Woody Guthrie grew up in a nowhere town in the heart of the Dust Bowl -- Okemah, Okla., to be exact -- in an America not altogether different from the one we live in today. As a young man, Guthrie joined the Dust Bowl exodus chronicled in John Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath. Along with Pete Seeger, Leadbelly and others, he laid the groundwork for a topical-song movement which strongly influenced the 1950s and '60s folk revival.

It’s been six months since we last heard from Dream Brother, the experimental recording project helmed by One For the Team’s Ian Anderson. Back in January, Anderson released a pair of tracks that found him collaborating with Paul Sprangers of Free Energy and John Vanderslice; this time around, Anderson teamed up with Grant Cutler (formerly…

"In Our Heads" is a thrillingly consistent album, veering from high-BPM stompers to some of Hot Chip's most touching ballads to date.

Portland, Ore. folk-rock troupe Blitzen Trapper have been exploring the boundaries and possibilities of Americana for over a decade now, releasing a half-dozen full-lengths and winning the hearts of the national indie scene along the way.

"Signs and Signifiers," the debut record from bluesy, rockabilly artist JD McPherson, was rereleased by Rounder Records earlier this year. The wider release gives music fans a second chance to discover a quickly rising talent in McPherson.

When people hear John Mark Nelson's music for the first time, the sense of disbelief is usually evident. With arrangements that recall songwriters who have been in the business for decades, the 18-year old - and recently graduated - Minnetonka High student is turning heads for the mature compositions he's been recording since the age of 14.

This greatest hits compilation contains the 1974 Conway Twitty single "I See the Want to in Your Eyes."

Local music notes from the week of July 2-6

Read about and download their new track "Different"

Chet Baker's performances from the Bruce Weber documentary Let's Get Lost, a bittersweet film highlighting the early-career highs and late-in-life lows of one of jazz's sweetest, smokiest crooners and trumpet players.