Music

Singers, songwriters, activists, and prosthelytizers of the concept of slowing down, the extraordinary group Rising Appalachia has created a new concept of what a touring band can mean to the communities they travel through.

Headed up by multi-talented singer-songwriter Cindy Emch, The Secret Emchy Society has quickly become a cornerstone band of a burgeoning music scene that’s putting marginalized voices at the forefront of an often marginalizing music scene.

I wanted to write about my heroes, and I wanted to get it right. And because I get to work for some very cool people at Waxwing, they told me to knock myself out. (Photo: Chad Bakta/New York Times/ Redux)

From a ragtag band of street musicians to an internationally touring act, my old friends from the band Tuba Skinny have used the technology today to open their audience to the music yesterday. (photo: Sarah Danziger)

A brand new record label gets its start in a New Orleans living room.

Leyla McCalla is building her music by fusing everything from Haitian folk music to New Orleans jazz to the poetry of Langston Hughes. Read more from my interview with her here.

Dom Flemons is charting a daring path through America’s musical landscape. I interviewed him for Waxwing Literary Journal. Read all about it here.

I’m pleased to announce that I am part of a new series on Medium called The Stories. The series is curated by my friend Sara Benincasa and features two to three true stories every week. They’ve featured my own story,…

I didn’t have a hangover, but I wasn’t going to miss this classic redeemer of those who regret the night before.

My latest piece for Waxwing Literary Magazine is on Hurray for the Riff Raff’s amazing singer Alynda Lee Segarra.