Roots

Today the music world suffered a bittersweet loss. Levon Helm’s battle with cancer ended this afternoon after a long tough fight. A message was posted on his website written by his wife Sandy and his daughter Amy requesting everyone’s “love and prayers” earlier in the week. Levon has been battling with throat cancer since 1998. Levon Helm was the beloved  drummer and vocalist for The Band.

Singer Lisa Biales (pronounced “Be-Alice”) has announced the June 5 release of her new CD, Just Like Honey, produced by EG Kight and recorded, mixed, mastered ands co-produced by the legendary Paul Hornsby (The Marshall Tucker Band, Charlie Daniels, etc.) at his Muscadine Studio in Macon, Georgia. The CD is being released on her own Big Song Music label and will be available through CD Baby, iTunes and Amazon.com.

Award-winning public relations and marketing firm PLA Media is pleased to announce edgy, rock troubadour Jefferson Grizzard as a new client.
 
“We’re happy to work with Jefferson on the unique sound he brings to the table and to partner with Backporch Syndicate Records,” says Pam Lewis, President/CEO of PLA Media.
 

KGNU and the Boulder Weekly proudly present the 20th annual Microbreweries for the Environment benefit on Friday, April 27 at The Boulder Theater.

The internationally renowned guitar virtuoso Trace Bundy is releasing his long-awaited fifth full-length studio album, Elephant King. With a return to the raw acoustic clarity of Adapt and the mature melodic writing of Missile Bell, Elephant King is an intimate collection of eleven new songs that feature his best work to date.

Marley's Ghost — a virtuoso aggregation composed of singer/multi-instrumentalists Dan Wheetman, Jon Wilcox, Mike Phelan, Ed Littlefield Jr. and Jerry Fletcher — celebrates its 25th anniversary with the scintillating roots-music tour de force Jubilee (Sage Arts, June 5).

Severn Records announces a May 15 release date for Damn Good Time, the label debut from seminal American roots music band, The Nighthawks, distributed in the U.S. by City Hall Records. Damn Good Time is the follow-up to The Nighthawks' Last Train to Bluesville, which garnered the band its first-ever Blues Music Award from the Blues Foundation as Acoustic Blues Album of the Year in May 2011.

For his forthcoming album Paul Thorn, who is certainly no slouch as a songwriter himself, turned to some of his favorite songwriters.

O.A.R., the "grassroots phenomenon" who transformed into one of rock's preeminent live acts, have jump-started their spring with a surprise collaboration with Wyclef Jean and Cris Cab at their recent, sold-out Bowery Ballroom show, a 

Blix Street Records artist Maia Sharp is featured on a live duet posted by her friend Bonnie Raitt in anticipation of the release of Raitt's new studio album SLIPSTREAM.