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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

Paul Kelly “Christmas Train”

December 8, 2021 Martin Johnson 2
Australian Paul Kelly has recorded a view of Christmas for the world. The Christmas Album has a very mixed reputation in the UK, but in America, it is much more part of the cultural annual cycle, […]
Interviews

Interview: Thirty Tigers’ President David Macias on why they are only a quasi-label

December 3, 2021 Martin Johnson 0
How an enlightened attitude and a new business model helps bring major and developing artists’ music to market. David Macias is probably not a name that rings many bells with music fans, but if you have […]
Interviews

Interview: Joel King and Taylor Burns of the Wild Feathers talk americana rock’n’roll

November 25, 2021 Martin Johnson 0
How COVID and New West Records helped reinvigorate a ten-year-old band. The Wild Feathers are a band who have been playing americana infused rock’n’roll for ten years and are entering a new phase of maturity in […]
Album Reviews

Janet Batch “You Be The Wolf”

November 25, 2021 Martin Johnson 0
Classic country sounds with 21st Century lyrics from America’s Rust Belt Janet Batch is not quite what she seems. Her music is infused with the spirits of classic female country artists such as Patsy Cline and […]
Interviews

Interview: Charles Wesley Godwin on 21st Century Appalachia

November 18, 2021 Martin Johnson 0
How to build a career in folk americana away from Nashville. Appalachia holds a special place in the development of 20th Century American music through the recordings that were made of Appalachian musicians in the 1920s […]

Posts pagination

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Recent Forum Posts

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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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Live Reviews

Live Review: Cowboy Junkies, Royal Festival Hall, London – 27th November 2022

December 7, 2022 9
If there was an award for the most understated arrival on stage Cowboy Junkies would be strong contenders. For a show of such total immersion into a deep well of genres, whether their own material or […]
Features

The Other Side of Me: Michael Macy goes west – West Africa that is – for the music of Habib Koite

June 21, 2022 2
I have an eclectic taste in music even though I started out listening to americana before there was the name and keep coming back to it. One non-americana music I have long enjoyed is from West […]
AUK Mini-Gigs

Exclusive AUK Mini-Gig: Caitlin Cannon

April 15, 2020 1
Times are strange and challenging but we hope to lift the gloom a little with our series of mini-gigs. Our aim is to help everyone feel a little more connected to the world out there.  During […]

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