WATCH: Offa Rex performs the song, ‘Old Churchyard,’ channeling rich oral history
The British folk song, “The Old Churchyard,” performed here by the Portland band The Decemberists and English singer Olivia Chaney at this year’s Newport Folk Fest, is part of a rich, oral tradition passed along by musicians and…
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How old-timey ‘skiffle’ music liberated British rock
Singer/songwriter Billy Bragg gained fame as a punk rock and folk musician in the 1980s. Now nearing 60, he’s still singing songs of protest and passion, but also singing the gospel of skiffle, a folk and blues-inspired genre that helped…
American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan wins Nobel Prize in literature
He’s gotten a presidential honor and performed for a pope. Now musician Bob Dylan has won the Nobel Prize in literature.
The musicians we listened to in 2014
Before we ring in 2015, we want to reflect on some of the great Art Beat stories from this past year. So who did we listen to in 2014?…
Tim Duffy has spent the last 20 years helping struggling blues and roots musicians make ends meet while bringing their music to a wider audience. He’s also a photo hobbyist who has documented his friends and performers -- at home,…
Danish singer/songwriter Agnes Obel grew up surrounded by guitars, pianos, marimbas and double basses. Her father collected and sold instruments and her mother was a classical pianist, so perhaps music was in her blood.
Valerie June may be a full-time singer-songwriter now, but, like most musicians, she has worked a series of different jobs to support herself. She cleaned houses, walked dogs, cared for kids, serviced coffee, made soaps and the list continues.
Peter Yarrow sings a version of Pete Seeger’s “If I had a Hammer” to help remember the legendary folksinger. Peter Yarrow, a member of the folksinging trio Peter, Paul and Mary, remembers Pete Seeger as a “beacon of…
