Folk Alley Radio Show

This week on Folk Alley, join Cindy Howes for fresh new holiday tracks from Sara Milonovich & Daisycutter, Drew & Ellie Holcomb, Jake Shimabukuro, The Klezmatics, and The Doohickeys, along with seasonal favorites from the Indigo Girls, JD McPherson, Sierra Ferrell, and Mary Chapin Carpenter. Plus, we remember the late Raúl Malo of The Mavericks, who passed away on December 8th. In Hour Two, we dive into the results of our Best of 2025 Folk Alley Listener Poll. Enjoy an hour of music that resonated the strongest with Folk Alley listeners this year including songs from Alison Krauss & Union Station, Jason Isbell, Mavis Staples, and much more.

This week on Folk Alley, we kick off Holiday Music Season with seasonal favorites from Margo Price, Andrew Bird, and Willie Nelson, along with new holiday tunes from Melissa Carper and Old Crow Medicine Show. We’ll also feature the latest from AJ Lee & Blue Summit, Balsam Range, Eric Bibb, Muireann Bradley, and Robert Plant with Suzi Dian, plus favorites from The Low Anthem, Martin Sexton, and Gillian Welch. In hour two, it's more new music from Jeff Tweedy, Robbie Faulks, Courtney Marie Andrews, Lonesome Ace Stringband, and Tony Trishka, along with a Basic Folk interview excerpt with Madison Cunningham, and more!

This week on Folk Alley, join Cindy Howes for an encore presentation of our annual 60-Year Throwback episode. 1965 was the year Dylan went electric and the Greenwich Village folk scene was buzzing with change. You’ll hear classics from Joan Baez, Odetta, Johnny Cash, Phil Ochs, Bert Jansch, Donovan, Jim Kweskin & The Jug Band, Koerner, Ray & Glover, The Holy Modal Rounders, Bob Dylan (of course), and plenty more. It's a snapshot of folk music on the edge of revolution—don’t miss it.

This week on Folk Alley, join Cindy Howes for a tribute to the late folk and Americana troubadour Todd Snider, who passed away at 59 on November 14, plus hear new songs from Sara Bareilles with Brandi Carlile (featuring lyrics by the late poet-activist Andrea Gibson), Robert Plant with Suzi Dian, Muireann Bradley, Alison Brown & Steve Martin, Tommy Emmanuel, and Jack Johnson & Hermanos Gutiérrez. In hour two, enjoy songs of gratitude and family for Thanksgiving from Mary Chapin Carpenter, Drew Holcomb and The Neighbors, The Mammals, and Kacey Musgraves, alongside new music from William Prince, Brennen Leigh, Willie Nelson, Ye Vagabonds, Wes Corbett, favorites from Jesse Welles, Pharis & Jason Romero, Jake Blount, and more.

This week on Folk Alley, join Cindy Howes as we kick off the end-of-year award season with a spotlight on the newly announced 2026 Grammy Award nominations for Best Folk, Bluegrass, and Americana Albums, featuring music from I’m With Her, Jesse Welles, Jon Batiste, Sierra Hull, Jason Isbell, Rhiannon Giddens & Justin Robinson, Larkin Poe, and other nominees. In hour two, enjoy new music from Jeff Tweedy, Fruit Bats, Mavis Staples, and Mon Rovia, along with favorites from John Craigie, Our Native Daughters, and Patti Smith, plus a Basic Folk excerpt with Frazey Ford and a celebration of Neil Young in honor of his 80th birthday.

This week on Folk Alley, join Cindy Howes for fresh new sounds from Greensky Bluegrass, Caroline Spence, Ana Egge, Anna Tivel, and Todd Snider, along with favorites from Elephant Revival, Leftover Salmon, and Hayes Carll, plus happy birthday shout-outs to Bonnie Raitt and Joni Mitchell. We also take time to remember the Scottish folk legend Archie Fisher—and more.

This week on Folk Alley, we welcome November with a mix of tunes, featuring songs from Tom Waits, Brian Henke, and The Dead Tongues, new releases from Rosie Flores & The Talismen, Greensky Bluegrass, and The Mammals, along with favorites from Lyle Lovett and Joan Baez, plus exciting news from Billy Bragg and Wilco. In hour two, hear more new music from Le Vent du Nord, Larkin Poe, Tommy Emmanuel, Caitlin Canty, and The Onlies, along with favorites from Kaia Kater, Chris Smither, and Catherine MacLellan, as well as a Basic Folk interview excerpt with Brad Barr of the Barr Brothers and much more.

Join Folk Alley this week for a Halloween special filled with spine-tingling tunes from folk, roots, and Americana favorites. Celebrate the season’s spooky sounds with haunting songs by Leonard Cohen, Emily Scott Robinson, Larkin Poe, Maddy Prior, John Gorka, Gretchen Peters, Rayna Gellert, Mollie O’Brien & Rich Moore, Tom Waits, Riders in the Sky, Barry Dransfield, Gabrielle Louise, Rosanne Cash, Lenore, Shirley Collins, the T Sisters, and much more!

This week on Folk Alley, we celebrate the season with a mix of brand-new music and haunting autumn sounds. Hear fresh tracks from Meredith Moon, Robert Plant & Suzi Dian, Melissa Carper & Theo Lawrence, John Gorka, and Flock of Dimes, plus a 60th anniversary reissue of Joan Baez’s 'Farewell, Angelina' and other 1965 gems. We’ll also lean into the spooky side of fall with music from Rosie Flores & the Talismen, Pat Donohue, Lucinda Williams, Buddy & Julie Miller, and The Decemberists, alongside an interview excerpt from 'Basic Folk' with David Wilcox and autumnal favorites from Bob Dylan, Frank Solivan, and Tom Waits.

This week on Folk Alley, we celebrate what would’ve been John Prine’s 79th birthday with tributes, duets, and performances from friends and admirers, plus Prine himself. In Hour Two, we welcome the spooky season with witchy tunes from Donovan and Stan Rogers, new music from John Gorka, Joan Shelley, and Le Vent du Nord, favorites from Emmylou Harris, Leonard Cohen, Gillian Welch, and Alison Krauss & Robert Plant, and an interview excerpt featuring Kathleen Edwards and Lizzie No.

This week, we celebrate new fall releases from John Gorka, Caitlin Canty, Meredith Moon, Muireann Bradley, Kelly Willis, Rosie Flores & The Talismen, Jenna Nicholls, William Prince, Joan Shelley, and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. Plus, we’ll bask in the Harvest Supermoon with a set of favorites from Neil Young, case/lang/veirs, and Sam Bush, along with more songs for the season from from Robin & Linda Williams and BillStaines, and much more.

This week on Folk Alley, we’re celebrating the change of seasons with songs from Steve Forbert, Lúnasa, Laura Veirs, Cheryl Wheeler, and Greg Brown. We’ll also feature brand-new music from John Gorka, Fruit Bats, Kathleen Edwards, Margo Price, Joan Shelley, The Mammals, Larkin Poe, Anna Tivel, and Becky Buller. Plus, hear an excerpt from a Basic Folk interview with Peter Rowan, along with classics from Old & In the Way, Bonnie Raitt, and Simon & Garfunkel, and favorites from Mavis Staples, Yasmin Williams, and more.