Not this side of the pond as it were, we’ve got Steps to co-ordinate our charity gigs and I know who I’d rather have (I suspect you might do too). Leaving you this weekend dear reader with news that Steve Earle has announced the lineup for his John Henry’s Friends benefit show which he hosts annually, taking place this year on December 3rd in New York. Continue reading “Steve Earle announces lineup for December benefit show”
Kathryn Calder, singer and keyboard player with The New Pornographers and Woodpigeon’s Mark Andrew Hamilton form this new duo whose debut album is a frequently beguiling mix of dreamy atmospherics with poppy vocals from Calder and boasts a generally mellow vibe layered with strings and rich harmonies. Continue reading “Frontperson “Frontrunner” (Oscar Street Records, 2018)”
Want a backstory? How’s this: Brooklyn native starts singing in dive bars with his brother a full decade before he can legally drink, drops out of high school, spends a year in Havana training with the Cuban national boxing team, then tours Europe – again with his brother – and their doom metal band, Dead Man’s Root, before it implodes and Ben de la Cour finds himself again stateside, this time armed with an acoustic guitar case full of songs he’s dubbed Americanoir. Continue reading “Ben de la Cour “The High Cost Of Living Strange” (Flour Sack Cape, 2018)”
We have little time for fossil fuels here at Americana-UK Towers. The entire roof is covered in solar panels and the former stable block now houses the wind turbine. And as stated last week we are fond of recycling (indeed now that all submissions to our site are now digital we don’t have to turn all those CDs into bird scarers in the gardens). We were somewhat surprised recently when those anti-fracking protestors were sent down for over a year for sitting on the tops of some lorries because they didn’t like the idea of mining company Cuadrilla causing potential environmental damage in Lancashire. Continue reading “Pick of the Political Pops: R. Stevie Moore “Conflict of Interest””
On the official Seasick Steve website, you will find a 38-second video clip in which a hugely self-conscious and apologetic looking Steve stands propped against a water tank alongside a stack of empty pallets at the back of his barn. As far as trailers for a new album go this is just about as low key as it gets, “I don’t know much what to say……. they want me to say something.” A vision of a groaning PR exec with his face in his hands springs to mind. Continue reading “Seasick Steve “Can U Cook?” (BMG, 2018)”
This single, out today, is taken from Stephen Kellogg’s upcoming album ‘Objects In The Mirror‘ (due out November 23rd) and is the definition of a slow builder. Coming in as just a voice and acoustic guitar it adds instruments until the whole band is there, and then fades out on a gorgeous piano and pedal steel coda. Continue reading “Stephen Kellogg “High Highs Low Lows” – Listen”
Bit of a cheat in the retro slot week as Treetop Flyers are very much now. But this is their wonderful cover of “The Sounds Of Our Time”, originally by the late and very very great Jim Ford. When you’ve listened to this, check out the original too. Have a great weekend everyone.
RS Country are running a nice little (not so little actually) interview today with Americana royalty (in a Republican way) (that’s Republican in the UK sense) (why did I start this?) Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires who talk to them about their new albums, how they both met and speaking out in the era of Trump. Continue reading “RS Country interview Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires”
Carter Sampson’s voice rolls across these songs as the winds across the great plains of her native Oklahoma. Sounding simultaneously innocent and world-weary, her voice can at times recall the breathy yet powerful delivery of a Midwestern Natalie Merchant. Sampson lives inside the lyrics she sings. You get the feeling she’s experienced every word. Continue reading “Carter Sampson “Lucky” (Horton Records, 2018)”
Ahead of her forthcoming UK tour, Amy Rigby will be releasing her first solo album in a dozen years ‘The Old Guys’ in the UK on 30th November, and she’s shared a brand new single from it, ‘Tom Petty Karaoke’, inspired by J Mascis singing “Don’t Do Me Like That” at karaoke. Amy explains more about the track: “Tom Petty is a guardian angel for me, like he was and is for many musicians. I’ve written about him on my blog a lot because anytime I’m on the road it’s like Tom is there on my shoulder, saying “that’s cool” or “you can do better”. This was true when he was alive and even more now that he’s gone.” Rigby hits the UK for dates next month – catch them below.
