Celebrating Frank Zappa and The Mothers special 1971 lineups and a storied chapter in Zappa’s legacy, the monumental and definitive new eight-disc/digital collection, The Mothers 1971, is out now via Zappa Records/UMe.

When it came time for jam-scene favorites Railroad Earth to make a new album, a band consensus was quickly reached: it was time for a field trip to the Big Easy. Between the good food, high spirits, and influence from their producer, New Orleans’ favorite guitar-slinging son Anders Osborne, Railroad Earth ended up with a collection of material that goes down the hatch with the ease of an oyster on the half shell and a nice, cold sazerac.

There’s a lot to be said for simple pleasures, and in the realm of American roots music, few are more elementally satisfying than an easily hummable, instantly memorable fiddle tune. Fiddler and mandolinist Andy Leftwich isn’t afraid of complex musical challenges — his stature as a first-call session player attests to that — and he’s more than capable of virtuosity and pyrotechnics on either instrument, as his previous single, “Pikes Peak Breakdown” demonstrated on its way to the highest reaches of the bluegrass chart.

Colin Hay has released his new album Now And The Evermore via Lazy Eye/Compass Records. In support, he’s touring the US with shows running from now until May.

Leading up to the album, Hay shared a number of singles including the “joyful rootsy rocker” (Forbes) “A Man Without A Name,” the “cheery” (Rock Cellar Magazine) “Love Is Everywhere,” and the “orch-pop” (BrooklynVegan) title track which features a guest appearance from Ringo Starr on drums.

On the evening of June 23, 1964, a red Volkswagen Beetle bearing three blues enthusiasts arrived in Rochester, N.Y. The young men were following a trail of clues in their search of a legend, and they found him sitting on the steps of an apartment building at 61 Greig Street.
 
“This is him,” Son House said.
 

Singer, songwriter and keyboard player Michelle Willis is debuting the new single “Liberty” featuring David Crosby and Michael McDonald from her sophomore record Just One Voice. The track is premiering alongside a new video; watch/share it HERE.