Here’s some the best Americana and roots-type music releases for March 28th, 2025. Click the artist or album links to find out more. The artist’s names link to their websites and the CD title links go to either Amazon, iTunes, Bandcamp or the artist’s site for ordering or downloading. A + sign means although not a featured release, it’s a notable album that’s still worth checking out. Also, this page will be updated as I find out about other new releases so check back again.
Pug Johnson
El Cabron (independent)
If Townes van Zandt’s “Pancho and Lefty” got away with it, their lives might have ended up something like Texas singer/songwriter Pug Johnson’s outlaw, El Cabron. The titular character runs on swagger and split-second choices, often thriving in the liminal moments on the run living life hard. Drawing inspiration from Texas best-known deviants, like the characters in Larry McMurtry’s Lonesome Dove and Terry Allen’s Juarez, Johnson’s El Cabron (Spanish slang for “the bastard”) spends most of the album flirting with impropriety driven by a rakish disregard for order. Accompanied by a mix of Cajun, Tejano, Texas swing, and honky-tonk influenced sounds, his character escapes over the boarder into Mexico, dreams of life writ large, falls in and out of love, and kicks up his fair share of trouble. By album’s end, unlike many outlaws, El Cabron has learned a few lessons; he finds himself contemplating the future and armed with a few new adventure notches on his belt, he vows to make himself a better man. (edited from No Depression review)
Alison Krauss & Union Station
Arcadia (Down The Road Records)
It’s been 14 long years since 2011’s Paper Airplane and it looked as though Alison Krauss and Union Station had drifted off into the musical ether, but no – they’re back – not only with a new album, but a big string of (sold out) US live dates too. Alongside Krauss, Jerry Douglas (Dobro, lap steel, vocals), Ron Block (banjo, guitar, vocals) and Barry Bales (bass, vocals) there’s a new guy – Russell Moore on co-lead vocals, guitar and mandolin, plus guest appearances from former alumnus Dan Tyminski, fiddle-god Stuart Duncan and other musical and production luminaries as well. Right from the off, this sounds exactly as you would have hoped – and expected. Sumptuous playing, gorgeous vocals, a stellar warm production and a great collection of songs. Sometimes, when a band reunites, the hype is bigger than the reality, but with talent this massive, there was never a chance that this would be anything but a triumphant return. (edited from Rocking Magpie review)
Also new this week…
Dustin Brown – Dustin Brown (independent)
Kathleen Edwards – Covers (Dualtone Music Group)
Tyler Grant – Flatpicker(Grant Central Records)
Janiva Magness – Back For Me (Blue Elan Records) +
Cactus Lee – Cactus Lee (Western Vinyl) +
Sam Outlaw – The Nondessential Sam Outlaw (independent) +
Palmyra – Restless (Oh Boy Records)
Jason Scott & The High Heat – American Grin (independent)
Susto Stringband – Vol. One (New West Records)
Coming out soon … Suzy Thompson, Gurf Morlix, Ashleigh Flynn & The Riveters, Seth Walker, Pete Mancini, C. Daniel Boling, The Wildwoods, Mason Via, Kassi Valazza, Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives, Shinyribs, Kieran Kane & Rayna Gellert, Mattie Schell, Willie Nelson, Watchhouse, Webb Wilder, Little Feat, Taj Mahal and Keb’ Mo’, Esther Rose and more!
