Driving Web Traffic and Expanding Fanbase
The mission of Roaming the Arts evolves. Drive traffic to web sites, feature those who have new music and books to share and are “trending,” and allow the browser to make connections and discoveries across a variety of genres focused on Indie, Roots, Americana, Blues, and Alternative on the music side and crime, thriller, and off-beat fiction for those who see reading as the great escape.
Web traffic can be exponential. We put up a post with a link to your website. If you put a link back to RoamingtheArts.com on your site then traffic will flow and your fan might become a fan other other artists. How does that benefit your web traffic? Other artists who are engaged in the link back program will then be exposing your post to viewing and drive traffic to you. Crossover fans, interested in music (or books) coming to Roaming the Arts from dozens of sites will benefit all with no cost to anyone.
Please consider copying the text and logo below to your web site and test the link (RoamingtheArts.com)
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Click the logo for more great music, books, and art, too. — Visit:
Raj Bunnag
Raj Bunnag is a Thai American artist living and working in Durham, North Carolina. He received his BFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art in 2012 with an emphasis in Printmaking, and an MFA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2022. Bunnag’s practice examines systematic racism inherent to the foundations of the United States, its institutions and domestic/global policies, through themes in the lineage of print. In his more personal work, he is researching the ideas and baggage that come with self-identity as the son of immigrants and what it means to be a non-white body existing in white spaces. He has shown work nationally and internationally as well as received numerous awards for his relief printed work.
Bunnag uses references from pop culture, news headlines, government policy and legislation, and historical research to take a searing look at the failures of the War on Drugs. Various illegal substances and major participants of the War on Drugs are represented as fantastical monsters in a style reminiscent of master printers such as Jacques Collet, Francisco de Goya, and others.
Whether it is teaching printmaking and drawing to Duke students or teaching local high schoolers, Raj finds his inspiration in spreading the gospel of print and educating people on how the printed world is still powerful in a digitally dominated society.
The Beat Farmers
The Beat Farmers played an alternative, roots rock version of blues rock with raucous live shows and half a dozen album releases during their heyday. They formed in 1983 in San Diego and released their debut album Tales of the New West in 1985. The band was initially comprised of Buddy Blue – guitar & vocals, Rolle Dexter – bass, Country Dick Montana – vocals & drums and Jerry Raney –guitar & vocals. Their music was raw and gritty and featured irreverently witty lyrics. They toured relentlessly and gained a reputation as being an entertaining live act. Unfortunately, key member Country Dick Montana died in 1995 of a heart attack while performing in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada marking the end of the band.
As of 2025 The Beat Farmers are back on stage. Click Visit Site below and let them tell you their story.
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.
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.
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
