Callum Wylie caught our ear the first time we heard him sing, that forlorn ache of a voice that folds country and folk music into each other, with a touch of weary soul. It perfectly suits his minimal and lyrical guitar playing and songs that have a way of painting evocative characters in often difficult … Continue reading
Just before the end of last year I came across this track from Swedish songwriter Lina Horner and have been meaning to write about it and spread the word about her music. ‘Where To Go?’ is a smoky, soulful bluesy track that at times reminds us of Joan As Police Woman but also has filigrees … Continue reading
As well as working tirelessly putting together festivals such as The Gum Ball and Dashville Skyline on his family property in the Hunter Valley of NSW, Matt ‘Magpie’ Johnson also finds time to write music with Magpie Diaries. Sanctuary is their debut album and finds them inhabiting a sweet spot right at the nexus of … Continue reading
Mark McGowan hails from Glasgow and he’s released this fine single, ‘Betty’, which comes from a four track EP Speakeasy which was released late last year. Stark and stripped back with sweet fingerpicking, the focus is on McGowan’s voice with it’s rich and textured folk tone that recalls a more sensitive Ray LaMontagne. Continue reading
Charles Wesley Godwin has an interesting back story. Born and raised in Morgantown in the Appalachian hills, to a coal miner father and schoolteacher mother, he ditched college football and picked up the guitar before discovering he had a knack for playing and songwriting during overseas study in Estonia. Since then he’s shared stages with … Continue reading
The US might be deep in the throes of winter but down here in the Southern Hemisphere it’s hot, damn hot – and this track suits the weather just right. A warm, bucolic country soul tune that rolls and rambles along beautifully. Okey Dokey hail from Nashville and they teamed up with psych-soul singer Liz … Continue reading
Take Me To Town, the 3CD, 47 track compilation of contemporary Australian alt-country music is heading to Tamworth 2019, with a very special showcase gig featuring an all-star line-up of Ben Leece & Left Of The Dial, Katie Brianna, The Weeping Willows, Hana & Jessie-Lee, Lachlan Bryan, Jen Mize and Mitch Power. If you are … Continue reading
Hayesville caught our ear with this rich and stately vocal sound. He’s a Swedish singer songwriter now based in Cologne, Germany and he counts Songs: Ohia as an influence which instantly makes him a winner in our book. It’s a classic sound that he goes for, quite baroque at times, a gothic Americana of sorts … Continue reading
Here’s a great new (to us) voice – the six-piece James Edwyn & The Borrowed Band. Elements of folk rock, soul and country collide in this song that tumbles into a fine chorus before drifting back out into more reflective verses and shades of The Felice Brothers. The Glaswegian band released their second album High … Continue reading
Idle Joy from San Francisco recently released this gem of a loose and ramshackle song that has one foot in the country and one on the beach. ‘Let’s Just Go Surf’ will charm itself into your short term memory with jangling guitars, a loping rhythm section and lazy, catchy vocal melodies. It reminds us of … Continue reading
This track caught our ears with its wonderful horns, and grand swoon of a sound. It’s the work of Sydney songwriter East Denistone and comes from his 2018 EP While You Still Draw Breath. It’s more on the indie rock tip, in the vein of The National and Grizzly Bear but it incorporate elements of … Continue reading
Here’s a beautifully melodic and melancholic song from Wildie (Sweden). It comes from their album Westbound and finds them dealing in sweet, piano-led Americana. Continue reading
Dave Ernst hails from Louisville, Kentucky and this wonderfully bruised slice of Southern country rock comes from his debut solo album Hickory Switch, produced by Peter Searcy (Squirrel Bait) and mixed by Ken Coomer (Wilco, Uncle Tupelo). You can definitely hear Uncle Tupelo, Drive-By Truckers, Lucero and the like in the sound of this song, ‘Superstar’, … Continue reading
A really nice sound from San Francisco resident Eric Long on this sparse acoustic folk track. The fiddle works beautifully, as does Long’s weathered voice that keeps the song firmly in the soil and hot sun of an American countryside, as he searches for optimism. The song comes from his 2018 LP A Long Way … Continue reading
Here’s a nice slice of slacker alt-country from Nashville, TN, courtesy of the group Dialup Ghost. It’s a tasty amalgam of The Replacements, Pavement and Silver Jews. It comes from their 2018 album I’m Fine, I’m Fine which has a nice lo-fi, ramshackle, lazy and wistful streak running through it. Continue reading
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