Music Reviews

A Spanish musician and master of the 5 string banjo, Lluis Gomez could be considered something of a phenomenon, especially in a musical arena where there are few other ethnic artists quite like him. Nevertheless, he’s won considerable praise from

FY5 make a clear case for the fact that subtlety and finesse can go hand in hand, especially when it comes to making music that aims to make a lingering impression. It’s an instinct that’s clearly paid off well; named

Let’s start with this: the Highland Travelers are not just a repackaged version of the Boxcars. Though they’ve retained the recently disbanded group’s three main vocalists and its firm grasp on the modern traditional sound, the Highland Travelers have a

On their website, Rotterdam-based Red Herring describe their music as a mixture of “folk roots, Americana, murder ballads, love songs, and kickass tunes.” Although the lively mix of tuneful and tasteful melodies found on the group’s latest offering would seem to

In the past several years, Sideline has jumped from being a literal side project for some bluegrass A-listers to a fully-fledged band working its way to the top of the bluegrass world. With a few of those original “sidemen” on

Eddy Raven hasn’t been heard from very much in the past 20 years. That was when the last of his songs hit the upper reaches of the charts, shortly before the hits began to dry up as the new millennium

ClayBank’s 2016 debut album, Playing Hard to Forget, was a strong entry into the bluegrass scene, racking up comparisons to bluegrass heavyweights like the Lonesome River Band. Their new recording, which dropped last Friday from Mountain Fever Records, is a

Old Salt Union is a young band, but one well versed in timeless tradition and the ability to make music that’s energizing, exuberant, versatile and vibrant. Ironically, their origins are anything but ordinary. Consider their makeup — a horticulturist, a

Sometimes it’s easy to dismiss family bands as cute kids with more than their fair share of musical talent, but more and more frequently these days, family bluegrass groups are proving their abilities not only at fancy picking, but also

Peter Rowan has paid his dues, spending more than 50 years in and around bluegrass, sharing the stage with everyone from Bill Monroe and Jerry Garcia. Now, he’s paying tribute. His new CD on Rebel Records is called Carter Stanley’s Eyes.