A half-dozen cool things in music, from two points of view:
Ryan Olson of Minneapolis:
1 Goose. Ever since Phish emerged as the heir to the Dead’s throne as the king of the jam scene, the question has been: Who’s next? Goose is making its case with deep extended jams on a rigorous tour itinerary of famed places like Radio City Music Hall and Red Rocks, and even a recent co-headlining arena tour with Phish leader Trey Anastasio.
2 Billy Strings. The Michigan-born acoustic guitar wiz is also making his claim for king of the jam scene. With high-profile collaborations with artists like Willie Nelson and a tour itinerary with an increasing number of arenas, Billy is bringing bluegrass to the masses.
3 New artists on ‘The United States of Americana,’ 89.3 the Current. Host Bill Deville has been playing the likes of John Prine and Emmylou Harris on his Sunday morning radio program for years. It’s the newer generation keeping the show fresh, including Colter Wall, Ondara, Molly Tuttle, Charley Crockett, Pony Bradshaw, Logan Ledger, Drayton Farley and Angel Olsen, to name a few.
Jon Bream, Star Tribune critic:
1 Lisa Fischer with Ranky Tanky, the Dakota. The wondrous vocalist teamed with the jazzy Gullah-influenced South Carolina group for an intoxicatingly soulful mix. A medley of Fischer’s inside-out version of “This Land Is Your Land” and Ranky Tanky’s “Freedom” gave a new meaning to the American dream.
2 New Yorker music issue. The June 5 edition featured a comprehensive look at Ed Sheeran and songwriting copyright lawsuits, a long profile of complicated post-woke rock star Matty Healy of the 1975, and an extensive exploration of demos and unreleased songs from Stax Records. Most intriguing, though, was an in-depth look at private concerts, when stars like Beyoncé and Flo Rida are paid extravagantly to perform for a hotel opening in Dubai and a bar mitzvah party in Chicago, respectively.
3 Greta Van Fleet singer comes out. In this month of Pride, hard-rocker Josh Kiszka made a statement on Instagram that he has been in a stable same-sex relationship for eight years. Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford, who came out in 1998, tweeted his support. Kiszka, a Michigan native, explained his announcement was because of recent laws in Tennessee, where he now lives, targeting the LGBTQ community.
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