The American singer-songwriter tradition has always been tethered to a rustic austerity, the sort of front-porch authenticity that suggests an age where home electronics are still considered luxury items. But there's also the ongoing influ- ence of Bob Dylan and The Band's Basement Tapes-that strange and beloved document of the magic that happens when private experiments with the folk template flourish into layered and lush songs-and it's genesis through informal recording sessions. In our modern age, these kinds of casual DIY constructions are perhaps the more honest contribution to the Americana lineage-the true homespun artform.
