There was a time, not very many years ago, when Americana was a haven for female artists. It was the genre for everyone with roots ranging from Emmylou Harris to Mavis Staple. Can this duo help bring women back to the genre?

With an independent spirt that has served them well throughout their career, the Waifs return with Temptation, relased through Compass Records. Does the album rival the best or the worst of roots music in 2011?

This new folksy duo from Nashville has released Barton Hollow as a completely DYI effort.  The results are a satisfying album that harkens back to the roots of American (and Irish) music and an album deserving of a feature here.

Loudon Wainwright III has made plenty of great roots music albums over his career and reurns now with a lovely tribute to Charlie Poole that is an album as layered and complex as the man it pays homage to.

Here's a track from his latest album "Last Exit To Happyland."

Here's a grat track from singer/songwriter and respected producer Gurf Morlix' latest album.

Here's a track from the great duet album from Mark Olson & Gary Louris, the main songwriters of The Jayhawks. 

Here's a great track from Townes Van Zandt. 

One of the best things about country music is how diverse it is and how the community often champions artists and songwriters not quite known among the public.  For the first article in a new series, we introduce country music fans to singer/songwriter Jeff Black, the writer of a pair of Blackhawk hits in the 1990s.

Here's one of the many classic songs from Texas singer/songwriter Guy Clark.