Joe Henry

A collection of 29 posts

Meet Me at the Edge of the World: the 2025 Nowhere Else Festival keynote address

Here is a revised, expanded version of the keynote address I delivered at the 2025 Nowhere Else Festival in Martinsville, Ohio on Labor Day Weekend.

Jon Batiste

Songlights: Rhiannon! Lucinda! Sufjan! Sixpence! Plus, new Jon Batiste, Jeff Tweedy, Sunny War, Robert Plant, Deerhoof, Wet Leg, Russ Taff, and more.

[UPDATE: New from Mike Reid & Joe Henry!] Here's a flight of flavors that have been helping me drink down a difficult week.

On Songs & Albums

Famine Walk - the new Joe Henry opening track is here

I heard this in the car today, and I had to pull the car over.

On Songs & Albums

Madonna, Bettye LaVette, Joe Henry: Whose version of Stop is best?

The new album by Bettye LaVette, produced by Joe Henry, features some excellent test cases when it comes to the subject of cover songs.

Journal

An Hour of Wisdom and Storytelling with Joe Henry

Joe Henry, who recorded my favorite record of 2014 (Invisible Hour), was the guest on the latest installment of the excellent podcast "On Being," with Krista Tippett.

On Songs & Albums

Listening Closer to Joe Henry's "Sparrow," The Lone Bellow, and Jessica Pratt

The first song of Joe Henry’s album Invisible Hour — my favorite record of 2014 — is the subject of the second installment in my new series called "Listening Closer." Plus: Two new albums well worth your time and attention.

On Songs & Albums

Looking Elsewhere: Dec. 4, 2014

Here are a few recent distractions and discoveries from elsewhere on the web that gave me fleeting moments of relief from the storms of a Bad News Week.

On Songs & Albums

Joe Henry's Christmas Playlist

Our first Christmas Playlist Party host? Please welcome Grammy award-winning producer, poet, and musician Joe Henry, whose new album "Invisible Hour" is, at this writing, my favorite record of 2014 and the one I have played most often.

Elbow

Listen Closer: Joe Henry; Peter Gabriel & Elbow; The Secret Sisters; Hiss Golden Messenger; Belle & Sebastian; Beck Covers Arcade Fire

Sample new music from Joe Henry, Elbow, Hiss Golden Messenger, The Secret Sisters, Belle and Sebastian, and Beck.

Listen Closer

Listen Closer: Peter Gabriel, Joe Henry

A new year of musical invention begins with an all-star lineup of artists celebrating the music of Peter Gabriel. Also: Joe Henry, live at KEXP.

On Books & Writing

Linford Detweiler of Over the Rhine interviews Joe Henry in Image

The new issue of Image is out! Order yours today. In the meantime, you can get a preview online... Read Gregory Wolfe's new piece, "Breath," and an excerpt of Linford Detweiler's in-depth interview with Joe Henry here.

On Songs & Albums

Reverie - The New Joe Henry Album

NPR First Listen is streaming one of my favorite 2011 records. And... My review of it is up at SPU's Response.

On Songs & Albums

Happy Half-Century to Joe Henry!

In honor of a man who, as of today, has lived a half-century, here is a birthday song by They Might Be Giants. I've chosen this song for two reasons: * It's from an album called John Henry, who may have been a distant relation. * It'

Over the Rhine

"Learning not to white-knuckle everything"

No Depression posts notes on the new Over the Rhine album: The Long Surrender The album’s title “speaks to our ongoing desire to let go of certain expectations — and much of what we are convinced we know for sure — in favor of remaining open and curious,” Bergquist explains. “It

On Songs & Albums

Gimme Some Truth

In memory of a great speech, from a great man, that occurred on this day in 1963... (via Joe Henry on Facebook) And along those lines... And now this...

On Songs & Albums

Joe Henry's producing an album by Dr. Gregory House?

I know Joe Henry, producer of Elvis Costello, Allen Toussaint, Carolina Chocolate Drops, Loudon Wainwright III, Mary Gauthier, and Over the Rhine, is full of surprises. But this? This may be the biggest surprise of all. In the professional diagnosis of the music industry, Hugh Laurie ... has come down with

On Songs & Albums

My favorite song about America.

My Fourth of July song is... "Our Song" by the great American poet Joe Henry, from the album Civilians. Listen here. What's yours?

Over the Rhine

The Next Over the Rhine Album, According to Linford

Linford Detweiler has published a letter of epic proportions, addressing Over the Rhine fans about the future of the band, the upcoming recording sessions with Joe Henry, and more. Some highlights: For the first time ever, this coming May 17, Karin and I are planning to travel to the West

On Songs & Albums

News from Joe Henry

I had the privilege of chatting with one of my musical heroes this morning - singer/songwriter/producer-extraordinaire Joe Henry. I mentioned that I'd been particularly inspired during a day of heavy writing yesterday after spending time with one of my favorite volumes of poetry, Rilke's

Over the Rhine

A Musical Dream Team

The secret's out! The news is official! This is the beginning of something beautiful.

Sam Phillips

Joe Henry, Sam Phillips, and The Long Play: LookingCloser.org's Video Blog #2

I'm still a beginner when it comes to iMovie. But I'm learning a little every time I work with it. This episode, in which I learn that ten minutes is too long for this sort of thing, covers some of my favorite recent music. And it

Looking Elsewhere

Browser: Still Walking. Unforgivable Blackness. Joe Henry. Inglourious Basterds.

Hi ho, Jeffrey the Recovering Storyteller here. It's my first real day off since completing Raven's Ladder. I plan to rest. Write reviews. And see movies. 500 Days of Summer and District 9, to be specific. My friend, painter Laura Lasworth, loved the first one, and

Overstreet's Books

Post-"Raven's Ladder" Browser: Catching up. Dawn Treader! Catching up on summer movies. Joe Henry. More.

Having turned in Raven's Ladder, I'm excited, exhausted, and eager to enjoy what little bit of summer remains. I've spent these beautiful months laboring over a hot laptop to finish the third book in The Auralia Thread, and I hope to read some great

On Songs & Albums

Gratitude for Joe Henry's "Blood from Stars"

Please put on your seatbelts and helmets: I'm reduced to blathering in the very superlatives that have been beaten senseless and slapped upon lesser albums, and I'm gonna throw them around. (Then, no doubt, I'll come crawling back to revise this, feeling rather embarrassed

On Songs & Albums

The next Joe Henry album

Thanks to Andy Whitman for passing along this press release for the new album from Joe Henry: Renaissance Man Eschews Decorum to Reveal More Vital, Raw and Dark 11th Album Joe Henry's new record Blood From Stars begins with a poignant and haunting piano prelude before launching into