Warnings & Wisdom may only be her second album but American songwriter Jen Mize has already lived a colourful musical life that has taken her from Las Vegas casinos to the Boston Conservatory, from the Duke Ellington Orchestra to a home on the Sunshine Coast. Jen Mize’s debut Fear, Pride And A Few Stubborn Angels … Continue reading
Category Archives: alt.country
NEW MUSIC: Nikki Lane – Highway Queen
Nikki Lane has been hard at work over the past couple of years, writing and recording the follow-up to her successful 2014 album All Or Nothin‘. The first single to be released from the new LP (due out via New West Records on Feb 17th ) is the title track ‘Highway Queen’. Preorders with all manner … Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: James Kenyon – Imagine You Are Driving
Americana music, when it hits the mark, sounds modern and topical while honouring the country and folk ghosts of the past and James Kenyon has managed to corral his songs into an intriguing amalgam of just that. Kenyon’s style is comparable to the quieter side of Ryan Adams mixed with a hint of Bon Iver … Continue reading
INTERVIEW: Lindi Ortega
STAYING IN THE SONGWRITING SADDLE Lindi Ortega returned to Australia last month for the Out On The Weekend festival and her own headline shows. She fills Chris Familton in on what she’s been up to in the year since her album Faded Gloryville was released. Canadian (and Nashville resident) country singer/songwriter Lindi Ortega will make her third visit … Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Glad & Dave’s Dirt Band – The Road
Between them, Glad Reed and David Claringbold have woven a path through the Australian music industry for the last thirty years. Glad has worked as a musician with Midnight Oil, The Cruel Sea, Laughing Clowns and many more while Dave has forged a successful career in production with acts including The Lighthouse Keepers and The … Continue reading
SIX STRINGS: Sean McMahon
Sean McMahon released his album Shiner earlier this year and he continues to spread its rich batch of country-rock tunes far and wide with live shows with his band the MoonMen. Sean’s heading up to Sydney this week to play a triple bill at the Marrickville Bowling Club with Adam Young & The Haints and … Continue reading
NEW MUSIC: Jonny Fritz – Are You Feeling Thirsty
Jonny Fritz has announced his new LP Sweet Creep will be released by ATO on October 14th. Here’s the great first single Are You Thirsty. I first heard this when Josh Hedley covered it during his recent Australian tour. Top tune! Sweet Creep includes tracks about unchecked desire (‘Humidifier’), life on the road (‘Fifteen Passenger Van’) and … Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Cash Savage & The Last Drinks – One Of Us
Cash Savage trades in gothic and roots-based rock ’n’ roll that swings from funereal folk to surging widescreen workouts. There’s more range on One Of Us than previous albums. Run With The Dogs has a War On Drugs-styled pulse, Sunday Morning is a dirty, banjo-led folk song reminiscent of The Felice Brothers, Empty Page is … Continue reading
NEW MUSIC PREMIERE: Peasant Moon – Songs From Austin EP
On August 1st, Sydney based alt-country duo Peasant Moon release a new mini-EP from their recording session in Austin earlier this year. The pair travelled to Texas in May and recorded at the Congress House Studio (you can read about their North American travels here). Of the EP, Crossfire particularly stands out for us with its … Continue reading
LIVE REVIEW: Willie Watson + Joshua Hedley @ NSC, Sydney (14/07/16)
Love Police have a knack for booking repeat tours that build up a local audience for supremely talented artists. In the past they’ve worked with Justin Townes Earle and Robert Ellis. This tour showcased two musicians who have been relatively frequent visitors, though not in a solo capacity. Yet again Love Police have hosted one … Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Tracy McNeil & The GoodLife – Thieves
Tracy McNeil showed flashes of brilliance on her previous album and she’s taken that one step further with a more consistent set of songs on Thieves. There’s a laid-back smooth quality to McNeil’s music that recalls US west coast FM rock of the late 70’s with warm harmonies, swaying guitar lines and a general uplifting … Continue reading
NEW MUSIC: Jason Walker – Borrowed Tunes
Jason Walker at long last has his new solo LP All Night Ghost Town coming out on Lost Highway Records this August. Here’s the clip for the first single Borrowed Tunes. https://youtu.be/yiqM63X0nDY Continue reading
The Best Americana Albums of 2016 So Far
Here are fifteen albums that have impressed us the most from the first half of 2016. A few favourites are in there, bands coming through with the goods yet again. There’s also a band releasing its final LP and a couple of debut releases. All in all it’s been a strong six months with plenty more … Continue reading
VIDEO: William Crighton – 2000 Clicks
‘2000 Clicks’ is the second single from William Crighton’s brilliant self-titled debut record. ‘2000 Clicks’ illustrates Crighton’s literary approach to lyricism. The stirring track explores ideas of fate and free will, the ways in which we navigate the everyday chaos of life and evade the challenges it throws at us. These ideas are framed through the … Continue reading
Post To Wire Presents: Freya Josephine Hollick + Darren Cross
This Sunday Freya Josephine Hollick is heading north from Victoria to preview songs from her forthcoming new LP ‘The Unceremonious Junking Of Me’, out soon on Heart Of The Rat Records. Hollick is a whimsical folk country singer from the goldfields who sings with a voice of ethereal beauty. A testament to the nightingales of the 20s, … Continue reading