I’m digging this reverbed, rollicking sound from R McClure & Tall Shadows. The British Columbian has a great take on country music, adding a really cool, dreamy psych sheen. Lovely stuff. ‘Big Night’ rides a great shuffling drumbeat like the rush of a successful night mission. ‘Me And My Hangover’ slows things down but finds … Continue reading
As this song starts you’re drawn in by Appalachian songwriter Pierceton Hobbs‘ interesting drawl that curls around the vowels and twists them into interesting shapes. Then the band kicks in and there’s a wonderfully laidback yet deep feel to the groove. ‘Fawn’, the title track from Hobbs’ debut album makes for a really nice introduction … Continue reading
This week we’ve got a brand new track from one of our local Australian songwriters, Ben Leece (out on Monday). This single is a beautiful tribute to a friend who died in tragic and unsolved circumstances and is yet another example of the way Ben so effortlessly imbues his alt-country melodies and music with pathos … Continue reading
Daniel Young is a songwriter out of Salt Lake City, Utah who has been plying his craft for two decades now. It shows too. ‘Hold You Tighter’ is one of those effortless delights that gently tumbles out the speakers on the back of warm and mellifluous melodies, a voice inhabited by just the right amount … Continue reading
Following the release of ‘In The Stream’, which was in the top ten of the AMRAP Metro Chart for three weeks and is on high rotation on ABC Country, Australian Americana songwriter Mitch Dean releases the third single and title-track from Holding Back The Levee. Featuring guest vocals by Kevin Bennett, from revered Australia country-rock group The Flood, ‘Holding Back The Levee’ is a stellar example … Continue reading
As usual, a great county of new singles hitting the airwaves and digital universe this week. First up is this lovely duet between Kurt Vile and John Prine, recorded late in 2019. “Probably the single most special musical moment in my life,” says Vile. It’s part of a new KV EP called Speed, Sound, Lonely KV, out … Continue reading
COAL CITY GOLD James Thomson’s third album is his his finest yet, the result of his steady creative evolution. Golden Exile sees the Newcastle songwriter digging deeper and more widely into his influences and writing with a greater sense of musical identity. Back in 2012 he came to the attention of journalist and label owner … Continue reading
Fremantle-based Helen Townsend has released a new single, taken from her forthcoming 2021 EP Love Lies ‘n’ Leaving and it finds her dialling into that Americana folk sound that singer-songwriters such as Gillian Welch do so well. The song, co-written with Belle Harvey and featuring Shannon Smith, is a cry out to that loved one … Continue reading
Gillian Welch is set to release Vol. 2 of her Lost Songs series of unreleased recordings. In the meantime you can hear ‘Beautiful Boy’ and ‘I Just Want You To Know‘ The second instalment of the newly unearthed and celebrated cache of home demos and reel-to-reel recordings from the vault of Gillian Welch and David … Continue reading
by Chris Familton When you talk about contemporary alt-country of the last few decades, one name is essential to the discussion – Portland Oregon’s Richmond Fontaine. The band, led by singer, guitarist and songwriter Willy Vlautin, were active from 1994 – 2016, with the core line-up of guitarist/pedal steel player Paul Brainard, bassist Dave Harding, guitarist … Continue reading
The Jayhawks XOXO Thirty Tigers / Cooking Vinyl Australia It’s album number 11 for the Minnesotan band, still led by Gary Louris who has endured line-up changes and a five year hiatus through the band’s 35 year career. XOXO is The Jayhawks’ fourth album since they reunited in 2009 and it finds them still mining … Continue reading
Gothic, psych country. Forthcoming album mixed by Mitch Easter E.Z. Shakes aren’t afraid to inject some darkness and rabble-rousing noise into their gothic country sound. On ‘Making Mistakes’ there’s a generous use of reverb to give the song a brooding, ghostly feel that works beautifully. The Columbia, South Carolina group, who are getting ready to … Continue reading
‘Tail Lights’ is the recently released new single from Melbourne alt-country band Paper Jane, taken from their new album Across The Reservoir. It’s the looseness and lazy (in a good way) feel of this song that makes it hit the spot so sweetly. It’s dusty and forlorn, world weary and perfectly in-the-pocket. The album, available … Continue reading
Steve Earle & The Dukes Ghosts Of West Virginia New West Records The first sound you hear on Steve Earle’s new album is his solo voice, all gravel and grit as he leads a group chant which sits somewhere between the church and the railroad. It sets the scene magnificently for an album of songs … Continue reading
You don’t hear a great deal of folk and country music coming out of New Zealand. It’s there for sure, and big names have certainly built local and international reputations (Marlon Williams, Tami Neilson, Tiny Ruins etc) but finding the next wave of artists can sometimes involve a bit of digging. This new track by … Continue reading
