Latest News

Avalonfest Performing Songwriter Competition Open for Entries

Songwriters interested in performing during Avalonfest 2011 in West Virginia in mid-August are invited to enter the festival’s annual songwriting competition. June 11 is the deadline for submission of two original songs that have not previously been entered in the competition. [To read the full article, click on the headline.]

Neil Young, Old Man Luedecke, Le Vent du Nord Win JUNO Awards

The 40th annual JUNO Awards were presented by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS), March 26 and 27 in Toronto. Internationally acclaimed singer-songwriter Neil Young was the big winner, while Nova Scotia-based Old Man Luedecke and Quebec-based group Le Vent du Nord captured awards for Roots & Traditional Album of the Year Solo and Group, respectively. {To read the article in its entirety, click on the headline.]

Roots Music Report Folk Radio Chart, 03-24-11

Barton Hollow, the debut album by the folk-Americana duo The Civil Wars, continues to hold the #1 spot on the Roots Music Report Folk Radio Chart. Following it are albums by Bruce Cockburn, The Wailin' Jennys, Bobby Long and Malcolm Holcombe. [To view the current Folk Top 50 albums chart, click on the headline.]

Carlton Haney, Bluegrass Festival Promoter and Booking Agent, 1928-2011

Carlton Haney, who launched the first multi-day bluegrass music festival with camping, the second prominent magazine focused on the genre, and served as a booking agent for Bill Monroe and others, died on March 16 at a hospital in Greensburg, North Carolina, following a stroke earlier in the month. He was 82. [To read the full article, click on the headline.]

Roots Music Report Folk Radio Chart, 03-18-11

The Civil Wars' Barton Hollow returns to the #1 position on the Roots Music Report Folk Radio Chart this week, followed by albums by The Wailin' Jennys, Bruce Cockburn, Jessica Lea Mayfield and Bobby Long. [To view the current Folk Top 50 albums chart, click on the headline.]

Old Settler’s Music Festival, April 14-17 in Texas Hill Country

The roots music and Americana-oriented Old Settler’s Music Festival returns to the Salt Lick BBQ Pavilion and Camp Ben McCulloch in Driftwood, Texas, April 14-17. Now in its 24th year, the festival is not as well-known outside the state as some others in the Austin area – and that’s part of its allure. Old Settler’s Music Festival also takes place during what’s usually the height of Texas Hill Country’s wildflower season. [To read the article in full, click on the headline.]

Singer-Songwriter Cape May Conference Set for March 25-26, 2011

Springtime may be off-season for the historic Victorian-lined seaside resort community of Cape May, New Jersey. But singer-songwriters and others engaged in the music industry will be there on Friday and Saturday, March 25-26, for the fourth annual Singer Songwriter Cape May music business conference. [To read the full article, click on the headline.]

Jack Hardy, Singer-Songwriter and Fast Folk Founder, 1947-2011

Jack Hardy, a singer-songwriter who played a pivotal role in the New York folk/songwriting scene for several decades and influenced and inspired many other songwriters, died on March 11. His death at age 63 sent shockwaves through the folk community, with many posting short remembrances and tributes on Facebook -- the social networking platform. [To read the article in its entirety, click on the headline.]

Roots Music Report Folk Radio Chart, 03-11-11

The Wailin' Jennys' recently released Bright Morning Stars tops this week's Roots Music Report Folk Radio Chart, while Malcolm Holcombe's To Drink The Rain and Abigail Washburn's City of Refuge are in the #2 and #3 positions, respectively. [To view the current Folk Top 50 albums chart, click on the headline.]

Two Songwriting Contests Have April 15 Entry Deadlines

April 15 is the entry deadline for both the Philadelphia Songwriters Project’s 2011 Songwriting Contest and the 19th Annual Rose Garden Coffeehouse Performing Songwriter Competition. [To read the article, click on the headline.]

Two Long Island-Based Nonprofit Arts Organizations Forge a Partnership To Present and Promote Folk Music Programming

Recognizing the value of collaboration in the arts, two venerable Long Island, New York-based nonprofit arts organizations are doing just that. The Cinema Arts Centre and the Folk Music Society of Huntington are teaming up to present a monthly concert series and also are engaging in other cross-promotional efforts across their respective artistic disciplines. Note: AcousticMusicScene.com's Michael Kornfeld is president of the Folk Music Society of Huntington. [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]

Roots Music Report Folk Radio Chart, 03-04-11

Malcolm Holcombe's To Drink The Rain tops the Roots Music Report Folk Radio Chart this week, while Abigail Washburn's City of Refuge and The Wailin' Jennys' February release, Bright Morning Star, climbed into the #2 and #3 positions, respectively. [To view the current Folk Top 50 albums chart, click on the headline.]