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Singer-Songwriters Flock to Cape May, NJ, March 28-29

The maddening crowds of summer won’t be there, but several hundred performing artists and others engaged in the music business are expected to converge on the historic Victorian-lined New Jersey seaside resort community of Cape May, March 28-29, 2014, for the seventh annual Singer-Songwriter Cape May conference. [To continue reading the article, click on the headline.]
NERFA Hosts One-Day Mini-Conference in NJ

NERFA Hosts One-Day Mini-Conference in NJ

Showcase artists have recently been selected and workshops and panel discussions have been lined-up for the Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA) New Jersey Area One-Day Mini-Conference slated for Saturday, April 5. Presented in partnership with The Sanctuary Concerts and The Folk Project at the Presbyterian Church (240 Southern Boulevard, Chatham, NJ) that is home to The Sanctuary Concerts, the event, which extends from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., is designed to give artists, presenters, DJs, agents and others engaged in the folk music scene a small taste of what takes place during the annual NERFA Conference each fall. [To continue reading the article, click on the headline.]
Q & A with Dan Navarro

Q & A with Dan Navarro

Singer-songwriter Dan Navarro spent more than 20 years as part of the acclaimed acoustic duo Lowen and Navarro; has penned songs covered by other notable artists (including the Grammy-nominated “We Belong” as sung by Pat Benatar); has been a singer and voice actor in numerous movies, television series and commercials; and is an ardent champion of songwriters’ and performers’ rights. Since the 2009 retirement of his late musical partner Eric Lowen, he’s been touring widely as a solo artist. Kathy Sands-Boehmer spoke with Navarro recently. To read her Q & A with him, click on the headline.
Roots Music Report's Top 50 Roots/Americana Albums Chart - February 2014

Roots Music Report’s Top 50 Roots/Americana Albums Chart – February 2014

JUNO Award-winning Canadian band Blackie and The Rodeo Kings' January release, South, was #1 on Roots Music Report's new monthly Top 50 Roots/Americana Albums Chart for February 2014. Rounding out the top 10 most-played albums were discs by The Stray Birds, Brandy Clark, Guy Clark, Little Miss Higgins & The Winnipeg Five, The Greencards, Mandolin Orange, Michael Martin Murphey, Tim Easton and Ray Benson. [Roots Music Report's first monthly Top 50 Roots/American Albums Chart is posted with permission on AcousticMusicScene.com. To view it, click on the headline.]

Top Albums and Songs of February 2014 (FOLKDJ-L)

Bright Side of Down, the new release by singer-songwriter John Gorka, was the most-played album on folk radio during February 2014, closely followed by Where Have All The Flowers Gone? The Songs of Pete Seeger, according to charts compiled by Richard Gillmann from radio playlists submitted to FOLKDJ-L, an electronic discussion group for DJs and others interested in all folk-based music on the radio. Gorka's "Holed Up in Mason City" was reportedly the month's most-played song. The monthly top albums and songs charts are posted with permission on AcousticMusicScene.com. To view them, click on the headline.
Q & A with Nerissa and Katryna Nields

Q & A with Nerissa and Katryna Nields

Nerissa and Katryna Nields have been making, performing and recording their special brand of music and quirky and emotive songs for more than two decades. Kathy Sands-Boehmer recently spoke with them about their latest album, The Full Catastrophe, and more. [To read Kathy’s Q & A with the sisters, click on the headline.]
Everything's Up to "Folk" in Kansas City

Everything’s Up to “Folk” in Kansas City

Kansas City, Missouri may be better known for jazz, blues, barbecue chefs and the football Chiefs. However, more than 2,000 people are expected to converge on this midwestern U.S. metropolis Feb. 19-23, 2014, for the 26th Annual International Folk Alliance Conference and a new Winter Music Camp that will run concurrently with it. [To continue reading the article, click on the headline.]

Entries Sought in Philadelphia Songwriters Project Contest

Online submissions are being accepted until March 14, 2014 in the ninth annual performing songwriting contest produced by The Philadelphia Songwriters Project. Songs will be evaluated by music industry professionals based on lyrics, music and performance quality. [To read the full article, click on the headline.]
Nickel Creek Reunites, Sets Spring Tour

Nickel Creek Reunites, Sets Spring Tour

Nickel Creek, the popular progressive acoustic trio that went on a self-described “indefinite hiatus” in 2007, is reuniting. To mark its 25th anniversary, the Grammy Award-winning, multi-platinum-selling band will embark on a U.S. tour this spring and summer and is at work on a new album. [To read the full article and view a video of Nickel Creek performing a song from its forthcoming album, click on the headline.]
Falcon Ridge Folk Festival's 'Most Wanted' Emerging Artists Named

Falcon Ridge Folk Festival’s ‘Most Wanted’ Emerging Artists Named

The Boxcar Lilies, Darlingside, Connor Garvey and Roosevelt Dime have been invited to participate in the Most Wanted Song Swap at this summer’s Falcon Ridge Folk Festival. They were chosen in balloting by 2013 festival goers from among 24 artists/bands who performed in last year’s Falcon Ridge/Grassy Hill Emerging Artists Showcase. [To read the full article and view videos of the "Most Wanted" artists, click on the headline.]
2014 JUNO Awards Nominees Announced

2014 JUNO Awards Nominees Announced

Serena Ryder, an Ontario-based folk-rock singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, is among the top nominees in the 2014 JUNO Awards, the Canadian equivalent of the Grammys. Nominees also were named for Roots & Traditional Album of the Year Solo and Group. [To read the full article, click on the headline.]
Winners Named in 40th Annual SPBGMA Bluegrass Music Awards

Winners Named in 40th Annual SPBGMA Bluegrass Music Awards

The Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America (SPBGMA) presented its 40th Annual Bluegrass Music Awards on February 2, 2014 at the Sheraton Music City Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee. Winners in 23 categories were honored during an awards show that capped the nonprofit organization’s national convention. [To read the full article and see the list of winners, click on the headline.]