Pick Six

A half-dozen cool things in music, from two points of view:

"Music City Roots." This roots-music show, live-streamed every Wednesday night from the Loveless Café in Nashville (podcast at musiccityroots.com), is a great place to discover the next generation of country-tinged singer-songwriters.

Michael Nesmith's Facebook page. He sometimes has hilarious and insightful conversations with his alter ego, "Mike," who was in the Monkees. Both of them still love Davy.

Romi Mayes. This 30-something blues-country guitarist/singer from Winnipeg looks like Sarah Silverman and sounds like Bonnie Raitt and ought to be a big star (which in Canada, she is). Just listen to her song "Ball and Chain."

JOE RHODES, FULL-TIME DRIFTER, PART-TIME JOURNALIST

To contribute: popmusic@startribune.com

Bob Dylan and Mark Knopfler, Xcel Energy Center. Knopfler played exquisite Americana, while Dylan was strikingly animated, in relatively good voice (a cross between early Tom Waits and middle-period Dylan) and debuted "Early Roman Kings."

"Bruce" by Peter Ames Carlin. Even though he calls his subject Bruce (not Springsteen) throughout, this People magazine alum didn't write a hagiography. This deeply reported bio had cooperation from Bruce and many insiders. We learn Bruce hasn't always been the nicest boss, has suffered from depression and didn't have the best relationship with his dad. But there's precious little on Bruce as a dad or husband. A good read but not definitive.