LINDI ORTEGA – “Murder of Crows” – The second emphasis track from Cigarettes and Truckstops, serviced this week via allaccess.com digital delivery systems. You should have received an email on Wednesday with a link to the track. This is the most played song at Americana radio. Lindi continues her tour this month with dates in Charlotte, Atlanta, Nashville, and then a headlining run across Canada and then dates in the UK and Europe. The press continues to build with stories this week in the New York Times and Philadelphia Inquirer.
RAH RAH – “Prairie Girl” – Second single from the album, the poet’s DEAD. First single from the album was a Top 30 track on CMJ College 200. They continue to tour the US, including dates at SXSW this year. You can find this track on the new fmqb CD sampler mailing this week, as well as in the Sunset Sessions Conference later this month.
SUSAN McKEOWN – Belong – A gorgeous new album, the first collection of original songs from Susan in over five years. In collaborations with Declan O’Rourke, Erin McKeown, James Maddock and others, Susan has created the most personal, vulnerable and engaging record of her career. Please listen to “On the Bridge to Williamsburg”, “Everything We Had Was Good”, and my new favorite song of the year, “Patience”.
JOE D’AMICO – A Short Time’s A Long Time is the second album from Joe, who is also the leader of the trad/acoustic band Mason Porter. 
The new record features the best players in Philadelphia, who have assembled a beautiful collection of songs about marriage, home building and family building, with a powerful mix of rock, prog and acoustic. The record is already getting play from Bangor Maine to Eugene Oregon. Check out “Look From the Mountain” and “20/20”.
LAURA TSAGGARIS [sa-garr-iss] “Dig” – First track from the third album from Laura, Everyman, recorded in Nashville with multi-instrumentalist and producer Jamie Candiloro. Jamie also brought Ryan Adams to the studio to sing with Laura on this song and also on “Unsteady”. The band also includes guitar master Kenny Vaughn and some of the finest musicians who work with Jamie.
THE STRAY BIRDS – “Dream in Blue” continues to dominate the FOLK-DJ charts for another month, and tour dates are increasing accordingly. Following on the heels of their recognition from NPR with the Top 10 Folk/Americana releases for 2012, the band is headed to Toronto for the 25th Annual International Folk Alliance Conference. The band’s appearance there will include a special public showcase at the venerable Hugh’s Room, as well as showcases and jamming all over the Delta Chelsea Hotel.
In other news, this Foxygen track “San Francisco” has got to be the best tribute to Syd Barrett of them all. And many of them, as numerous bands have shown their influences, and a few have had careers in their own right like Robin Hitchcock, and bands who have taken their name from Syd songs like Gigolo Aunts. However, the Foxygen track is a perfect use of the melody style and lyric cadence of Syd’s writing form. I’m a huge fan of Syd’s work, during and after Pink Floyd, and this new track is great. Another great new track is ‘A New Life’ from Jim James. The album is excellent, and will be one of my favorites for the year. And his performance of the song on Jimmy Fallon is a Grammy award-wining night.