Here’s some the best Americana and roots-type music releases for April 17th, 2026. Click the artist or album links to find out more. The artist’s names link to their websites and the CD title links go to either Amazon, iTunes, Bandcamp or the artist’s site for ordering or downloading. A + sign means although not a featured release, it’s a notable album that’s still worth checking out. Also, this page will be updated as I find out about other new releases so check back again.
Dirk Powell
Wake (The Last Music Company)
On Wake, his first solo album since 2020, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and singer Dirk Powell paints a masterpiece. With support from Rhiannon Giddens, Darrell Scott, and Powell’s daughter and musical collaborator, Amelia, Powell draws from a colorful palette of sound, to capture in broad flourishes the many scenes of joy, sadness, celebration, and love evoked in the wake of a full life. To wake is to awaken to newness every morning when love is fresh, but also to leave behind others and other parts of life. The project rings with human and natural sounds, from homemade banjos and fiddles to shimmering electric guitars to soft French horns to the raw sounds of Louisiana swamps, trains, and street fairs. With broad strokes, each song on Wake fills a sonic canvas with shadows and light and flashes of color, showcasing the brilliance of Powell’s artistry. (edited from No Depression review)
Benjamin Tod
Vengeance and Grace (independent)
Benjamin Tod, bandleader of Lost Dog Street Band, where he played alongside his wife, fiddle player Ashley Mae, decided to put the band on an indefinite hiatus following the arrival of their first child. But it does not mean that the Tennessee native songwriter has stopped making music. After his last solo album in 2024, Shooting Star, and a series of singles produced by Shooter Jennings, Tod returns with a dual album, Vengeance and Grace (Thirty Tigers): one version backed by a full band, the other stripped down and introspective, alone with his acoustic guitar. An opportunity for him to carry himself with a calm that feels hard-earned and to venture into the classic themes of country music—redemption, regret, but also faith and hope. (edited from Americana Highways review)
Also new this week…
The Brudi Brothers – Dark and Stormy (Fat and Sassy Records) +
The Eagle Rock Gospel Singers – Revival (independent)
Vincent Neil Emerson – Blue Stars (La Honda Records) +
Grey Jacks –INTERgenerational (Antidote Sounds Records)
Peter Karp – Jersey Town (Rose Cottage Records)
I’m With Her – Sing Me Alive (Rounder/Concord Records) +
Andy Leftwich – Aced (Mountain Home Music Company)
Matthew Payne – Better Times (independent)
Dan Penn – Smoke Filled Room (The Last Music Company) +
Lewis Pugh – Heretics & Heritage (independent)
The Tall Pines – Tales from the Tall Pines (independent)
Coming out soon… Bobby Dove, The Milk Carton Kids, Yarn, Ringo Starr, The Deslondes, Dale Watson, Bill Kirchen, Joshua Ray Walker, Josiah and the Bonnevilles, Whitehorse, India Ramey, Sweet Megg, Caleb Caudle, Taj Mahal, Florence Dore, Charlie Marie, Tift Merritt and more!
