Story Archives of 'Blues'

The best songs often sound like short stories – compelling characters, tension, a choice, and a heartbreaking – or hilarious – resolution.

A new anthology, Amplified, includes sixteen short stories written by folk, blues, indie rock and alt-country songwriters. The storytellers range from Chicagoan Robbie Fulks, to veteran Boston folk singer Chris Smither, to Rennie Sparks of the Albuquerque band The Handsome Family.

It's a lyrical and varied collection that draws out a different side of some great contemporary songwriters. Julie Schaper co-edited the anthology with Steven Horwitz, and she joins us from St. Paul, Minnesota.

We're also joined by Seattle songwriter Laura Veirs. Her most recent album is Saltbreakers, and her next one, July Flame, will be out in early winter. She reads a segment of her story in the anthology, called "The Bird Feeder."

The story of American music is, like America itself, a story of re-invention. The rhythms carried by African slaves and European immigrants blossomed into the Delta blues and Appalachian folk in American soil, starting a cycle of grafting, borrowing and stealing yesterday’s hits for today’s audiences.

We have the legend of Elvis Presley, the white boy who took rhythm and blues music to the bank. Of Leadbelly, the convict who wrote hit songs and died destitute. The outlaw, the man in black - those tales may seem like distant past, but their legends endure today. Artists like Bonnie Prince Billy, Devendra Banhart, Vetiver, and Wilco are modern musicans connected to the narratives of the rural, poor immigrants - singing songs about freedom and enslavement, of life and death, God and the Devil.

Music critic Amanda Petrusich is a staff writer at Pitchforkmedia.com and a senior contributing editor at Paste. She took to the blue highways to discover where American music has been and where it’s going. She writes about it in her new book, It Still Moves: Lost Songs, Lost Highways, and the Search for the Next American Music. She joins Word of Mouth with a discussion of Americana's roots and evolution.

Eric Bibb's acoustic performances lie somewhere between blues and folk music. But as some critics point out, the genre is irrelevant when you listen to his masterful and sophisticated tunes. Eric's latest album is called "Diamond Days", and he says it's all about the ups and downs in life, and finding appreciation for them all. Eric joins us in studio to play a few tunes and to talk about his most personal album to date.

This interview originally aired April 27, 2007

Dana Colley and Billy Conway took their signature sound from the band Morphine and re-formed themselves with some help into Twinemen. All four members of Twinemen including singer/guitarist Laurie Sargent and visiting bass player Kimon Kirk will be in the studio tonight to talk about their new CD and the mix of jazz, blues, rock and lounge that's found on it.

***This show originally aired January 11, 2007***

Kelly Joe Phelps is one of the country's premier slide guitar players. He wows audiences and critics alike with his fast but nuanced finger-work and thoughtful, narrative lyrics. He stopped by the Front Porch studio late last year to play some tunes and talk about his new album.

***This interview originally aired December 8, 2006***