Possibly the loveliest band to ever exist Teenage Fanclub have announced a UK tour this October/November which sees them play Glasgow, Manchester, Birmingham and London on the Songs From Teenage Fanclub: The Creation Records Years tour – the venues are small, so they will be playing three nights in every city, featuring tracks from their Creation Records era – The first from between 1991-1993, the second from between 1994-1997, and the third between 1998-2000. Continue reading “Teenage Fanclub: 12 nights, 4 cities – this autumn”
Author: Mark Whitfield
Mark Whitfield has been the Editor of Americana UK for the last 17 years, although if you go to his Twitter feed it's just one long list of all the things he loves about Jeremy Corbyn, which is irritating. Also likes astronauts.
Video premiere: Stephen Karl & Handsome Animals “Shelter”
Stephen Karl & Handsome Animals is the songwriting project of guitarist and composer Stephen Griesgraber and while his heart normally lies in anti-folk (which used to be one of our bylines here at AUK) he decided to go a little bit country for his new single, a split single EP with Darlin Darlin. He told AUK: “‘Shelter’ is an honest story of a relationship that is failing, but it does it in an honest, compassionate, and not-too maudlin way by acknowledging what I’m experiencing, and what I love about the woman I’m losing, and how I basically do want the best for her.” The only disappointing thing about the video is that it doesn’t feature any animals handsome or otherwise. The EP comes out on May 7th.
Charley Crockett and his lonesome shadow hit the UK for July dates
Texan Charlie Crockett’s music has been described by No Depression as “sounding like what might happen if Roy Orbison and Ry Cooder teamed up with Dick Dale” and what more of a recommendation do you need to go out and see for yourself? Crockett arrives in the UK in July for a series of dates ahead of the release of his new album ‘Lonesome As A Shadow’ due out at the end of this month. Produced by Matt Ross-Spang (Jason Isbell, Margo Price, Zac Brown) and recorded at Sam Phillip’s Recording in Memphis, TN, the album is Crockett’s fourth full-length album and his first release consisting entirely of original songs. In addition to Crockett on vocals and guitar, the album features his longtime touring band, “The Blue Drifters.” Here are those dates. Continue reading “Charley Crockett and his lonesome shadow hit the UK for July dates”
Ciara O’Neill “Dreamer” – Listen
Ciara O’Neill is a singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Portadown, Northern Ireland who is gearing up to release her new album ‘Arrow’ in July of this year, which will be preceded by the double A-side ‘Hurtin” and ‘Dreamer’ at the end of this month. Ciara has shared one of those two tracks exclusively with AUK which is a lovely atmospheric indie folk thing. She told us: “Dreamer is about the mysterious world of dreams, a place where we are truly alone, where no one can follow, where no one can know the place we end up when we close our eyes. Dark or light, it’s a private place which not even our closest love can follow. I got the idea for the song after reading ‘The Wishing Box’ by Sylvia Plath’ one of my favourite writers!’” And ours too. Her and Stephenie Myer.
HYWAYS “The Line” – Listen
HYWAYS’ (upper case) self-titled album will be available on Record Store Day this Saturday April 21st on every format under the sun: vinyl, CD, digital and streaming via the Union Zero label. A new Seattle project led by singer-songwriter Mike Giacolino, it features an all star line up with members of Son Volt, Sera Cahoone and Rose Windows. The album pushes the boundaries of genres by seamlessly mixing country and psychedelia with indie rock, folk and prog rock, as this particularly fine example evidences (apart from the prog rock bit, which is a good thing).
The Milk Carton Kids are back and strong and tough
‘All The Things That I Did And All The Things That I Didn’t Do’ is the mouthful of a name of the new album for the Americana Music Association Award-winners for “Best Duo/Group,” Milky Bar Milk Carton Kids which comes out on the ANTI label on 29th June. Their fourth studio album is heralded by the project’s unprecedented centrepiece ‘One More For The Road’ which has been described as “an epic 10 minute-plus musical excursion through folk, jazz and psychedelia.” The track serves as a signpost of what the album has in store apparently and is available today for individual purchase and on all streaming services (you can hear it below while you boil two and a half eggs) (sequentially). Continue reading “The Milk Carton Kids are back and strong and tough”
Go cruising with Drive By Truckers and Lucinda!
In the nice “sail on a boat” sense. Rolling Stone reports, for all of you moneybags out there: “Nothing says “outlaw” like a Caribbean cruise, and for the fourth year running the Outlaw Country Cruise will set sail in January 2019. When it does, it will have a stacked lineup including Drive-By Truckers, Margo Price and Lucinda Williams all onboard. Run in conjunction by Steve Van Zandt’s Renegade Circus and Sixthman – organizers of the Americana- and country-heavy Cayamo Cruise – the Outlaw Country Cruise sails from Tampa, Florida, to Great Stirrup Cay and Nassau in the Bahamas. Also leading the bill are Bobby Bare, Steve Earle & the Dukes, the Flatlanders, Nikki Lane, Old 97’s, Shooter Jennings and Elizabeth Cook. Continue reading “Go cruising with Drive By Truckers and Lucinda!”
OCMS discuss their “wrecking ball” approach to Nashville
OCMS aka Old Crow Medicine Show have had an interesting little chat with RS Country about their forthcoming new album and how they sit on the “far left” precarious side of country music. Don’t we all, old crows! They report: “Old Crow Medicine Show’s new album, ‘Volunteer’, out April 20th, marks two decades that have taken the string-band sextet from busking on street corners to Grammy success and membership in the Grand Ole Opry. Continue reading “OCMS discuss their “wrecking ball” approach to Nashville”
Graham Nash heads to UK for July shows
The “I think we can call him legendary” Graham Nash has announced a series of dates over the summer in the UK, promising “performances of his many well-known songs along with anecdotes and tales from throughout his storied career”. He will be joined on stage by guitarist and vocalist Shane Fontayne, longtime collaborator and producer of his most recent album, ‘This Path Tonight’ and former CSN keyboardist and vocalist Todd Caldwell, and together, the trio will perform songs from his days in the Hollies, his years with Crosby, Stills & Nash (& Young) and from his solo recordings. Continue reading “Graham Nash heads to UK for July shows”
John Prine and Sturgill perform on Colbert – Watch
We’re full to the rafters with horses, women and rain in Liverpool today (which sounds like the title of a country compilation) and so we leave you for the weekend with this lovely clip of 3 americana legends in the one set and coinciding with the release today of the first new album of original songs in over 13 years from John Prine. ‘The Tree Of Forgiveness’ features collaborations with the Pat McLaughlin, Jason Isbell, and Amanda Shires among others and last night, Prine performed the song ‘Summer’s End’ from the album on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, alongside Sturgill and Brandi Carlile. Watch it below, and have a good one!