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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: Josh Turner “Why Don’t We Just Dance”

January 25, 2019 Paul Villers 0
The Editor, in his infinite wisdom, suggested that this week we don’t go with a Brexit themed Political Pops. Eagle-eyed viewers will understand that we didn’t go with this last week and that the majority of […]
Political Pops

Pick of the Political Pops: Tracy Chapman “Talking About A Revolution”

January 18, 2019 Paul Villers 0
This week sees the one-hundredth anniversary of the murder of Rosa Luxemburg (and her political ally and co-founder of the anti-war Spartakusbund Karl Liebknecht). Luxemburg was Polish by birth but became a naturalised German citizen. She […]
Political Pops

Pick of the Political Pops: Whiskeytown “Excuse Me While I Break My Own Heart Tonight”

January 11, 2019 Paul Villers 1
Righty-ho. That was the festive season that was then. This week (ish) we have unsealed The Bunker and emerged from our temporary hibernation unusually sober and full of anticipation for the year ahead in politics and […]
Political Pops

Pick of the Political Pops: Aimee Mann “I Was Thinking I Could Clean Up For Christmas”

December 21, 2018 Paul Villers 0
Well, gosh darn it, it appears to be that time of year again. Here at Americana-UK Towers we are as divided about the festive season as a country pondering Brexit. There are those of us, The […]
Political Pops

Pick of the Political Pops: 2nd South Carolina String Band “Bonnie Blue Flag”

December 14, 2018 Paul Villers 0
This week we didn’t think things in the political spectrum could get any more farcical. But they did. We like to think that this particular column is read with a healthy dose of scepticism and that […]

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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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Videos

Something for the weekend: Hiss Golden Messenger “Glory Strums (Loneliness of the Long-Distance Runner)”

June 4, 2021 0
That, my dear reader, is that for another week from us, and we leave you with a new song and video from 2021 Grammy nominee Hiss Golden Messenger. ‘Glory Strums (Loneliness of the Long-Distance Runner)’ is […]
Live Reviews

Giant Sand + Patsy’s Rats, Oran Mor, Glasgow, 10th June 2018

June 15, 2018 0
Never a man to resist a whim, Howe Gelb has resurrected the band title he retired a few years back and re-recorded the first album which came out under the Giant Sand name, 1985’s ‘Valley of […]
Columns

The View from Across La Manche #2 – From our own correspondent

February 24, 2022 3
In which we discuss Trees, Elections and Belgian Cowpunks… Well, there are definite signs that Spring is on its way, here in the Perigord Vert. The days are getting sunnier and the rain is warming up! […]

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