’s homecoming at The Basement on Friday night, with one of the best backing bands in [...]

“It Ain’t Americana, Mama” On Friday night of Next BIG Nashville, American Songwriter and the Basement will host a night of stellar music. The lineup – although we won’t call it Americana – certainly represents some of the finest American country-tinged music. With ambassadors from all across the far reaches of the South – Texas, [...]