Minute by minute, sunlight is coming back to us. With February creeping along, each day brings us closer to springtime thaws in all of our favorite places. I’ve filled this Jam Jar with music local to a place that many of us love: the Red River Gorge.
One of the many joys of visiting new places is engaging with their culture–especially their art. My partner and editor excels at delving beyond the mainstream to find the best local music, and he helped me with this project. For this Jam Jar, I bring you some of our favorite tunes from Rural Appalachia. I’ve also added a few songs from elsewhere that share similar artistic traditions and styles.
In addition to the information I usually share, I’ll also let you know where each of these artists are from.
- Dogs of Mexico, Senora May !*
- Eastern Kentucky
- Hares on the Mountain, The Local Honeys !
- Kentucky, with roots in Morehead
- Just Like Leaving, Bella White
- Alberta, Canada
- Influenced by her Virginia-born father’s lifetime of playing bluegrass
- High on a Mountain, The Local Honeys !
- Kentucky
- Cigarette Trees, The Local Honeys
- Kentucky
- Resilient, Rising Appalachia
- Atlanta, Georgia
- Jump Down Baby, Esther Rose
- Born in Michigan
- Developed musically in New Orleans
- Ready or Not (Feat. Sierra Ferrell), Shakey Graves, Sierra Ferrell *
- Shakey Graves: Austin, Texas
- Sierra Ferrell: West Virginia
- American Dreaming, Sierra Ferrell *
- West Virginia
- Dollar Bill Bar, Sierra Ferrell *
- West Virginia
! = kinda niche, * = kinda new
An old friend of mine soaking in the sunshine by a cliff in the Red River Gorge
**A note: Spotify is currently having trouble loading custom cover images, so you’ll have to hang tight for a cool cover on this playlist! We apologize.
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