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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

Features

Pick of the Political Pops: Pete Seeger “Freiheit”

July 24, 2020 Paul Villers 0
This week we have been pondering the Spanish Civil War which broke out in July 1936. It was and, for political historians, remains a fascinating conflict the complexities of which present a head-scratching challenge to the […]
Features

Pick of the Political Pops: Graham Parker “Under The Mask Of Happiness”

July 17, 2020 Paul Villers 0
This week we found ourselves at something of a loss as to what to vent our spleens on what with everything going swimmingly and everybody being happy. We did think about marking the 35th anniversary of […]
Features

Pick of the Political Pops: Sturgill Simpson “The Promise”

July 10, 2020 Paul Villers 0
We had a quick straw poll amongst the residents of Americana-UK Towers and pretty much to a man and woman we decided that this was the crappiest zombie apocalypse that we have ever lived through. We […]
Features

Pick of the Political Pops: Smog “The Morning Paper”

July 3, 2020 Paul Villers 0
This week we were somewhat concerned that local rag – The People’s Republic of Liverpudlia’s Armageddon Times and Advertiser – ran a piece which was clearly in contravention of The People’s Republic’s Declaration on Inhuman Rights. […]
Political Pops

Pick of the Political Pops: Nicolai Dunger “Lost In Freedom”

June 26, 2020 Paul Villers 0
Here in the People’s Republic of Liverpudlia we very much value our autonomous status even though through tradition and, er, the law we closely follow our sister republics on our island(s) home. It has been no […]

Posts pagination

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Recent Forum Posts

  • RE: What are you listening to at the moment?

    Maeve O'Boyle - All My Sins

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  • RE: What are you listening to at the moment?

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  • RE

    Gretchen Peters: The Songs of Mickey Newbury:

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  • Joe Nathan

    RE: What are you listening to at the moment?

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    RE: What are you listening to at the moment?

    Linda Martell - Color Me Country

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    RE: What are you listening to at the moment?

    Grateful Dead - Dead Set

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    RE: What are you listening to at the moment?

    Bo Diddley - Self-titled

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  • RE: What are you listening to at the moment?

    Came across this guy John Rush . Know him Paul Kerr? ...

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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

Matthews Southern Comfort “The Woodstock Album”

July 27, 2023 2
A nostalgic blast from Iain Matthews who sings 15 songs of peace, love and understanding which were performed at Woodstock. It’s fitting that Iain Matthews’ latest version of Matthews Southern Comfort revisits the legendary Woodstock Festival […]
Videos

Video Premiere: Leaf Rapids “In the Woods”

June 6, 2024 0
Check out the new single from Winnipeg-based Americana band Leaf Rapids, whose cinematic style has been called Canadiana.  ‘In the Woods’ is a darkly atmospheric song that draws us in with its haunting melody.  Joanna Miller’s […]
Album Reviews

Rob Jones & The Restless Dream “Stars”

November 24, 2025 0
Defiant, cinematic and full of heart, “Stars” shines with nostalgia, resilience and the hope of new beginnings. The songs on “Stars” form a literal journey from morning into night into morning again, and a metaphoric journey […]

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