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Roaming the Arts – Interactive

The Mission of Roaming the Arts is to share information and links to artists who are breaking out, long remembered, or simply worthy of a listen or a read. Most of the posts are for known artists, with a national following in the music and book world, but not considered household names.

For music, there are youtube videos that introduce artists and hopefully engage you to explore more. For readers who are always seeking their next good book or new author, we are adding more all the time. Use the menu buttons to dig deeper and find hundreds of posts to explore.

You are invited and encouraged to interact with this arts browser.

Consider:

Who would you like to see added to the blog posts? There are so many musicians, authors, and artists worthy of sharing. Help us prioritize and offer your favorites. Careful now…not anyone too famous. They don’t need us to push traffic to their sites.
Tell us who you’ve discovered and loved. Go to their websites. Find them on tour or when a new book or recording comes out.
Share your thoughts, use the comments section at the bottom of the posts, send an email to info@roamingthearts.com, or visit us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter as RoamingtheArts.
Follow the music playlists on Roaming the Arts Radio via Spotify.

The Avett Brothers

The Avett Brothers are an American folk rock band from Concord, North Carolina. The band is made up of two brothers, Scott Avett and Seth Avett along with Bob Crawford and Joe Kwon. Mike Marsh and Bonnie Avett-Rini are touring members of the band. Wikipedia

The band has gotten much exposure over the last few years and need no further introduction. Explore their site.

S. A. Cosby

S.A Cosby

Location – Rural Virginia

S.A. Cosby is the New York Times national best selling award-winning author from Southeastern Virginia. His books include MY DARKEST PRAYER, BLACKTOP WASTELAND, Amazon’s #1 Mystery and Thriller of the Year and #3 Best Book of 2020 overall, a New York Times Notable Book of the Year, a New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice, Winner of the LA Times Book Award for Mystery or Thrillers and a Goodreads Choice Awards Semifinalist and the winner of the ITW award for hard cover book of the year, the Macavity for best novel of the year, the Anthony, The Barry , a honorable mention from the ALA Black Caucus and was a finalists for the CWA Golden Dagger. He is also author of the best selling RAZORBLADE TEARS which was also nominated for numerous awards as well

His short fiction has appeared in numerous anthologies and magazines, and his story “Slant-Six” was selected as a Distinguished Story in Best American Mystery Stories for 2016. His short story “The Grass Beneath My Feet” won the Anthony Award for Best Short Story in 2019. His writing has been called “gritty and heartbreaking” and “dark, thrilling and tragic” and “raw ,emotional and profound ” (Amazon)

For more about his 2023 book – All Sinners Bleed

Neal Francis

Liberated from a self-destructive past and born anew in sobriety, Francis has captured an inspired collection of songs steeped in New Orleans rhythms, Chicago blues, and early 70s rock n’ roll. His music evokes a bygone era of R&B’s heyday while simultaneously forging a new path on the musical landscape. Colemine Records

“The reincarnation of Allen Toussaint.” Craig Charles, BBC Radio 6

“Think New Orleans meets the Midwest with a little bit of California sun shining in the background.” -TwinCitiesMedia.net

“There’s a good chance you’ll have heard of Francis by the time the year is over…classic Funk, Soul and R&B.” Cincinnati CityBeat

“…gleefully mired In 70s style funk.” – NPR

“Soulful style…uplifting vibe…” – Dusty Groove

“Instant Americana-funk classic…R&B, blues and touches of gospel and good old fashioned funk merge into pure beauty and soul here, making the appetite and excitement for whatever Francis does next all the more intense.” – Record Crates United

The Cactus Blossoms

“Hey baby, do you wanna take a trip with me? / I’ve got a feeling there might be a silver lining all around.” So begins One Day, the captivating new album from critically acclaimed Minneapolis duo The Cactus Blossoms. Written and recorded during the COVID-19 pandemic, the record explores the tension between optimism and despair that’s defined much of the past few years of American life, examining the power (or naïveté, depending on your perspective) of positive thinking in the face of chaos and uncertainty. The songs here are tender and timeless, with straightforward arrangements centered around brothers Jack Torrey and Page Burkum’s airtight harmonies, and the performances are warm and intimate to match, delivered with a soulful, ’70s-inspired palette of playful Wurlitzer, breezy guitars, and muscular percussion.

The Cactus Blossoms broke out nationally in 2016 with their JD McPherson-produced debut, You’re Dreaming. Dates with Kacey Musgraves, Jenny Lewis, and Lucius followed, as did raves from the New York Times and NPR, who praised “the brothers’ extraordinary singing.” The band was further catapulted into the spotlight in 2018, when David Lynch tapped them to perform in the return of Twin Peaks, and continued to build on their success with their 2019 sophomore LP, Easy Way, which led Rolling Stone to laud the duo’s “rock-solid, freak of genetics harmonies.” High Road Touring

If you love the harmonies of the Everly Brothers, do not miss listening to The Cactus Blossoms. Brothers, they are.

Josef Kelly

Josef Kelly — The Artist Josef

“Some artists are blessed to “emerge” when they are young, allowing them the luxury of decades of development and sharing of their gifts. Then there are artists who, at a later stage of life, take the opportunity and the risks to launch their artistic gifts and see where they may go. I am such an artist.”

“My goal is to instill a unique view into emotions, feelings of wonder, and joy that odd and beautiful moments lend to life. I love painting in the impressionistic style with a hint of realism, or “Impressionistic Realism”. ” Josef Kelly

Joseph Craig English

Joseph Craig English is an American artist predominantly known for his silkscreen prints focusing on street and landscape scenery of and about places around the Greater Washington, DC area. He currently resides and works in the historic community of Washington Grove, Maryland.

Hello, Bookstore

Hello, Bookstore – Lenox, Massachusetts

As Roaming the Arts reflects on the last year or so, the most heartwarming story about books and the people who love them is the story of a small New England bookstore, on the verge of closing due to the pandemic, and the documentary film made to tell the story of survival.

In 2020, on the verge of closing down, a GoFundMe was started and the owner’s friends, the town, and many others stepped up to save this independent bookstore. It’s a great story, and for this website, at the heart of why our passion for authors and books is a sharing experience.

Check out some of what was said in Print:

In the Local paper.

What Variety said.

(also find stories in the NY Times, the Boston Globe, and many others.)

Donna the Buffalo

Donna the Buffalo offers everything you want in a roots band.

Christone Kingfish Ingram

“Kingfish”

Christone “Kingfish” Ingram is a Grammy Award-winning blues guitarist and singer from Clarksdale, Mississippi, who is celebrated for reinvigorating the blues for a new generation. He began his musical journey at the Delta Blues Museum, mastering multiple instruments as a child before focusing on the guitar. Blending traditional Delta and Chicago blues with modern blues-rock, soul, and gospel, his music captivates audiences with its passion and technical skill.

Ingram quickly rose to prominence as a teenager, garnering millions of views for his YouTube performances, appearing in the Netflix series Luke Cage, and performing at the White House. His 2019 debut album, Kingfish, earned a Grammy nomination and shot to the top of the Billboard Blues Chart. His 2021 follow-up, 662—named for his Mississippi Delta area code—secured a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album. His live performances are also critically acclaimed, with NPR noting he is “even scarier live”.

A prolific artist, Ingram has performed alongside musical legends like Buddy Guy, who has called him “the next explosion of the blues,” and even opened for The Rolling Stones. In 2024, Ingram launched his own label, Red Zero Records, and released his studio album, Hard Road. As a multi-instrumentalist with a powerful voice, Ingram continues to push the boundaries of the genre while honoring its rich history.