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Ranger Doug, guitarist, vocalist and songwriter for Riders In The Sky, picked up his Wrangler Award for Best Original Western Music Composition last weekend at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. “The Idol of American Youth” treated the hundreds of gala attendees with a solo rendition of his winning song, Shelter of the Wildwood, currently featured on Riders In The Sky's latest album, Throw a Saddle on a Star, which resides these days at #2 on the Western Music Chart. “It was great,’ the Ranger reported upon returning to Harmony Ranch. “The best part was seeing (his wife) Desi just light up. She didn’t know it was such a big deal. Really fun.” What’s ahead for the Ranger and Riders? “We’re hitting the road for the next few weeks. Texas, the great Northwest, California, Arizona, on and on.” Will his award winning tune be included on future Riders’ set lists?” “You know it!” Left to Right: John Cunningham, Eli Barsi, Big Honkin’ Wrangler Award, Ranger Doug, a pleased and proud Desi.

Acclaimed songwriters and musicians Ray LaMontagne and Gregory Alan Isakov will join forces for an extensive co-headline tour this fall. Produced by Live Nation, the 17-date tour includes stops at Seattle’s Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery Amphitheatre (two nights), Los Angeles’ YouTube Theater, San Diego’s CalCoast Credit Union Open Air Theatre, Phoenix’s Arizona Federal Theatre, Charleston’s Firefly Distillery, Cincinnati’s Andrew J Brady Center, Franklin’s FirstBank Amphitheater, Atlanta’s Cadence Bank Amphitheatre at Chastain Park and Charlotte’s Skyla Credit Union Amphitheater among others. Tickets for these shows, which will feature an opening set by special guests The Secret Sisters, will go on-sale next Friday, April 26 at 10:00am local time. Full details can be found at www.raylamontagne.com/tour and www.gregoryalanisakov.com/tour. Check out The Secret Sister's single "All the Ways" featuring Ray LaMontagne.

JMF is about to embark on two epic legs of their 2024 tour. Next week it begins with a 5 night musical journey through the Pacific Northwest. Then May 7-18 the band will take their first magnificent adventure to the Northeast! Apr 24 - Volcanic Theatre Pub, Bend, OR Apr 25 - Spanish Ballroom at Elks Temple, Tacoma, WA Apr 26 - High Dive, Seattle, WA Apr 27 - Mississippi Studios, Portland, OR Apr 28 - WOW Hall, Eugene, OR May 7 - Garcia’s, Port Chester, NY May 8 - Brooklyn Bowl, Brooklyn, NY May 9 - The Sinclair, Boston, MA May 10 - Lark Hall, Albany, NY May 11 - Velvet Underground, Toronto, ON May 13 - City Winery, Pittsburgh, PA May 15 - Elkton Music Hall, Elkton, MD May 16 - 118 North, Wayne, PA May 17 - Asbury Lanes, Asbury Park, NJ May 18 - Pearl Street Warehouse, Washington, DC MAY 25+26, 2024 Jerry’s Middle Finger heads to Vegas to perform two Dead & Co afterparties at Brooklyn Bowl, Las Vegas. JMF will dish out their electrifying Jerry Garcia Band experience just steps from The Sphere! So get your tickets, gather your tribe and elevate your Vegas experience with some late night JMF jams. JUNE 7+8, 2024 - Jerry’s Middle Finger returns to The Venice West in Venice, CA for two nights of scorching Jerry Garcia Band jams. These shows will sell out so get your tickets ASAP.

The first single "The Price I Pay" from award winning bluegrass artist Darin & Brooke Aldridge's new album is #1 on the Bluegrass Today Weekly Airplay Chart. It's from their new album "Talk Of The Town" which drops on Friday April 19. Catch them live, they're amazing. They'll be touring extensively throughout this year and into 2025. Listen to "The Price I Pay" here.

[American Songwriter] Adeem the Artist will release their upcoming full-length Anniversary on May 3rd. Watch the official video for “Socialite Blues” below. In “Socialite Blues,” Adeem the Artist combines a classic Piedmont Blues chord progression with a lively New Orleans-style horn section to create the kind of sound that is bound to make listeners sway along with the rhythm and tap their feet. Lyrically, this song celebrates the virtues of staying in, listening to good tunes, and recharging one’s social battery with someone special. Adeem’s smooth vocals combined with the bluesy backdrop make this song nearly perfect for just such an occasion. About the song, Adeem the Artist exclusively told American Songwriter that they “Found these Blind Boy Fuller records hidden under a loose floorboard in the back closet at my grandfather’s house.” They then used those records as the blueprint for this tune. “Took them chords and played ‘em like a 7 at 33 and wrote a song about pining for all the parties getting canceled,” they explained.

McEuen Adds Music To Stories With Each Composition On His New Album, Which Contains Poetry Spanning Over 200 Years “John McEuen’s new spoken word album 'The Newsman: A Man of Record' is a breath of fresh air. When you are listening to every track of the album, you become part of his storytelling. You can visualize yourself in the story or picture the story going through your mind. It makes me want to take a road trip, so John’s album can narrate my journeys in real time. It is a brilliant collection of stories, and it’s the best storytelling in the 21st century, and I want more!” – Ward W. Bond, PhD, host of The Dr. Ward Bond Show on CTN NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Country, bluegrass, and Americana legend John McEuen is excited to release his long-awaited album, The Newsman: A Man Of Record, today on Compass Records. In this project for McEuen, the album has ten spoken word tracks and one instrumental piece. Each one tells a special story in a way that's like a play, with John's own style of music in the background. The album starts with a story about a newspaper seller who had a big impact on John when he was getting started in Los Angeles and ends with "Jules' Theme," a song inspired by Jules Verne talking about his wife, who passed away in a French cemetery. Every part of the album is carefully put together to make it unforgettable. Outlets including The Bluegrass Situation, M Music & Musicians Magazine, Nashville.com, Center Stage Magazine, Bluegrass Today, My Kind of Country, Americana Highways, The Hollywood Times, and The Music Universepremiered each song. To listen/download The Newsman: A Man Of Record, visit found.ee/newsman. “It was time to bring back the art form of spoken word, where there’s a story with music behind it,” shares McEuen. “The music does not have to reflect anything like a melody, so it’s supportive of the words. I chose some pieces that were not spoken words with music but made them so, and some pieces that were definite spoken words with music and tried to support them as well. These tracks span over 200 years to recent and have made an impact on me. In return, I hope they make an impact on you. I hope you enjoy it!.” The album features a mix of tracks from different eras and genres. The collection spans various literary themes from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's Civil War-era poem "Killed at the Ford" to Robert Service's "The Cremation of Sam McGee" about a Yukon prospector. Other tracks include Stephen Vincent Benét's "The Mountain Whippoorwill," Hank Williams Sr.'s "Fly Trouble," and Walter Brennan's "Old Rivers." Thomas Monroe's Vietnam War reflection "Nui Ba Den" contrasts with more recent compositions like John Carter Cash's "The Guitar Of Pineapple John," Hans Olson's "I'll Be Glad (When They Run Out Of Gas)," and Thaddeus Bryant's "Red Clay."

First New Album in Five Years Out May 17th, Produced by Rick Rubin US Tour Extended From April Through November, Including Record Release Show at NYC's Forest Hills Stadium, Three Nights at Red Rocks, SoFi Stadium with Luke Combs, Beach Weekends & Beyond Today, The Avett Brothers are so happy to share the music video for their new single, “Country Kid,” directed by Adam Rothlein: WATCH Arriving on the heels of lead single “Love Of A Girl” – which is simultaneously climbing charts at Triple A, Americana and Alternative radio, and has helped push the band past 1.6 billion career streams – “Country Kid” is the second preview of The Avett Brothers’ first new album in five years. Out May 17th via Ramseur Records/American Recordings/Thirty Tigers, and produced by Rick Rubin, The Avett Brothers is as much untitled as it is self-titled: a collection of songs that revealed themselves naturally over time. Like “Country Kid,” The Avett Brothers is filled with music and lyrics that seek the sacred in the commonplace. Recorded in Malibu's Shangri-La Studios, as well as Nashville, Mar Vista, and the band's hometown of Concord, NC, it is an album interested in the divine unknowable, ultimately reveling in the fun and surrender of what we cannot understand. “It’s very raw and energetic and it sounds killer,” said The Needle Drop, on “Love Of A Girl,” which Consequence praised for its “hopeful, free, careless energy,” and Relix called “a hard reboot for the trailblazing Americana outfit and a studied, attentive return to its roots.” The Avett Brothers will begin performing music from The Avett Brothers on an expansive US tour this spring and summer, including their own five-day festival in Mexico, a headline show at NYC's Forest Hills Stadium on album release day, three nights at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, LA's SoFi Stadium with Luke Combs, and more that now extends through November. Find the full list of dates below and tickets at theavettbrothers.com/tour.

Many a high five, whoop, and holler on Harmony Ranch as the Western Heritage Honorees for 2024 have just been announced. And who’s picking up the prestigious Wrangler award for Original Western Composition this go-round? You got it, Saddlepal! Original Western Composition “The Shelter of the Wildwood,” recording artist Riders In The Sky, composed by Douglas Green. The Wrangler-awarded song appears on our latest album Throw a Saddle on a Star, which remains camped out at Number One on the Western Music Chart for yet another month. An ebullient Ranger Doug offered this comment: “While I am profoundly honored to accept this award in April, it would never have happened without the love, support, teamwork, and skills of my three incredible partners.  It may just have my name on it, but this was a team effort all the way." Too Slim chimed in with “Our Ranger is one of the premier Western songwriters of the past 50 years. His work needs to be appreciated and celebrated and I’m just so darn happy the Wrangler is headed for his mantlepiece." Throw a Saddle on a Star, featuring the Wrangler Award winning The Shelter of the Wildwood, is now available on CD and streaming wherever streaming is being streamed.

[Pollstar] The Avett Brothers have added 18 arena and amphitheater dates to their 2024 schedule, extending an already lengthy tour deeper into the fall. The Avetts will set out on tour next month and by November will have played more than 50 dates, including headlining, festival and support shows. The newly announced stops begin in September and carry them through mid-November. See the routing below. Tickets for all the latest tour dates are on-sale at 10 a.m. local March 22, with an Avett Guild pre-sale starting at noon local March 19. On New Year’s Eve, The Avett Brothers sold out PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina, grossing $943,637 on 10,195 tickets, according to Pollstar Boxoffice reports. They are repped by Paul Lohr at New Frontier Touring. Avett Brothers Added Dates 2024 9/12 – Indianapolis, IN – Gainbridge Fieldhouse w/ Houndmouth 9/13 – Franklin, TN – FirstBank Amp w/ Melissa Etheridge 9/14 – Duluth, GA – Gas South Arena 9/17 – Little Rock, AR – First Security Amp! 9/18 – Tulsa, OK – BOK Center! 9/20 – New Braunfels, TX – Whitewater Amp 9/21 – New Braunfels, TX – Whitewater Amp! 10/6 – San Diego, CA – Rady Shell 10/9 – Phoenix, AZ – Arizona Financial Theatre 10/11 – Grand Prairie, TX – Texas Trust CU Theatre! 10/12 – Sugar Land, TX – Smart Financial Centre! 10/24 – St. Paul, MN – Xcel Center % 10/25 – Moline, IL – Vibrant Arena 10/26 – Lexington, KY – Rupp Arena w/ Houndmouth 11/7 – New Orleans, LA – Saenger Theatre 11/8-11/10 – Miramar Beach, FL – Moon Crush “Avett Moon” 11/15 – St. Augustine, FL – Saint Augustine Amp 11/16 – Clearwater, FL – The Sound @ Coachman Park 11/17 – Hollywood, FL – Hard Rock Live #w/ Luke Combs ^w/ Sierra Ferrell % w/ Trampled by Turtles *w/ Sammy Rae & The Friends !w/ Jamestown Revival

California Guitar Trio made it back to Nashville Friday March 8 for their first show there since they played the Ryman Auditorium as support for King Crimson in July of 2021! Here they are pictured after the show at The City Winery with NFT owner/agent Paul Lohr, and his wife Mary Matthews. Picture L-R: Bert Lams, Paul Richards, Matthews, Lohr, and Tom Griesgraber.

The Avett Brothers Out May 17th via Ramseur Records/American Recordings/Thirty Tigers Today, The Avett Brothers return with news of their first album in five years, out May 17th via Ramseur Records/American Recordings/Thirty Tigers. Produced by longtime collaborator, friend and early champion Rick Rubin, The Avett Brothers is as much untitled as it is self-titled, for as Thomas Keating said: “Silence is God’s first language – everything else is a poor translation.” From the album’s all-vocal opening to the sharp, scrappy and scorching rock n roll blast of lead single “Love Of A Girl,” to the novel strains of folk, roots, synth and strings that have landed The Avett Brothers numerous Billboard Top 5 and chart-topping albums, three GRAMMY nominations, five Americana Music Awards, a documentary co-directed by Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio, and so much more, this record is one that revealed itself naturally over time. Pre-Order The Avett Brothers, and listen to “Love Of A Girl” now: https://orcd.co/loveofagirl Recorded in Malibu’s Shangri-La Studios, as well as Nashville, Mar Vista, and the band’s hometown of Concord, NC, The Avett Brothers is a collection of songs seen through a lens of independently studied spirituality; questions and considerations in the interest of the divine unknowable. In an ongoing attempt to comprehend existence and our interpersonal connectedness, these songs seek the sacred in the commonplace: a cheap cup of coffee, the smallest movement of love, broken hearts and school bus lessons, a baby’s first and second steps, growing older and holding on to one’s roots, losing someone and accepting fate, rediscovering hope and finding sanctity in tragedy...ultimately reveling in the fun and surrender of what we cannot understand. As their first full-length release on Ramseur Records/Thirty Tigers since 2007’s Emotionalism, The Avett Brothers is both a cumulative opus and fresh start for the band’s future as a multifaceted and singular force. In the time that has passed since their last album, the band have also debuted Swept Away, a new musical inspired by and featuring their music, backed by a cast and crew that have earned a collective nine Tony Awards. Hailed as a “spellbinding tale” and “worthy of a broadway christening” (The Washington Post), the show has completed successful runs in Berkeley, CA and Washington, DC, with more news to be announced soon. Furthermore, the North Carolina Music Hall of Famers recently earned a Lifetime Achievement Award for Performance from the Americana Honors & Awards, while Seth Avett released a solo album celebrating his songwriting hero Greg Brown, Bob Crawford created a podcast about John Quincy Adams, and Scott Avett had multiple exhibits for his work as a figurative painter (while creating all the artwork and illustrations that will accompany The Avett Brothers LP). The Avett Brothers will begin performing music from The Avett Brothers on a far-reaching tour this spring and summer, including their own five-day festival in Mexico, a headline show at NYC’s Forest Hills Stadium on album release day, three nights at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, LA’s SoFi Stadium with Luke Combs, and more across the US. Find the full list of dates below and tickets at theavettbrothers.com/tour. Artwork by Scott Avett The Avett Brothers Tracklist Never Apart (w/ Vocal Prelude) Love Of A Girl Cheap Coffee Forever Now Country Kid Orion's Belt 2020 Regret Same Broken Bones We Are Loved

[No Depression] If you’re a country music fan, you’d do well to acquaint yourself with Colby T. Helms. The 21-year-old, with a voice and stylistic bent that’s reminiscent of current country star Tyler Childers, has the potential to be the next Appalachia-based singer-songwriter to make a splash. With his debut LP Tales of Misfortune, Helms begins to turn potential into reality. Each of the eight tracks on Tales of Misfortune is well-written, with memorable melodies and vivid lyrical imagery about life in Helms’ rural Virginia hometown. Album opener “First Snow” is exuberant, a ramshackle honky-tonk number about the thoughts running through his head and realities he’s facing while traversing his hometown in the Blue Ridge Mountains after snowfall. “Mountain Brandy” showcases Helms’ ability to weave a compelling narrative. He uses home-stilled and bootlegged liquor as a prism to highlight one of the uniquities of mountain life and to bemoan the loss of certain cultural traditions. He sings, The old folks have been dying out, and all the yanks are moving in Lots of folks around town been talking ‘bout them old ways coming to an end As long as them geese fly North and that creek runs South You can run up my holler and shake my hand I got something that will shut your mouth On “Leanne,” Helms is lovesick and broke as hell, pining for and unsuccessfully courting the song’s titular figure. Aided by some phenomenal fiddle playing by Billy Hurt (who also produced the record), he offers up a soulful lamentation on how his inability to get ahead in life and love have him feeling “like a fool again.” Tales of Misfortune concludes with the up-tempo but poignant “Daddy’s Pocket Knife.” Helms processes the loss of his father through the story of finding his lost pocket knife and the memories it brings to the surface. It’s a common trope in country music — waxing poetic over a family heirloom — but it’s true to Helms’ real-life experiences and he imbues his spin on it with genuine emotion. That emotion, infused into Helms’ consistently passionate, heart-on-his-sleeve vocals, propels Tales of Misfortune. With this strong first album, Helms proves himself to be a solid talent with a bright future. Colby T. Helms’ Tales of Misfortune is out Jan. 19 via Photo Finish Records.