Exciting news that Josh Ritter is returning with his tenth album, ‘Fever Breaks‘. If the first single is a guide – and we’ve a feeling it is – then ‘Fever Breaks’ is going to be Josh Ritter’s rockiest album since ‘Historical Conquests‘. Some of this sound could just be due to the presence of Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit. Could this, already, be a taster for the album of the year ? You know what, it just might be.
Tag: Jason Isbell
Josh Ritter is back with Jason Isbell produced record
Rolling Stone Country have got a lovely little piece up today about Josh Ritter’s forthcoming new album which is more political than some of Ritter’s offerings to date, and which features the 400 Unit as his band. It basically sounds awesome. They report: “It’s a rainy November evening in Nashville and Josh Ritter and Jason Isbell are huddled in front of the console at Sound Emporium Studios, an historic space located in an otherwise nondescript building in the city’s Belmont neighborhood. Continue reading “Josh Ritter is back with Jason Isbell produced record”
The 2018’s Americana UK readers’ poll results are here!
So here we go again – the last day of term and it’s prize day at Americana UK Towers. It was a classic year for americana in the UK, a year in which you actually had a choice of festivals to go to rather than a niche tent at the back of a field, and they weren’t small affairs either. Americana UK readers remain in the main a liberal progressive bunch who love the best of the genre but aren’t afraid to experiment. Basically we’re all still teenagers at heart. Thanks to all of you who took part in this year’s poll, and a special congratulations to David Provost who wins some nice promos which will be winging their way to you soon. So without further much ado about nothing, here are the winners… Continue reading “The 2018’s Americana UK readers’ poll results are here!”
Sturgill and Isbell to play Tibet House benefit
News from Pitchfork this afternoon that Sturgill Simpson and Jason Isbell have announced that they’ll be performing at the 32nd annual Tibet House US Benefit Concert which takes place at Carnegie Hall on February 7th. They report: “They will perform alongside previously announced guests New Order’s Bernard Sumner, Margo Price, Chris Robinson Brotherhood, Jon Batiste, Stephen Colbert, and more. Philip Glass will be the evening’s artistic director. Tickets can be purchased on the Carnegie Hall website. Continue reading “Sturgill and Isbell to play Tibet House benefit”
Jason Isbell’s Ryman residency wins RS plaudits
Jason Isbell has begun six nights of performances in Nashville this week for this year’s residency (which have been happening since 2014) and RS Country has been writing about them in glowing terms. They wrote of the first night: “On Monday, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit performed like a renewed band, kicking off this year’s six-show Ryman takeover with a set that sounded studied, but no less soulful. The group’s arrangements have become more deliberate, with each dynamic shift emphasized by a light show that doubled down on the music’s unique punch. Continue reading “Jason Isbell’s Ryman residency wins RS plaudits”
RS Country interview Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires
RS Country are running a nice little (not so little actually) interview today with Americana royalty (in a Republican way) (that’s Republican in the UK sense) (why did I start this?) Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires who talk to them about their new albums, how they both met and speaking out in the era of Trump. Continue reading “RS Country interview Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires”
Jason Isbell is the Twitter big hitter against right wing trolls
RS Country has a nice piece in it today about Jason Isbell’s excellent track record with combating Trump supporting Twitter combatants which, let’s face it, would be a drain on anyone. They describe how almost a decade on from first joining the social-media service in March 2009, he has evolved into a blackbelt of the platform, “spending much of his downtime perfecting a delicate balance between music talk, irreverent fun and serious discourse. Continue reading “Jason Isbell is the Twitter big hitter against right wing trolls”
Jason Isbell dominates at 2018 AMAs
The 2018 Americana Music Association Awards took place last night, hosted by the lovely Milk Carton Kids, and no surprises for guessing who won a number of them (literally no surprises as we told you in the headline). Rolling Stone Country reports: “Jason Isbell reinforced his status as the king of the Americana genre at the 2018 Americana Honors & Awards. Continue reading “Jason Isbell dominates at 2018 AMAs”
Isbell: If the Dixie Chicks had been Tim McGraw, nobody would have cared
Jason Isbell did an interview with Pod Save America co-host Tommy Vietor last month who used to be a spokesperson for President Obama but also happened to be a passionate Isbell fan. He caught up with Jason after his show at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles, and talked about a lot of interesting stuff, much of it political given recent events. Rolling Stone has highlighted six of the most interesting things to come out of the conversation. You can hear the whole thing below if you have a spare half an hour. Continue reading “Isbell: If the Dixie Chicks had been Tim McGraw, nobody would have cared”
Jason Isbell tells Republicans: “I’m hinged as hell!”
Don’t tell Jeremy Hunt for God’s sake Jason. News from RS Country today around a spat that’s broken out between the lovely Mr Isbell and the Republican Party in the US. RS Country report: ““I was thinking today about how it feels to be an unhinged leftist,” quipped Jason Isbell two songs into a solo acoustic performance early Monday evening in Nashville, a short-notice but instantly sold-out rally for Democrat Tennessee senate candidate Phil Bredesen. Referencing shots fired earlier that day at left-leaning entertainers by the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) — who, in an official statement, called out Isbell and co-headliner Ben Folds by name as members of the “unhinged left” — the outspoken country firebrand went on. “For the first time in my life I’m hinged. I quit drinking years ago, I got a three-year-old daughter… I’m hinged as hell!” Continue reading “Jason Isbell tells Republicans: “I’m hinged as hell!””