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Our latest posts
  • [ August 7, 2026 ] Icarus Phoenix “Choke” – and now I can barely speak Tracks
  • [ August 7, 2026 ] Video Premiere: Izzie Walsh “I Need You More” Videos
  • [ August 6, 2026 ] Essentials: The Top 10 Samantha Crain Songs Essentials
  • [ August 6, 2026 ] Bird “Held Here Together” Album Reviews
  • [ August 6, 2026 ] Live Review: Joshua Ray Walker + Malin Pettersen, The Lower Third, London – 28th July 2026 Live Reviews
HomeAuthorsGordon Sharpe

Articles by Gordon Sharpe

About Gordon Sharpe
Retired music fan longing to get back to the Lakes and hoping to visit Scotland before much longer - somehow South Cheshire just doesn't cut it. Still seeking the grail in terms of a convincing description of what Americana really is but really enjoying the search. And still wondering when Kenny Rogers will get his just deserts
Book Reviews

Paperback Riders: Bob Dylan “Chronicles Volume One”

May 27, 2022 Gordon Sharpe 1
Books Editor, Rick Bayles, writes – When Gordon submitted this latest article for his ‘Paperback Riders’ series neither of us knew it would, sadly, be his last. It has been a genuine pleasure to work with […]
Paul Brady - Maybe So
Album Reviews

Paul Brady “Maybe So”

May 5, 2022 Gordon Sharpe 0
A much-admired artist of great longevity, but a disc unlikely to add to the legend. Imagine the scene. There you are with a new disc and you press play. There’s a clean white sheet of paper […]
Album Reviews

Sarah McCulloch “Sawmiller’s Daughter”

April 22, 2022 Gordon Sharpe 0
A well made album with a touch of the old school and plenty of songwriting promise. Sarah McCulloch is described as a Country/Americana singer-songwriter and her music probably falls at the outer edge of this site’s […]
Album Reviews

Jefferson Ross “Southern Currency”

April 13, 2022 Gordon Sharpe 0
An outstanding work – well written, well played, well sung – in relation to an area of America that’s had more than its share of chroniclers, often of varying quality. It seems Jefferson Ross is new […]
Album Reviews

George is Lord “My Sweet George”

April 11, 2022 Gordon Sharpe 0
An interesting stab at a tribute to the quiet one – slightly let down by the vocals and similarity of its musical approach. George is Lord are an amalgamation of Anna Pomerantz on drums and vocals, […]

Posts pagination

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our latest posts

Icarus Phoenix “Choke” – and now I can barely speak

Tracks
August 7, 2026 0

Video Premiere: Izzie Walsh “I Need You More”

Videos
August 7, 2026 0

Essentials: The Top 10 Samantha Crain Songs

Essentials
August 6, 2026 0

Bird “Held Here Together”

Album Reviews
August 6, 2026 0

Live Review: Joshua Ray Walker + Malin Pettersen, The Lower Third, London – 28th July 2026

Live Reviews
August 6, 2026 0
Tracks

Icarus Phoenix “Choke” – and now I can barely speak

August 7, 2026 0
And to end the week on Tracks we have a new release from Icarus Phoenix, the Baltimore-based, Montana/Utah-rooted band led by Drew Danburry.  Choke is a song that Drew tells us “is about running away from […]
Videos

Video Premiere: Izzie Walsh “I Need You More”

August 7, 2026 0
Here is the moody new video from Manchester singer-songwriter Izzie Walsh. Full of unresolved musical and lyrical tension, I Need You More is an emotive, atmospheric song, featuring a powerful performance from Walsh. Opening with delicate finger-picked […]
Essentials

Essentials: The Top 10 Samantha Crain Songs

August 6, 2026 0
March, 2026, walking down Islington High Street in the rain, heading for the hallowed Union Chapel, the anticipation of seeing Samantha Crain live was palpable. Too many years had gone by since a summer night at […]

  • Icarus Phoenix “Choke” – and now I can barely speak
  • Video Premiere: Izzie Walsh “I Need You More”
  • Essentials: The Top 10 Samantha Crain Songs
  • Bird “Held Here Together”
  • Live Review: Joshua Ray Walker + Malin Pettersen, The Lower Third, London – 28th July 2026
  • Phil Odgers & John Kettle “The War is Over – The Songs of Phil Ochs Vol 2”
  • Freddy Trujillo takes flight with his fifth solo album
  • Railcard “Unstable Neighbour” – let’s get on, ok?
  • Video: Karl Bray “Marianne”
  • Can’t Live With It, Can’t Live Without It: Tom Waits
Billy Bragg Bob Dylan Bruce Springsteen Chuck Prophet Courtney Marie Andrews Dean Owens Drive By Truckers Emmylou Harris Jason Isbell Johnny Cash John Prine Lucinda Williams Margo Price Neil Young Peter Bruntnell Robert Vincent Ryan Adams Steve Earle Sturgill Simpson The Band The Byrds The Delines Tom Petty Wilco Willie Nelson
  • Graeme Tait: Lol. Sorry, Alan, I knew as soon as I'd chosen to cover Tom Waits for this feature you'd be a…
  • Alan Peatfield: OK, Graeme - just one observation ... the obvious one. "As a songwriter he is right up there; on the…
  • Graeme Tait: Hi Alan. Glad you approve. It was an excellent gig.

Latest interviews

Interviews

Video Interview: Aaron Lee Tasjan on “Get Over It, Underdog” and Todd Snider

August 4, 2026 0
Nashville East resident Aaron Lee Tasjan has long been a favourite of Americana UK, and with 12 albums to his name, including his latest Get Over It, Underdog, and approaching 40, he is no longer the […]
Interviews

Video Interview: American Aquarium’s BJ Barham finds “New Ways To Lose”

July 29, 2026 0
American Aquarium appear to be on a creative roll with their latest album, New Ways To Lose, getting great reviews even though it is their twentieth album in as many years. Added to this is the […]
Interviews

Interview: David Keenan on inspiration, optimism and telling stories

July 28, 2026 0
“Radiate a smile if we’re only here for a short while / no we don’t want to miss a day / cus there’s so much we must do,” sings David Keenan on Radiate a Smile, four […]

You may have missed…

Interviews

Interview: Amanda Anne Platt (The Honeycutters)

August 10, 2017 1
Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters perform a brand of americana music dripping class – such are the dynamics of Platt’s songs, and the playing of the band they come in at a higher level. Consistency […]
News

PopMatters choses its top americana albums of 2020

December 10, 2020 2
Back when we launched our site in 2001 we tended to cover a bit of pop as well as americana, of the power-variety – not such strange bedfellows when you consider artists such as Big Star, […]
Dirty Dozens

Dirty Dozen: Nick Byrne

February 8, 2017 0
Nick Byrne is a singer, guitarist and songwriter from Buckinghamshire, England performing ‘atmospheric and dreamy folk’. Songs range from finger-picked folk to more layered pieces, accented by strings and slide guitar. The blissful folk of forthcoming […]

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