We leave you this week dear reader with the first new music from Nashville’s Margo Price in over 2 years which she performed earlier this week on Full Frontal With Samantha Bee. “After what feels like an eternity, I’m releasing a new song into the wild today,” Price said. “It’s been hard to keep everything I’ve been working on for the last year to myself and I’m so excited to share it.” ‘Stone Me’ is written by Price with husband and bandmate Jeremy Ivey, and she’s in a fighting mood as she declares “I won’t be ashamed of what I am/for your judgment day, I don’t give a damn”. Have a good one.
Author: Mark Whitfield
Mark Whitfield has been the Editor of Americana UK for the last 17 years and still feels like this is his pretend job, mainly because it is.
Jim Lauderdale to release bluegrass album “When Carolina Comes Homes Again”
On the heels of 2019’s ‘From Another World’, two-time Grammy Award-winning Jim Lauderdale will release his 33rd album ‘When Carolina Comes Homes Again’ on March 6th via Yep Roc Records. You can listen to the first single ‘As a Sign’ co-written with Robert Hunter below. Continue reading “Jim Lauderdale to release bluegrass album “When Carolina Comes Homes Again””
Songs for the apocalypse: The Handsome Family “So Much Wine”
The Handsomes are one of those bands that feel so synonymous with what the americana genre means to me I feel they should be on the front of textbooks, with that rich combination of melody, atmosphere and poetry they do so well. One of my favourite gig memories ever was them singing ‘So Much Wine’ in Manchester shortly after sharing pictures with the audience of cats being dressed up to look like grandmothers, Sherlock Holmes, etc. The lyrics are as memorable as any you’re likely to hear: “when you fell asleep with blood on your teeth I got in my car and drove away”. The song makes me want to drink so much wine every time I hear it.
Sounds of the New West Volume 5 out with new Uncut
For those of us who have been around long enough, you’ll remember that way back in the sands of time, two decades ago in fact, Uncut had a cover-mounted CD called Sounds of the New West which was instrumental in a lot of people’s introduction to the americana genre. Continue reading “Sounds of the New West Volume 5 out with new Uncut”
Nada Surf announce UK dates, share new song “So Much Love”
If you like a bit of Teenage Fanclub but are in a bit of a Teenage Fanclub-less hole at the moment then fear not, salvation is at hand in the form of the great Nada Surf who return next month with a new album ‘Never Not Together’ which is due out Feb 7th on City Slang. They’ve released a new track from the record too called ‘So Much Love’ – As Matthew Caws from the band puts it: “We’re good at love and being kind. It comes naturally to us, but so do other things. You just have to keep looking for the right way to lean, it’s worth everything.” Here are their UK dates.
Continue reading “Nada Surf announce UK dates, share new song “So Much Love””
UK Americana Awards 2020 adds Shingai to its line-up
The AMAUKs are only 2 weeks away and there are still a handful of tickets left if you haven’t got yours yet. It’s the fifth annual shindig which forms part of AmericanFest which returns to Hackney for 3 days at the end of this month. The theme of the event is “Collaborate and Cross Pollinate” reflecting on how Americana artists work together across different genres and art forms. The event culminates on 30th January in the prestigious UK Americana Awards 2020 which after 4 sold-out years moves to a bigger venue for 2020 – the gorgeous art deco Troxy in Limehouse, East London. Continue reading “UK Americana Awards 2020 adds Shingai to its line-up”
Lilly Hiatt has a new album out soon – here’s the first song from it
We leave you this week dear reader with the first song to be released from the new album from Lilly Hiatt ‘Walking Proof’ which comes out on March 27th. The record follows up 2017’s ‘Trinity Lane’ and features guests including Amanda Shires, Aaron Lee Tasjan, and of course her dad John “Mr” Hiatt who plays on the track ‘Some Kind of Drug’, the first time he has featured on one of his daughter’s albums. RS Country describes the first track to be taken from it, ‘Brightest Star’, as “an irresistible slice of jangle-rock that finds Hiatt pushing her voice into its highest register and using a subtle trill to great effect. It’s an empowering song, about walking through life’s darkest moments of insecurity and self-doubt.” Here’s the video for it. Have a good one.
Pick of the Political Pops: Bob Dylan “Masters of War”
“Come you masters of war you that build the big guns, You that build the death planes, You that build all the bombs, You that hide behind walls, You that hide behind desks. I just want you to know I can see through your masks.” As the drumbeats grow louder again. FFS.
Songs for the apocalypse: Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci “Un Hogyn Trist, Un Hogan Drist”
Right well this is a real wildcard but start the new year as we mean to go on. Gorky’s were not only my favourite band to come out of Wales but one of my favourite bands period, particularly when they evolved into to their more folkie americana leanings such as the sublime ‘How I Long to Feel that Summer in My Heart’. The song which I loved the most though was a little known b-side to their ‘Sweet Johnny’ single from 1998 which translated into English via Google apparently means ‘One Sad Man, One Sad Hogan’ – not sure what a hogan is. Can any Welsh speaking readers help?
Maverick announces first names for 2020 line-up
The UK’s original Americana festival (that’s if you don’t count our epic Americana One – honestly if you’d seen the erratic state of the organisation of the day we were lucky to get 3 stars) has announced the first names for its thirteenth (lucky for some..) outing. Continue reading “Maverick announces first names for 2020 line-up”