News Roundup: The Civil Wars Still Together, Paul Simon In Newtown, Apocalypse Later

The Civil Wars’ Joy Williams announced in a Twitter interview with Alison Sudol of A Fine Frenzy that she was “in the studio right now, listening to new Civil Wars songs.”  This comes after the hard-touring, Grammy-winning Americana duo cancelled their remaining European tour dates over “internal discord and irreconcilable differences of ambition,” sparking speculation about their breakup.

Paul Simon performed at at Sandy Hook school teacher Victoria Soto’s funeral yesterday in Newtown, Connecticut. Soto, a family friend of Simon’s, died shielding her students from gunfire during the tragic school shooting. Simon performed “The Sound Of Silence,” Soto’s favorite song, in honor of the late 27-year-old.

R.E.M. may be gone and the world may still be here, but we can still enjoy this prescient song on The Day Formerly Known as the Mayan Apocalypse. Happy holidays, everyone.

Speaking of, here’s Jonny Fritz (who has a great interview with Billy Joe Shaver in our January/February Legends issue) to sing you “Hush, My Babe,” a Christmas song he learned from Doc Watson, from Nashville’s famed bluegrass mecca The Station Inn.