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Our latest posts
  • [ June 11, 2026 ] Essentials: The Top 10 Americana Tribute Albums Essentials
  • [ June 11, 2026 ] Book Review: Paul Slade “Blood On The Leaves” Book Reviews
  • [ June 11, 2026 ] Ben Chapman “Feet On Fire” Album Reviews
  • [ June 11, 2026 ] Interview: Dirk Powell on “Wake” and bridging modern and age-old roots music Interviews
  • [ June 11, 2026 ] Alex Amen “Sun Of Amen” Album Reviews
HomeAuthorsMartin Johnson

Articles by Martin Johnson

About Martin Johnson
I've been a music obsessive for more years than I care to admit to. Part of my enjoyment from music comes from discovering new sounds and artists while continuing to explore the roots of American 20th century music that has impacted the whole of world culture.
Album Reviews

David James Allen “The Architect”

March 10, 2022 Martin Johnson 0
A ten-year meditation on Imposter Syndrome with the music of the last 60 years. ‘The Architect’ is 32-year-old Canadian David James Allen’s third album and is based around a ten-year-old idea of writing about the challenges […]
Interviews

Interview: Erin Rae on channelling Bobbie Gentry with Jonathan Wilson

March 8, 2022 Martin Johnson 0
How to create cinematic songs and still keep the vocals upfront and disproving the difficult third album cliché. There is an age-old cliché in the music business about the difficult third album where artists can struggle to […]
Interviews

Interview: Certified Guitar Player Tommy Emmanuel talks Tommysongs and Jerry Douglas

March 2, 2022 Martin Johnson 0
How Shadow Bruce Welch helped lay the foundations of a country and bluegrass career. Australian guitarist Tommy Emmanuel is recognised as one of the best acoustic guitarists ever, and he is touring the UK in March […]
Album Reviews

Leif Vollebekk “New Waves (Live Recordings ’19 – ’21)”

February 23, 2022 Martin Johnson 0
Studio perfection is replaced by live perfection with a touch more soul. Leif Vollebekk is a Canadian folk artist of French and Norwegian descent who has been steadily building his career, releasing his fourth album ‘New […]
Interviews

Interview: The Big Wu’s Chris Castino shares his love of pickles and bluegrass

February 22, 2022 Martin Johnson 0
The challenges of reimagining rock songs as bluegrass staples with the help of newgrass legends. The jamband scene in America has always been bluegrass friendly because of the rhythm inherent in the music and the instrumental […]

Posts pagination

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our latest posts

Shelby Lynne and Allison Moorer at Cadogan Hall - 30th January2018

Essentials: The Top 10 Americana Tribute Albums

Essentials
June 11, 2026 5
Cover art Paul Slade Book "Blood On The Leaves"

Book Review: Paul Slade “Blood On The Leaves”

Book Reviews
June 11, 2026 0

Ben Chapman “Feet On Fire”

Album Reviews
June 11, 2026 0

Interview: Dirk Powell on “Wake” and bridging modern and age-old roots music

Interviews
June 11, 2026 0
artwork for Alex Amen album "Sun of Amen" -

Alex Amen “Sun Of Amen”

Album Reviews
June 11, 2026 0
Shelby Lynne and Allison Moorer at Cadogan Hall - 30th January2018
Essentials

Essentials: The Top 10 Americana Tribute Albums

June 11, 2026 5
The tribute album seems to have leapt in popularity in recent times. The tribute element can take numerous forms: celebrating, honouring an influential artist, raising the profile of an artist, raising money for good causes (including […]
Cover art Paul Slade Book "Blood On The Leaves"
Book Reviews

Book Review: Paul Slade “Blood On The Leaves”

June 11, 2026 0
A few years ago, at a local gig to see the Pennsylvania band The Stray Birds, the crowd was overall polite and receptive to the music; however, let us just say they needed to warm up. […]
Album Reviews

Ben Chapman “Feet On Fire”

June 11, 2026 0
Country rock and soul combine to fine effect on Ben Chapman’s latest release. In 2019, David Hepworth published the latest in his excellent sequence of books about rock music, and the stars and rascals who purveyed, […]

  • Essentials: The Top 10 Americana Tribute Albums
  • Book Review: Paul Slade “Blood On The Leaves”
  • Ben Chapman “Feet On Fire”
  • Interview: Dirk Powell on “Wake” and bridging modern and age-old roots music
  • Alex Amen “Sun Of Amen”
  • Daniel Isaiah “Old Ram’s Horn” – mix of ginseng, deer horn, and other secret herbs
  • Video: Marc Ridge “I’m So Tired” – comparison is the thief of joy
  • Can’t Live With It, Can’t Live Without It: Jackson Browne
  • Various Artists “Where The Willow And The Dogwood Grow – Words And Music Tom Waits And Kathleen Brennan”
  • Other Brother Darryl “Hey Yeah Hey”
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
  • Steve Goldsmith: Highway Prayer Adam Carroll. Particularly Hayes Carll and James McMurtry"s contributions.
  • Steve Goldsmith: Something Borrowed, Something New. John Anderson is also rather good.
  • Steve Goldsmith: A few more. All highly recommended. Undone. A tribute to Robert Earl Keen Looking into You. Jackson Browne Broken Hearts…

Latest interviews

Interviews

Interview: Dirk Powell on “Wake” and bridging modern and age-old roots music

June 11, 2026 0
Dirk Powell is a special kind of musician, someone who, through family connections, knows and understands both Appalachia and Cajun music, and is at the same time comfortable with modern music technology. He has won four […]
Interviews

Interview: Ma Polaine’s Great Decline is thriving

June 10, 2026 0
With influences in blues, jazz and country, Ma Polaine’s Great Decline is actually thriving on their fifth album, Monster Swan (2025). Based in Somerset, England, Beth Packer’s distinctive, emotive vocals, coupled with her evocative lyrics, create […]
Interviews

Interview: Greg Loftus – As both musician and carpenter, he would like to knock on wood

June 5, 2026 1
Greg Loftus comes from the town of Bourne, not far from the bridge that connects Massachusetts to Cape Cod. It is there that he practices woodworking, operates a club in nearby Falmouth and makes rock music […]

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Album Reviews

Tim Holehouse “Come” (Aaahh!!! Real Records, 2019)

January 7, 2020 0
Tim Holehouse hails from Portsmouth, and boasts a musical journey reflecting a busy touring schedule and a variety of genres, from rock to the more acoustic guitar-led sound of this, his latest album, on which he […]
Album Reviews

Robert Cline Jr “American Mojo” (Mockingbird Records 2017)

September 28, 2017 0
This is the second album from Robert Cline Jr, a musician based in the Muscle Shoals area of Alabama who has provided here an album oozing with the spirit and feel of that part of the […]
Tracks

Andrew Jobin and the Crispy Boys “Eden” – a garden made for two…

January 23, 2024 0
Andrew Jobin has travelled around – he was born in Houston but now lives in New Orleans and in between he was raised in six differnt countries.  He’s been on a musical journey too since getting […]

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