We leave you this week dear reader with the first track to be released from Charley Crockett’s new studio album ‘Welcome To Hard Times’ which will be released July 31st on Thirty Tigers. Produced by Mark Neill, with songwriting contributions from Pat McLaughlin and Dan Auerbach, the record is described a genre-bending mix of classic country, psychedelic spaghetti western and rhythm & blues. He tells us: “This record is for the folks who feel like everything’s fixed. If you think you’re playing a rigged game, you’re right. If it seems like all the cards are marked in advance, they are. But you still gotta roll the dice, even when you know they’re loaded.” The terrific video is shot on location in the Sierra Nevadas, and is part of a series Crockett is shooting and directing over the next month, where he will play the same character walking alone through isolated landscapes in the American wilderness. At least he’ll be socially distancing. 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.
Brandi Carlile to play classic albums in full by live-stream
Washington born americana singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile has announced she will be performing her Grammy Award-winning 2018 album ‘By the Way, I Forgive You’ in its entirety during a live-stream which will take place on Monday June 1st at 9 p.m. USA ET, although you will need to buy a ticket for it over at Veeps. Continue reading “Brandi Carlile to play classic albums in full by live-stream”
Songs for the apocalypse: The Broken Family Band “Mother O’Jesus”
Many years ago in the life of this website, the year after it started in fact, one of the first albums we ever got sent was called ‘The King Will Build a Disco‘ by The Broken Family Band, and I was immediately taken with them. They were just so damn clever, and funny, and warm, and inviting. Their music style was described as all kinds of things – indie-rock apparently being their preferred choice although it did have very alt-country leanings at times. I’ve stuck through frontman Steven Adams’ career ever since, its most recent iteration being in the form of “and the French Drops” but if you put a gun to my head and asked me for my favourite song by this beautiful little band I’d go back to 2004 for this track from their relatively understated EP ‘Jesus Songs’. The Broken Family Band has been deceased for over a decade now, but this will always have a place on my very long list of desert island discs.
John Prine Family announce live streaming tribute
The family of the late John Prine have announced a celebration of the singer-songwriter’s legacy with a live-streamed “Picture Show” tribute. The June 11th show will be produced by the Prine family and his label Oh Boy Records and feature “musicians, actors, and friends remembering our beloved JP.” The list of people participating in the online celebration — which will stream via Prine’s YouTube and Facebook accounts — have not yet been announced. Continue reading “John Prine Family announce live streaming tribute”
Wilco perform new song “Tell Your Friends” – Watch
We’re slightly late to the party with this one but at the end of last week Wilco premiered new song ‘Tell Your Friends’ as a lockdown performance for The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. Each member of the band performed the song via live stream surrounded by family and pets. The song focussing on reuniting with friends at the end of this pandemic contained the refrain: “Don’t forget to tell your friends/This is going to end/Oh, and I needed you.” It’s available for purchase on Bandcamp, and all proceeds from the single will go toward José Andrés’ organization World Central Kitchen, which provides meals and other relief to those affected by the pandemic.
Something for the weekend: Jesse Malin “Crawling Back to You”
And so another week comes to its inevitable conclusion dear reader as we go into what may or may not be the penultimate bank holiday weekend of the year – there are plenty of live streams happening if you fancy bedding yourself in with a beer but in the meantime, we leave you this week with two pieces of new music. Below you can find the latest song by Mike Rosenberg aka Passenger – ‘Queenstown’ is about a road trip around New Zealand’s South Island a few years ago “… it was one of the most magical times of my life . This song I think encapsulates that feeling of travel and freedom – something that we are all probably missing greatly at the moment.” But before that here’s Jesse Malin covering Tom Petty’s ‘Crawling Back to You’ a from Petty’s 1994 album ‘Wildflowers’. Malin saw Petty perform the song at the Hollywood Bowl in 2017 — at what would turn out to be Petty’s final show. Stay safe and have a good one.
Continue reading “Something for the weekend: Jesse Malin “Crawling Back to You””
Margo Price releases new live album featuring Emmylou and Sturgill
Margo Price has announced the surprise release of a new live album, ‘Perfectly Imperfect at The Ryman’. Out today exclusively on Bandcamp, all proceeds benefit the MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund, and while Margo has been working on putting the energy of those gigs back out into the world ever since they happened, she couldn’t wait any longer. Continue reading “Margo Price releases new live album featuring Emmylou and Sturgill”
Songs for the apocalypse: The Delevantes “Suitcase of Leather”
The Delevantes have been around for over three decades now, the band consisting of brothers Bob and Mike Delevante from Nashville, Tennesse. Way back in the late-nineties when my americana genes were still not quite fully developed I discovered their debut album ‘Long About That Time’ in the Virgin megastore in Liverpool which is now empty and just contains the ghosts of hip staff raising their eyebrows when you turned up to the counter with something like this. It was released on Rounder and got some airplay on CMT – I just fell in love with the record, with its harmonies and jangling guitars. They were a thing too – here’s some archive footage of them playing with Steve Earle at the Mean Fiddler in 97 (no sound sorry, but Steve looks happy enough). The good news is they’re now back after a decade long hiatus, although it may be some time before they reach our shores again.
Jason Isbell & 400 Unit to stream live Rough Trade show tonight
Following on from the release of his new album ‘Reunions’ last week which we described as having “sharp songwriting and excellent production which make this a great addition to his stellar catalogue”, Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit have announced they will play an exclusive Instagram TV Transmission to fans on the @roughtrade & @roughtradenyc Instagram TV feeds tonight (Wednesday 20th May) at 18.00 UK time. And if you are otherwise engaged, here’s a superb stream of Isbell with wife Amanda Shires last week at the as yet unopened Brooklyn Bowl Nashville.
End of the Road 2020 postponed until 2021
And then there were none. End of the Road 2020 has been cancelled but the same line-up will return next year for End of the Road 2021 – original tickets remain valid. End of the Road’s September placing in the year made it one of the last hold-outs to still be planning for a 2020 festival but it appears the organisers did not want to risk the uncertainty which remains around live music in any setting for the rest of the year. Their statement is below. Continue reading “End of the Road 2020 postponed until 2021”