This is the second of two articles about Dennis McNally’s new book The Last Great Dream: How Bohemians Became Hippies and Created the Sixties. The first article, a review of the book, can be found at https://www.gratefulweb.com/articles/last-great-dream-dennis-mcnally-review.

Bluegrass may not have much room for the “confessional” approach of many singer/songwriters’ creations, but there’s been a place for what Bill Monroe, the music’s founder, called “true songs” at least since his “Memories of Mother and Dad,” which literally quoted his parents’ tombstones.

As thousands arrived at the Monterey Fairgrounds for the final day of the 14th annual Cali Roots Festival, the sun shone through the skies that had been so overcast the past several days, in a positive omen of the memories to be made that day. A bittersweet goodbye to the events of the weekend, day three of the festival demonstrated the depth of the artists on the lineup and the connection between the fans and performers throughout generations.

Fresh off his win as the 2024 IBMA Songwriter of the Year, acclaimed guitarist and vocalist Rick Faris unveils “You Don’t Know What You’re Missing,” the third advance single from his forthcoming album Life’s Parade, due July 11 on Dark Shadow Recording. A nimble, hard-driving track with a contemplative core, the song urges listeners to disconnect from the daily digital churn and reconnect with life’s deeper, human moments.

Acclaimed drummer, composer, and producer Geoff Mann is set to release Underground, a full-length tribute to his father Herbie Mann’s landmark 1969 album Memphis Underground. Out today is the second offering from the project: a cinematic reinterpretation of “Battle Hymn of the Republic,” the abolitionist anthem by Julia Ward Howe popularized through Herbie’s fusion classic and later adopted by Hunter S. Thompson as the official campaign song for his 1970 run for Sheriff of Pitkin County.

After lighting the fuse with the gritty debut single “Maggie Went Back to Mineola,” Texas Headhunters featuring (Ian Moore, Jesse Dayton and Johnny Moeller) show a deeper, more emotional side with “Kathleen,” the second track from their upcoming self-titled album, due August 22 on Hardcharger / Blue Élan Records.  The track lands today alongside a powerful new video that captures the song’s tension and beauty.

Two of indie-folk’s most acclaimed voices—“exceptional” duo Viv & Riley (No Depression) and “wonderful” singer-songwriter Rachel Baiman (Paste)—have joined forces under the playful banner kissing other ppl. Their self-titled debut arrives today on Peacedale Records, anchored by a shimmering first single: a revelatory take on Dr. Dog’s cult favorite “Where’d All the Time Go.” Listen/watch here: https://youtu.be/L3C44FHmIyo.

Hilary Hawke is a genre-blending banjoist, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist whose sound is as rooted as it is boundary-pushing. Originally from upstate New York and now a longtime staple of the NYC music scene, Hilary brings warmth, charisma, and grit to every stage she steps onto. Whether fingerpicking with precision or digging into clawhammer grooves, her style radiates a rare combination of technique and heartfelt authenticity. 

Fire & Honey, the long-awaited debut album from Wild Mountain Mystics, will be released August 1st, 2025 via L.A.’s Americana-roots label Blackbird Record Label. A heartfelt and joy-filled collection of original songs, the album is a culmination of over a decade of musical partnership between Rick and Lisa, the duo behind the name.

20 years after his passing, Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Johnnie Johnson, whose piano work graced so many of Chuck Berry’s classic recordings, will have a new album, I’m Just Johnnie, releasing August 1st on Missouri Morning Records, featuring special guests including Bruce Hornsby, Bonnie Raitt, Johnny Rivers and John Sebastian. The two-CD set also includes a second disc of interviews with Johnson and Radio Hall of Fame and SiriusXM DJ Pat St. John discussing Johnnie’s career in one of the last interviews before his passing on April 13, 2005.