For over thirty years, Midwestern singer-songwriter Chris Vallillo has travelled the United States, giving voice to the people and places of what he has called "unmetropolitan America."

On Songwriters Showcase every Sunday morning 10 a.m.-noon Central, I enjoy sharing old favorites and new releases with listeners. Here's 10 of the latter that I most enjoyed this year.

Steve Forbert's smartly-penned songs have a way of landing just right upon a listener's ears, settling in among all of the other mental cargo and becoming firmly rooted in the brain.

John Fullbright's songs are like an old friend who is never afraid to set you straight. Coupled to his masterful lyrics is a hauntingly likeable delivery that leaves listeners yearning for the next note.

With a voice as direct as a conversation, Samantha Harlow spins stories reflecting the tiny corners and frayed edges of lives most often ignored.

For fifteen years, Austin-based band Reckless Kelly has been travelling a road that runs somewhere between the realms of country and rock.

Picking favorite tunes by Guy Clark is more an exercise in what to leave out, rather than what to include. The songwriting legend is entering his seventh decade, still at the top of his game.

Imagine this: A genuine yet cynical folk artist, surrounded by buzz bin hits from the '90s, but ultimately a brilliant storyteller. That's Todd Snider, and he's here to stay.  

With a percussive guitar attack and a breathy, vulnerable delivery, Gina Holsopple is carving out her own niche in the contemporary folk scene.

The Bob Dylan news site, Expecting Rain, reports that Jack Hardy has passed away at the age of 63. Very sad news.