On the heels of their autumn 2011 release Beauty Queen Sister, the Indigo Girls have announced an initial leg of tour dates they'll be playing to kick off a summer of touring. This first string of dates will be a full band tour featuring opening troupe the Shadowboxers, who will also back the duo for their full set (so it'll include keys and horns, no doubt making the I-Girls sets pop even harder).

The duo released Beauty Queen Sister last fall and the release was followed a couple of months later by Amy Ray's solo album Lung of Love. Throughout the winter and spring months, Ray toured behind that album both as a trio/song-swap with Lindsay Fuller and Jeff Fielder and with her full rock band for a number of dates across the Southwest and East Coast. Fans of Ray's solo work may be familiar with the Shadowboxers as they toured with her for a number of dates on the East Coast this spring. Be sure to catch the whole crew together on the road this summer. Here are the dates for June out west or check out this profile of the Indigo Girls.

FR 06.08.12 Aspen, CO - Belly Up Tavern
SA 06.09.12 Arvada, CO - Arvada Center
SU 06.10.12 Boulder, CO - Chautauqua Auditorium
TU 06.12.12 Tucson, AZ - Rialto Theatre
TH 06.14.12 Chandler, AZ - Wild Horse Pass Hotel and Casino
FR 06.15.12 San Diego, CA - Humphreys
SA 06.16.12 Los Angeles, CA - Wiltern Theatre
SU 06.17.12 Santa Barbara, CA - Live Oak Music Festival
TU 06.19.12 Saratoga, CA - Mountain Winery
WE 06.20.12 San Francisco, CA - Slim's
TH 06.21.12 Napa, CA - Uptown Theatre
FR 06.22.12 Grass Valley, CA - Veteran's Memorial Auditorium

photo courtesy Propeller Publicity

I'll admit to being surprised when I first put on Sara Watkins' new album Sun Midnight Sun. Her self-titled solo debut back in 2009 was so soft-spoken and beautiful, I was not expecting its follow-up to be so sonically daring and provocative. It's not that the songs necessarily do anything new or different, but Watkins' delivery of them is certainly interesting.

Longtime fans expecting some amalgamation of folk and bluegrass music delivered through a contemporary sleek conduit will be surprised to hear more punk and rock energy in the tunes this time around. It'll be interesting to see if this direction sticks, but for now it's a terrifically gritty and fabulous listen, especially as we roll into summer.

Check out my full review of Sara Watkins - Sun Midnight Sun.

image © Nonesuch Records

The history of American folk music, it can be said, stretches as far back as the advent of the country, and beyond. Indeed, many of the songs we've come to identify deeply with (not to mention the instruments) are rooted in Western European and African heritage - well before any of those cultures arrived on American soil.

But, as folk music history has progressed, there have been a couple of moments and artists who helped turn a wheel toward spreading the craft, popularizing it, keeping it relevant and underscoring its vitality. One such entity was the Carter Family. Their adherence to the traditional music of their homestate of Virginia, and the spirit of Appalachia in general, very deeply inspired the careers of artists who would come to define both folk and country music (and by extension, the advent of rock and roll and eventually the protest song movement, the rise of alt-country, et cetera). You can learn more about the Carter Family with this brief bio and profile.

Meanwhile, there's a filmmaker working on a documentary about the Carter Family's life and influence. The film, titled The Winding Stream has a Kickstarter campaign which I'd recommend to anyone interested in helping to keep their story in the world. Check out that Kickstarter page and donate if you feel inclined, or visit the film's website for more info.

image © Mercury Nashville

In 1960, Pete Seeger had just recently become blacklisted. Soon after this concert, he would be sentenced to ten years in prison (a sentence which would quickly be overturned, granted). But in the meantime, Seeger was feverishly dedicated to encouraging young people to look toward folk music as a means of organizing community and maintaining their ties to the various struggles and achievements of human history. It's in this spirit which he came to Bowdoin College in Maine in March of 1960 to deliver a lengthy set of traditional and topical American and European folk songs. He encouraged participation and, as a result, was rewarded a rapt audience eager to share their multi-part syncopated harmonies.

This new 2-CD set from Smithsonian Folkways captures an outstanding performance from Pete Seeger in his prime - a reminder of what folk music has and can do for the human spirit and the maintenance of our democracy. Check out my full review of Pete Seeger's Complete Bowdoin College Concert 1960

image © Smithsonian Folkways