In the space of his last two albums Jason Isbell’s status has rocketed from ex-Drive-By Trucker and respected songwriter to Grammy and Americana Association awards winner and one of the most acclaimed of this generation’s Americana/country artists, alongside Sturgill Simpson and Chris Stapleton. The Nashville Sound is a re-framing of Isbell, with his long-serving band … Continue reading
Now seven albums deep into his career, Justin Townes Earle has worked different variations of his country/folk/blues template to a consistently high quality over the last decade. Kids In The Street is different for a number of reasons but primarily in the way it was written and recorded. “I love this record,” says Earle, speaking … Continue reading
THE SONG THAT GAVE THEM THE KEYS TO THE WORLD The Lumineers’ Jeremiah Fraites takes Chris Familton through the experience of recording a new album, its sound and influences and taking the band back out on tour. Initially, on the back of their breakthrough 2012 single Ho Hey, The Lumineers went from a new indie-folk … Continue reading
Since those heady early days when Mellencamp was touted by record labels as the heartland rock, pinup boy Johnny Cougar, through to his eventual reshaping into his true self, the strength of his songwriting has always been consistent. Now, with his 23rd studio album, Mellencamp again shows his range and canny ability to draw on … Continue reading
Tami Neilson & Her Rockin’ Hot Band Of Rhythm + Paddy McHugh @ The Basement, Sydney, 20th August 2017 Sunday night isn’t the usual day of the week for a country, soul and funk shakedown but Tami Neilson & Her Rockin’ Hot Band Of Rhythm unequivocally made it so. Surprisingly this was her first visit to Sydney, … Continue reading
Pete Cullen has gone and recorded two new albums for release at the same time. One Way In is Cullen in full rockabilly, rock n roll and rhythm & blues mode with his trio P.C. & The Biffs while No Way Out takes the foot off the accelerator and gathers together more of Cullens’ alt-country … Continue reading
The Out On The Weekend Americana music festival is happening on October 14th at Seaworks, Williamstown in Melbourne. The good news for those who can’t make it down there is that the international acts will also be playing a bunch of headline shows in Melbourne, Sydney Brisbane, Hobart, Fremantle and Adelaide. JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE October 13 … Continue reading
Though Shane Nicholson is now firmly entrenched in Australian country music, with awards aplenty, he’s shown over his strong run of solo albums that he can still maintain a foot in the indie scene in which he forged his songwriting abilities. That positioning has enabled him to straddle alt-country and commercial country with equal aplomb. … Continue reading
Two years after the release of his bestselling, award winning solo debut, Traveller, Stapleton returns with an album that in some ways feels like a retreat from the large stages and mainstream acclaim he received. Shacking up in Nashville’s RCA Studio A with producer and guitarist Brent Cobb, Stapleton recorded two album’s worth of songs. … Continue reading
Marlon Williams is back with his first new release since his self-titled LP was released in 2015. Since then he’s been touring endlessly, supporting Springsteen and playing festivals all over the world. He returned to Lyttleton, NZ to record ‘Vampire Again’ with producer Ben Edwards before directing the quirky clip in cahoots with UK cinematographer Steve … Continue reading
Melbourne’s Ben Mastwyk has gathered a new band around him and recorded a new album (his 2nd) called Winning Streak. His band The Millions feature Ben Franz (The Waifs), Josh Duiker (Clifton Hillbillies), Michael Hubbard (The Bluebottles), Craig Kelly (Rich Davies). Also on vocals and honky-tonk piano is kiwi songstress Lisa Crawley. Here’s a live in-studio … Continue reading
Here’s a new track from Melbourne’s Patrick Wilson and his band The Bare River Queens. It’s a big and brassy song, dripping with soul and a country and blues swing, topped off with some great vocal melodies. Wilson and band play Coburg’s Post Office Hotel to launch ’Nobody’ on Saturday 27 August. Continue reading
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