This week on Folk Alley, join Cindy Howes for music to welcome January, featuring songs from Bill Staines, Al Petteway, and Erica Wheeler, plus a great lineup of new releases from Tom Paxton & John McCutcheon, The McDades, Langhorne Slim, Courtney Marie Andrews, Lucinda Williams, The Foreign Landers, The Lowest Pair, Steve Poltz, Emily Scott Robinson, Ye Vagabonds, and Eric Bibb. You’ll also hear favorites from Kris Drever, The Decemberists, and Kathy Mattea, classic tracks from Kate Wolf and Muddy Waters, and a special Happy Birthday salute to folk icon Joan Baez on her 85th birthday. The post Folk Alley Radio Show #260108 appeared first on Folk Alley.

This week on Folk Alley, join Cindy Howes for our first show of 2026, featuring music to welcome the new year from Over the Rhine, Al Petteway, and Arny Margaret. We’ll also spotlight exciting new debut albums from Mon Rovia and Kat Wallace, then take a deep dive into the vibrant Greenwich Village folk scene as it blossomed in the early 1960s. Enjoy debut and early recordings by artists who would go on to become folk icons—Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Fred Neil, Karen Dalton, Phil Ochs, Tom Paxton, Eric Andersen, Judy Collins, Koerner, Ray & Glover, and much more. The post Folk Alley Radio Show #260101 appeared first on Folk Alley.

This week on Folk Alley, enjoy an encore broadcast of our 50-Year Throwback show! We’re turning the clock back to 1975—a landmark year filled with unforgettable folk, bluegrass, and country sounds from Bob Dylan, Janis Ian, Paul Simon, Emmylou Harris, John Prine, Bonnie Raitt, Steeleye Span, Richard & Linda Thompson, and many more. The post Folk Alley Radio Show #251225 appeared first on Folk Alley.

This week on Folk Alley, join Cindy Howes for a look back at the year in music, featuring the songs that received the most airplay on Folk Alley. Hear music from Jesse Welles, Rose Cousins, Eliza Gilkyson, Jason Isbell, Morgan Toney, and Mdou Moctar—plus more of Folk Alley’s picks for Best of 2025 including William Prince, Kathleen Edwards, Robert Plant, Hayes Carll, Billy Strings & Bryan Sutton, and much more. The post Folk Alley Radio Show #251218 appeared first on Folk Alley.

This week on Folk Alley, join Cindy Howes for fresh new holiday tracks from Sara Milonovich & Daisycutter, Drew & Ellie Holcomb, Jake Shimabukuro, The Klezmatics, and The Doohickeys, along with seasonal favorites from the Indigo Girls, JD McPherson, Sierra Ferrell, and Mary Chapin Carpenter. Plus, we remember the late Raúl Malo of The Mavericks, who passed away on December 8th. In Hour Two, we dive into the results of our Best of 2025 Folk Alley Listener Poll. Enjoy an hour of music that resonated the strongest with Folk Alley listeners this year including songs from Alison Krauss & Union Station, Jason Isbell, Mavis Staples, and much more. The post Folk Alley Radio Show #251211 appeared first on Folk Alley.

This week on Folk Alley, we kick off Holiday Music Season with seasonal favorites from Margo Price, Andrew Bird, and Willie Nelson, along with new holiday tunes from Melissa Carper and Old Crow Medicine Show. We’ll also feature the latest from AJ Lee & Blue Summit, Balsam Range, Eric Bibb, Muireann Bradley, and Robert Plant with Suzi Dian, plus favorites from The Low Anthem, Martin Sexton, and Gillian Welch. In hour two, it's more new music from Jeff Tweedy, Robbie Faulks, Courtney Marie Andrews, Lonesome Ace Stringband, and Tony Trishka, along with a Basic Folk interview excerpt with Madison Cunningham, and more! The post Folk Alley Radio Show #251204 appeared first on Folk Alley.

This week on Folk Alley, join Cindy Howes for an encore presentation of our annual 60-Year Throwback episode. 1965 was the year Dylan went electric and the Greenwich Village folk scene was buzzing with change. You’ll hear classics from Joan Baez, Odetta, Johnny Cash, Phil Ochs, Bert Jansch, Donovan, Jim Kweskin & The Jug Band, Koerner, Ray & Glover, The Holy Modal Rounders, Bob Dylan (of course), and plenty more. It's a snapshot of folk music on the edge of revolution—don’t miss it. The post Folk Alley Radio Show #251127 appeared first on Folk Alley.

This week on Folk Alley, join Cindy Howes for a tribute to the late folk and Americana troubadour Todd Snider, who passed away at 59 on November 14, plus hear new songs from Sara Bareilles with Brandi Carlile (featuring lyrics by the late poet-activist Andrea Gibson), Robert Plant with Suzi Dian, Muireann Bradley, Alison Brown & Steve Martin, Tommy Emmanuel, and Jack Johnson & Hermanos Gutiérrez. In hour two, enjoy songs of gratitude and family for Thanksgiving from Mary Chapin Carpenter, Drew Holcomb and The Neighbors, The Mammals, and Kacey Musgraves, alongside new music from William Prince, Brennen Leigh, Willie Nelson, Ye Vagabonds, Wes Corbett, favorites from Jesse Welles, Pharis & Jason Romero, Jake Blount, and more. The post Folk Alley Radio Show #251120 appeared first on Folk Alley.

This week on Folk Alley, join Cindy Howes as we kick off the end-of-year award season with a spotlight on the newly announced 2026 Grammy Award nominations for Best Folk, Bluegrass, and Americana Albums, featuring music from I’m With Her, Jesse Welles, Jon Batiste, Sierra Hull, Jason Isbell, Rhiannon Giddens & Justin Robinson, Larkin Poe, and other nominees. In hour two, enjoy new music from Jeff Tweedy, Fruit Bats, Mavis Staples, and Mon Rovia, along with favorites from John Craigie, Our Native Daughters, and Patti Smith, plus a Basic Folk excerpt with Frazey Ford and a celebration of Neil Young in honor of his 80th birthday. The post Folk Alley Radio Show #251113 appeared first on Folk Alley.

This week on Folk Alley, join Cindy Howes for fresh new sounds from Greensky Bluegrass, Caroline Spence, Ana Egge, Anna Tivel, and Todd Snider, along with favorites from Elephant Revival, Leftover Salmon, and Hayes Carll, plus happy birthday shout-outs to Bonnie Raitt and Joni Mitchell. We also take time to remember the Scottish folk legend Archie Fisher—and more. The post Folk Alley Radio Show #251106 appeared first on Folk Alley.

This week on Folk Alley, we welcome November with a mix of tunes, featuring songs from Tom Waits, Brian Henke, and The Dead Tongues, new releases from Rosie Flores & The Talismen, Greensky Bluegrass, and The Mammals, along with favorites from Lyle Lovett and Joan Baez, plus exciting news from Billy Bragg and Wilco. In hour two, hear more new music from Le Vent du Nord, Larkin Poe, Tommy Emmanuel, Caitlin Canty, and The Onlies, along with favorites from Kaia Kater, Chris Smither, and Catherine MacLellan, as well as a Basic Folk interview excerpt with Brad Barr of the Barr Brothers and much more. The post Folk Alley Radio Show #251030 appeared first on Folk Alley.

Join Folk Alley this week for a Halloween special filled with spine-tingling tunes from folk, roots, and Americana favorites. Celebrate the season’s spooky sounds with haunting songs by Leonard Cohen, Emily Scott Robinson, Larkin Poe, Maddy Prior, John Gorka, Gretchen Peters, Rayna Gellert, Mollie O’Brien & Rich Moore, Tom Waits, Riders in the Sky, Barry Dransfield, Gabrielle Louise, Rosanne Cash, Lenore, Shirley Collins, the T Sisters, and much more! The post Folk Alley Radio Show #251023 appeared first on Folk Alley.