For more about Sonoran Sounds, due out in March, visit sonoran-sounds.com

Going to spend a few weeks highlighting the special editions of Sonoran Sounds — of which there are four. The first is an Artist's Edition dedicated to Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers, the reason the book exists at all. cc @thebacklounge.bsky.social backloungepublishing.bigcartel.com/product/sono...

Went to the Raleigh suburbs and told BJ Barham to make me cry. (I wanted to see the world that informed the songs on New Ways to Lose, the new American Aquarium record that drops on Friday). Story is up now @rollingstone.com www.rollingstone.com/music/music-...

Sonoran Sounds, by @jcrutchmer.bsky.social. Coming March 2027. youtu.be/IouBVcxtl0c?...

💅

This record drops tonight at midnight. Cannot recommend it enough. I talked to Bingham about it for @rollingstone.com back in February when the album was announced

In the two years since 49 Winchester released Leavin' This Holler, nearly everything has changed for the Southwest Virginia outfit. That led led to Change of Plans — the band's sixth studio album, which drops on Friday. We get into it @rollingstone.com www.rollingstone.com/music/music-...

Came up with a list — part scientific, part vibes — of Americana, new country, Red Dirt and Appalachian folk rock artists I would put forth in a "greatest living American songwriters" list and then I put it up @thebacklounge.bsky.social www.patreon.com/posts/greate...

New York Times critics and more than 250 music insiders weighed in on the greatest living American songwriters. Here are the 30 that made the list. nyti.ms/4sVSLtn

Red Dirt's Return — the souvenir recap of The Boys From Oklahoma, v.2 in Stillwater earlier this month is now up at Amazon. Pre-orders through @thebacklounge.bsky.social are printing now. (Writing and releasing two different books in one month is obnoxious but w/e) www.amazon.com/dp/B0GY44WJY...

My bad. Go to @thebacklounge.bsky.social and buy my books so that I may continue being a dumbass thx

Important to note that the interview I held with Crockett that led to this story is included in the All-Access Edition of (Almost) Almost Famous backloungepublishing.bigcartel.com/product/almo...

Wrote about Charley Crockett, The Age of the Ram, the idea of outlaw, the echoes of Willie and Waylon, and how you can never escape your past:

buy it now at backloungepublishing.com

A Texas icon at 70: Robert Earl Keen on songwriting in the ai era, and his friendship with Tyler Childers, Turnpike Troubadours and Cross Canadian Ragweed. Up now @rollingstone.com www.rollingstone.com/music/music-...

My full interview with Keen is in (Almost) Almost Famous, out next week at @thebacklounge.bsky.social backloungepublishing.bigcartel.com

Pre-orders for the First-Run Edition of (Almost) Almost Famous close on Monday at 3 p.m. Eastern, and then they'll print for the one and only time. If it suits you, grab it today. cc @thebacklounge.bsky.social backloungepublishing.bigcartel.com/product/almo...

Hung out at Luck Reunion yesterday. Highlights up now @rollingstone.com www.rollingstone.com/music/music-...

This week on Hippies & Cowboys, I talk about looksmaxxing and ruin an all-timer of an interview with Canadian country star William Prince www.patreon.com/posts/listen...

In the 30 years since the Refreshments' Fizzy Fuzzy Big & Buzzy, "Banditos" and the King of the Hill theme made Roger Clyne briefly famous, he's never stopped writing and never left the Arizona borderlands. We talked for @rollingstone.com ahead of his latest LP www.rollingstone.com/music/music-...

Talked twice with Clay Street Unit lately. Once for @rollingstone.com and once for Hippies & Cowboys. And on H&C, Garrett and I discuss what options Treaty Oak Revival even has to rein in beer-throwing fans. Links here in this free @thebacklounge.bsky.social post. www.patreon.com/posts/2-for-...

Ryan Bingham is releasing his first studio LP since 2019, and his first with The Texas Gentlemen. In every aspect — his music, his band, touring, life with Hassie Harrison, his family — Bingham is happy, and it shows. We talked about it for @rollingstone.com. www.rollingstone.com/music/music-...

Tyler Halverson showed up on Hippies & Cowboys this week, as well as Rolling Stone, capping a busy week of catchups and new music for me. www.patreon.com/posts/tyler-...

If you are not yet on board with Johnny Mullenax and the bluegrass brunch he presides over at Tulsa’s Mercury Lounge, @rollingstone.com has some reasons for you to remedy that asap www.rollingstone.com/music/music-...

Oh yeah I talked to Tyler Halverson this week

I didn't write anything new today — Andie's essay is all that needs saying right now — but I did try to pull together my recent writings and speeches about January 27, 2001 into a single place. You can find that at @thebacklounge.bsky.social www.patreon.com/posts/i-am-s...

A note about Todd Snider’s final media interview, and how best to share it publicly www.patreon.com/posts/includ...

I wrote about Landman ahead of Sunday's season 2 finale, and about the enduring ability of Taylor Sheridan and music supervisor Andrea von Foerster to spin Americana and Red Dirt music into overnight sensations. The story is up now @rollingstone.com www.rollingstone.com/music/music-...

Blaine Bailey is making powerful music while proudly advocating for his Native heritage. I wrote about it for @rollingstone.com www.rollingstone.com/music/music-...

Josh Ritter is spending less time following the muse and more time speaking directly to it. That's how last fall's I Believe in You, My Honeydew, happened. I caught up with him at the end of his tour and we talked about this. Story is up @rollingstone.com www.rollingstone.com/music/music-...

Bleu Edmondson returned from a decade-long hiatus in 2025 with a six-song EP that was one of the best albums of the year. I talked to him about it, and to Wade Bowen about producing. It’s up at @rollingstone.com www.rollingstone.com/music/music-...

Year-in-review Hippies & Cowboys fuckaround episode ahoy! www.patreon.com/posts/hippie...

Here are my top 25 country and Americana albums of 2025. As the first person to ever make a list of the top songs of one genre for a year, I understand this might be jarring, so I included my favorite concerts of 2025 too. It's free at @thebacklounge.bsky.social www.patreon.com/posts/top-25...

Wrote about Miles Miller and his 2025 album Mr. Runaway that should absolutely be on your best-of list this year. Story is up @rollingstone.com now. www.rollingstone.com/music/music-...

Wrote about Sierra Hull, what Grammy nominations mean, and about losing her voice before a national tv taping and pivoting to instrumental bluegrass. It's up @rollingstone.com www.rollingstone.com/music/music-...

Today, @rollingstone.com named Never Say Never as one of the top books of 2025 in its Year in Music recap. Honored, elated, all of those things. If you don't have it, you can get it at @thebacklounge.bsky.social. And you can read the list here: www.rollingstone.com/music/music-...

Red Dirt Unplugged was released one year ago last night! It was a life-changing book in thousands of ways, and if you missed out on these roots music tales, you can still remedy that in time for the holidays (cc @thebacklounge.bsky.social) backloungepublishing.bigcartel.com/category/red...

Dropped the chapter list and featured artists in (Almost) Almost Famous today. Check it out and then pre-order now! backloungepublishing.com/almostalmost...

Wait but people online keep telling me that this is a miracle technology that must be embraced immediately and criticizing it is ableist doomerism

Drayton Farley joined us on Hippies & Cowboys this week, a welcome presence after I get all worked up about ai music and Garrett's Spotify Wrapped first. www.patreon.com/posts/authen...

Finish the year strong at crutchmer.com

How Treaty Oak Revival accidentally became the hottest band in country music (even before West Texas Degenerate dropped today) Story up at @rollingstone.com with a full-band interview www.rollingstone.com/music/music-...

Wrote about Shelby Stone, a blue-haired Texan who has infiltrated Red Dirt's elite. Story is up @rollingstone.com www.rollingstone.com/music/music-...

For Black Friday, we're doing a special run of ALL Back Lounge Artist's Editions dating back to Red Dirt in 2020. Use THANKS2025 at checkout for 25% off. Runs through December 1 backloungepublishing.bigcartel.com/category/bla...

The Turnpike Troubadours released a video accompanying their cover of Todd Snider's "Just Like Old Times" I added a bit of context and insight and it's up @rollingstone.com Watch and read here www.rollingstone.com/music/music-...

Muscadine Bloodline joined us on Hippies & Cowboys this week to talk about their surprise Longleaf Lo-fi album (and I give a whole ton more Todd Snider tributes. www.patreon.com/posts/muscad...

Last week on Hippies and Cowboys was just Garrett and I, and we went off on the country Grammy nominations. www.patreon.com/posts/delaye...

attn: all the people freaking out over jesse welles you can't trust smug; you can't trust galaxy brain tiktok bait maker joe rogan appearing guys. you *can* trust don't rock the inbox to steer you towards all kinds of great country/roots/folk protest music www.dontrocktheinbox.com/put-a-record...

For Black Friday, we're doing a special run of ALL Back Lounge Artist's Editions dating back to Red Dirt in 2020. Use THANKS2025 at checkout for 25% off. Runs through December 1 backloungepublishing.bigcartel.com/category/bla...

Even though there are more out there than anyone can account for, here is a very incomplete list of Todd Snider tributes I found around the Internet. (Free link) www.patreon.com/posts/extrem...