Boise, ID (CBS2) — The Ada County Coroner has identified the man who died in a multi-vehicle crash on North Americana Boulevard on April 29 as 66-year-old Mitchell Edwards of Boise, Idaho. The coroner's office was dispatched to Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center at approximately 3:45 p.m. Edwards was pronounced dead in the emergency department after lifesaving measures for the injuries he sustained in the collision near Ann Morrison Park were unsuccessful, where he was the driver of one of the vehicles involved. The Boise City Police Department is conducting an investigation into the crash. Further information is pending. Also: Must-reads about Elise Stefanik and John Fetterman Karoline Leavitt chased her ordinary press conference with one for conservative influencers and streamers Some of the questions were about Ukraine negotiations and family-friendly policies the president might support “A lot of people in America are questioning if there’s any possibility that we could see further investigations for anyone that could have violated our election integrity rights,” asked X influencer Dom Lucre “Is there any possibility for names such as Barack Hussein Obama asked if Trump’s lawsuit against CBS will “go to fruition,” and possibly roll up more of the press “Will the New York Times be enjoined into that lawsuit?” he asked “Will Trump sue Fox for their methodology in polling?” which his executive order couldn’t provide; eliminating taxes on tips; eliminating taxes on Social Security benefits he’s talked about eliminating taxes on income under $200,000 He hasn’t endorsed a $5000 “DOGE dividend” check and the Trump joint fundraising committee sent donors an email this week warning that Democrats wanted to “STOP YOUR $5000 DOGE DIVIDEND CHECKS.” Until Trump says no, the expectation is that all of the harder, costlier promises will be fulfilled, too. Nobody has said “we can’t,” yet. Democrats here held one of the first stops on the invisible primary: A fundraising dinner with Illinois Gov which he used to pick a fight with the Trump administration “Never before in my life have I called for mass protests after praising the people who’d been resisting Trump in the streets “These Republicans cannot know a moment of peace They must understand that we will fight their cruelty with every megaphone and microphone that we have.” Pritzker had sharper lines for Republicans in the 30-minute speech — the first one any potential 2028 presidential candidate had given in an early-voting state a fact that delighted party chair Ray Buckley He warned that MAGA Republicans would be remembered as “tyrants and traitors,” and got huge applause for denouncing funding threats to universities: “Do not claim that your authoritarian power-grabs are about combatting antisemitism.” He turned a blowtorch on his party against “do-nothing Democrats” whose “timidity” had brought Trump back to power But it was the “no peace” line that Republicans latched onto the state GOP chair demanded an “open investigation for criminal incitement.” In Washington Stephen Miller said the quote could “clearly could be construed as inciting violence.” Back in Chicago Pritzker met with University of Illinois students and mocked the administration for not “listening to my speech at all.” “Stephen Miller is part of a gang of people who apparently support the idea of attacking the federal capitols on January 6th,” he said “I have called on people to express themselves… something that is obviously not understood by the gang that controls the White House today.” Keep reading for the full story on the very unofficial start of the 2028 primary. → after John Reid refused to resign and said an account that shared nude photos did not belong to him Reid, a former journalist and Senate staffer, was the only Republican who qualified for the ticket, letting his party forgo a primary as Democrats battled for their LG and attorney general nominations. The trouble started at the end of last week, when Gov. Glenn Youngkin urged Reid to drop out after becoming aware of what a Youngkin spokesman called “disturbing online content.” saying in a short video that he had nothing to do with nude photos on a Tumblr account that shared its handle with one he uses on Instagram and it is illegal in Virginia,” he claimed quoted from the Book of Matthew and called for the story to end: “It is his race The DNC itself has defended the rules that elected Hogg and the rest of its leadership argues that the crucial vote “undermin[ed] both fairness and gender diversity.” The party’s credentials committee will hear this complaint; this summer the full DNC will vote on banning members from intervening in primaries Crowded primaries keep breaking out anyway Angie Craig entered the race to replace Sen Peggy Flanagan — who pointedly hasn’t been endorsed by her governing partner (Hogg got Walz’s support for his DNC bid.) Click here the full story on the intra-party fight. → to running the White House briefing room under Biden Ben and Max bring on the former Press Secretary to talk about what it means to be a cable news host in 2025 and why she went from being a spokesperson to a primetime anchor They also ask her what she thinks of the current administration’s press tactics and what she makes of the idea that there was a cover-up of Joe Biden’s condition Listen to the latest episode of Mixed Signals now. McKinney was the first Democrat of the cycle to be endorsed by Justice Democrats the group that recruited Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and the rest of the “squad” — a reboot after it spent the last cycle on defense against AIPAC He was introducing articles of impeachment against Donald Trump Plenty of Democratic activists had been calling for it; Georgia Sen Jon Ossoff had just told a constituent that Trump committed impeachable offenses while McKinney believed that Israel was carrying out a genocide There are growing grassroots demands for a vote to remove Trump from office from new organizations like the Mayday Movement (which began an impeachment sit-in on May 1) and Citizens’ Impeachment call Trump a threat to democracy and a would-be king and say that there’s only one constitutional provision to stop that But Democrats have balked at their demands The lesson of the last two Trump impeachments Click for more about the Democrats’ latest dilemma. → CC BY-SA 2.0“Children will be taught to love America Children will be taught to be patriots,” Stephen Miller said on Thursday “We’re gonna make sure these funds are not being used to promote communist ideology.” Grandin doesn’t expect the same fate for his book even for people with a solid understanding of the United States The Trump administration’s talk about annexing Canada which helped Prime Minister Mark Carney win this week’s election gets covered as a wild departure from norms So does the new right’s affinity for El Salvador and the deportation of illegal immigrants here to a mega-prison there Read the rest before you read the book. → It pinned him with the worst overall approving ratings on some key issues for a president after 100 days in office — far worse than Joe Biden who at this point in his term was benefiting from the wind-down of COVID and the economic stimulus packages he’d inherited from Trump and built on about as low as it was when he lost the 2020 election Bad perceptions of the economy drive everything and his advantage on immigration and “gender” issues which Democrats have wrung their hands responding to That could have implications for down-ballot Republicans the GOP has continued to attack Democrats over “migrant crime” and the definition of a “woman” in sports but worries about inflation have overwhelmed those topics That makes sense in a swing state where they’ve been winless Trump’s decline has been driven by unpopular results for sometimes-popular actions he took Democrats haven’t benefitted from a backlash; independents have just soured on all of them Democrats haven’t won an election in Ohio since 2018 They’re hopeful that the conditions next year — a second Trump midterm a Trump-endorsed Ramaswamy candidacy for governor — will open up a path for them registered Ohio voters say that the first 100 days were “worse” than they expected in a state where trade protectionism has traditionally been very popular But the Democratic brand is still in the sewer runs only slightly stronger than Kamala Harris did last year who Democrats see as strong potential candidates for either the Senate seat or for governor run about as strong as Brown did when he lost re-election Democrats have no real path to a majority in Ohio without their old base in the Mahoning Valley and not even candidates from the region (like Ryan) are bringing it back yet that the story had run its course and it was time for members to stop saying they would head there (This happened after Republicans ruled out official status pointing to headaches ahead for shareholders At $60 a barrel, most oil companies’ dividends are probably safe they’re at much greater risk — we’re not there yet Sign up for Semafor Net Zero: The nexus of politics, tech, and energy. → The new single from Revere Rivers is truly powerful stuff The layered instrumentation and Rivers’ vocal performance combine to generate an incredibly atmospheric song in ‘A Girl Named Happiness’ creates the impression of an intimate conversation; it’s delicate quietly pulling the listener into his words James Gadson delivers a light yet insistent rhythm on the drums and everything else hangs on the subtle but urgent feel he creates David Ralicke arranged and performed the horns which make ‘A Girl Named Happiness’ quietly epic alongside Rivers’ piano and Hammond B-3 is simple but effective – Rivers appears alone and delivers his words with great feeling Rivers says of the song: “I wrote ‘A Girl Named Happiness’ during a dark night of the soul season I was having a hard time sleeping and would wake up in the middle of the night ‘A Girl Named Happiness’ is a metaphor for the inner joy I started to find in getting ideas I heard swirling in my head and desperately writing them down on paper I went into a studio and recorded a stripped-down version built around my voice and a lonesome acoustic guitar When Los Angeles-based record producer Marvin Etzioni got to know me more he learned about my piano training in New Orleans I was a huge fan of his work with Bill Withers and Marvin Gaye We finished the final overdubs with horn arranger David Ralicke The video of ‘A Girl Named Happiness’ might look like a lonely man with just an acoustic guitar it’s a homage to the sound I’ve been feeling in my soul for years and years that seems to be possible when one starts with a song written in darkness.” The single will appear on “I Was Born of Water” who has worked with the likes of Counting Crows While you’re waiting for the full collection absorb ‘A Girl Named Happiness’ – a moody and heartfelt introduction to Revere Rivers Essentials: The Top 10 John Paul White Songs Bruce Springsteen “Faithless” – looking for something to hold onto Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value" This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. If you enjoy what you're reading and don't want to support us on a monthly basis you can help us keep this site free from looking like one of those awful REACH sites by making a one off donation towards our running costs Be daring, be yourself, be willing to take risks and stand alone. Vanessa Collier’s music is gritty, raw, and at times, either downright sad or bubbling happy. As with most songwriters worth their salt, her songs […] “All of a sudden, time stood still, and we watched our plans and expectations float away like lost balloons.” For Angela Easterling, life began in South Carolina and, except for college years in Boston, has been […] Past, present and future are inseparable in her songs. There is an openness to Maya de Vitry that is refreshing to come by. Formerly in the Stray Birds, a bluegrass band, the Lancaster, Pennsylvania-born musician is […] As always in these prescriptive articles there must be a drawing of boundaries and Clint’s first article in the series seemed to have dealt with the idea that you should define americana in a narrow sense […] Steve Earle announced his arrival in our lives with his debut album in 1986. Since then, he has racked up almost thirty studio and live albums under his own name or in collaboration with others. I […] I heard from a colleague,  who has contact with associates of Eric Taylor, that he had died on March 9th 2020 following a period of illness. I immediately checked the web for confirmation but there was […] Americana singer-songwriter Taylor Rae was born and raised in Santa Cruz but now calls Austin, Texas, home. She recently played the South by Southwest music festival in Austin and NPR Music named her as one of the best at this year’s festival Rae will be returning to Santa Cruz for an album release concert for her latest album The Void KAZU's Dylan Music asked her about her childhood in Santa Cruz County and how she got started in music I was involved in local theater and musical theater and got my start on the stage early whether acting and singing or eventually singing my own songs," she said I feel like I had a really magical childhood surrounded by the most beautiful nature on the planet and a community of people that really support the arts my friend’s parents…they were always so supportive of following an artistic dream." Click the audio player at the top of this story to listen to the interview or read the highlights below and the 'second-song energy' of "Maybe I'm the Villain" All of my favorite records have such a heavy-hitting second song. “Maybe I’m the Villain” was the last song that I wrote before recording the record I was really happy with the collection of songs that I had but I felt like there was a side that was missing at least the melodies and the progression and that kind of blues-rock vibe so that The Void would come out and then just like heavy-hit Dylan Music: This song has this line “even when I miss you most I’ll never go back to the coast.” So is this song about an ex-partner TR: But it is also [about] the Santa Cruz coast I just felt like the coast represented maybe him Americana singer-songwriter Taylor Rae's album The Void is out now and she’ll be doing an album release show at Moe’s Alley in Santa Cruz on Friday Idaho — A Boise man and a dog are dead following a multi-vehicle crash on Americana Boulevard at the entrance to Ann Morrison Park on Tuesday The Ada County Coroner's Office has identified the man as 66-year-old Mitchell Edwards Police say that a pickup truck heading northbound on Americana struck a car turning left into the park from southbound Americana The two vehicles then collided with two other vehicles that were stopped at the light Edwards and the dog who died were in the vehicle that was first hit by the truck Americana was closed between Crescent Rim and Shoreline while police investigated and cleared the scene A Boise Police Department investigation is ongoing and Idaho News 6 will continue to update this story as more information becomes available We cover stories making an impact in Boise Bench. This is your home to stay on top of what is changing in Boise Bench and why it matters to you and your family. We want to hear from you! Click here and tell us what we should be covering in your neighborhood. Connecting decision makers to a dynamic network of information, people and ideas, Bloomberg quickly and accurately delivers business and financial information, news and insight around the world ColumnistThe End of Pax Americana Holds Opportunities for the UKFrom culture and language to universities and trusted institutions Britain could be punching higher on the global stage with talent and drive and great earnings potential where would you want to travel to live and work as the land of the free turns inward and MAGA policies from tariffs to attacks on universities and the law begin to bite Paul Walter Hauser and Halsey tease their characters in the new film Maureen Lee Lenker is a senior writer at Entertainment Weekly with over seven years of experience in the entertainment industry she's written for Turner Classic Movies She's worked at EW for six years covering film The author of EW's quarterly romance review column "Hot Stuff," Maureen holds Master's degrees from both the University of Southern California and the University of Oxford Follow her for all things related to classic Hollywood Shannen Ace Get ready for the 4th of July with a new Americana Lug bag featuring Mickey Mouse available at Walt Disney World. We first got a preview of this purse at an event showcasing several upcoming Disney Parks Lug bags with a Mickey appliqué set against a blue background with white stars The main part of the bag is striped red and blue The Disney Parks | Lug label plate is white There are two small blue loops which can be used to convert the purse to a belt bag It includes a detachable blue crossbody strap The interior lining is blue with a pattern including Mickey’s silhouette and “America the Beautiful” in red The bag is available in the Emporium at Magic Kingdom. Check out more new Americana merchandise available for July 4th at Walt Disney World For the latest Disney Parks news and info, follow WDW News Today on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram Idaho (CBS2) — A multi-vehicle crash on North Americana Boulevard at the entrance to Ann Morrison Park claimed the lives of a driver and a dog on Tuesday afternoon Boise Police reported that the crash involved a pickup truck traveling northbound on Americana which struck a passenger car turning left into the park from southbound Americana The impact caused the two vehicles to collide with two others stopped at the light The Boise Police Violent Crime Unit and Crash Reconstruction team responded to the scene closing Americana between Crescent Rim and Shoreline to conduct their investigation and clear the area Authorities confirmed that the driver and the dog who died were in the passenger car initially struck by the pickup truck There were no other serious injuries reported The investigation into the crash is ongoing The Ada County Coroner will release the identity of the deceased driver once the next of kin have been notified Psychedelic plucking a go-go on mesmerising collection with special guests You’ve got to be a respected musician if you can have Dinosaur Jr supremo J Mascis guest on your new album – and when he does so it’s on electric sitar Yet that’s exactly what Western Massachusetts musician Stephen Pierce has managed to achieve with his third album – his first fronting a four piece band Gold Dust’s first two albums were broadly solo efforts – but with this he’s joined by Adam Reid (drums) Ally Einbinder (guitar) and Sean Greene (bass) They’ve created a wonderful eight track psychedelic warm vocals and an interesting smorgasbord of influences including traditional folk and 90’s rock The album is further enhanced by contributions from Anthony Saffery (Cornershop) playing sitar Drew Gardner on vibraphone and Fred Thomas on synth and vocals The resulting songs are very much in the vein of War On Drugs Mercury Rev and Beulah – but have a distinctive feel of their own The album title is inspired by the writings of 11th-century philosopher Hildegard of Bingen It’s a sonically brave and bold sounding album with brilliant production from Justin Pizzoferrato who has worked with Pierce before and this has really helped the songs – he’s cleverly melded all the songs together – and this works so well The opener ‘Whatever’s Left’ sets the tone for what’s to come before an impactful jangly guitar sound interjects and Pierce’s dreamy vocals appear and there’s a great melody developing Throughout this album there’s some seriously classy guitar work on show perfectly complementing the other musical styles being shared Immediately the feel is slowed down on the second track This merges into the cornerstone of the album supplemented by dreamy vocals and guitars jangling wildly and lovely banjo work in the background Then we have the highlight – a barnstorming electric sitar solo from Mascis which perfectly lifts a good tune into greatness Knowing this is the first time Pierce has recorded with his band when they sound so cohesive as a quartet as they do never more effectively demonstrated on ‘Germs Burn’ The playing and vocals merge together brilliantly and this would be a great band to catch live solid tune and really effective dreamy vocals gelling wonderfully We end with ‘Whatever’s Left Pt II A Cactus In New England’ which has a seriously catchy banjo riff starting things off and then some powerful electric guitar riffs It’s then a melange of all the sounds we’ve now got used to on the album It’s so refreshing to hear an album that’s a little different The Ugly Guys have been together for some 22 years during which time they have released seven albums their music is described as cosmic americana music in fact the band’s 2007 debut release carried this description as its title The band came into being after singer Paul Shuttleworth and Vic Collins who plays pedal steel bumped into each other on a petrol station forecourt in 2003; the pair had played together since 1969 when they formed the country rock band Cow Pie From 1972 they had played in pub rock group Kursaal Flyers an outfit that achieved chart success with the 1976 single release ‘Little Does She Know‘ (produced by Mike Batt of The Wombles fame) After a career spanning four studio albums and a live record At their chance meeting on the petrol station forecourt Shuttleworth and Collins’ discussion turned to how they missed playing the country music that they both loved They decided to look into forming a new band with the intention of playing cover versions (as was the case originally with the Kursaal Flyers) After recruiting guitarist Steve Oliver (formerly of Ipsissimus and Jerry the Ferret) Shuttleworth and Collins set about recruiting other musicians; namely local drummer Bob Clouter (Mickey Jupp Stan Webb’s Chicken Shack) and Mike Steed (formerly of goth rockers Flesh For Lulu) being named after a Kursaal Flyers song ‘Ugly Guys‘ Starting off true to their original intention the band’s early output was restricted to cover versions releasing two LPs in 2007; “Cosmic American Music” the band’s debut and “Truckers Kickers & Cowboy Angels“ described as “a tribute to the music and influence of Gram Parsons“ It wasn’t until 2010 and the third LP that the band mixed in some of their own compositions on “The Road Goes On Forever“ the band’s line up has remained relatively stable apart the position of bass player with Steed departing for pastures new (most recently appearing as a member of The Kinks tribute band the The Kast Off Kinks) after playing on “Cosmic American Music“ Steed’s role was taken by Andy Farrell formerly of Southend blues rock band The Hamsters Farrell remained until 2018 when he quit the group to concentrate on teaching to be replaced by Nevil Kiddier from power pop group The Pinkees “Still Kickin’ – The Best of The Ugly Guys” comprises of 17 tracks plus a rather different version of ‘Little Does She Know‘ which was co-written by Shuttleworth alongside Kursaal Flyers bandmates Will Birch and Graeme Douglas It also includes a version of Mickey Jupp’s ‘I Should Be Loving This’ which is set to feature on the next The Ugly Guys record there are covers of songs written by Adele plus another Kursaal Flyers number (the aforementioned ‘Ugly Guys‘) The record is topped and tailed by Kursaal Flyers songs; ‘Ugly Guys‘ and ‘Little Does She Know‘ respectively In both cases the presentations are sufficiently different from the original version to make covering the song a worthwhile exercise; in particular ‘Little Does She Know‘ has been transformed It’s a song that you could easily see fitting on a Ronnie Lane solo record starts with a riff that reminds you of Dolly Parton’s ‘Jolene‘ and soon settles into a relatively gentle country rock song ‘Plains of Mexico‘ has a very Mexican sound to it; featuring prominent acoustic guitar The LP is a good listen; there’s a mix of song types which are all given The Ugly Guys treatment The playing is of a high quality and Shuttleworth’s vocals are good; his voice being a little reminiscent of Lukas Nelson’s Particular highlights on the record include ‘Neil Young in the Dark‘ ‘Wrong Side of Memphis‘ and ‘Fragrance on the Wind‘ First ever vinyl reissue of Alison Krauss’ early career compilation out in July The debut album from this Milwaukee-area ensemble “has a sound that leans Americana and neo-traditional country.” The sub Delines stylings of ‘Evensong,’ are enlivened by the pedal steel and Tamara Kroes’ vocals on the chorus ‘This House Is Too Quiet’ reveals itself through Matt Vollmer’s six-string bass and Bryan Kroes’s voice which turns out to be one of The Slow Harvest’s big strengths They say that “these are the stories of life’s fleeting joys and inevitable sorrows.” ‘There Has To Be More’ is as angst filled as songs come A chorus of “I’ve read the good book and every nihilist account there has to be more after this world than sleeping in the ground” makes some of Willy Vlautin’s characters seem positively joyful As is ‘We’re Already Dead’ which follows and does have more country about it thanks to the pedal steel If you thought the previous song took an overly dim view of life then “All this life we’re livin’ is just a dream inside a head We’re already dead,” will have you considering your listening choices If on the other hand you can appreciate the slow blues of ‘North Country Snow’ and Bryan Kroes’ the band’s writer’s “handling of seriously heavy subject matter” there is lots to reward the careful considerate listener ‘If Not For Love’ offers a glimpse of hope over a fuzz solo from Vollmer It’s that distinctive Fender Bass VI sound which gives The Slow Harvest a lot of their distinctive sound with a growl at the low end and a Spaghetti Western twang further up the scale You can almost see the tumbleweed being whipped up by a chill prairie wind Harrison Dole’s pedal steel is what gives the impression of “country-ness” to the music In reality this is music beyond classification with influences pulled from all over the musical and cinematic landscape While we are in what passes for an optimistic mood in Slow Harvest world Kroes gives us ‘Time Doesn’t Matter’ where tempus fugits in a blink of an eye ‘Staring At The Horizon‘ sees Tamara Kroes’ harmonies return on song which picks up the pace to the point that a slow dance might be possible ‘We Could Use A Little Rain’ closes the album where we started with a traditionally structured country tune but of course we are still finding lessons about life albeit with a singalong chorus of “If this big old world stops turning ain’t no reason to cry now If we never wake up tomorrow ain’t no reason for sorrow we’ll be free.” A “striking juxtaposition of honky-tonk and blunt societal critique” they tell us The band are clear about their mission: “These are songs written for those who know we are all prisoners incarcerated on a rock hurtling headlong into the infinite void For those who know there is no such thing as winning and no such thing as being right These are songs about the hard-won redemptive power of love These are the things we are too scared to confront during the daylight hours but that unfailingly return to haunt us come the long nightfall.” It could be argued that songs like this should be left well alone in a world full enough of trouble and strife there is something remarkably uplifting about them Having those thoughts form the long dark of the soul brought out and shown some light is refreshing and this the band to help us embrace them Catherine’s Child “New Eden” – these are the not the best times for this The Wood Brothers to reappear in a “Puff Of Smoke” in August Another release from the Springsteen unreleased seven albums set – ‘Faithless‘ has a smoother ‘Nebraska‘ feel to it with a bit of a Dylan twist as well “I reached for the hem of his garment / I stood in the light of the doorway / I saw my face in the waters at the river side / and it’s a hard faithless.”  And maybe it’s not so surprising at that as this is the title track of an un-released album that would have come between ‘Devils & Dust‘ and ‘The Seeger Sessions.’  ‘Faithless‘ was meant to be a film soundtrack – only the film was never made As Springsteen explains: “This was a really unusual collection of songs.”  All of ‘Faithless‘ was composed before a single frame of the film was shot — over a prolific two weeks in Florida — he says of the results: “You could recognize details and maybe a character or two I just wrote atmospheric music that I thought would fit.” the album was recorded primarily as a solo pursuit with appearances throughout by producer Ron Aniello touring members of The E Street Band — Soozie Tyrell Michelle Moore and Ada Dyer — as well as contributions from Patti Scialfa Video Premiere: Revere Rivers “A Girl Named Happiness” The Ugly Guys “Still Kickin’ – The Best of The Ugly Guys” This installation introduces a charming and historically significant group of 1920s dress silks designed by some of the leading commercial artists of that era While the American fashion industry was previously dependent on French textile and dress design the “Americana Collection” set out to prove that the fifteen American designers commissioned (a group that included both male and female designers) were as talented as French designers The Stehli Silks Corporation took a gamble on these bold designs many showing images of 1920s American life The installation includes information on the rise of American design for the American consumer in the early years of the twentieth century the visual and popular culture of the 1920s that informed the textile designs and it also introduces the various designers who were involved with this groundbreaking textile line like photographer Edward Steichen and cartoonist John Held as well as photographs of models wearing “flapper” dresses made from the textiles illustrated books and newspaper clippings about the textile line and examples of the designs featured in the fashion magazines of the day Austin City Limits returns to the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville for a special broadcast featuring performances from the 23rd Annual Americana Honors this celebration of roots music has honored the leading lights of the Americana field while showcasing unique performances and collaborations from pioneering mainstays and trailblazing newcomers The program is filled with musical highlights from award-winning legends buzzworthy new artists and longtime fan favorites among them (in order of appearance): Duane Betts Sierra Ferrell and Emmylou Harris with Rodney Crowell November 23 @ 7pm CT/8pm ET on PBS and the PBS app and varies by market (check local listings for times) The special will be available to music fans everywhere to stream online beginning Sunday November 24 @10am ET at pbs.org/austincitylimits The program’s official hashtags are #acltv and #americanafest Viewers can visit acltv.com for news regarding upcoming tapings episode schedules and select live stream updates The complete line-up for Austin City Limits’ full 14-week milestone Season 50 including six new episodes to air beginning January 11 Recorded live at Nashville’s historic “Mother Church,” the Ryman Auditorium The Americana Music Association’s 23rd Annual Americana Honors & Awards ceremony is a celebration of the confluence of roots in conjunction with producers Martin Fischer and Jed Hilly for the Americana Music Association Duane Betts opens the hour with a tribute to his late father Dickey Betts with a rollicking version of the Allman Brothers classic “Blue Sky.” “That one’s for you We love you,” says the next-generation guitar ace Folk duo The Milk Carton Kids introduce Sierra Ferrell saying “Dolly Parton is who we should look to for where Sierra is headed.” Ferrell performs her spellbinding Song of the Year-nominated “American Dreaming” from her LP Trail of Flowers (awarded Album of the Year) The country-folk-bluegrass star also recently scored nods across all the Americana categories for the upcoming 2025 Grammy Awards.  Waxahatchee (the performance name of acclaimed indie musician Katie Crutchfield) performs her Song of the Year-nominated “Right Back To It” from her album also newly-nominated for a Grammy for Best Americana Album She is joined by the record’s guest artist singer-songwriter-guitarist MJ Lenderman for the performance Artist of the Year nominee Noah Kahan delivers a stirring version of his 2023 breakout smash “Dial Drunk” accompanied by the Americana All-Star Band Americana legend T Bone Burnett introduces the Duo/Group of the Year honorees who are deep practitioners of this [Americana] art form” and the powerhouse pair perform their scorching “Bluephoria” dressed in striking red outfits Texas native and acclaimed singer-songwriter-multi-instrumentalist Sarah Jarosz delivers a sparkling “Jealous Moon,” a Song of the Year nominee from her 2024 album Polaroid Lovers Emerging Act of the Year nominee Jobi Riccio shines with her slowburn “For Me It’s You” from 2023’s acclaimed LP Whiplash.  The special honors singular artists with Lifetime Achievement Awards who revolutionized Gospel music with their infusion of a nontraditional The current line-up of the legendary group performs an ecstatic rendition of “Work Until My Days Are Done” that earns a standing ovation from the Ryman audience The late blues and gospel pioneer Reverend Gary Davis receives the Legacy of Americana award with a salute by three-time Grammy-winning blues firebrand Fantastic Negrito the guitar slinger shines in a sanctified take on the Rev Davis classic “Samson and Delilah,” with revival-like intensity in a soaring performance amplified by the vocals of gospel greats the McCrary Sisters Singer-songwriter Allison Moorer celebrates her big sister and Lifetime Achievement Honoree Shelby Lynne calling Lynne “my personal trailblazer.” Moorer joins Lynne for a performance of “Gotta Get Back,” from her breakthrough album I Am Shelby Lynne C&W icon Dwight Yoakam is presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award by singer-songwriter Brandy Clark Yoakam thrills with his trademark Bakersfield-meets-rockabilly groove on his 1993 hit “Fast as You,” joined by Americana great Jim Lauderdale on backing vocals Americana favorite Margo Price introduces country legends Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell and the luminous hour comes to an unforgettable close as the two greats perform a gorgeous reading of the Gram Parsons classic “Return of the Grievous Angel” earning one more Ryman ovation.  Longstanding house band leader Buddy Miller returns as musical director for the Americana All-Star Band featuring Don Was—a 2024 Lifetime Achievement Honoree—Larry Campbell and The McCrary Sisters backing many of the night’s performers.  Blind Boys of Alabama “Work Until My Days Are Done”  Waxahatchee w/MJ Lenderman “Right Back To It”  Fantastic Negrito “Samson and Delilah”  Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell “Return of the Grievous Angel”  Watch new Austin City Limits episodes live Viewers can visit acltv.com for news regarding the Season 50 second half broadcast line-up and episode schedules or follow ACL on Facebook Fans can also browse the ACL YouTube channel for exclusive songs behind-the-scenes videos and full-length artist interviews.  Austin City Limits is a production of Austin PBS “pop-prog” and “baroque-pop” Black Country New Road captured this reviewer’s imagination before they played a single note Include their further classifications of “alt-rock” “post-rock” and “post-punk” and the mind New Road is a group of six highly talented musicians a mix of classically trained and self-taught these multi-instrumentalists have drawn plaudits from the specialist music to the national press Folk and pop abound but what particularly grabs the attention is the charming eccentricity with which they harmonise around sparkling melodies Lyrically there is a lot of folk inspiration and readers of a certain age will recognise the prog-rock we thought had been safely confined to the 1970s New Road (named after a road in the West Midlands) is more than a band or group such is the way they share and participate specialise in what is known as “sprechgesang” or talk-singing At times it feels as if songs are just going to fall apart they are so complicated but the strong melodies hold everything together After a theatrical harpsichord ‘Besties’ opens the album with youthful joy the sax hinting at the theme of unrequited desire ‘The Big Spin’ jumps around all over the place matching an urge for a simpler life The main prog event is the six minutes of ‘For The Cold Country’ A more robust sound comes on ‘Happy Birthday’ a glorious melange of sound “Quail thighs/ Grilled on both sides” evokes the summer party of ‘Salem Sisters’ “I shall boil some beans/ I should get my vitamin B” on the title track is another example of their quintessential English whimsy but “Forever Howlong” could be one for the more folk-minded reader New Road’s unquestionable abilities but for this reviewer firmly entrenched at the grittier end of the musical spectrum Forever Howlong by Black Country, New Road Gold Dust “In The Light Of Living Shade” Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Mountain Climer is the alias of Indiana native singer-songwriter Jeremy Climer “Before You Turn Out the Lights” moves beyond Climer’s pop punk beginnings by adding a laid-back layer of country and roots rock ‘American Oak’ and ‘Not Friends Anymore,’ trilling mandolins dancing piano lines and strings introduce an amiable country-folk vibe ‘From a Bedroom in Denver,’ which sounds like a spooky electric version of Springsteen’s ‘State Trooper’ from his “Nebraska” album A lone sorrowful violin and funky pulsing bass set the stage for the brooding chill of ‘Cut Enough Wood,’ a cautionary tale of a rural older couple realising too late that they may not survive the oncoming winter weather sweeping ‘Horrible Things’ brightens the proceedings “Love means knowing you’re capable of horrible things.” Its pop leanings and goth-like lyrics are very much like The Cure though it’s hard to imagine Robert Smith affecting Climer’s Southern drawl The second half of “Before You Turn Out the Lights” is more reflective than the first Only the manic ‘A Song for Mindy’ detours into eerie guitar-driven surfabilly territory Both the moving generation-spanning family saga ‘Ray’ and end-of-life shuffle ‘Paper Gowns’ reprise the album’s earlier gentle country style The mysterious blues of ‘River City’ uses ambient cinematic effects and a sobbing violin interlude to reflect the lonely midnight desperation expressed in its lyrics The album closes with the mournful piano ballad ‘We Don’t Start Fights’ that has a man holding his daughter’s hand in front of his spouse’s grave Mountain Climer’s vivid slice of life storytelling and deft genre hopping keep “Before You Turn Out the Lights” fresh and intriguing Whatever moniker Jeremy Climer may go under Sounds from Beyond the Shed 183 “The Big 100” Sydney Sweeney just opened up about her Americana character confirming that Dolly Parton "is definitely her biggest aspirational role model." "I really wanted to make sure that we had the aspirations of being Dolly, but then, she doesn't have the resources," she tells Entertainment Weekly "Penny Jo dreams of being able to have Dolly's outlook on life because her world feels so gray [Dolly has] this beautiful big personality and energy that makes everything have color again And when an opportunity to get out of town presents itself Penny Jo might have the chance "to be able to go and chase her dreams And she's past the point of waiting for it to happen." Halsey's character Mandy is also carrying some heavy weight a specifically "a pretty profound secret that is eating her alive a little bit." "She aspires to be these bad—ss women who don't really take sh—t from anyone around them," she continues "Women who carved out their own path and have a voice and something to say Mandy's still finding her way to becoming those women that she admires." According to Lionsgate's official synopsis "a rare artifact falls onto the black market in a small South Dakota town" in the Americana movie "the lives of local outsiders and outcasts violently intertwine." And fans and critics who saw the movie at the 2023 SXSW loved it. "The more AMERICANA sits with me, the more I love it," one X user said at the time "Halsey’s screen presence is magnetic and the chemistry between Sydney Sweeney and Paul Walter Hauser is so sweet A neo-western that puts the eccentric characters of the modern wild west in the sun-soaked spotlight." The Colliderfirst look features an image of popstar Halsey The Americana release date is sooner than you realize charlesdeluvio/Unsplash Sydney Sweeney's Americana isn't available to stream yet but stay tuned for the official streaming distribution (You can also stream the 2016 movie Americana on Tubi) Stay tuned for the latest updates on Sydney Sweeney and Halsey's Americana movie! Check out The First Look At Sydney Sweeney As "Incredible" Christy Martin while you wait May 5: After redefining clean eating with its Clean Label Bread & Bakery Range La Americana Gourmet takes another step toward nutrition-focused innovation with the launch of Zero Maida Protein Bread and Zero Maida Ragi Millet Bread These new offerings cater to the evolving needs of health-conscious consumers who seek source of protein and natural ingredient-based alternatives in their daily diet La Americana Gourmet’s Protein Bread is designed for fitness enthusiasts and individuals looking to boost their daily protein intake fulfilling 25% of daily protein needs in just 4 slices this bread supports an active lifestyle while maintaining the quality of the product Ragi Millet Bread brings the power of ancient grains into modern nutrition offering a wholesome and natural alternative to regular bread making it an ideal choice for those seeking balanced nutrition “Consumers today are more conscious of their food choices and demand transparency in ingredients Our Protein Bread and Ragi Millet Bread are crafted to meet these expectations while delivering great taste and nutrition high-quality food that aligns with modern dietary needs.” Bonn Group of industries Said: With the success of our Clean Label range we saw a growing demand for protein-rich and millet-based products This launch marks another milestone in our journey to offer healthier natural alternatives to conventional bakery products.” The Protein Bread and Ragi Millet Bread are now available across Delhi with plans to expand to other regions soon Consumers can find them at leading retail outlets and on zepto La Americana Gourmet reaffirms its vision of making clean About LA Americana Gourmet & Bonn Group is a leading FMCG Company founded in 1985 by the visionary Mr The brand ‘BONN’ has become synonymous with Bread & Bakery in many cities in North India where the company enjoys a dominant market share The group produces a range of food products that are sold in India and exported to about 55 countries on three continents The company has 11 manufacturing plants spread all over north India having a fleet of more than 650 trucks and an in-house setup for developing packaging the company has introduced La Americana Gourmet which comes with “NO ADDED Preservatives clean label breads,” targeting consumers looking for lifestyle food products La Americana Gourmet has wide product portfolio which constitutes of Bread (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by HT Syndication ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content Subscribe to our channels on YouTube, Telegram & WhatsApp columnists and editors – is doing just that Sustaining this needs support from wonderful readers like you Whether you live in India or overseas, you can take a paid subscription by clicking here Support Our Journalism Americana Restaurants reported a higher net income for the first quarter of 2025 compared with this time last year as a consumer boycott targeted at the company’s brands related to the Gaza conflict eased Net profit in the three months to March grew 16.5 percent in the quarter to $32.6 million driven by higher revenue and margin improvement Revenue rose 16.2 percent year-on-year “despite softening consumer demand in certain markets and impact from the currency devaluation primarily in Egypt” The largest fast food service operator in the Middle East and North Africa It also integrated 46 additional outlets from Pizza Hut Oman bringing the total store count to 2,630 across 12 countries “while higher tax charges in certain markets may affect net income in upcoming quarters the company is managing these developments through financial planning and operational flexibility” Americana, whose shares are listed on both the Saudi Exchange and the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) had a 39 percent decline in net profit last year The Israel-Hamas war began in October 2023 leading many in the Middle East and beyond to boycott American brands Founded in Kuwait but now based in the UAE’s Sharjah emirate the company’s shares are up by 4 percent year-to-date on the ADX at AED2.30 as of Tuesday’s closing price.  AGBI registered members can access even more of our unique analysis and perspective on business and economics in the Middle East Already registered? Sign in I’ll register later is making its first foray outside of the Gulf by expanding into the UK which was founded in Bahrain but now has its headquarters in Saudi Arabia is acquiring UK-based meal delivery brands Fresh Fitness Food and Detox Kitchen in the expansion a wholly owned subsidiary of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and Brazilian food processor BRF have started constructing a processed-food factory in Jeddah The factory is being developed by the joint venture BRF Arabia Holding Company at a cost of $160 million PepsiCo has said it plans to open a research and development facility in Saudi Arabia focused on developing new products for Middle Eastern consumers the centre will be the largest of its kind in the Gulf region and located in Riyadh Climbing cocoa prices and new regulations may dent growth in the UAE's premium confectionery market As the population grows and the economy swells the food and beverage service industry in Saudi Arabia is expanding a coffee shop chain that started in the capital Riyadh in 2018 Its 60th recently opened on London’s Oxford Street a Jeddah-based coffee chain that already […] is planning an initial public offering (IPO) on the Tadawul stock exchange with an aim to generate funds to finance Middle East expansion It is working with Saudi regulator Capital Market Authority to meet the IPO criteria and appoint bankers for the potential offering Saudi Arabia and seven members of Opec+ will triple the volume of barrels they add to the market in June as part of the kingdom’s new strategy to squeeze quota-busting members and boost market share Saudi Arabia and seven other countries implementing voluntary cuts decided in an online May 3 meeting to add […] Higher-than-budgeted oil prices wiped out Oman’s OR640 million ($1.7 billion) deficit for 2024 although the IMF has warned that the Gulf state still faces economic challenges.  Oman posted a surplus of $1.4 billion last year as it sold oil at an average price of $82 per barrel Saudi hospital and clinic operator Specialized Medical Company (SMC) starts the process of selling shares to the public on Sunday – only the second IPO in the kingdom since Donald Trump rocked global markets a month ago with his April 2 tariff announcement It would also be the first Saudi hospital group to list its […] Dubai developer Gulf House Real Estate has launched Olaia Residences The upscale residential project is planned to open in 2027 and will consist of one-to-three-bedroom apartments and three-to-five-bedroom duplexes.  State-of-the-art amenities will include indoor and rooftop pools Iraq will install solar panels at the presidential palace in Baghdad as the first stage in a plan to switch nearly 6,000 public buildings to renewable power The project is intended to ease reliance on conventional electricity protect the environment and tackle a power supply gap caused by gas shortages and the […] Dubai real estate developer Omniyat has raised $500 million to fund its sustainable developments The order book of the inaugural three-year green sukuk was oversubscribed 3.6 times The sukuk will be listed and traded on Nasdaq Dubai and the London Stock Exchange’s international securities market.  The pricing details were not given State-controlled AD Ports Group and Egypt government-backed Suez Canal Economic Zone have signed a 50-year renewable deal to develop and operate a 20 sq km logistics and industrial park near the coastal city of Port Said on the Mediterranean Sea The Abu Dhabi-based ports operator will develop operate and manage the industrial and logistics zone in […] Oman has signed a 15-year agreement with Mexico’s Amigo LNG to secure liquefied natural gas (LNG) as part of its strategy to diversfy its clean energy sources the government-backed OQ Trading will purchase 0.6 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) of LNG from Amigo’s export terminal in Guaymas Abu Dhabi’s Masdar said its Greek clean energy subsidiary Terna Energy has been delisted from the Athens stock exchange The UAE renewables major completed the acquisition of 100 percent of Terna Energy last month to accelerate renewable energy growth in southeastern and central Europe the UAE state-run Wam news agency reported whic is 70 percent owned by Saudi Aramco swung to a loss in the first quarter of 2025 but intends to push ahead with a capital expenditure plan worth up to $4 billion reported a net loss of SAR1.2 billion ($320 million) […] has been fired and replaced by Abdulwahab Al-Shatti two sources with direct knowledge of the matter said Kreebani’s dismissal after two years in the job followed a decision by the country’s civil aviation authority to withdraw its approval for his […] MBS Global Investments and the Maldives government will jointly develop a $8.8 billion Maldives International Financial Centre (MIFC) in the Maldivian capital city of Malé The freezone will have no corporate tax and tax-free inheritance in a bid to attract digital nomads entrepreneurs and high net worth individuals Who are these people who say that there’s no great music being released anymore - you know While the quantity of new roots music can be intimidating the quality is widely distributed across many regions Helping you know where you might listen and learn is the purpose of this - my ninth annual Essential and Outstanding Americana Albums list What stands out to me about this year is the bounty of keepsake albums from women Leading lights in our field - Shelby Lynne and Katie Pruitt - either followed up important projects with even more potency or tried something new I also have included some exceptional talents who are in the building/emerging stages of their careers such as ISMAY from California and Stephanie Lambring and Kyshona from here in Music City innovators like Yasmin Williams and the American Patchwork Quartet with Indian-born singer Falu Shah are taking roots music in exciting new directions Artists I covered or interviewed this year are linked When she accepted her Americana Lifetime Achievement Award in September Shelby Lynne said “I feel like if I was ever to fit anywhere it was with misfits and the storytellers and the outlaws the hippies.” That does reasonably describe the cadre of collaborators she found herself hanging out with upon moving back to Nashville after decades in Los Angeles Ashley Monroe is “Hippie Annie” in the Pistol Annies after all while Angaleena Presley (“Holler Annie”) is a gifted narrative songwriter Karen Fairchild is a dynamo performer who knows a hit from her years with Little Big Town This unlikely team wrote and produced exactly the album that 55-year-old Lynne needed to make at this point in her iconoclastic Crown stares down a busted relationship and embraces self-aware sobriety with lean boombox beats Lynne’s celebrated voice stands naked and proud on the serene “Butterfly” and the vulnerable “Shattered.” The excellent “Over And Over” brings classic Stax ambience with horns and harmony vocals Alabama songwriter/indie rocker Katie Crutchfield steered her Waxahatchee pickup truck in a rustic and rootsy direction with her edgy 2020 album Saint Cloud and followed that up with Plains an under-rated country rock collaboration with Jess Williamson whose lone album I Walked With You A Ways was among the very best records of 2022 she splits the difference between those projects holding on to some of the latter’s Chicks-y pop brightness bolstered by waves of the elegantly provocative lyrics for which Cruchfield is famous Americana Award nominated single “Right Back To It” luxuriates in the comforts (and anxieties) of a strong “Bored” pairs some bopping 80s college rock texture with a hopscotch lattice of wordplay The opus earned Waxahatchee her first Grammy nomination - for Best Americana Album where artists often dress down and treat the stage as an extension of their home or favorite bar Sierra Ferrell is a certified bohemian showperson Her quirky flair for dress-up and design could be a strike against her if she weren’t so magical as a songwriter and singer Her risk-taking thus looks inspired instead of awkward Her debut Long Time Coming was a shoe-in for a top spot in 2021 and Trail Of Flowers maintains her momentum as one of the most important country artists of this decade The variety here extends from the pastoral multi-nominated song “American Dreaming” to the unhurried Willie-style country of “Dollar Bill Bar,” to the singalong folk atmosphere of “Lighthouse.” I saw Ferrell twice this year - in an intimate showroom and a major festival stage and she owned both situations with her animated She won the biggest Americana Awards this fall and is up for four Grammy Awards OR’s Fruition has built on its acoustic busking origins growing as musicians and becoming ever closer as a “family” whose harmony singing now feels born of blood The quintet nails all the fundamentals of bandcraft - striking melodies expert ensemble picking with just enough jamming Even with three singers and songwriters contributing leads and self-assured in a way that reminds me of the Jayhawks and the great supergroup the Continental Drifters a 13-song set recorded live from the studio floor As a graduate of the New England Conservatory of Music and the wife of Eric Jacobsen a symphonic conductor and cellist based in Florida Aoife O’Donovan has always been a folk singer inclined toward orchestral thinking and high concept projects gets inside the story of Women’s Suffrage through the writings of pioneer Carrie Chapman Catt And it arrived at a perilous time when major candidates openly flirt with repealing the 19th Amendment By adding rich orchestration (conducted by Jacobsen) and all-star guests to Aoife’s singularly creamy voice they produced a landmark in the story of progressive string band folk O’Donovan recorded some of these songs with Nashville’s brilliant string band Hawktail I know first hand the thrill of being young and turned on by world class bluegrass that drives like rock and roll My generation had the collective of Sam Bush Stuart Duncan and Tony Rice on lead guitar and vocals Thousands of new fans are getting indoctrinated these days by Billy Strings and his amazing band as they take bluegrass to scale without compromise The singles “Leadfoot” and “Catch And Release” felt like novelties when they emerged early But when I heard the opening sequence of “Leaning On A Travelin’ Song,” “In The Clear,” and “Escanaba,” I knew were were in for something The latter is one of several tunes that evoke David “Dawg” Grisman and the West Coast string band renaissance “Don’t Be Calling Me (at 4AM)” is an ace country grass song partly because it’s co-written with Shawn Camp I tend to skip a few of the lighter weight bong songs Gillian Welch and David Rawlings - Woodland The greatest albums mingle excellence in composing and producing with a sense of story and place And they’ll be telling the story of this one long after we’re gone Since the game-changing debut Revival in 1996 Gillian Welch and David Rawlings have been Americana standard setters Then they gave Nashville’s legacy a huge gift by buying and occupying East Nashville’s historic Woodland Studios taking care of it even through significant tornado damage in 2020 In the same rooms where the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band made Will The Circle Be Unbroken and thought about things for more than 20 years Only now have they invited us in and infused the Woodland aura (and its glorious 1960s signage) into a vinyl-worthy work of art that builds on their classically spare sound but the beats sound surprising as they elevate the striking imagery of opener “Empty Trainload of Sky.” On the moving “Hashtag,” which reflects on the passing of a friend and fellow artist judicious use of strings show that as much as they’ve refined their sound Gil and Dave are up for (subtly) new frontiers If any roots/folk star out there has earned the space to snap up her songwriting with spicy beats and pop textures Since her late teens when she broke out on Sugar Hill Records with talent scout and producer Gary Pacosza she’s set an award-winning standard for her sublime voice Here she works with Golden Hour producer Daniel Tashian so how could it not result in delicious listening The Grammy nominated “Jealous Moon” leads off with a liberated 90s rock pulse and janglecrunch guitars even as Jarosz borrows from bluegrass for its long-lined chorus such as “Runaway Train,” sound like Patty Loveless at her peak we get to hear Sarah get into some tasty mandola picking in “Take The High Road.” I’ll always love Jarosz most in string band and folk settings it would be petty and pointless to expect this artist to not try any sound she’s hearing Stephanie Lambring - Hypocrite Stylistically unbounded and blessed with production wisdom that measures up to her famous songwriting skills Stephanie Lambring is one Nashville’s edge-of-Americana creative treasures After bailing out on a publishing deal that put her vision in tension with Music Row’s needs Lambring found her voice with 2020’s Autonomy she’s especially mind-expanding and moving when she’s laying bare the social and political constructs that shape women’s lives especially how they present to the world and what they do and don’t get rewarded for It opens in that vein with “Cover Girl,” about conformity and fulfillment “Filler” stopped me cold with its acerbic wordplay about women filling holes in their self-worth through products for their skin “Purity Ring” and “Hospital Parking” are clinics in effective economical use of language about difficult subjects Lambring had to be coaxed back into songwriting during the pandemic Maggie Rose - No One Gets Out Alive Nashville indie star and powerhouse vocalist Maggie Rose emancipated herself from the radio country game and developed a broadly appealing fusion of soul NOGOA ups the ante with rapturous orchestration complimenting a crack studio ensemble featuring keyboardists Peter Levin and Kaitlyn Connor and guitarist Sadler Vaden She out-sings a 60-piece orchestra in the opening title track and then treats us to a varied yet cohesive set of songs that had me changing favorites for much of the year “Mad Love” brings a cinematic lushness in a minor key The piano driven “Another Sad Song” makes for an elegant closer This is one to watch in the Grammy Americana Album category on Feb A funny thing happened to T Bone Burnett on his way to finishing his career-capping Invisible Light trilogy a project whose first two volumes appeared in 2019 and 2022 He wrote a batch of songs that felt connected and important I’d expect to like the trilogy more because those have drums by Jay Bellerose and all kinds of sonic painting But this LP is more focused and less artsy which is saying something for this 76-year-old titan of and spokesman for American roots music Opener “He Came Down” continues Burnett’s long and astute fascination with Jesus while the rest feel like songs about love and other human needs I’m thrilled that he cut “(I’m Gonna Get Over This) Some Day” with Rosanne Cash a song he wrote but that had only emerged as played by protegé Logan Ledger Harmonious group Lucius lends their voices especially sweetly on “The Pain Of Love.” I’m sure Burnett has urged his production clients to keep it simple and direct and here’s he’s brought on board bass player Dennis Crouch and guitarist Colin Linden to manifest that advice Caleb Klauder & Reeb Willms - Gold In Your Pocket The early days of alt-country and Americana were full of throwback artists who mined the emotional transparency and exposed instrumental art of old-time country music Gold satisfies that craving at a time when such albums are harder to find the first couple of Pacific Northwest hillbilly tunes and the core of the hot old-time Foghorn String Band cut this one at Nashville’s Tractor Shed and at Joel Savoy’s place in Eunice and they blend the artisanal spirit of both places across 13 tracks but her lovely “Same Little Heart” introduces herself with scenes from her Washington state youth and a moving homespun voice Klauder says while they cover a few contemporary songwriters (including the melancholy waltz “Last Of My Kind” by Paul Burch) he wrote most of these classic sounding cuts tuneful record adds a rich and swinging opus to their catalog and to our shared roots heritage traditional blues is a robust part of Americana and this year saw quality releases by Cedric Burnside The one that kept me coming back for its variety and quality of picking and singing was Jontavious Willis’s third album a self-produced set of 15 original songs that embodies the best of not just blues but regional roots music at large The title nods to Willis’s beloved and multi-generational hometown of Greenville “My folks been right here since 1823,” he sings in the a capella and it sure is home to me.” We hear the first of his fingerstyle guitar songs with “Charlie Brown Blues,” but it’s not all 12-bar moaners as we go along “Keep Your Worries On The Dance Floor” comes off like a nice Georgia beach music shag thumping string bass and dirty electric guitar “A Lift Is All I Need” swings like it’s 2 am in 1956 right through the hot juke joint instrumental that closes out this impressively assembled collection Gaby Moreno - Dusk Guatemala-born singer Gaby Moreno has been prolific - as part of the Watkins Family Hour collective making records (and winning Grammy Awards) with the likes of Van Dyke Parks and blowing away some of the most discerning and important figures in the music business with her versatile It took an invitation to Americanafest 2024 to get her fully on my radar and the discovery was profound Her catalog of self-penned albums is extraordinary Working with Nashville producer Dan Knobler mostly in a Los Angeles studio she crafts a journey of an album with a risky buffet of genres from the noir Latin of “New Dawn” to the spare and lovely “Rainy Season” to a juking spontaneous take on Dylan’s “I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight” that is among my favorite tracks of 2024 I like to hold space on this list for instrumental music because it’s a valuable part of many roots lineages and few are caretaking the John Fahey/Leo Kottke strain of American music like Yasmin Williams The Virginia native has embraced a range of stringed instruments and playing styles including overhand tapping on lap-cradled guitars Her composing and graceful execution have been widely hailed since she made her first album as a precocious she joins the illustrious roster of Nonesuch Records and collaborates with fellow masters Aoife O’Donovan Kaki King (a sister in fingerstyle guitar innovation) and the fiddle/banjo duo of Allison DeGroot and Tatiana Hargreaves The nine tracks lean way more toward floaty dreamscapes than blues dances but there’s no shortage of old soul behind this beauty Kaitlin Butts has kept herself in the vanguard and the spotlight for all the right reasons - snappy writing that evokes The Chicks and Miranda Lambert is an answer/companion/homage album to the Rodgers & Hammerstein classic Oklahoma! which was a big deal for Kaitlin as she grew up in Tulsa Some of these 17 tracks were songs she had in her work files that reminded her of scenes from her favorite musical Some were written through direct inspiration from the 1955 film “People Will Say We’re In Love,” the one song drawn from the show is performed with tenderness by Butts in a duet with her husband Cleto Cordero The show’s narrative isn’t necessary to enjoy self-assured songs like “That’ll Never Be Me” and “Spur” or the exuberance of the title cut or “Wild Juanita’s Cactus Juice.” But the concept binds these varied songs and vignettes together into a truly enjoyable and imaginative hour American Patchwork Quartet - self-titled New York-based guitarist Clay Ross embraces Americana by embracing the country’s melting pot heritage and he’s got two Grammy Awards to show for this ethos through his work with the Gullah-centered band Ranky Tanky His latest cross-cultural endeavor blends his voice and instrumentation with a Detroit-raised jazz drummer and the highly-regarded Mumbai-raised Hindustani singer Falu Shah Her Indian ornamentation and pure tone lights up American folk standards like “Shenandoah” and “Wayfaring Stranger,” while the band’s passion for polyrhythmic grooves takes “Gone For Soldier” and “Lazy John” to new heights of inventiveness and emotional potency Songwriter Kaia Kater brings a hemisphere-spanning outlook and a sense of adventure to her modern folk music explored a web of family history and political liberation rooted in her father’s native island of Grenada Almost six years elapsed between that album and her May release of Strange Medicine especially the opening track “The Witch” and “Fédon,” cut with lush orchestration and harmony help from Taj Mahal Banjo mingles with hip-hop inspired groove on “In Montreal,” a collaboration with fellow Canadian artist Allison Russell while “The Internet” uses a prayerful tone to call out the “stupid machine” that won’t let us be ourselves Hurray for the Riff Raff - The Past Is Still Alive Alynda Segarra’s latest is on most every year-end list and took a nomination for Americana Album of the Year New Orleans-based songwriter brings assured songcraft and lyrical daring to an ultra-personal outlook forged by punk rocking The album’s grim take on America didn’t sit so easily during the summer of this year while we did our best to celebrate our joy before the election but now Segarra’s cynicism feels in tune with the zeitgeist The vital travelogue song “Buffalo,” about caretaking and extinction I feel an even deeper haunting and storytelling power in “Snake Plant (The Past Is Still Alive)” from whence comes the album title I wonder if listeners would agree with me that TPISA feels a lot like Waxahatchee’s 2024 entry in its musically cozy embrace contrasted with pulse quickening poetry that divulges dark thoughts and secret stuff we could puzzle over for years Sturgill Simpson’s career feels more and more like an extended piece of performance art not the norm for country songwriters from Kentucky After protesting the CMA Awards on Lower Broadway and commissioning an expensive animé film companion to his brawny rock album Sound & Fury (among other things) Simpson has now adopted an alter ego to continue a recording career he famously said would only span five albums (under his given name) a guy who is either from or devoted to Paris and untethered from a stylistic center “If The Sun Never Rises Again” has yacht rock DNA “Scooter Blues” feels laid back and cocksure a la Jimmy Buffett romantic lookback with a string-saturated climax having overcome a vocal hemorrhage that threatened his career And while I tend to look for more of an orchestrating esthetic than I find in this eight-song collection it’s one of the most acclaimed albums in popular music for 2024 The outrageously talented Kentucky cello-playing folk star and social activist Ben Sollee has been busy with film scoring and tending to a growing family since well before pandemic so he’d not released a fresh album of new songs since 2017 even if the title cut was inspired by his gruelling battle with long Covid topped with his bourbon smooth and soulful voice he’s singing about the ways these recent years of love and loss have galvanized his ethos of unity and compassion Central to the album is “One More Day,” a rumination on the death by suicide of his dear friend and longtime drummer Jordon Ellis Sollee’s essential benevolence shines through When I lived in East Nashville in the late 90s the name on every serious music fan’s lips was Kevin Gordon who’d brought a new kind of Louisiana literature and juke joint rock and roll to Music City with his powerful early releases Cadillac Jack’s No Gordon’s mastery with a story and his succulent lyrics are a historic fact and a blessing to our scene yet it’s still arresting to hear him sing as specifically and beautifully about his past loves his family and his faith as he does on The In Between The pandemic and 2020’s sobering events are more present here than most 2024 albums because this was a project rudely interrupted leaving us more grateful than ever for his timeless roots music and his life force The Red Clay Strays - Made By These Moments Alabama’s Red Clay Strays were the hot stock of 2024 in Americana blowing up between last winter and this summer with mainstream momentum we rarely see in roots music securing them the votes to be Americana’s Emerging Act of the Year While their name suggests country from the heartland they’re part of a Southern rock revival that connects the Allman Brothers to new roughneck standouts like 49 Winchester Lead singer Brandon Coleman brings Elvis and Johnny Cash overtones to the stage and more God-fearing faith to his songs than we typically see in Americana many tapping into the life struggles of their working class audience Dave Alvin & Jimmie Dale Gilmore - TexiCali country music’s iconic Outlaws have passed on so projects like these from our roots elders are precious especially when they’re as honest and enriching as this 11-song set Alvin and Gilmore pick up where their prior duo outing Alvin (a new winner of an Americana Lifetime Achievement Award) offers a moving tribute/collaboration with his late friend Bill Morrisey on “Southwest Chief.” Gilmore is at his spiritual best on “Trying To Be Free.” They sizzle on a couple of blues covers And they close out with the co-written celebration of perseverance preservation and friendship on “We’re Still Here.” We’ll be here for them as long as these heroes endure Kyshona - Legacy South Carolina native Kyshona moved to Nashville a decade ago and the roots scene has been much richer for her collaborations and creative spirit Her breakout Listen captured the soul of 2020 as well as any album of the time Her latest branched out of a serious study of her family’s history documents and audio recordings from various relations including a grandfather who wrote the gospel song “Heaven Is A Beautiful Place.” That’s but one highlight that rocks the middle of this album with a full rhythm section and a choir of Nashville voices But most of these 16 tracks are Kyshona originals starting with the stunning metaphorical power of “Elephants.” “The Echo” speaks to the way family wisdom rings across generations “Alma Ree” is a grandmother who’s visited the artist in dreams to give life advice Legacy is a work of assiduous history and design while Kyshona’s skin tingling voice is bountiful throughout marked the last time an album played on Americana radio blew up and became an iconic Grammy Album Of The Year eyes have been on vivacious and unconventional country star Kacey Musgraves to see what she might do next I thought Star Crossed of 2021 was a bit maudlin asking us to care too much about her doomed relationship But Deeper Well feels like a welcome extension of the Golden Hour esthetic if you’ll allow me a Taylor Swift comparison I kept going back to the Well for the shimmering pop of “Cardinal,” the enlightened self-examination of the title track the shrewd existentialism of “The Architect” and the dreamy organic “Heart Of The Woods.” It’s a garden of delights Various Artists - My Black Country Alice Randall quietly made history by becoming the first Black woman to occupy a position of influence in the songwriting community of Music Row and not in the Black Lives Matter era; she became a publisher and hit songwriter in the 1980s and 90s Then she became a scholar of country music and a consultant to Ken Burns as he wrote his mighty documentary for PBS an account of her life and her idea of how Black Americans created and enlivened the genre is one of the most original takes I’ve read on Nashville’s story an album of 14 Alice Randall songs recorded - for the first time and as she intended - by Black Women Allison Russell and Miko Marks are among the important singers delivering revelatory performances of songs with vivid stories and sometimes coded messages that the country music business needed to hear then and needs to heed now Like her Rounder Records label mate Sierra Ferrell Katie Pruitt had to follow up a stunning debut album with all the pressure that entails While Mantras doesn’t have that element of surprise that helped send Expectations (my personal album of the year in 2020) to the very top of its field Mantras is a moving blend of serious subjects and olympian musical execution Pruitt deepens her investigation of her conservative Christian upbringing and her search for herself in “White Lies White Jesus And You.” The lost love song “Leading Actress” makes me heart-achy every time And there’s that other critical factor - that Pruitt has one of the most thrilling and dynamic voices in her field and Melissa Carper - Wonder Women of Country but it’s proof of life for classic country music in the Americana movement of 2024 Each of these wondrous women has embraced history regionalism and the old rural blues in personal ways The WWC became a vehicle for Texas veteran and heart-piercing songwriter Kelly Willis when she was otherwise not recording For Arkansas “rambling soul” Melissa Carper the trio was a side project amid her prolific creative life including this year’s excellent solo album And it was great to have something on wax from Brennen Leigh in a year off from releasing albums which have been part of this feature before and surely will be again Avery Hellman made the most of their exceptional upbringing - annually attending Hardly Strictly Bluegrass the San Francisco festival founded and run by their grandfather Warren Hellman Emmylou Harris and Gillian Welch offered inspiration the ranch-raised California songwriter made this risk-taking risk-rewarding album with Watchhouse mandolinist Andrew Marlin Hellman sings with spare language about small surprises and rustic wonders of life on the family farm “Stranger In The Barn” weaves a poignant short story into a stylized western idiom “Melodies” documents the artist’s journey into the heart of songwriting with stunning symbolism and transporting musical ideas Hellman also released a documentary this year about understanding their hero Lucinda Williams and their own purpose as a performer Avery certainly expresses that they have a sense of direction on this unique LP MONROE — In September, when Ashleigh Glass-Cooper and Cody Cooper opened up applications for April 26's River Raisin Americana Celebration “We were thrilled to receive over 100 submissions The inaugural River Raisin Americana Celebration, which features six musical acts, will take place from 6:30 to about 10 p.m. April 26 at the River Raisin Centre for the Arts, 114 S. Monroe St. in Monroe. Tickets are $30 each plus a $3 processing fee. Buy tickets here or call the RRCA box office at 734-242-7722 All proceeds will benefit the RRCA and its programs Cooper began performing in pit orchestras at the RRCA both perform in the local band Blockhouse Valley Also assisting with the event is Scott Boberg Boberg was hired in the fall to replace Mike Trapp The River Raisin Americana Celebration is the first RRCA program Boberg helped plan "Scott Boberg is an incredible advocate for the arts and became a champion of this event from our first meeting," Glass-Cooper said "Scott and his team have made sure that we have everything necessary to put on a great show at the theater and have worked so hard to make sure that it is a success." "With the Americana genre being a mix of rock we know that most people will have a strong connection to at least one of our acts that night," Glass-Cooper said "Cody and I have been fortunate to attend a lot of festivals and concerts over the years and last year I shared my vision for a different kind of festival with him There are certainly many festivals throughout Michigan and the country that include Americana music and artists most are not focused on Americana music specifically." Who’s performing?Listen to music samples for all six River Raisin Americana Celebration acts here “They have a huge presence in Michigan and beyond Their unique brand of Americana that melds rock bluegrass and country has entranced and inspired a large-scale following of fans that call themselves the 'Vagabundos.' They are down-to-earth musicians who we’ve been listening to for years when they applied to be a part of the River Raisin Americana Celebration we were certain they would be the perfect headliners," Glass-Cooper said "We frequently play in Monroe," Glass-Cooper said Previous Coverage: California native Scott Boberg to lead Monroe's River Raisin Centre for the Arts Beyond the musicThe River Raisin Americana Celebration also will offer concessions beer and wine sales and a 50/50 raffle that supports the RRCA "There will be a merch stand where the audience can purchase T-shirts She's hoping the River Raisin Americana Celebration will become a yearly event Support local news: Subscribe for all the latest local developments, breaking news and high school sports content. "We have every intention of this being an annual offering for Monroe and something that people from southeast Michigan and northwest Ohio look forward to every year," Glass-Cooper said "If the support from the community is there we would love to grow this into a larger festival event but we'll work towards that dream one step at a time." For more information about the River Raisin Americana Celebration, visit the website, Facebook or Instgram,@riverraisinamericana — Contact reporter Suzanne Nolan Wisler at swisler@monroenews.com Home / Arts & Entertainment / Music Husband and wife making music together since age 14 The Gazette offers audio versions of articles using Instaread After a spin of the Wildwoods' latest album "Dear Meadowlark," it's evident how significant harmonies are to the Americana act The lovely three-part harmonies buoy the compelling folk songs crafted by Noah Gose The appeal of rich harmonies struck Gose as pre-pubescent and I heard the song 'Our House,' Gose recalled the vocalist-guitarist intended to purchase Madness' "Our House" but instead ended up with Crosby "Those are two very different songs," Gose said Stills & Nash’s ‘Our House,’ I just loved the harmonies I loved that song so much I begged my mother to let me purchase the Crosby Stills & Nash album ‘Deja Vu’ on iTunes That was just before streaming happened so I had to buy it The songs from "Deja Vu" have had quite an impact on Gose as a musician "I love harmonies but they're not easy to do," Gose said while calling from his Lincoln "I think that's why you don't hear harmonies so often today Tickets: (319) 364-1580; cspshall.org Artist’s website: thewildwoodsband.com and bassist Andrew Vaggalis put their time in with harmonies "Fortunately this is our passion," Gose said will draw from such albums as "Sweet Nostalgia" and "Birdie & Goose," both released in 2017; 2019's "Across A Midwest Sky“; 2023's "Foxfield Saint John" and the aforementioned "Dear Meadowlark." "I love coming back to Lincoln," Gose said Gose and his wife have known each other since they were children "We were just 14 years old," Chloe Gose said The couple have no problem spending so much time with each other "It might not be great for every husband and wife "I couldn't imagine doing it any other way Noah and Chloe Gose have been making music since they became a couple They both graduated from the University of Nebraska and Chloe Gose majored in violin performance and psychology joined the act in 2017 but became a full-time member in 2022 "Andy has made a big difference," Chloe Gose said The Wildwoods initially hit the road shortly after Noah Gose and Chloe Gose graduated from college in 2017 One of the act's most memorable shows was a gig at the late and lamented Dick's Tap & Shake Room "We were fresh out of high school," Chloe Gose said but Dick took a chance on us even though we were so young Playing in that room in Cedar Rapids was a cool But nearly a decade has passed since the Wildwoods’ Cedar Rapids debut "We've learned a lot on the road," Noah Gose said The same goes for relationships since Noah Gose and Chloe Gose have been a couple since middle school "We couldn't imagine doing anything but what we're doing or being with anyone else The Gazette has been informing Iowans with in-depth local news coverage and insightful analysis for over 140 years independent journalism with a subscription today © 2025 The Gazette | All Rights Reserved Looks like something went completely wrong The page you are looking for cannot be found just go back or browse our latest articles below Metrics details Heterorhabditis are important biological control agents in agriculture were isolated from agricultural soils in the United States of America showed that these populations are conspecific and represent a novel species of the “Bacteriophora” clade This species was named Heterorhabditis americana n we carried out phylogenetic reconstructions using multiple genes conducted self-crossing and cross-hybridization experiments and isolated and identified their symbiotic bacteria is molecularly and morphologically similar to H Morphological differences between the males of H georgiana include variations in the excretory pore position IJs have an invisible bacterial cell pouch posterior to the cardia and a small posterior phasmid georgiana IJs have a visible bacterial cell pouch and an inconspicuous phasmid georgiana are differentiated by the body length the nerve ring distance from the anterior end the excretory pore distance from the anterior end georgiana females by the anal body diameter and the c′ ratio does not produce viable offspring with any of the species of the “Bacteriophora” clade is associated with the symbiotic bacterium Photorhabdus kleinii Based on the observed morphological and morphometric differences the nematode isolates S8 and S10 represent a novel species which we named Heterorhabditis americana n This study provides a detailed characterization of this novel species contributing to enhancing our knowledge of species diversity and evolutionary relationships of the Heterorhabditis genus It is therefore proposed here as a species inquirenda we characterized a novel entomopathogenic nematode species based on morphological and molecular evidence The objectives of this study were (1) to reconstruct phylogenetic relationships using taxonomically relevant genes to confirm the distinct evolutionary lineage of this species (2) to perform detailed morphological and morphometric analyses (3) to carry out self-crossing and cross-hybridization experiments to test for the reproductive isolation of H and (4) to isolate and characterize the symbiotic bacteria associated with this novel nematode species Our study contributes to the understanding of entomopathogenic nematode biodiversity and supports the development of sustainable pest management strategies in agriculture S8 were collected in the southeastern part of the state of Nebraska (decimal degree coordinates 40.8341 S10 were collected in the state of South Dakota (decimal degree coordinates 43.9925 Morphological measurements were performed on an Olympus BX51 microscope (Tokyo Fifteen specimens at each developmental stage were morphologically characterized is morphologically and molecularly more similar to the species of the “Bacteriophora” clade the following nematode species and isolates were included in these experiments: H 40 males and 40 virgin females were placed on 35 mm lipid agar plates and incubated at 25 ± 2 °C The experiments followed a factorial design with three replicates for each crossing type Progeny production was recorded daily over 15 days Each experiment was conducted three times under similar conditions The PCR products were separated by electrophoresis (45 min at 100 V) on a 1% TBA (Tris–boric acid–ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid [EDTA]) buffered agarose gel stained with SYBR Safe DNA Gel Stain (Invitrogen PCR products were purified using the FastGene Gel/PCR Extraction Kits (Nippon Genetics Co. Japan) and sequenced bidirectionally by Sanger sequencing (Microsynth AG and submitted to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) database To evaluate intra-individual genetic diversity DNA was extracted from single virgin females These females were individually washed with Ringer’s solution and then with phosphate-buffered saline solution (PBS and transferred to sterile 0.5 ml Eppendorf tubes containing 20 μl of extraction buffer (17.7 μl nuclease-free dH2O then incubated at 65 °C in a water bath for 1.2 h Lysates were cooled on ice and centrifuged at 6000×g for 2 min PCR and sequencing were carried out as described above S8 is designated as the type strain of the species of this species has been molecularly characterized in this study Type specimens: A slide containing the male holotype (Mh-am-UL2025) and three slides with paratypes representing each developmental stage—hermaphroditic females (H-am-UL2025) and IJs (IJ-am-UL2025)—were deposited in the Nematology Collection at the University of Limpopo slides containing the following paratypes were deposited in the Nematology Collection at the University of Jaen Spain: six hermaphroditic females (USA002-01 and USA002-02) Type-host: The type host is unknown as the nematodes of this genus can be hosted by different insect species S10 were isolated from soil samples using Galleria larvae as baits Type-locality: Heterorhabditis americana n S8 was isolated from soil samples collected in the southeastern part of Nebraska (decimal degrees coordinates 40.8341 S10 was isolated from soil samples collected in South Dakota (decimal degrees coordinates 43.9925 ZooBank registration: To comply with the regulations set out in Article 8.5 of the amended 2012 version of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN) details of the new species have been submitted to ZooBank The Life Science Identifier (LSID) of the article is urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:36EBE371-1A95-4267-BE3C-91E264B27EA3 americana is urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:0B2179A2-EE62-4D33-AB75-30DDFE8C7D66 Etymology: The specific name of this nematode species is derived from the continent where the specimens used for its description were collected (America) Line drawings of H. americana n. sp. S8. A–E Neck regions of a hermaphroditic female, a female, a male, a J2 infective juvenile, and a J3 infective juvenile, respectively. F–H Lip regions of a hermaphroditic female, a female, and a male, respectively. I A hermaphroditic female. J An infective juvenile. K An adult male. L An adult female. M–P Posterior ends of a hermaphroditic female, a female, a male, and a J2 infective juvenile, respectively Light microscope (LM) photographs of H. americana n. sp. S8 hermaphroditic females and dioecious adults. A, B Pharyngeal regions of a hermaphroditic female and an adult female, respectively. C–E Lip regions of a hermaphroditic female, an adult female, and an adult male, respectively. F, G Posterior ends of a hermaphroditic female and a female adult, respectively. H, I Entire bodies of a hermaphroditic female and a female adult, respectively Light microscope (LM) photographs of H. americana n. sp. S8 males. A Entire body. B Posterior end at bursa level (arrows pointing at the genital papillae). C–F Posterior end at spicules level (arrow pointing at the harpoon-like terminus of the gubernaculum) Light microscope (LM) micrographs of H. americana n. sp. S8 third-stage (J3) juveniles ensheathed in the J2 cuticle. A Entire body. B Pharyngeal region. C Anterior end. D Tail region. E Cuticle Light microscope (LM) micrographs of H. americana n. sp. S8 third-stage (J3) juveniles. A Entire body. B Pharyngeal region. C Anterior end. D Cuticle. E–F Tail region Scanning electron microscope (SEM) photographs of H. americana n. sp. S8 hermaphroditic females. A–C Anterior ends in sub-ventral, lateral, and frontal views, respectively (white arrows pointing at the amphids). D Excretory pore (white arrow). E Vulva covered by vaginal plug (arrow). F Entire body. G–H Posterior ends in sub-ventral and ventral views, respectively Scanning electron microscope (SEM) photographs of H. americana n. sp. S8 third-stage (J3) juveniles ensheathed in the J2 cuticle. A Pharyngeal region in lateral view. B, C, E Anterior end in sub-ventral, lateral and frontal views, respectively (arrows pointing at the amphids). D Entire body. F Excretory pore (arrow). G Cuticle at midbody. H, I Tail in ventral and lateral views, respectively (arrows pointing at the phasmids). J Left phasmid (arrow) Scanning electron microscope (SEM) photographs of H respectively (arrows pointing at the amphids) F Excretory pore at lateral and ventral views J Posterior end in lateral and ventral views respectively (arrows pointing at the phasmid) Hermaphroditic female C-shaped after heat relaxation measuring 0.7–0.9 times the width of the lip region and funnel-shaped stegostom surrounded by the pharyngeal collar spheroid basal bulb with inconspicuous valves Reproductive system didelphic-amphidelphic General morphology similar to hermaphroditic females Labial papillae more acute and prominent than the papillae of hermaphrodites and vulva small having transverse slit opening Rectum shorter than hermaphroditic female rectum measuring about 1.7–2.2 times the diameter of the anal body Lip region with six narrowly separated lips located at the base of the dorsal and ventral lips Stoma 0.7–1.0 times the width of the lip region Stoma with refringent rounded cheilorhabdia Short gymnostom with refringent bar-like rhabdia funnel-shaped stegostom surrounded by the pharyngeal collar and basal bulb spheroid and poorly developed although with narrower walls at anterior end with serrated dorsal margin and harpoon-like tip Bursa peloderan bearing nine pairs of bursal papillae The genital papillae arrangement is 1+2/3+3: three precloacal genital papillae GP1 located 11–22 µm anterior to GP2 and GP3; GP2 and GP3 are equal in length; GP4–9 are post-cloacal; GP4–6 form a group located posterior to cloaca; GP4 is shorter than GP5 and GP6; GP5 and GP6 are of equal length; GP7–9 form a group close to the tail end; GP7 is slightly curved outward; GP8 is shorter than GP7 and GP9 Lateral fields not differentiated from the cuticular ridges showing cuticular dimple-like structures at anterior part Excretory pore located 70–90% of neck length isthmus narrower and basal bulb pyriform without developed valves Terminal hyaline part 34–55% of tail length Body straight to slightly curved ventrally after heat relaxation measuring 1.8 to 2.0 times the width of the lip region nerve ring and excretory pore located at a similar position Male tails of Heterorhabditis beicherriana and H S10 were paired interspecifically with the following nematode isolates: H progeny was observed when these isolates were paired intraspecifically is reproductively isolated from the other Heterorhabditis species evaluated in this study This reproductive isolation supports the classification of H Maximum-likelihood phylogenetic tree reconstructed from the sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I (cox-1) gene. Phylogenetic analyses included 342 nucleotide positions, flanked by primers HCF and HCR. Numbers at nodes represent bootstrap values based on 100 replications. Bars represent average nucleotide substitutions per sequence position. Accession numbers of the nucleotide sequences used for the reconstructions are presented in Table S2 Maximum-likelihood phylogenetic tree reconstructed from sequences of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of the rRNA gene Phylogenetic analyses included 796 nucleotide positions Numbers at nodes represent bootstrap values based on 100 replications Bars represent average nucleotide substitutions per sequence position Accession numbers of the nucleotide sequences used for the analyses are presented in Table S2 Phylogenetic reconstruction based on core genome sequences of the different Photorhabdus species Bar represents average nucleotide substitutions per sequence position Numbers at the nodes represent SH-like branch supports Accession numbers of the genome sequences used for the reconstruction are presented in Table S3 the morphology and the morphometry of the studied specimens closely align with the type population of H SEM photographs of juveniles show transverse ridges on the ventral side which are likely artifacts of the specimen preparation process the ITS sequence provided (NCBI accession OP555450) is of low quality and appears to be chimeric 1994 (currently considered a junior synonym of H Additional morphological and molecular support should be provided by the original descriptors to further support its novel species status Given the morphological and morphometric differences The gene sequences obtained in this study were deposited in the GenBank database under the accession numbers given in Additional file 1: Tables S2 and S3 Data supporting the conclusions of this article are included within the article The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request National Center for Biotechnology Information Kaya HK, Gaugler R. 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BMC Bioinformatics. 2013;14:60. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2105-14-60 Download references The authors thank the Institute of Biology of the University of Neuchatel (Switzerland) and the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) for their support We are grateful to Ralf-Udo Ehlers and Carlos Molina (e-nema GmbH Larry Duncan (Institute of Food and Agricultural Science Malan (Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology SEM pictures were obtained with the assistance of technical staff (Amparo Martínez-Morales) and equipment of the Centro de Instrumentación Científico-Técnica (CICT) of the University of Jaén (Spain) The work of RARM was supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation (Grant No The work of AHB was supported by a Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship (Grant No The work of ME and XZ was supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation (Grant No The work of CAMR was supported by the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (Grant No ERC-2019-STG949595) and the Swiss National Science Foundation (Grant No Light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy studies were performed thanks to the financial support of the Research Support Plan “POAIUJA 2021/2022: EI_RNM02_2021” of the University of Jaén and Ebrahim Shokoohi contributed equally to this work University Centre for Research and Development and Department of Bioscience Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)-Agricultural Research Service Aashaq Hussain Bhat Project administration: Ricardo A All authors approved the final version of the manuscript The authors declare no competing interests Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations unless otherwise stated in a credit line to the data Download citation DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-025-06702-5 Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: a shareable link is not currently available for this article Having released two solid (if traditional-sounding) singer-songwriter albums, Hannah Rose Platt swerved away from anything remotely conventional with 2023’s album ‘Deathbed Confessions’. Our review noted that it was a “seismic step forward… with a suite of songs able to intrigue and disturb in equal measure” the ‘Hypnogogia’ EP continued her left-field trajectory with a collection of distinctly unsettling ghost stories an album that simultaneously dives deeper and soars higher than what has come before Its subject matter seemingly touches on every aspect of women’s experience over the past two centuries and before Opener ‘Ataraxia’ sets the scene immediately as a woman’s monotone voice appears to quote a marital guidebook from another age the important element in a man’s happiness is admiration from his wife…you must become the fragile dependent creature nature intended you to be” (n.b “atarexia” is defined as a serene state of calmness) Platt’s voice comes in as a soft lullaby; but shot through the swooning melody is an underlying uneasy awareness that all is not as it should be and the picket fence 1950’s dreamworld that is depicted feels like it may soon get a David Lynch-ian makeover and give way to something which the unwitting patriarchy may find less than palatable featuring intricate and beautifully observed storytelling From the ancient midwife going about her business in ‘Curious Mixtures’ to the miraculous story of ‘Rest in Persistence (Anthem to Anne Greene)’ which gets inside the true story of Greene a young woman convicted (almost certainly wrongly) of infanticide in 1650 and handed over to physicians for dissection It is hardly common fare for a 21st-century songwriter but Platt inhabits the story with some verve The music itself is frequently transcendent whether it is swooping majestically on banks of strings and choral voices coming down to earth with sing-song lullabies or even skewing wildly with martial beats and distorted vocals (‘The Yellow Paper” The musical influence of producer Ed Harcourt here (and indeed on her other recent work) feels evident Harcourt has long been a songwriter who veered away from the simplistic and has always been as likely to embrace the likes of Brecht or neo-classical influences as he is to draw on classic pop songwriting they have created a perfect sonic backdrop for these intense and curious songs Every track here could have an essay dedicated to it; it is an extraordinary endeavour Platt gives credit to the inspiration she drew from the “fascinating and enraging” stories in Elinor Cleghorn’s book ‘Unwell Women’ a historical account of the abuse or maltreatment of women at the hands of misogynistic medical practices She draws on multiple perspectives to examine similar themes in her songs and rebelliousness of women through the ages” ‘Fragile Creatures’ is an important record for all times and can only be recommended as a musical and storytelling tour de force It is an immersive experience from a major and unique talent which should be listened to closely and savoured but for the inspiration and hope it brings Vandoliers break out from “Life Behind Bars” for life changing fifth album Houston-based RIA Americana Partners announced Monday that it has expanded its physical presence outside of Texas for the first time in a multibillion-dollar deal The firm has acquired Boulevard Family Wealth Calif.-based RIA focused on serving ultra-high-net-worth clients and led by founder and managing partner Matt Celenza Boulevard had roughly $1.5bn in assets under management at the time of the deal bringing Americana’s AUM figure to approximately $11.5bn The deal is Americana’s first since being staked by the private equity firm Lovell Minnick late last year The deal is Americana’s fourth to date Unless you’ve been living under a rock (and we do have some crabs as readers you are very welcome around these parts) you’ll know that the Grammys took place in LA on Sunday evening which were a rather more subdued affair due to recent events but as part of the lesser publicised award winners on the evening and highlighting some of the interesting demarcation in terms of which categories they put particular artists in Gillian Welch and David Rawlings walked away with the best Folk album for “Woodland” and Sierra Ferrell walked away with no less than 4 roots and Americana awards It’s also worth noting that Kacey Musgraves won best country song for the exquisite “The Architect” which was very well deserved Here are the full lists of roots winners we think you’ll want to know about David Luximon “A Certain Frame of Reference” This State of the Union is a very fine thing and they’re out on tour No room for Hurray For The Riff Raff – The Past Is Still Alive anywhere No Phosphorescent – Revelator either sham industry(?) awards event – GET RID OF THEM Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInMEMPHIS and two days worth of live performances from local and regional musicians is coming to Collierville’s Town Square “Sounds Like Collierville: Americana Showcase” is happening on April 25 and 26 The Digital Desk spoke with Collierville’s tourism director Click here to sign up for our newsletter Click here to report a spelling or grammar error We keep you informed. Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl performance featured an all-Black cast of backup dancers adorned in the colors of the American flag Jackson dressed like the symbolic embodiment of the American political apparatus himself: Uncle Sam Beyoncé’s “COWBOY CARTER” dominated the Grammys by winning Best Country Album and Album of the Year cementing a new era of Americana in today's culture In her song “YA YA,” Beyoncé sings “Whole lotta red in that white and blue,” framing her engagement with Americana as a reclamation — one that highlights the integral contributions Black Americans have made to the nation reclaiming the genre of Americana becomes a microcosm of reclaiming the identity and history of the nation itself From the literal construction of the country to its cultural legacy what better way to assert this history than by singing in genres and dressing in styles that are undeniably American This reclamation has also extended into queer spaces with artists like Chappell Roan and Ethel Cain embracing proudly rural and Midwestern aesthetics in their recent albums When Black and queer artists wrap themselves in the American flag as a statement of belonging they engage in a nuanced act of resistance Yet this same flag has historically been wielded to erase their contributions What does it mean to reclaim a symbol that has so often been used for exclusion While country and folk music are regarded as quintessentially American hip-hop and jazz — genres undeniably born and bred in America — do not receive the same nationalistic reverence The difference lies in perception: country music has been marketed as a “white” genre while jazz and hip-hop remain deeply tied to their Black origins the question remains: can this reinvention truly challenge the exclusionary history it seeks to overturn or does it risk reinforcing the very structures it aims to disrupt America’s current political climate shows the urgency of reclaiming Americana It’s rife with efforts to erase the country’s history particularly its harms against marginalized communities threats of mass deportations and the dismantling of diversity The targeting of DEI programs has explicitly resulted in stripping acknowledgement of this history on the federal level discontinued Black History Month observances and slashed programs aimed at recruiting Black professionals in STEM fields the National Institutes of Health removed exhibits celebrating women and scientists of color and the National Science Foundation reportedly instructed staff to reject grant proposals referencing DEI initiatives These actions make reclaiming Americana not just an aesthetic choice but a necessary cultural and political statement While Americana’s resurgence carries political importance If they are not paired with active engagement — reading learning and reckoning with the history behind these symbols — at what point does the political meaning dissolve leaving only a camo hat that someone bought because they saw their favorite fashion blogger wearing it Artistic expression can spark important political conversations Listening to country music is not inherently revolutionary — engaging in the political sphere resisting historical erasure and learning about those who shaped this aesthetic and history — these actions hold salience reclamation remains useful for uniting all Americans regardless of race or sexual orientation under a collective statement: I am just as American as anyone else and I can listen to this music and wear these clothes and I am not rendered less American for it this iconography carries a political history that must be acknowledged Americana should reflect the people who created it white and blue and we must revere those whose blood is in the foundations of this nation and remember them each time we see the flag or embrace American iconography @dthopinion | opinion@dailytarheel.com The term “Americana” has been around for a long time Its origins can be traced back to the early 1900s but it really began to take shape during the resurgence of American folk music in the 1940s and '50s Artists like Pete Seeger and Joan Baez made music that was Over the years Americana has seen a bit of an evolution whose sounds are largely unrecognizable from their original iterations Americana as a genre seems to have cast a wider and wider net Musicians who might have been classified as country or rock in the past instead find themselves accepting the label of Americana Today if you Google it — and I did — you will find it involves a blend of several styles including country plays an Americana mix that includes big names like Marty Stuart while also including local and independent artists like Ducharme-Jones Much of this music is as difficult to classify today as the resurgent folk music of Seeger and Baez was in the mid-20th century Considering all of this left me curious: How would some of those artists define Americana I decided to ask some of Iowa’s most qualified minds to weigh in on the topic I contacted several prominent Iowa-based musical acts and asked them each the same two questions: I felt the second question was important because musicians are often placed into categories and classified as one style or another without their own input I personally would put each of the following artists under the umbrella of Americana Americana as a concept is slippery to pin down Our human brains both crave categories AND seek to defy them even though she is American and tells stories of a certain type of American experience But one could consider it this way: those artists are the strands of DNA A true culmination of music and culture that is specific to this country and our complicated history The term “Americana” applies to many of us songwriters who find ourselves drifting between the multiple genres of American music we like to think that each song tells us what it wants to be… and the listener categorizes it after its creation Whether it’s in fashion or food or music or culture What separates Americana from other genres I think the presence of banjo with acoustic guitars and a double bass makes Americana an accessible label Perhaps the content of our songs also lends itself to being called Americana With tracks about our love of Iowa and cicadas we locate ourselves among the grasses and plains of the ol’ Midwest And that feels like folk music about a piece of America country and roots music from the 1940s that became more mainstream in the 1990s Dave’s band The Rainravens in Austin in 1996 produced their first album (of nine total) that was coined “Americana” and recognized by the Gavin Report in their top ten on the Americana chart The Rainravens were on the rise alongside Lucinda Williams there was a pocket of Rainravens fans in New York City and throughout Europe To me “Americana” is a blending of several styles of American music… Blues The idea that it’s a mix of several styles is what kind of makes it its own style I understand Americana music to be an umbrella term to help cover songwriters and bands that don’t fit into one of these other traditional categories of music They're creating music that shares elements of country or American folk music but don’t always conform to the traditional standards of one of those types of music a person can estimate what that’s going to sound like if you take the instruments of a bluegrass band and play them in more of a Rock and Roll manner a bluegrass purist will tell you that’s not real bluegrass Americana music creates this safe harbor of using influences of all sorts of American music styles to make something they want to hear When discussing and putting labels on any type of art it can be very subjective and opinions can differ widely Americana is the blending of country music and rock music Because lyrical content can be so subjective I think it's easier to look at the instrumentation for examples of how this blending takes place In traditional country music the acoustic guitar plays the changes and drives the song forward specifically a telecaster) would add melodic ideas throughout and even take a solo at times A drummer is going to stick mainly to the kick playing simple grooves and keeping a steady beat is holding down the low end and supporting everything with a "root and fifth" pattern or maybe a "walking bassline." The sound stays fairly mild throughout Guitars are now plugged in and amplified to the point of distortion They're playing riffs and "power-chords" to drive the song along Guitars will also be the main soloing instrument They play big fills and mark sections with heavy use of crash cymbals The bass is plugged into a huge 8x10 cabinet and is playing riffs to match the guitars or mainly sticking to root notes while adding the occasional bass fill to add some interest as the song drives forward Now that we have the recipe for each style of music we can now cherry pick our favorite parts of these two styles of music blend them together and what we have is what I think of as Americana An electric guitar with a mild amount of distortion opens up the song not with a riff but some basic "cowboy chords" instead of an acoustic guitar The drums and bass enter with a simple fill to help propel the song forward but wait — there's a fiddle and pedal steel on stage too They each take turns trading melodic ideas in between lyrical phrases The solo section comes up and pedal steel is able to poke out of the mix with a loud and clean tone the electric guitar is holding down the chords I'll again reiterate that this is a generalization and most all music lives on a spectrum There are no hard and fast rules and rules are meant to be broken I'm sure any reader could send me a Spotify playlist that completely goes against everything I've just said I think the takeaway is that Americana is largely seen as a safe and ambiguous way to categorize music that would otherwise be forced into a category where it does not fit production styles or the content of the lyrics themselves the Americana vein can be represented in different ways by different artists driven by the human mind’s need to both classify and defy classification at the same time listeners have been responding as Americana has surged in popularity in the past two decades Music is often classified without the input of the musician the listener categorizes it after its creation The musician and performer are often told what genre they fit into without consideration of their own opinion it seems only fitting to ask them how they each viewed their own music I would not consider myself an Americana artist I think I may exist in a liminal space between worlds: that hallway that connects folk Weary Ramblers fit nicely into the Americana category because of the creative freedom it allows us which works well for someone like me who resists boxes We consider our band an Americana roots-rock act Our writing and performance style crosses the genres of folk the Americana genre has broadened further to include bands like Gov’t Mule and I don’t want to put labels on what I do other people can decide what to call it (assuming anyone is actually listening) I have worked hard to be competent and knowledgeable in all forms of American roots music and hopefully that comes through in my own music I think there’s a preconceived belief that I’m a country artist with some folks and that's bolstered with my October release of my seventh record St It sounds like a pretty traditional country and western album But when I follow it up with my Blue Collar Tragedies record in June of 2025 It’ll be much closer to a Rock and Roll record Part of what’s great about being a solo songwriter is that I can write in whatever style I’m feeling in the moment and I don’t have to stick to a genre Having a term like “Americana music” gives people like me something to tether to I do think Americana lives under the country music umbrella then if you want to get more specific I think the description of Americana would fit just fine I am reminded of the answer given to Variety by one of the most successful Americana artists of all time – Brandi Carlile “I’m aware that there’s a certain amount of mystery around the concept of what Americana is We’ve all joked around about it; we’ve all said that it’s country music for liberals And it doesn’t really come down to instrumentation or tempo like it’s based on an ideology of inclusion” Carlile says puts it: "There isn't a simple answer here who is thought to have coined the phrase in the '50s 'three chords and the truth' to describe country music I think music we consider to be 'Americana' has something to do with a simple expression of something that has the ring of truth." That “ideology of inclusion,” or that simple expression of something having the ring of truth just might be the reason that so many artists who don’t sound very similar find themselves leaning in to the Americana label while others who are hesitant to define their own music find themselves accepted into the genre of Americana by default The genre collects music and musicians who speak and play a truth that doesn't nicely fit other genres A first-ever exclusive from the American luxury house for the retailer seamlessly blends modern craftsmanship with their iconic designs 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Neiman Marcus and Ralph Lauren are proud to introduce Patchwork Americana an exclusive collection that reimagines the iconic patchwork motif with elevated craftsmanship and contemporary allure Marking Ralph Lauren's first-ever exclusive collection for the luxury retailer is designed with the Neiman Marcus customer in mind The two brands have long shared a vision for American luxury and style with Ralph Lauren's timeless designs being a favorite among Neiman's customers "Ralph Lauren's impact on American fashion is beyond measure He has forever altered the fashion landscape with a unique vision of relaxed elegance infusing an old-world sophistication with refreshing modernity and we are honored to collaborate with Ralph Lauren on a collection created exclusively for our clientele," said Paolo Riva Chief Brand Partnerships and Buying Officer "This exclusive collection celebrates the long-standing partnership and admiration between Neiman Marcus and Ralph Lauren with brand signatures like patchwork denim and easy shirting reimagined into extraordinary wardrobe heroes." The women's products showcase the brands' exquisite technique and distinctive design with standout pieces including a sequined flag sweater adorned with an exclusive Neiman Marcus emblem pearl-beaded floral-etched denim and a striking patchwork sequin skirt A meticulously tailored patchwork suit and an embellished strapless gown capture the essence of timeless elegance blending heritage craftsmanship with a modern sensibility Each piece offers a bold yet sophisticated twist on Ralph Lauren's signature spirit The exclusive men's pieces reflect Ralph Lauren's signature aesthetic featuring a palette of rich blues and creams that effortlessly complement any wardrobe  Highlights include a sophisticated tonal palm leaf jacquard jacket the flag sweater and a blue Japanese cotton chambray suit Each piece is a study in effortless refinement fusing classic tailoring with timeless sophistication The kids' collection continues with the blend of classic Americana and easy elegance At the heart of the assortment is the iconic flag sweater The sweater is joined by an array of charming styles featuring intricate patchwork details bringing a sense of warmth and individuality to each piece Group President North America US Wholesale hosted an intimate evening at the Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek Neiman Marcus' top clients gathered for a private presentation where models showcased the collection during a cocktail reception exclusively at select Neiman Marcus locations and through remote selling. The luxury retailer invites customers to visit its NorthPark store to shop an exclusive Ralph Lauren installation on the second floor For more information, view the info kit #neimanmarcus | @neimanmarcus | @ralphlauren Saks Global is deeply committed to helping luxury consumers discover the most sought-after established and emerging brands from around the world Powered by data-driven technology and centered on the customer Saks Global is on a mission to redefine the luxury shopping experience through highly personalized service with greater opportunities for product discovery across all channels is hosting a series of multi-faceted customer events in partnership with The Estée Lauder Companies.. Neiman Marcus debuted today its spring campaign a vibrant celebration of the synergy between fashion and culinary culture Household, Consumer & Cosmetics Fashion Retail Textiles Do not sell or share my personal information: Illustration by The Atlantic. Source: Chesnot / Getty.January 10, 2025 ShareSave Listen-1.0x+0:0019:30Produced by ElevenLabs and News Over Audio (Noa) using AI narration the Italian anti-fascist Antonio Gramsci wrote: “The crisis consists precisely in the fact that the old is dying and the new cannot be born; in this interregnum a great variety of morbid symptoms appear.” The world is now in a Gramscian interregnum The old order—Pax Americana—is breaking down Electorates across the West are in revolt as the industrial era’s social contract has given way to the socioeconomic insecurity of the digital age Waves of immigration have sparked an angry ethno-nationalism that advantages ideological extremes Power in the international system is shifting from West to East and North to South undermining a global order that rested on the West’s material and ideological primacy Russia and China are pushing back against a liberal order that they see as a mask for U.S Many in the global South have grown impatient with an international system they see as exploitative Instead of beginning the hard work of figuring out what comes next the Biden administration spent its four years defending the “liberal rules-based order” that emerged after World War II and seeking to turn back any and all challenges to it The results are telling: disaffection at home and disorder abroad and a great variety of morbid symptoms has appeared Read: Foreign leaders face the Trump test Donald Trump could be a necessary agent of change His “America First” brand of statecraft—transactional and protectionist—breaks decisively from the liberal internationalist mold that has shaped the grand strategy of successive administrations since World War II But though that mold may well need to be shattered And Trump is more demolition man than architect Instead of helping build a new and better international order he may well bring down the old one and simply leave the United States and the rest of the world standing in the rubble Trump will nevertheless be the president of the world’s most powerful country for the next four years Americans will have to make the best of his efforts to revamp U.S That means welcoming Trump’s recognition that the country needs a new grand strategy—then pushing him to pursue change that is radical but responsible and to reform the world that America made rather than merely destroying it World War II and the onset of the Cold War whetted the country’s appetite for an expansive internationalism Democrats and Republicans both rallied behind a grand strategy that secured geopolitical stability and prosperity by projecting U.S multilateral order among like-minded democracies that internationalist consensus has shattered Deindustrialization and the hollowing out of the middle class decades of strategic overreach and hyperglobalization and an influx of immigrants that has contributed to rapid shifts in the country’s demographic makeup have all sapped political support for liberal internationalism “The forgotten men and women of our country will be forgotten no longer,” he pledged in his inaugural address in 2017 will be made to benefit American workers and American families.” Trump in his first term failed to get “forgotten” Americans back up on their feet This is one of the reasons he lost his bid for reelection to Joe Biden Biden then oversaw a “restoration” presidency reinstating liberal internationalism and standing firmly behind Pax Americana But the foreign policy he pursued was better matched to the world that was Biden consolidated traditional American alliances in Europe and Asia and took the lead in helping Ukraine defend itself against Russian aggression But he leaves office amid deepening global disorder and without having even tried to negotiate an end to a war that Ukraine cannot win Biden pledged to pursue a “foreign policy for the middle class,” but during his presidency and blue-collar voters further gravitated toward Trump His “America First” agenda tends to make the foreign-policy establishment recoil Trump’s transactional and pragmatic engagement with adversaries may do more to tame geopolitical rivalry than Biden’s view of a globe defined by a clash between democracy and autocracy Trump’s readiness to negotiate with Russia Preparing a diplomatic push to end Russia’s war against Ukraine is pragmatism not capitulation; the death and destruction need to stop Trump was smart to invite Xi Jinping to his inauguration; if he can eventually sit down with Xi has already met with Iran’s UN ambassador; now that Israel has weakened Tehran and pummeled its proxies in the Middle East a diplomatic breakthrough may be achievable Should Trump succeed in lowering the temperature with adversaries he will make the world a safer place while scaling back the nation’s onerous commitments abroad thereby easing the chronic strategic overreach that has led Americans to turn inward Trump also understands that globalization has left many workers behind and that open trade has benefited far too few Americans; he is appropriately looking to level the commercial playing field He is heading in the right direction by seeking a solution to illegal immigration responding to the clamor of an electorate that knows full well that the country lacks a functioning immigration system And Trump will be doing the nation a service if he can downsize the federal government Read: The political logic of Trump’s international threats more focus on solving problems at home and less on defending democracy abroad more government efficiency and less waste—these strategic shifts should serve the United States well is it seeks to manage a world of growing disarray not the impulse of a misguided and capricious demagogue but an appropriate response to a changing world and a changing America Yet even if Trump’s “America First” foreign policy has considerable promise His transactional approach to diplomacy could morph into a stiff-necked unilateralism that undermines collective efforts where they are needed His reluctance to promote democracy overseas could shade into disregard for democratic norms at home potentially resulting in irreversible damage to the nation’s representative institutions And in his determination to shake up the political establishment A broken federal government will be in no shape to fix a broken America or a broken world Trump’s strategy could easily descend into excess and incoherence The work ahead will be to encourage Trump’s better instincts and channel both into something resembling a coherent and constructive grand strategy the Biden administration has tightened relations with allies but neglected diplomacy where it was most needed Trump’s readiness to engage adversaries could be a welcome shift But now the hazard will lie on the other side—that Trump will embrace a self-defeating unilateralism and shun alliances and other collective efforts; “America First” would then become “America Alone.” Trump pulled out of the Paris climate agreement He still expresses an aversion to “international unions that tie us up and bring America down.” He has a history of demeaning allies and viewing alliances as encumbrances; he just might act on his threat to withdraw from NATO And Trump’s unilateralist threats to use economic coercion to annex Canada and military coercion to take control of the Panama Canal and Greenland are simply off the wall Unilateralism won’t work in today’s world; no nation can opt out of a globe that has grown irreversibly interdependent regulating the development and deployment of AI—these are only a few of the shared challenges that necessitate international teamwork If the United States walks away from collective effort Having fellow democracies by Washington’s side will only increase Trump’s leverage as he negotiates with Russia if Trump gives allies cause to question America’s commitment to collective defense leaving the United States isolated and vulnerable Trump’s enthusiasm for tariffs is another worrying plank of his unilateralist agenda Modest and selective tariffs could do some good protecting sensitive technological sectors and pressuring foreign governments to provide U.S He’s eyeing 25 percent tariffs on Canada and Mexico and has hinted that he could impose levies as high as 60 percent on imports from China he could well spark a trade war that wreaks havoc on international trade and global prosperity America’s working families by increasing the cost of consumer goods while failing to turn the United States back into the “manufacturing powerhouse” that Trump has promised workforce is already employed in the service sector; those workers are not returning to the production line A trade war with allies and adversaries would also inflame geopolitical tensions confronting the United States with the prospect of strategic isolation amid growing global disarray Trump is right that the United States tends to overreach abroad; “forever wars” in Iraq and Afghanistan are a case in point But Trump will need to seek a middle ground between doing too much and doing too little Trump is right to try to end the conflict; a war that drags on indefinitely could eventually turn Ukraine into a failed state But even though he has made clear his discontent with the costly provision of assistance to Kyiv Trump cannot simply cut off the flow of U.S which would only encourage Vladimir Putin to keep up his quest to subjugate Ukraine Trump also needs to hold out for a good deal Russia will almost certainly retain the 20 percent of Ukraine it now occupies But Washington must ensure that the other 80 percent is sovereign and secure To do otherwise would leave Ukraine permanently subject to Moscow’s predation and coercion—and hand a victory not only to Russia but to China all of which are backing Russian aggression Robert Kagan: Trump is facing a catastrophic defeat in Ukraine in the Middle East is similar: Stepping back is good policy effectively turning all three into failed states When the regime of Syrian strongman Bashar al-Assad collapsed last month THE UNITED STATES SHOULD HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT DO NOT GET INVOLVED!” Yet the United States can’t really steer clear of Syria which hosts a sizable contingent of American troops; is home to extremist groups such as the Islamic State; and borders three U.S Especially at a time of widespread upheaval in the Middle East engagement is needed to guide the region to a stable peace Trump appears likely to either overdo or underdo China. He’s a hawk when it comes to trade but could well balk at the risks of a military dustup with Beijing over Taiwan. In the past he has demanded that Taiwan pay for U.S “protection,” claimed that it had “stolen” America’s semiconductor industry and equivocated about defending the island Trump’s larger China policy could ultimately determine which way he goes on Taiwan A trade war could lead him to ratchet up geopolitical rivalry and double down on defending Taipei he might sell out Taiwan as part of a grand bargain with Beijing that he could tout as the consummate deal leaving China unchecked and allies everywhere unsettled The more responsible path is to undertake cautious but constructive engagement and carve out a working relationship on issues such as technological competition and global health—all while preserving a stable status quo on Taiwan and Trump exhibits due caution toward the overzealous promotion of democracy abroad He has correctly traced American overreach in the Middle East to the “dangerous idea that we could make Western democracies out of countries that had no experience or interest in becoming a Western democracy.” And he is right to reassure foreign nations that “we do not seek to impose our way of life on anyone.” Yet Trump could well end up pairing this tolerance of political diversity abroad with efforts to compromise liberal democracy at home he has already shown a worrying disdain for democratic norms He still claims spuriously to have won the 2020 election threatens to pursue vendettas against political opponents pledges to punish media outlets and companies that criticize him and plans to disregard the Constitution by denying birthright citizenship and a good number of his appointees are of dubious character whom he has tapped to help improve government efficiency will beset the administration with conflicts of interest as Trump’s globe-spanning family businesses already do but forcibly deporting millions of undocumented migrants would be both indecent and inhumane So much for the United States leading through the power of its example Democracy is in recession in all quarters of the globe where political centrism has been steadily losing ground to illiberal populism the United States needs to get its own house in order and demonstrate to the rest of the world that democratic governments can indeed deliver for their citizens and outperform the autocratic competition the trajectory of American democracy may well determine the trajectory of democracy around the world and practices that anchor republican government he could do irreparable harm to the cause of democracy not just in the United States but globally and the American people will bear the responsibility for stopping him Trump has a mandate to take on the political establishment and upend its conventional wisdom New faces and a measure of unpredictability in Washington are not all bad; they can produce fresh ideas and keep adversaries guessing and off-balance Read: What Trump got right about national security But many of the outsiders and iconoclasts Trump has nominated for top posts have questionable qualifications and his pledge to purge the civil service and military in order to feather both with loyalists who will do his bidding goes too far Trump has mused about dismantling the Department of Education at a time when the nation’s public schools desperately need more federal funding and guidance Trump’s erratic management is likely to produce a ballooning national debt and policy incoherence The status quo certainly deserves shaking up yet Trump will need a functioning executive branch to make and implement policy but they must have the managerial experience needed to run large organizations Substantive experts and diplomats are not subversive agents of the “deep state”; they are vital to making and executing effective policy and staffing the nation’s outposts abroad Trump simply cannot afford to bring down the house—and must be stopped from doing so and even foreign adversaries is to ensure that the promise of Trump’s second term prevails over its peril America and the world need Trump to be a disrupter and reformer Americans and foreigners can and should work with Trump the disrupter and reformer then checks and balances at home and abroad must shut Trump down 2025Images courtesy of Carter Young; collage by Brittany LogginsSave this storySaveSave this storySaveAll products featured on GQ are independently selected by our editors we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through these links Instead, Altman focuses his attention on the Midwest, specifically the strip malls, high school football stadiums, and industrial suburbs of his teenage years in Detroit—a hodgepodge of references that remain endlessly inspiring to him, even as the city cedes real estate to its glittering counterparts on the American style map. In the early 2000s, Altman said on a call this week, brands like Abercrombie & Fitch harnessed a version of the corn-fed Midwestern aesthetic to wildly popular effect (Sofia Coppola’s adaptation of The Virgin Suicides was set two towns over from where he grew up.) “Today,” Altman says “the cultural lineage of the flyover states is an underrepresented aspect of Americana.” Altman isn’t the first expat to mine the Midwest for inspiration. But his visceral connection to the “haunted feeling” of the heartland lends his work an authenticity even veteran designers struggle to approximate. In his eyes, the flyover states are just fly, period—and it’s about time menswear did them justice. I visited the Muir Woods National Monument in northern California We stood before the massive tree trunk eager to show the kids how you can tell the age of a tree by moving from its inner circular rings and going outwards Our enthusiasm quickly faded into horror as we began to utter the contents: “1100 building of cliff dwellings begin Mesa Verde;” “1325 the Aztecs begin construction of Tenochtitlan in Mexico;” I have never seen a literal depiction of the concept of terra nullius before This term is a legal fiction in public international law that allegedly created territories without masters Indigenous populations in existence for millennia are forcibly forgotten The references to Indigenous peoples within the tree’s timeline are all astonishingly decontextualized Unnamed are the exact nations and peoples that were there long before the tree’s birth; unidentified are the ones that came afterwards Also erased from “the frame” are the peoples forcibly kidnapped and sold from Africa who were enslaved on these lands now known as the United States nor the quick instantiation of de facto racial apartheid and segregation of Jim Crow laws that followed and Black peoples are relegated to nowhere The tree’s timeline metaphorically represents historian and sociologist Orlando Patterson’s work on slavery and “social death.” Patterson explains how the process of enslavement was marked by natal alienation from kin groups and homelands and complete and gratuitous violence and vulnerability Enslaved peoples were relegated as social nonpersons – cast outside of what it means to be human The general dishonoring is so total that there are no contributions from the social non-persons of enslaved Africans on the tree’s timeline This piece reconsiders foundational mythologies about the United States and Pax Americana’s upholding of the international rule of law It concludes that the international order worth fighting for is a radically different world altogether the current occupant of the White House makes no pretense of hiding America’s empire Trump’s remarks have been incorrectly opined as an attempt to “make colonialism great again.” However the variant of colonialism Trump is serving never receded and King Leopold II of Belgium negotiated their competing imperial claims to different African territories Confronting Pax Americana from within the imperial core is a surprisingly challenging task. In Daniel Immerwahar’s book How to Hide an Empire: A History of the Greater United States empire by engaging with “the actual territories—the islands and archipelagos—this country has governed and inhabited.” The “pathbreaking” nature of this book in the United States can only be understood against the persistence of American exceptionalism and the thoroughness of the populace’s indoctrination “the freedom and prosperity equated with national security in the dominant narrative was dependent on territorial expansion and the exploitation and control of Black labor.” Wolfe’s work enables us to recognize that “race is colonialism speaking.” observed that when White “Americans responsible for sending” formerly enslaved Black peoples to Liberia not because of emancipatory valuation of freedom Many commentators point to the Second World War as a demarcation point between the colonial past and the decolonial present. But the reality of the American project blurs these lines. The undermining of the sovereignty of peoples colonized internally and externally by the United States is ongoing. The United States still claims several non-self-governing territories the connections between Pax Americana’s military interventions around the globe and its settler-colonial foundations are clear This enduring aspect of United States imperial rule is unhidden unless you choose to forcibly forget Within Pax Americana we exist under imperial rule. To believe you can cut off the measures deployed in territories and occupied lands before they reach the metropole is to fundamentally misapprehend Aimé Césaire’s imperial boomerang effect and to misunderstand the co-constitutive nature between the periphery and the center the threat or actual use of them are already here Legal experts can unknow this reality or confront it rules “do not determine the circumstances of their own application,” and the rules “regarding the application of rules do not determine the circumstances of their own application.” The entire premise of the legal profession is based on this is to fundamentally miseducate the populace would make us more inclined to demand a radical transformation of the status quo creating carve outs for forced or compulsory labor imposed as a punishment for a crime the rule of law represents the “sigh and submission of the oppressed,” and reflects “the brutish grabbing and grasping and gobbling of as much as possible.” The current romanticization of the international order against this grounding makes his dry observation even more necessary: “hell itself has its legalities.” The NIEO sought to establish an international order based on equity The NIEO aimed to close the widening gap between the Global Souths and Global North and to accelerate economic and social development the NIEO would have necessitated far-ranging policy reforms including reparative and distributive justice efforts that challenge entrenched commercial interests and powerful States the Declaration was never enacted; the international rule of law was not reshaped to give effect to any of the principles it identified The world that the NIEO sought to remedy in 1974 has gotten materially worse under the rules-based international order member States who agreed to the SDGs in 2015 that “halfway to the deadline for the 2030 Agenda we are leaving more than half the world behind We have stalled or gone into reverse on more than 30 percent of the SDGs,” he urged the 2030 Agenda will become an epitaph for a world that might have been.” Yet, the problem is not one of scarcity. Indeed, the current maldistribution of resources has resulted in just 26 people having the same wealth as half of the world’s population and record levels of inequality. This profoundly unjust status quo is an indictment of the rules-based international order. It reveals how zones of sacrifice persist – the bodies discarded as if they are disposable in the Global North and Global Souths The dispensing of an international trial is a nonevent The rule-based international order is the rule of men after all The dance between the rules-based order and Pax Americana has recently gotten hectically off track When leaders eschew openly embracing the U.S benign and benevolent views of the United States as a force for good in the world are able to flourish and persist being confronted with the imperial logics of Pax Americana can prompt a bewildering crisis of cohesion and challenging of priors the Biden’s administration insistence that Israel has a right to defend itself as justification for its ongoing and escalating military and financial support for Israel’s actions in the occupied Palestinian territories proceeds as if international law does not have distinct bodies of law that govern the use of force which pertains to the purported justice of war (jus ad bellum) and a different one governing the laws of armed conflict which covers what is just and fair conduct in war (jus in bello) is legally irrelevant in terms of international humanitarian law which determines what one can do after resorting to force The claimed justness of the cause of war does not give carte blanche to use any means and methods of force in conflict Pax Americana proceeds as if the rules-based order and its dictates simply do not exist The Trump administration asserts that these bodies are acting “contrary to the interests of the United States.” Recently, legal experts have issued several calls to arms to defend the rule of law and international institutions The “wretched of the earth” live a different material reality The rule of law has already abandoned itself The rules-based international order is revealing its own irrelevance by unremembering its own death Literary scholar and cultural historian Saidiya Hartman’s analysis of the “double-bind of freedom” is exceptionally generative to deploy Hartman clarifies how Black peoples have “burdened individuality,” following emancipation Hartman describes how formerly enslaved peoples are “free from slavery and free of resources citizen and subject.” Extrapolating burdened individuality globally has significant resonance The social contract negotiated by many Black and other peoples’ struggle for freedom internationally resulted in the acceptance of a pyrrhic victory of independence that can mask the fundamentally inequitable and hierarchical nature of the international order which gets recast as a mutual exchange between States Some like Haiti, had to literally pay for its freedom Following the heady days of the Haitian Revolution from 1791-1804 and the independence celebrations of the first country to be created by formerly enslaved persons France required Haiti to pay reparations in exchange for it recognizing its nascent sovereignty odious debt for many years as a condition for its freedom and recognition of its independence This precarious economic position rendered Haiti exceptionally vulnerable The United States also subjected Haiti to occupation and numerous foreign interventions and interference over the years The burdened sovereignty of the Haitian political project reflects the limitations and hinderances that defined(s) many of the political projects of States in the Global South atomic bombing of them in Hiroshima and Nagasaki newly independent countries aspired to reshape the world in equitable ways in the NIEO proclaiming territories and peoples under foreign occupation colonial domination or apartheid to restitution and full compensation for the exploitation and depletion of the natural resources and all other resources of those States countries received trivial amounts of foreign aid which did not fairly or adequately compensate them for centuries of exploitation Incredibly, the 2022 World Inequality Report estimates that contemporary global inequality is close to the early 20th century peak of Western imperialism this report was released years before Trump’s 2025 inauguration The calls to urgency now are both perplexing and vexing to observe Calls to uphold the status quo do not even acknowledge the obscene ask to defend subjugation nor the fundamentally inequitable bargain that subaltern peoples are being called to implicitly make                                         paying                                                          what                                                                         is                                                                                   owed Recognition is past due that the operating principles of Pax Americana and the rules-based order are inherently bankrupt Both regulatory frameworks are fundamentally harmful and morally unsustainable This is not an argument about the outliers or excesses of each systems’ operations Nor is this a functionalist claim that these systems of regulation as practiced are ineffectual and exacerbate the problems that they seek to solve the problem with that line of reasoning is it fosters tinkering around the margins reforms the systems that would need to replace Pax Americana and the rules-based international order are so qualitatively different that we must transform substantially away from both regulatory forms of governance encourages us to adopt the same anticolonial imagination that circulated during the global era of decolonization and to direct it at the American security project itself necessitates rejecting the presumptive legitimacy of the state’s international police power radical imagination includes ending the colonial status of all the existing territorial dependencies— in line with the genuine political desires of local and self- determining communities Rana also suggests that such radical imagination encompasses everything from sharing sovereignty with Native peoples and land return to reparations transformative and structural reforms to intelligence and policing apparatuses and providing judicial avenues for the remedy of past colonial crimes as well as contemporary national security ones Returning to these radical imaginings of anti-subordination and decolonization represented in the Black Radical tradition and building on these with transformative actions towards freedom is essential to face the demands of the moment The world worth fighting for is a radically transformed one Matiangai V.S. Sirleaf ( Bluesky - LinkedIn - X) is an Executive Editor of Just Security and Nathan Patz Professor of Law at the University of Maryland School of Law Stay up to date with Just Security curated newsletters: Just Security provides expert analysis and informational resources on the issues that matter most—without paywalls Just Security is an editorially independent daily digital law and policy journal housed in the Reiss Center on Law and Security at the New York University School of Law Support Just Security in shaping a more informed and secure world by making a tax-deductible donation of any size through the NYU giving page Donate Now Well that’s it from us for another week dear reader, a week in which it’s been good to see on a couple of occasions that justice is occasionally served We leave you with the closing track from the forthcoming album “No Fun In The Chrysalis” by Wisconsin folk-rockers Them Coulee Boys Frontman Soren Staff says of the song: “‘I Am Not Sad‘… captures the theme of accepting change this record focuses on I’ve struggled with my mental health my whole life I’ve embraced those issues in my songwriting hoping to shine a light on things that we all go through from time to time We have plenty of songs that talk about these issues but this one is the first that accepts them “The song is built around the phrase ‘I am not sad anymore at least not today.’ It’s a celebration of the happiness in the moment while acknowledging that there’s times when it’s harder It’s about being thankful for the good times and letting them stack up on one another for when the bad times come while knowing that it won’t always be like that with elements of the band being added with each verse like confidence growing in one’s self as you begin to believe with strummed mandolin and piano a backdrop for growth When the bridge lyrically introduces the idea that these positive feelings might not last the musical interlude represents the choice to embrace that realization almost dream-like backdrop sets up the catharsis of the last verse it invites all the good feelings back for a triumphant jam It’s loud and snarls in the face of the hard times We second that. Please do support your local Palestine action if you can this weekend Agalisiga “Chuj” Mackey “Nasagino Inagei Nidayulenvi” Video Premiere: Rebecca Aadland “Stuck in Yesterday” while CEO Jason Fertitta and the rest of the leadership team will continue to run the firm Private equity firm Lovell Minnick Partners is taking a majority stake in Americana Partners an $8.5 billion Houston-based firm (and member of the Dynasty Financial Partners network) LMP will be the firm’s first owner outside of its founders and management team Americana CEO Jason Fertitta called it an “important milestone” for the firm with LMP and Americana sharing a “common vision” for what they want to accomplish for clients “We chose to work with LMP because of their extensive track record in accelerating growth for successful wealth management organizations their deep bench of resources to support strategic acquisitions and their underlying philosophy as partners and investors,” Fertitta said Americana’s leadership team and employees will remain significant owners while Fertitta and the rest of the leadership team will continue to run the firm after the deal A group of breakaway Morgan Stanley advisors founded Americana in 2019 making it the largest team to join Dynasty to that point The group launched with seven advisors across three Texas offices Related:Pathstone Surges Forward With Lovell Minnick Investment with a particular focus on financial and business services and fintech firms LMP has raised over $5 billion of committed capital and invested in more than 50 unique platform companies (and finalized more than 200 add-on acquisitions) and we are aligned with the Americana team’s high-growth strategic vision,” Lovell Minnick Partners Partner Trevor Rich said operated as Americana’s exclusive financial advisor for the deal while Winstead and Alston & Bird served as legal counsel for Americana and LMP Related:Lovell Minnick Takes Stake in $15 Billion RIA Patrick Donachie is a senior reporter for WealthManagement.com litigation and M&A deals in financial services RIA Edge 100: Growing Rapidly but Responsibly What truly sets peak performing retirement plans apart Tech Stacks & Growth Strategies for Future-Ready Advisory Firms Ask the Experts: Grow Your Practice with Philanthropy: Comparing DAFs and Private Foundations See how advisors are combining active and passive strategies for optimal portfolio results Registered in England & Wales with number 01835199