The War and Treaty, “Hearts Town" (Rounder)

It says something about an act when much of their work would fit neatly onto just about any music playlist. That's certainly true of The War and...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Fellow musicians and fans alike are criticizing country artists who performed at outdoor concerts this weekend where social media pictures showed large, tight crowds...

NEW YORK (AP) — Jason Isbell had big plans for this summer, between a new album specifically designed to introduce his music to a wider audience and a schedule that had him onstage most nights...

Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit, “Reunions” (Southeastern/Thirty Tigers)

Jason Isbell long ago earned his place among the finest songwriters of his generation. Now he’s just pouring it...

Mark Erelli, “Blindsided" (Soundly Music)

Americana singer-songwriter Mark Erelli has turned things up a notch.

Stepping further away from the gentle folk balladry he's known for,...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Sheryl Crow, Brandi Carlile, Jason Isbell, Dan Auerbach and more Nashville artists will hold a benefit concert to raise money for people impacted by a recent deadly...

Sadler Vaden, “Anybody Out There?" (Dirty Mag Records)

Jason Isbell has been really rocking lately in concert, and here's one reason: Sadler Vaden.

Nashville, Tenn. (AP) — After dominating 2019, singer-rapper Lizzo will be the first female act to headline the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival this June. Tool and Tame Impala will also headline...

FLORENCE, Ala. (AP) — Jimmy Johnson, a founder of the Muscle Shoals Sound Studios and guitarist with the famed studio musicians "The Swampers," has died.

HOUSTON (AP) — Joe Walsh will be joined by ZZ Top, Brad Paisley, Sheryl Crow, and Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit at his VetsAid music festival to benefit veterans.

Josh Ritter, "Fever Breaks" (Pytheas Recordings/Thirty Tigers)

Josh Ritter's "Fever Breaks" is a work of stacked marvels, the result of an auspicious collaboration with Jason Isbell — who...

Todd Snider, "Cash Cabin Sessions, Vol. 3" (Aimless/Thirty Tigers)

The microphone pops when Todd Snider delivers an especially emphatic lyric, and his chair creaks under the weight of his...

Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, "Live from the Ryman" (Southeastern)

Jason Isbell has been on a roll of late, finding sobriety, domestic bliss and fame and fortune, thanks to three consecutive fine albums and a crackerjack touring act that includes his wife, Amanda Shires.

Alas, all winning streaks come to an end. "Live from the Ryman" ranks as a disappointment, partly because Isbell's previous work set the artistic bar so high.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Folk singer-songwriter John Prine won artist of the year for the second time in a row at the Americana Music Honors and Awards on Wednesday, while Jason Isbell took home three awards, including album of the year.

Considered a leader of the Americana genre, Prine released "Tree of Forgiveness" this year, his first collection of new material in 13 years. He owns his own record label in Nashville and mails his records straight to fans.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Latest on Americana Music Association's Honors and Awards, which is being presented at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium (all times local):

9:50 p.m.

Folk singer-songwriter John Prine won artist of the year for the second time in a row at the Americana Music Honors and Awards on Wednesday, while Jason Isbell took home three awards, including album of the year.

Amanda Shires, "To the Sunset" (Silver Knife/Thirty Tigers)

The start of Amanda Shires' new album sounds like a spin of the dial on an old radio struggling to find a station amid the static. Will it be country music? Pop? Rock? Or maybe something from outer space, which inspired the lyrics to the first song.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Jason Isbell leads the nominees for the Americana Music Association's Honors and Awards with nominations in four categories, thanks to his critically acclaimed album "The Nashville Sound," which earned him two Grammy Awards earlier this year.

Also among the nominations announced Tuesday are country singer Margo Price and folk singer Brandi Carlile, who each got nods for artist, song and album of the year.

John Prine, "Tree of Forgiveness" (Oh Boy Records)

John Prine thinks about things. And when John Prine thinks about things, people want to hear what he has to say.

That's why Prine will never join some past-their-prime legends who flounder as they try to recapture old magic. The way his brain works is just too interesting.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Chris Stapleton, Arcade Fire and Modest Mouse lead the lineup for the Forecastle Festival in Louisville, Kentucky, along with Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Houndmouth and The War on Drugs.

The July 13-15 music festival held on Waterfront Park on the banks of the Ohio River is in its 16th year. Weekend passes go on sale on Friday, Jan. 19.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — O Christmas Tree! A Grinch of a storm has toppled the official holiday spruce in Tennessee's capital city.

Area media outlets report that Nashville's 40-foot (12-meter) Norway spruce was toppled overnight, with officials blaming a combination of wind, rain and possibly a defective anchor.

NEW YORK (AP) — Jason Isbell was motivated on his breakthrough 2013 album "Southeastern" to tell his story about quitting drinking and turning his life around. He was driven on the 2015 follow-up, "Something More Than Free," to prove newfound success wasn't a fluke.

Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, "The Nashville Sound" (Southeastern/Thirty Tigers)

In the hands of an ordinary songwriter, "Anxiety" would be an ordinary song.

But when the writer is Jason Isbell, arguably the finest songwriter putting pen to paper these days, the song changes tempo and builds to an angsty, gnarling crescendo, all in unspoken support of lyrics about being anxious when you should be happy.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Grammy-winning country singer Sturgill Simpson leads the Americana Honors and Awards nominees with three nominations, including album, artist and song of the year.

The Americana Music Association announced the nominees Tuesday in Nashville, Tennessee. The 16th annual awards show will be held Sept. 13 at the Ryman Auditorium.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Mandolin whiz Chris Thile (THEEL'-ee) says he still feels "like a kid in a candy store" taking over as host of the long-running public radio show "A Prairie Home Companion."

Matt Hires, "American Wilderness" (Rock Ridge Music)

Matt Hires wrestles with negativity — and has a knack for dark, cutting turns of phrase.

"In the wilderness," he sings with serrated fury, "yeah, you're bound to fall, when you can't tell the difference between a chapel and a shopping mall."

"American Wilderness" proves that Hires has much to say — and a rocking way of saying it. He's grappling with demons against a passionate, adrenaline-fueled backdrop.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Singer songwriter Jason Isbell won album of the year and song of the year at the 2016 Americana Honors and Awards show, extending his legacy as the star of Americana music.

Since launching his solo career after years with the Drive-By Truckers, Isbell has been racking up both critical acclaim as well as Americana and Grammy awards with his Southern rock albums. He won Wednesday night for his album "Something More Than Free," and his song, "24 Frames."

Amanda Shires, "My Piece of Land" (BMG)

Amanda Shires has a fine sense of humor, which may be why a single measure at the start of "My Piece of Land" is propelled by handclaps. They seem odd and out of place, but funny.

Soon enough we're on to the main attraction, which is Shires' voice — a distinctive, delicate alto with an uncanny quaver that punctuates the end of a phrase. Her approach is bend but don't break, like a good NFL defense.