Few bands in this day and age can claim to be truly unique but The Subdudes may have a better claim than most. Their music is a curious blend of folk, country, gospel and blues flavoured with New Orleans R&B and Cajun swamp rock; when their eponymous first album arrived in 1989 it was like a breeze blowing through the bayou, you could almost taste the Louisiana air. Continue reading “Forgotten Artists – The Subdudes”
Category: Forgotten Artists
Americana UK looks back at some largely forgotten artists – not by us
Forgotten Artists – Barefoot Jerry
Founded in Nashville in 1971, Barefoot Jerry recorded six albums before calling it a day in 1977. None of them achieved great commercial success, but together they represent a body of work rivalled by few of their contemporary seventies country-rock/Southern rock bands. The first three albums in particular are classics of their genre. Continue reading “Forgotten Artists – Barefoot Jerry”
Forgotten Artists – Darden Smith
Darden Smith should’ve been a big star. Blessed with an ability to write great songs and being a rangy, good looking Texan it’s hard to believe that his future as a top singer songwriter wasn’t assured. Sometimes the Universe has other plans, it seems. Continue reading “Forgotten Artists – Darden Smith”
Forgotten Artists – The Hacienda Brothers
The Hacienda Brothers were heading for commercial success having built a growing live following and being nominated as Band Of The Year in the 2007 Americana Music Awards when their front man and co-founder Chris Gaffney died of liver disease on April 17th 2008 bringing to an abrupt end one of the great lost bands of Americana. Chris Gaffney formed the Hacienda Brothers with Dave Gonzalez, founder and hot shot guitarist Continue reading “Forgotten Artists – The Hacienda Brothers”
Forgotten Artists – Country Gazette
The early ’70s were an exciting time for anyone with the slightest interest in the emerging country-rock genre. Dylan’s recent records together with those of The Band had really sparked an awareness, and other leading groups such as The Grateful Dead and The Rolling Stones were introducing country flavours to their signature sound. There was also the whole Byrds related phenomenon which covered the bluegrass of The Kentucky Colonels and The Dillards, the bluegrass country-rock of Dillard and Clark, the Byrds’ ‘Sweetheart of the Rodeo’ album and Gram Parsons and the Flying Burrito Brothers. Continue reading “Forgotten Artists – Country Gazette”
Forgotten Artists – Shelby Lynne
Shelby Lynne, or to give her the name she was christened with, Shelby Lynn Moorer is, as many will know, the (slightly) older sister of Allison Moorer. Yet while Allison seems to go from strength to strength and be feted as a darling of the Nashville scene, Shelby Lynne always seems to be struggling for recognition on the wider stage. Continue reading “Forgotten Artists – Shelby Lynne”
Forgotten Artists – Kevin Brown
Back in the early ’80s I misspent my youth in small Bristol venues like The Green Rooms, and The Bridge Inn. In Bath it was The Bell in Walcot Street. All now long gone. There was a singer/guitarist who was rather older than the pop acts he often supported. Kevin Brown is often pigeonholed as the man who missed the British Blues boom, but he is far closer to the sort of Texas blues and country mix that Joe Ely and Butch Hancock were playing at the same time. In fact when he vanished from the Bristol scene in about 1983 it turned out he had moved to Austin to hone his chops and immerse himself in the music. Continue reading “Forgotten Artists – Kevin Brown”
Forgotten Artists – Mike Nesmith
Of course Mike Nesmith, The Monkee, hasn’t been forgotten, he’ll always have his place in musical history as the woolly hatted member of TVs attempt to cash in on the popularity of loveable, mop-top boy bands during the 1960s. But how many people will remember, or even knew, that he was an accomplished musician, a very fine songwriter, a successful producer and at the forefront of the country-rock movement? Continue reading “Forgotten Artists – Mike Nesmith”
Forgotten Artists – Eggs Over Easy
Eggs Over Easy? A band that few have heard of and even fewer have heard but who are one of the most influential bands of the ’70s, who not only contributed to the foundations of Americana but also created the environment for punk and new wave music to subsequently bloom. Continue reading “Forgotten Artists – Eggs Over Easy”
Forgotten Artists – Tandy
When Uncut released its influential Sounds of the New West cover CD in 1998 names like Josh Rouse, The Handsome Family and Lambchop were suddenly propelled on to the radar of a new generation of music fans. Following in the wake of this new interest in the emerging alt-country scene, many more bands and artists were thrust under the spotlight. Some were good, some were bad, some were indifferent and some got lost. Tandy were in the latter category. Continue reading “Forgotten Artists – Tandy”