We leave you on this first (short) week back dear reader with a track I forgot to include in my top 10 of 2019 last month, my bad, and given it’s not available on streaming services it’ll get lost in the sands of time, or at least my ailing memory, if it’s not immortalised here on AUK. New York/Cambridge (our Cambridge) based Matt Caws’ beautiful elegy for a potentially lost country has questions for us right now too but ends with a note of optimism: “Do we dare look away? Shut our eyes as we slide into the dark? Now’s the time to do something.” Have a good one.
The Hanging Stars launch new album next month with UK tour
London-based folk-psych-country band The Hanging Stars return with their third studio album, ‘A New Kind Of Sky’, due out on 21 February 2020. They celebrate the launch of the new record with a great double bill featuring Americana-UK faves, GospelbeacH, at London’s Moth Club on 26th February. Continue reading “The Hanging Stars launch new album next month with UK tour”
JM Stevens “Invisible Lines” (Chicken Ranch Records)
This stalwart musician has a life steeped in music. Having enjoyed some level of success with previous bands, if this album is anything to go by, he may well be building on that as he seeks to pursue a solo career. Stevens’ mode of expression seems to be to keep his options open with a range of styles, or maybe I should say ‘Invisible Lines’. Continue reading “JM Stevens “Invisible Lines” (Chicken Ranch Records)”
Gill Landry announces UK tour dates
Two-time Grammy award-winning singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Gill Landry, has ten UK dates in the new year in support of his new album out on the Loose record label, ‘Skeleton At The Banquet’. Landry is one of the 75 acts due to appear at the Americana Music Association UK’s showcases at the end of January before he plays a more extensive tour in February. Continue reading “Gill Landry announces UK tour dates”
Americana UK introduces our new Obituaries section The Song Remains
The roots of Americana music run deep and wide and many of the early originators and influencers are now approaching or are in old age. To recognise and celebrate recently lost artists AUK will start publishing obituaries in 2020 in our The Song Remains section reflecting the fact that while an artist may have died their music, art and spirit remain with us through their recordings. To kick start this new section of the website there is a Rollcall of some of those artists lost in 2019 with a full obituary of Paul Barrere guitarist with Little Feat. Our readers’ thoughts on this new section will be very much appreciated. Continue reading “Americana UK introduces our new Obituaries section The Song Remains”
Video: Josh Ritter “Empty Hearts”
Continuing the New Year theme, here is ‘Empty Hearts’ by Josh Ritter from his fifth album, ‘The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter’. This song is a beautifully poetic prayer for the year to come. Amidst all of the drinking with friends, the narrator is longing for something more meaningful: “And she’ll know me by the sound of my hoping.” Continue reading “Video: Josh Ritter “Empty Hearts””
Swamp Dogg “Sleeping Without You Is A Dragg” – Listen
Echoey twang, mournful lovelorn lyrics, piano by Justin Vernon? Yup – we’re all set to start as we mean to carry on in 2020. Swamp Dogg is the handle of 77 year old Jerry Williams, who is anxious to redefine his psychedelic soul superhero image, telling one and all that he’s always considered himself as country : “If you notice I use a lot of horns,but actually, if you listen to my records before I start stacking shit on it, I’m country. I sound country.” Fair – to a point, if The Duke & The King or The Felice Brothers are country, then sure, Swamp Dogg is too. Continue reading “Swamp Dogg “Sleeping Without You Is A Dragg” – Listen”
10 songs for lovers of great writing
Mark Underwood continues his irregular feature on music by great songwriters with great lyrics.
Continue reading “10 songs for lovers of great writing”
Paul Kelly “Songs From The South 1985 – 2019” (Cooking Vinyl, 2019)
It’s a point of pride for Australians that they don’t beat around the bush. So when it comes to reviewing ‘Songs From the South 1985-2019’, by one of that country’s greatest modern-day singer-songwriters, you could maybe get away with just writing “this album is stunningly and consistently brilliant, go out and buy it today.” (That way if the Editor got sarky about whether this new-found brevity of style had anything to do with the outgoing ‘festive season’ then you could claim you were reflecting the Aussies’ no-nonsense approach to life and that the comment summed up pretty neatly what you thought, anyway.) Continue reading “Paul Kelly “Songs From The South 1985 – 2019” (Cooking Vinyl, 2019)”
Damien Jurado arrives in UK next month for dates
Damien Jurado is set to return to Europe next month. The tour, which kicks off in London on 21st February, sees Jurado showcasing his critically acclaimed 14th studio album, ‘In the Shape of a Storm’, which came out last April. Continue reading “Damien Jurado arrives in UK next month for dates”