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In Nik Cohn’s history of pop and rock Awopbopaloobop Alopbamboom, his chapter on The Beatles opens “Next come the Fab Four, the Moptop Mersey Marvels, and this is the bit I’ve been dreading. I mean what is there possibly left to say about them?” And in Americana, these days, it’s easy to feel the same way when writing about Jason Isbell. Continue reading “AmericanA to Z: Jason Isbell”
Noticing that his friends wanted something to listen to during quarantine, San Diego based singer-songwriter Zach Phillips decided to release ‘The Wine of Youth’ earlier than he first anticipated, but with his music described as ‘a hybrid of experimental roots and folk-rock, chamber pop and indie country’, you feel like this mismatch of styles don’t quite fit together throughout the album. Continue reading “Zach Phillips “The Wine of Youth” (Independent, 2020)”
We are delighted to premiere the latest single from Our Man in the Field (also-known-as Alexander Ellis). Ellis provides another lovely vocal performance on ‘Thin (I Used to be Bullet Proof)’, demonstrating his range, both musically and emotionally. It’s the second single from the forthcoming debut album, due for release on 3rd July, and, once again, features fabulous performances from his brilliant band, especially the haunting pedal steel from Henry Senior. Continue reading “Video Premiere: Our Man in the Field “Thin (I Used to be Bullet Proof)””
Third Man Records, Jack White’s Nashville-based labels has announced the release of ‘Vault Package 45, A Night to Remember’ by Johnny Cash, the next in its quarterly series of collectible recordings. Starting on April 29th 1973 and lasting for another six evenings, the “A Week To Remember” concerts dreamt up by music industry icon Clive Davis were envisaged as a way to highlight the Murderers Row line-up of artists that were then signed to Columbia Records. With highlights like Miles Davis, the Staples Singers, Bruce Springsteen and Earth, Wind and Fire, the seven nights of shows at the Ahmanson Theater in Los Angeles was, by all accounts, a remarkable showcase of the clout the legendary label wielded. Continue reading “Third Man Records to release archive Cash concert”
Egg, Austria isn’t someplace that you would expect to be the launchpad for an album that sounds like it was born somewhere exactly halfway between Memphis and Nashville. But geography isn’t the only reason that listeners will find themselves doing a double-take when they listen to the sophomore release from Prinz Grizzley. The album’s twelve tracks are a carousel of musical influences that are polished up with production that will have listeners wondering which decade they’re in (in a good way). Continue reading “Prinz Grizzley “To My Green Mountains Home” (DoWhWa Records, 2020)”
‘Southern Raphael‘ is the lead single from Will Stewart’s new album ‘Way Gone‘ which is a follow up to 2018’s well praised ‘County Seat.‘ On the album Stewart powers through six songs telling the stories of disparate but all desperate characters. Continue reading “Will Stewart “Southern Raphael” – Listen”
‘Rain, Rain’ is the opening track from Dusty Wright’s eighth studio album, ‘Can anyone Hear Me?’ The album began life as a collection of protest songs, some of which had originally been written for Wright’s previous album. However, he wanted them to be more stripped-back, acoustic pieces that would suit the Americana-vibe of the new record. Co-producer and mixing/mastering engineer, Dan Cardinal (Darlingside, Josh Ritter), helped to create the sound Wright was looking for. Continue reading “Video Premiere: Dusty Wright “Rain, Rain” – Win signed prints!”
‘Bitter Pill’ is the latest track to be lifted from the incoming Jayhawks album ‘XOXO’ which is due for release July 10th via Sham/Thirty Tigers, the band’s most collaborative and diverse record in their four-decade-long career. Gary Louris comments: “This is a rare example of me writing a story song. Continue reading “The Jayhawks “Bitter Pill” – Listen”
Canadian singer-songwriter Dylan Menzie has been cooking up a storm over the past few years, picking up two nominations at the 2017 East Coast Music Awards as well as one more at the Canadian Folk Music Awards the following year. His latest album, ‘Lost in Dreams’, is an inviting mix of vintage-tinged pop and some more classical-sounding Americana (or should that be ‘Canadacana’?). Continue reading “Dylan Menzie “Lost in Dreams” (Independent, 2020)”
Brent Cobb is the genuine article: excellent songcraft combined with a distinctive, characterful vocal. This is his first new release since the well-received album, ‘Providence Canyon’. Although it was written some time ago, Cobb has released it now because it seems so relevant to our current global situation. He says of the animated video, which was created by Delaney Royer, “The intention of this song and video was to create a surreal world where it’s hard to tell what’s real and what’s a dream. It seems our actual world isn’t too far off that premise lately. Hard to tell…” I couldn’t put it better.