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Our latest posts
  • [ April 8, 2026 ] The Top Ten Americana Songs of All Time: 3rd – Counting Crows “A Long December” (1996) Features
  • [ April 8, 2026 ] Great Lakes “Don’t Swim Too Close” Album Reviews
  • [ April 8, 2026 ] Tom Waits and Kathleen Brennan to be celebrated in Ace compilation featuring a myriad of stars News
  • [ April 8, 2026 ] Nic Panken “Near Divine or Merely Rhyme” Album Reviews
  • [ April 8, 2026 ] Book Review: Geoffrey Himes “Willie Nelson, All the Albums” The Stories Behind The Music Book Reviews
HomeColumnsPolitical Pops

Political Pops

AUK’s Paul Villers has a weekly look at the news with an accompanying Americana song

Political Pops

Pick of the Political Pops: George Jones “What’s Money?”

February 28, 2020 Paul Villers 0
This week down in The Bunker in Americana-UK Towers much hilarity was caused when we watched on our Radio Rentals small screen cathode ray tube TV (look it up kids) a statement from The House of […]
Political Pops

Pick of the Political Pops: Bob Dylan “It’s A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall”

February 21, 2020 Paul Villers 1
This week the great and the good, the mediocre and the medium and the poor and the poorest of the residents of Americana-UK Towers (actually they were all great and good but we like to be […]
Political Pops

Pick of the Political Pops: Robyn Hitchcock and the Egyptians “The President”

February 14, 2020 Paul Villers 0
So for the past couple of weeks we have been considering notions of ‘democracy’ and in this latest instalment of ‘PPP’ we are going to further postulate on the idea of ‘rule’ (cracy) by the ‘people’ […]
Political Pops

Pick of the Political Pops: Drive By Truckers “Surrender Under Protest”

February 7, 2020 Paul Villers 0
This week – once again – we are riffing on the broad theme of ‘democracy’ and how it manifests itself. We thought that this time around we’d look at how it’s done in America since we […]
Political Pops

Pick of the Political Pops: Ralph McTell “England”

January 31, 2020 Paul Villers 0
Well that, in a sense, is that. As you read this piece you will either be preparing for the party of your lives or hiding in your metaphorical beds hoping it will all just be a […]

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our latest posts

Countng Crows in Charlotte, NC 2015

The Top Ten Americana Songs of All Time: 3rd – Counting Crows “A Long December” (1996)

Features
April 8, 2026 0

Great Lakes “Don’t Swim Too Close”

Album Reviews
April 8, 2026 0

Tom Waits and Kathleen Brennan to be celebrated in Ace compilation featuring a myriad of stars

News
April 8, 2026 0
Album art for Nic Panken Near Divine or Merely Rhyme

Nic Panken “Near Divine or Merely Rhyme”

Album Reviews
April 8, 2026 0

Book Review: Geoffrey Himes “Willie Nelson, All the Albums” The Stories Behind The Music

Book Reviews
April 8, 2026 0
Countng Crows in Charlotte, NC 2015
Features

The Top Ten Americana Songs of All Time: 3rd – Counting Crows “A Long December” (1996)

April 8, 2026 0
From the fan favourite album Recovering the Satellites, this song was highly rated across the board, clearly striking a chord with writers (5 of whom voted for it), as its themes of regret and heartbreak melded […]
Album Reviews

Great Lakes “Don’t Swim Too Close”

April 8, 2026 0
Musical subtlety and insightful words add up to a contender for album of any year. Album press releases often fall into two categories: perceptive or preposterous. Especially when a band is new to you, the first […]
News

Tom Waits and Kathleen Brennan to be celebrated in Ace compilation featuring a myriad of stars

April 8, 2026 0
Tom Waits and Kathleen Brennan are to be celebrated by artists such as Bob Dylan, Chuck Berry, Randy Newman, Carole King and Gerry Goffin, Leonard Cohen, Lee Hazlewood, Brian Wilson and Laura Nyro as part of […]

  • The Top Ten Americana Songs of All Time: 3rd – Counting Crows “A Long December” (1996)
  • Great Lakes “Don’t Swim Too Close”
  • Tom Waits and Kathleen Brennan to be celebrated in Ace compilation featuring a myriad of stars
  • Nic Panken “Near Divine or Merely Rhyme”
  • Book Review: Geoffrey Himes “Willie Nelson, All the Albums” The Stories Behind The Music
  • AUK Shortcuts: Jefferson Ross, Old Sap, Tuomas Räisänen, James Houlahan, David Coller, Joel Robson, Matthew Ryan, Sammi Accola, and Mills & Farrell
  • Foy Vance “The Wake”
  • Preview: Sara Petite is back for Spring tour dates ahead of new album
  • Nathan Evans Fox “Sevindust” – poison spreading across the land
  • Video: Michael Weston King “Nothing Can Hurt Me Anymore” – disarming reflections on life and loss
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
  • E S: Levon was AMERICAN!
  • FredArnold: Thank you - silly error. Now amended
  • FredArnold: Thank you - my bad. Now amended

Latest interviews

Interviews

Interview: The Breath’s Stuart McCallum and Rioghnach Connolly on collaborating with the Paraorchestra

April 7, 2026 0
How to achieve true musical Symbiosis. The Breath are guitarist Stuart McCallum and singer Rioghnach Connolly, and they ensure that the song is always at the centre of their alt-folk sound. That sound is rich, reflecting […]
Interviews

Interview: Cynthia Marchant on the Ozarks, fast cars and the passing of time

April 7, 2026 0
In 2022, with her second studio album, Flesh and Bone, Cynthia Marchant explored spiritual truth and depth, and the magic of connecting with self and others in the many stages of life. Three years later, she’s […]
Interviews

Interview: Michael Weston King on why “Nothing Can Hurt Me Anymore”

April 2, 2026 0
How the worst kind of family tragedy can lead to a career high British americana stalwart and music award winner Michael Weston King is releasing a new solo album, Nothing Can Hurt Me Anymore. On the […]

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Album Reviews

Greta Gaines “Tumbleweed EP” (Big Air Records, 2017)

January 19, 2017 0
Don’t Bogart That Joint will probably be one of her favourite tunes when Greta Gaines is asked to appear on Desert Island Discs; and a vaporiser most likely her luxury object. A lifetime campaigner for the […]
Features

Unsung Heroes of Americana – Leland Sklar, session musician (bass guitar)

December 14, 2020 2
It’s time for another article in our Unsung Heroes of Americana series and Tim Martin weighs in with this piece on an outstanding bass player who has made a number of major contributions to the genre.
News

New single from Heidi Talbot features Mark Knopfler, album date announced

March 23, 2022 0
Heidi Talbot has announced their latest album, ‘Sing it For a Lifetime‘, will be released on 20th May. This, her eighth album, comes after the 2020 co-written album with Matt Rollins’ Mosaic‘. The album was written […]

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