Folk Alliance International (FAI), a 501(c)3 and the foremost global nonprofit for folk music, has laid out a new process whereby its members can submit recordings for the 2025 International Folk Music Awards (IFMAs) in the Best-of-the-year categories (Song, Album, and Artist). The IFMAs will be held February 19, 2025 in Montreal, QC, on the first night of the 37th Annual Conference (the FAI Conference). Learn more about the conference: https://www.folk.org/conference

The year is 1955, and a boy from Lubbock, Texas, is poised to change the course of music history. His name? Buddy Holly. Today, on September 7th, 2024, we celebrate what would have been his 88th birthday—a moment to reflect on the meteoric rise, the songs that still echo across generations, and the lasting imprint he left on the soundscape of rock 'n' roll.

The Songs That Shook the World

Prader-Willi Homes of California is thrilled to announce ALIVE AND KICKING, a benefit concert on Sunday, October 6, at the iconic Great American Music Hall in San Francisco. This special evening will feature a stellar lineup of Hardly Strictly Bluegrass favorites, including Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Chuck Prophet and Cumbia Shoes, Bill Kirchen, Austin de Lone, and the legendary Lost Planet Airmen — five original members of Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen. It promises to be an unforgettable night of lively music and unexpected collaborations.

Today, the Kentucky-based band Wayne Graham releases their ninth studio album, Bastion, via Hickman Holler Records/Thirty Tigers. Rooted in the coal-mining region of eastern Kentucky, the indie rock band blends genres, using folk and country as a foundation for fearless explorations of jazz, punk, soul, noise, classic rock, and modern classical music, while exploring what it means to no longer feel at home in a small town.

Project 2025, a sweeping 900+ page blueprint, proposes a radical restructuring of the federal government, aiming to dismantle longstanding environmental protections and the federal agencies responsible for safeguarding wildlife, natural habitats, and the shared resources of air, land, and water. The comprehensive plan threatens to undo decades of conservation work, endangering the environment and the biodiversity that depends on it.

Key elements of Project 2025 include extreme measures that would:

Modern blues-rock trio The Cold Stares have released their highly anticipated seventh album ‘The Southern’ via Mascot Records. Delving deep into their Southern roots for the first time on record, the album embodies a true reflection of their heritage. “Being Southern, for me, is more than an accent,” shares singer-guitarist Chris Tapp.

New Orleans-based singer-songwriter Connor Donohue is excited to announce the release of his new single, "Elephants," now available on all major streaming platforms. This track marks the second single from his highly anticipated album, Stray Dogs, set for release on October 11, 2024.

Today, Fancy Hagood announces the October 25 release of his anticipated sophomore album American Spirit. Featuring guest vocals from Michelle Branch and Nickel Creek’s Sean and Sara Watkins, the community-forward project is a testament to his journey towards resilience, healing and growth. Along with the announcement, Fancy shares his latest single “Losing Game,” a delicate country love song about the rush of jumping headfirst into romance with someone you know isn’t quite right.

Australian guitarist, singer/songwriter, and producer Hamish Anderson releases "So Alive," a defining track from his upcoming album ELECTRIC, today!

Just three months after the release of their acclaimed album Never Better, platinum-selling trio Wild Rivers—Khalid Yassein, Devan Glover, and Andrew Oliver—will return with a new companion album, Better Now, on October 18 via Nettwerk Music Group (pre-order/pre-save available here). Ahead of the release, their new track, "What Kind of Song," debuts today. Listen/share HERE.