Best New Music from the Blue Ridge and Beyond
Every month our editors curate a playlist of new music, mainly focusing on independent artists from the South. To start the year, we’re highlighting new tunes from Guided by Voices and Patterson Hood.
Guided by Voices
“Fly Religion”
Robert Pollard can’t be stopped. The leader of Guided by Voices keeps cranking out tunes for the long-running indie rock pioneers, and this one comes from the band’s 41st album, “Universe Room,” which comes out next month. As expected, “Fly Religion” is a guitar-heavy banger, with Uncle Bob sharing one of his blurry, beer-soaked visions, before the song—a succinct two minutes—trails off in distorted bliss. – J.F.
Kathleen Edwards (featuring Lauren Morrow)
“Hello in There”
The allure of a John Prine tune is the perfection inherent in his imperfect vocals. Hard scrabble, like the stories of the characters he told, Prine’s raspy voice made his characters more real and relatable. Perfectly matching Prine’s spirit, while eschewing his gravelly delivery, is Kathleen Edwards’ rendition of one of Prine’s most famous songs. Edwards, joined by Nashville singer-songwriter Lauren Morrow on the choruses, achingly sings of the loneliness and isolation that comes with the onset of life’s later seasons. Over subtle acoustic guitar and pedal steel, Edwards captures the haunting nature of this iconic song, and the late Prine would most certainly approve. – D.S.
Patterson Hood
“A Werewolf and a Girl”
Drive-By Truckers leader Patterson Hood is back with his first solo album in 12 years. The lead single from “Exploding Trees & Airplane Screams,” which comes out February 21, is a dark duet with Lydia Loveless that features two broken people reflecting on the pull of a dysfunctional relationship from the past. The musical arrangement, with shadowy saxophone and piano, matches the mood of the narrative. – J.F.
Drew & Ellie Holcomb
“Brick by Brick”
If you didn’t know the singers on “Brick by Brick” were married, it shouldn’t take long to figure it out. There is an intimate depth to this song, an almost palpable sincerity shared by partners Drew and Ellie Holcomb, who have been performing together since 2005 and married since 2006, that is not found in performances by mere studio partners. The familiarity and comfort they have with each other allows the Holcombs to easily share with their listeners the beauty of love and the security and comfort building a life with someone else can bring. – D.S.
The National
“Fake Empire”
The National continue to be one of the most reliably great live bands working today, and this cut from the band’s new concert album, “Rome,” proves it. “Fake Empire”—originally found on the band’s 2007 album “The Boxer”—is an enduring fan favorite, and it’s easy to hear why when the horn crescendo of this version works the European crowd into a frenzy.
– J.F.
George Porter Jr. & Runnin’ Pardners
“Tito’s Dumpling Machine”
At 76, bassist George Porter Jr.—best known as a founding member of the Meters—is still laying down deep grooves, and this track from his new instrumental album, “Porter’s Pocket,” proves it. “Tito’s Dumpling Machine” is an instant rump shaker, reinvigorating the classic New Orleans funk sound that Porter pioneered in the late 60s. – J.F.
Larkin Poe
“Mockingbird”
Rebecca and Megan Lovell, the sister duo behind Larkin Poe, were baptized into the world of acoustic music and reborn through classic rock. Since founding Larkin Poe in 2010, the sisters have produced a series of blistering bluesy rock albums. “Mockingbird,” from their newest release, “Bloom,” continues in that tradition. A powerful ode to introspection, Rebecca’s powerhouse vocals call to mind Bonnie Raitt or Ann Wilson of Heart, and her guitar work would make Duane Betts smile, while Megan’s electric steel guitar simply howls, providing the underpinning for a choral call for finding one’s true self. – D.S.
West of Rome
“Movement in Your Picture”
A stolen kiss or a good love lost. A phone call never made. An apology left unsaid, or a question never asked. These memories and more can lie dormant for years, decades even, only to return as strong as the moment they were made through the images captured in a photograph. Texas indie rockers West of Rome capture this sentiment on “Movement in Your Picture,” a Stones-y reflection on bygone days, old loves, and resisting the temptation to let nostalgia temper how great the here and now really is. – D.S.
Cover photo: Patterson Hood’s new album, “Exploding Trees & Airplane Screams,” comes out February 21. Photo by Jason Thrasher
To hear these songs and more, follow the Blue Ridge Outdoors’ Trail Mix playlist on Spotify.
