RTA

aceatkins
Books by Location Books/Authors

Ace Atkins

Location for Quinn Colson series – Mississippi

New York Times Bestselling author Ace Atkins has been nominated for every major award in crime fiction, including the Edgar three times, twice for novels about former U.S. Army Ranger Quinn Colson. He has written eight books in the Colson series and continued Robert B. Parker’s iconic Spenser character after Parker’s death in 2010, adding seven best-selling novels in that series. A former newspaper reporter and SEC football player, Ace also writes essays and investigative pieces for several national magazines including Time, Outside and Garden & Gun.

His most recent stand-alone Don’t Let the Devil Ride is a daring ride through Memphis grit.

He lives in Oxford, Mississippi with his family, where he’s a friend to many dogs and several bartenders.
Blues/Soul/R&B Music

Southern Avenue

Southern Avenue is a dynamic, Grammy-nominated blues and soul band from Memphis, Tennessee, celebrated for carrying the Southern soul legacy into the 21st century. The band’s formation is a story of serendipity, bringing together diverse backgrounds to create a sound that is both deeply traditional and refreshingly modern. The band is most notably composed of Israeli-born guitarist Ori Naftaly and the Memphis-native Jackson sisters: powerhouse lead vocalist Tierinii, drummer and vocalist Tikyra “T.K.,” and percussionist, violinist, and vocalist Ava.

The group formed in 2015 and quickly made a name for themselves, reaching the finals of the prestigious International Blues Challenge in 2016. This rapid success led to a historic signing with the newly reactivated Stax Records—the first time in 40 years a Memphis band had been signed to the legendary soul label. Taking their name from a Memphis street running to the original home of Stax Records, Southern Avenue proved to be a fitting choice to represent the city’s rich musical heritage.

Their self-titled debut album in 2017 received critical acclaim and earned them the “Best Emerging Artist Album” award from the Blues Foundation. The album’s success fueled a rigorous touring schedule across the US, Europe, and Australia, allowing them to cultivate a devoted fanbase and hone their electrifying live performance. Their follow-up album, Keep On, released in 2019, featured more pronounced funk influences and earned them a Grammy nomination for “Best Contemporary Blues Album”.
The band’s musical style is a seamless and spirited blend of genres. The foundation is rooted in gospel music, a heritage brought by the Jackson sisters, whose natural harmonies and soulful delivery give the band its core spiritual sound. Tierinii’s vocals, often compared to the confident and gutsy style of Chaka Khan, are a magnetic force that energizes audiences. This soulful intensity is paired with Naftaly’s intricate, raw guitar work, which he brought to Memphis after immigrating from Israel in search of authentic blues. The result is a gritty, infectious, and contemporary take on American roots music.
Beyond their captivating sound, Southern Avenue is known for their uplifting and message-driven songs. Their music aims to transmute negative feelings into a sense of freedom and jubilation, creating a powerful and positive connection with their listeners. This ethos extends to their live shows, which are praised as dynamic and inclusive experiences that celebrate the communal power of music. The band’s latest album, Family, released in 2025 on Alligator Records, was recorded at Memphis’s historic Royal Studios and continues their tradition of crafting universal, heartfelt songs that bring people together.
Southern Avenue’s journey from a serendipitous meeting to a Grammy-nominated act is a testament to their talent and hard work. They have successfully blended traditional Memphis sounds with a fresh, modern perspective, establishing themselves as a vital voice in blues and soul music today.
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nathaniel rateliff and the night sweats
indie music artists Music

Nataniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats

Nataniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats

Nathaniel David Rateliff is an American singer and songwriter based in Denver, whose influences are described as folk, Americana and vintage rhythm & blues. Rateliff has garnered attention with Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats, the soulful R&B combo he formed in 2013. Wikipedia

His record label includes this in his notes:

Like his heroes, Rateliff has always been an omnivorous listener and player. Growing up in Hermann, Missouri, a small town with a booming tourism industry as well as a rampant meth epidemic, he started his music career playing in his family’s band at church, but that came to a tragic end when his father was killed in a car accident. Music became an obsession for him and his friends. “We would walk around these deserted country roads and talk about music all the time, how it can change the world and how it could change our world,” recalls Night Sweats bassist Joseph Pope III. “Music was what we thought would save us.”

ann beattie
Book Club Books/Authors

Ann Beattie

Ann Beattie

American writer of short stories and novels whose characters, having come of age in the 1960s, often have difficulties adjusting to the cultural values of later generations. Beattie graduated from the American University in Washington, D.C., in 1969 and received a master of arts degree from the University of Connecticut in 1970. Her short stories were published in The New Yorker and other literary magazines beginning in the early 1970s. She published her first collection of stories, Distortions, in 1976. Her first novel, Chilly Scenes of Winter, also appeared in 1976; it was subsequently adapted as the film Head over Heels (1979), which was later rereleased as Chilly Scenes of Winter (1982).
find new music indie music artists Music

The Sheepdogs

The Sheepdogs are a Juno Award-winning Canadian rock band known for their 1970s-inspired southern rock and blues rock style, dual-guitar wizardry, and strong vocal harmonies. They rose to prominence in 2011 as the first unsigned band to be featured on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine. 

Formed in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, in 2004, the band initially went by the name “The Breaks”. They built their sound around classic rock influences like the Allman Brothers Band, Led Zeppelin, and Creedence Clearwater Revival. 

Their hit singles “I Don’t Know” and “Feeling Good,” as well as the albums Learn & Burn and The Sheepdogs, have achieved platinum status in Canada.

The band continues to record and tour. In 2024, they celebrated their 20th anniversary and launched their own imprint, Right On Records. The band announced a new single “Nobody But You” and a major “Out All Night” Canadian and European tour for 2026. 
The current members are Ewan Currie (lead vocals, guitars), Ryan Gullen (bass), Shamus Currie (keys, trombone), and Ricky Paquette (guitars). Founding drummer Sam Corbett retired in September 2025 to focus on his family.

 

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Music Recent Work from Favorites Roots/Americana Who is Hot

Alison Krauss & Union Station

Alison Krauss is nearly too well known to be featured here but the bluegrass world is not necessarily familiar to music fans in general. She is a highly acclaimed American bluegrass-country singer, fiddler, and music producer. A child prodigy who began studying classical violin at age five, she shifted to bluegrass and was winning fiddle championships by her teens. Krauss signed with Rounder Records at age 14 and released her debut solo album, Too Late to Cry, in 1987. Soon after, she joined the band Union Station, beginning a collaboration that has spanned decades and numerous albums, including the recent 2025 release Arcadia.

Krauss’s delicate, crystalline soprano voice and virtuosic fiddle playing have made her one of the most celebrated artists in roots music. Her work was instrumental in revitalizing interest in American roots music,  is particularly with her contributions to the hugely successful 2000 film soundtrack for O Brother, Where Art Thou?. The album sold millions of copies and introduced bluegrass to a wide, mainstream audience.

Beyond her work with Union Station, Krauss is known for her successful collaborations. Her 2007 album Raising Sand with Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant was a critical and commercial smash, winning the Grammy for Album of the Year in 2009. The duo reunited for a follow-up album, Raise the Roof, in 2021.

A record-setting Grammy winner, Krauss has amassed an impressive 27 awards throughout her career, making her the second most-awarded female artist in history. In recognition of her immense contributions to American music, she was also awarded the National Medal of Arts in 2019 and was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame in 2021. Her legacy is defined by her ability to effortlessly bridge the gap between traditional roots music and a broader contemporary sound.

Her featured guest musician on tour is another RTA favorite – see Jerry Douglas 

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Music Roots/Americana

Jason Isbell

Jason Isbell

Jason Isbell stands as one of the most vital voices in modern American music, a songwriter’s songwriter who has transcended the boundaries of country and Americana to become a premier chronicler of the human condition. Born in Green Hill, Alabama, Isbell’s musical education was steeped in the rich traditions of the Muscle Shoals sound. He first rose to national prominence in 2001 as a member of the Drive-By Truckers, where his soulful voice and sharp-edged compositions provided a powerful counterpoint to the band’s southern rock grit. However, his tenure with the group was cut short by personal struggles, leading to a solo career that would eventually redefine his life and the landscape of roots music.
The turning point for Isbell came with his sobriety and the release of the 2013 album Southeastern. Widely regarded as a masterpiece, the record stripped away the loud guitars to reveal a vulnerable, surgically precise lyricism. Songs like “Elephant” and “Cover Me Up” showcased an unflinching honesty, tackling subjects like terminal illness and the grueling road to redemption with a grace that few of his peers could match. Since then, alongside his powerhouse band, The 400 Unit, Isbell has released a string of critically acclaimed albums, including Something More Than Free, The Nashville Sound, and Weathervanes. These works have earned him multiple Grammy Awards and established him as a master of the southern gothic narrative, capable of writing about working-class struggles, racial tension, and the quiet complexities of fatherhood and marriage.
 
Isbell’s impact extends beyond his discography; he is a vocal advocate for sobriety and social justice, often using his platform to challenge the gatekeepers of the Nashville establishment. His guitar playing, deeply rooted in the blues and soul of his Alabama upbringing, is as expressive as his singing, often punctuated by blistering slide work that serves the emotion of the song. Whether he is performing a delicate acoustic ballad or leading a feedback-drenched rock anthem, his work is consistently anchored by an obsession with craft. He avoids easy cliches, opting instead for specific, lived-in details that make his songs feel like short stories. Today, Jason Isbell is more than just a musician; he is a literary figure in the world of rock and roll, proving that the most specific stories are often the most universal.
 

Jason Isbell was married to Amanda Shires. (Click to visit her site) They were part of each other’s bands and often appeared on record together.
Books/Authors

Nick Petrie

Nick Petrie

Nick Petrie received his MFA in fiction from the University of Washington and won a Hopwood Award for short fiction while an undergraduate at the University of Michigan. His story “At the Laundromat” won the 2006 Short Story Contest in The Seattle Review, a national literary journal.

His first novel, The Drifter, won the ITW Thriller and Barry Awards, and was nominated for Edgar, Anthony, and Hammett Awards. He won the 2016 Literary Award from the Wisconsin Library Association and was named one of Apple’s 10 Writers to Read in 2017.  Light It Up was named the Best Thriller of 2018 by Apple Books. Both Light it Up and The Wild One were shortlisted for the Barry Award.

His books in the Peter Ash series are The Drifter, Burning Bright, Light It Up, Tear It Down, The Wild One, The Breaker, and The Runaway. A husband and father, he has worked as a carpenter, remodeling contractor, and building inspector.  He lives in Milwaukee, where he is hard at work on the next Peter Ash novel.

If you are caught up on Lee Child, and simply can’t get enough of Jack Reacher, Peter Ash is the answer. From the first page you will be riding in his vintage pick-up truck rather than walking, but if you like heroes, stay on board.

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john hiatt
All Time Favorites indie music artists Music

John Hiatt

John Robert Hiatt is an American singer-songwriter and musician. He has played a variety of musical styles on his albums, including new wave, blues, and country. Hiatt has been nominated for nine Grammy Awards and has been awarded a variety of other distinctions in the music industry.

COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME® AND MUSEUM  TO FEATURE JOHN HIATT AS NEXT POETS AND PROPHETS HONOREE

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – July 9, 2024 – The Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum will feature singer-songwriter John Hiatt in the next installment of its in-depth interview series Poets and Prophets. The series features songwriters who have made significant contributions to country music. The program will take place on Saturday, Aug. 10, at 2:30 p.m. in the museum’s Ford Theater and is included with museum admission.

Throughout his 50-year recording career, Hiatt has established himself as one of the most acclaimed singer-songwriters of his generation, as well as a hit composer for country and rock artists alike. Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and Country Music Hall of Fame members Emmylou Harris and Willie Nelson are among the artists who have covered his acerbic, soul-stirring songs.

Hiatt began his professional songwriting career at age 18, when he moved to Nashville to work at Tree Publishing. Over the next two decades, his songs became hits for Rosanne Cash (“The Way We Make a Broken Heart”), the Desert Rose Band (“She Don’t Love Nobody”) and Three Dog Night (“”Sure as I’m Sittin’ Here”). Hiatt found success as a recording artist with his landmark 1987 album, Bring the Family, which featured “Have a Little Faith in Me” and “Memphis in the Meantime,” among other enduring songs. In its wake, he went from earning cuts to being covered by some of music’s biggest names, including Bonnie Raitt (“Thing Called Love”) and B. B. King and Eric Clapton (“Riding with the King”). 

Following a stint in Los Angeles, Hiatt returned to Nashville in the mid-1980s and has continued to write, perform and record. He has released more than two dozen albums, most recently 2021’s Leftover Feelings, a highly regarded collaboration with the Jerry Douglas Band, recorded at historic RCA Studio B. In 2008, Hiatt was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and received a lifetime achievement award for songwriting from the Americana Music Association. In 2019, he became the third recipient of the BMI Troubadour Award, which recognized his work as a songwriter.

 
Books/Authors

Michael Koryta

Michael Koryta

Michael Koryta began writing at a very early age. As an eight-year-old boy, he began writing to his favorite writers and by 16 had decided he wanted to become a crime novelist. By the age of 21, his crime novel, Tonight I Said Goodbye, had won the St. Martin’s Press/Private Eye Writers of America Best First Novel prize.[4] Nine of Koryta’s novels have been optioned for potential film or television production.[5]

Those Who Wish Me Dead, his 2014 stand-alone novel, was named the summer’s best thriller by both Amazon and Entertainment Weekly and was selected as one of the year’s best books by more than 10 publications. The audio version was also honored as a best of the year, the second time that Robert Petkoff’s narration of Michael’s work has earned such an honor. The novel is currently in production as a major motion picture starring Angelina Jolie, Nicholas Hoult, Tyler Perry, Jon Bernthal and Aidan Gillen and directed by Taylor Sheridan.

 

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