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Our latest posts
  • [ February 20, 2026 ] Something for the weekend: Toad the Wet Sprocket “California Wasted” Tracks
  • [ February 20, 2026 ] Live Review: Midlake + The Bretheren, Electric Ballroom, London – 6th February 2026 Live Reviews
  • [ February 20, 2026 ] Anniversary Cheers: Slim Dunlap’s “Every Little Word” is a reissue of his two solo albums 30 years on, with added extras Anniversary Cheers
  • [ February 20, 2026 ] Exclusive AUK Mini-Gig: BIRD AUK Mini-Gigs
  • [ February 20, 2026 ] Classic Clips: Chris Whitley “Big Sky Country” – Live At Les Nuis L’Emission, 29th February 1992 Classic Clips
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: Bob Seger “I Ain’t Got No Money”

May 15, 2020 Paul Villers 0

What is a ‘thing’ worth? Any ‘thing’? Say a loaf of bread. A loaf of bread in one local shop is, say, one pound. The same brand loaf of bread in the other local shop is […]

Political Pops

Pick of the Political Pops: Paul Weller “Ohio”

May 7, 2020 Paul Villers 0

Choosing a subject for this weeks piece was tricky – should we go with Karl Marx’s 202nd birthday or the 41st anniversary of Thatcher’s first election win or the 75th anniversary of the defeat of fascism […]

Features

Pick of the Political Pops: Elvis Costello “Night Rally”

May 1, 2020 Paul Villers 0

This week sees the 75th anniversary of the fall of Italian fascist dictator Benito Mussolini and, since nobody likes a fascist dictator, we thought that we would nod to it here.

Features

Pick of the Political Pops: Chuck Prophet “You Did”

April 24, 2020 Paul Villers 3

Well we are relatively OK here at AUK Towers thanks for asking. Obviously we can lock the door to The Bunker and in any case the extra security that we flew in from Romania are doing […]

Political Pops

Pick of the Political Pops: Bob Dylan “Ballad Of a Thin Man”

April 17, 2020 Paul Villers 0

Whilst we were all (understandably) looking the other way an extraordinary political scandal has emerged. Now it makes little difference as to what your personal political affiliations or beliefs are this thing is an absolute shocker. […]

Posts pagination

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our latest posts

Something for the weekend: Toad the Wet Sprocket “California Wasted”

Tracks
February 20, 2026 1

Live Review: Midlake + The Bretheren, Electric Ballroom, London – 6th February 2026

Live Reviews
February 20, 2026 0
Slim Dunlap at The Mad Riplle Hootenanny 27thNovember 2007

Anniversary Cheers: Slim Dunlap’s “Every Little Word” is a reissue of his two solo albums 30 years on, with added extras

Anniversary Cheers
February 20, 2026 0

Exclusive AUK Mini-Gig: BIRD

AUK Mini-Gigs
February 20, 2026 0
Chris Whitley from a 1990s benefit concert in New York City

Classic Clips: Chris Whitley “Big Sky Country” – Live At Les Nuis L’Emission, 29th February 1992

Classic Clips
February 20, 2026 1

  • Something for the weekend: Toad the Wet Sprocket “California Wasted”
  • Live Review: Midlake + The Bretheren, Electric Ballroom, London – 6th February 2026
  • Anniversary Cheers: Slim Dunlap’s “Every Little Word” is a reissue of his two solo albums 30 years on, with added extras
  • Exclusive AUK Mini-Gig: BIRD
  • Classic Clips: Chris Whitley “Big Sky Country” – Live At Les Nuis L’Emission, 29th February 1992
  • Rose’s Pawn Shop “American Seams”
  • Charley Crockett makes it a hat trick of albums in a year with “Age of the Ram”
  • The latest AUK podcast is available now featuring Katherine Priddy and Band of Heathens
  • Awolk “Into The Void” – sometimes the void looks back
  • Video: Tenderness “The Salt Flats” – living in the moment of gentle panic
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  • Matt: Peter, The songs are good, and I respect your opinion, but I really question first, your definition of "Americana" and…
  • David Walker: I've been listening to John Hiatt since I encountered him in Nashville back when "Bring the Family" was fresh and…

Latest interviews

Interviews

Interview: Mean Mary answers six of one and half a dozen of the other

February 18, 2026 0

The banjo is a glorious instrument that can do a lot of ill in the wrong hands. It’s not easy to proudly, confidently pluck out some hot licks and really hard to play it with the […]

Behind the Songs

Behind the Songs: Polite Company “Please Go Wild”

February 17, 2026 0

Alan Gregg is a native Kiwi transplanted to North London with a spotty resumé to his credit. Not intending to be impolite, but prospective employers might be taken aback, curious as to what he has been […]

Interviews

Interview: Jim White on Trey Blake and the backstory of “Precious Bane”

February 12, 2026 2

If you’ve heard anything about Jim White, you’ve probably heard about the surfing, the modeling, the cab driving, and the unlikely way David Byrne changed his life with a record deal. You’ve heard about the junk […]

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Tracks

Jim Basnight “Gotta Get Straight” – power pop kiss-off

February 7, 2025 0

A new song from prolific power popster Jim Basnight, it’s a hook heavy washing of the hands kind of song – it’s a first taste of the next album, as yet untitled, which should be out […]

News

Eliza Carthy celebrates 30 years, announces new UK tour and EP series

August 17, 2022 0

Eliza Carthy and The Restitution have announced ‘Queen of the Whirl‘ will be released on October 28th on HemHem Records. Multi-award-winning Carthy MBE is celebrating 30 years as a professional musician with the release of the […]

Videos

Video: Malojian “Beard Song”

November 21, 2018 0

This is quite lovely from Northern Ireland singer-songwriter Malojian.  It’s taken from his latest album Let Your Weirdness Carry You Home.  he’s got three UK dates coming up: 22 November in London and December 7th & […]

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