KURT VILE (watch my moves) VERVE RECORDS / VIRGIN MUSIC AUSTRALIA Kurt Vile, the one man slacker psych jam band from Philly is back with a new collection of songs that wander, hypnotise, amuse and sometimes meander on album number nine. Vile has long figured out his optimal recipe and here he doesn’t stray from … Continue reading
ARLO MCKINLEY THIS MESS WE’RE IN OH BOY RECORDS This is Arlo McKinley’s third album but it was his last one, Die Midwestern that really elevated him into the pantheon of great contemporary country and folk songwriters. The good news is that he’s followed that superb album with another absolute gem. This Mess We’re In … Continue reading
IAN NOE RIVER FOOLS & MOUNTAIN SAINTS THIRTY TIGERS / COOKING VINYL AUSTRALIA Ian Noe’s debut of 2019 was one of those albums hit the radar of music enthusiasts and spread organically like wildfire. Richly imbued with the spirit and craft of folk and country songwriting it marked the arrival of a new and exciting … Continue reading
Emily Fairlight and Mike McLeod of The Shifting Sands blend their guitars and voices in a gloriously intertwined wash of sound on ‘Head Above’, the first single from their forthcoming collaborative LP Sun Casts A Shadow, out now via Fishrider Records. There are some wonderful stripped-back folk and alt-country qualities to the song as the … Continue reading
Meanjin/Brisbane duo Hillsborough back up their excellent 2022 single ‘Trouble Finds Its Way’ with another freewheeling gem in ‘Comin’ Back For You‘. Electricity and twang rattle and roll their way through the song as Phil Usher and Beata Maglai hitch a grainy black and white ride on a train. The film stock perfectly suits the … Continue reading
ORVILLE PECK BRONCO COLUMBIA / SONY MUSIC From the heralded release of his debut album Pony in 2019, through a pandemic, fashion shoots and onto a major label deal with Columbia, Orville Peck’s ascent has been a meteoric one. He’s skilfully navigated the worlds of Americana, country and pop to create a unique modern day … Continue reading
ANDY GOLLEDGE STRENGTH OF A QUEEN I OH YOU If you’re looking for an early contender for Australian Americana album of the year then you’re reading the right review. Andy Golledge has been a mainstay of the local scene in Sydney for at least half a dozen years now. He’s a lynchpin of sorts with … Continue reading
Dashville Skyline have announced the first batch of artists appearing at their annual festival in Wonnarua Country, Hunter Valley, NSW. The alt/cosmic country and folk festival runs over three days and nights, Friday 30th September, Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd October 2022. Read our review of the February instalment of the festival, postponed from 2021. Joining The Black Sorrows as … Continue reading
Check out the cover artwork for New Zealand duo Sin City’s debut album and you might be expecting a laidback Gram Parsons-styled cosmic country album, and there are elements of that, but at it’s core this is a rousing, loose-limbed blend of rock ’n’ roll, soul and country. From bar room brawls to late night … Continue reading
Today we’re featuring two tracks from Billy Bronsted‘s new 2022 album Rhythm, Racket & Romance, recorded with his band The Loot. Bronsted hails from Wisconsin and the new album follows his 2017 release This Bed Of Mine. ‘Ain’t Lying’ (I Love You)‘ digs into the age old subject of love and realisation, as Bronsted explains, … Continue reading
Daniel Young, a Salt Lake City singer-songwriter, released his new single earlier this month, featuring Lillie Mae on fiddle. The song is about the laying low and not letting the hustle and bustle catch up to you and it’s perfectly captured by the laidback, mellow sound and Young as he sings “Let take some time … Continue reading
If you like the lush country soul sounds of Courtney Marie Andrews, Katie Brianna, Not Good With Horses or The Delines then Meredith Lazowski is definitely one to check out. Last month the Toronto alt-country artist released ‘Other Way Home‘, the second single and title track from her forthcoming album (out June 17th, 2022). Lazowski … Continue reading
For River Dreams’ debut album Small Paintings, the pandemic served as the impetus, rather than a deterrent, for recording sessions to take place. Sydney musician and songwriter Carl Manwarring had been playing around the city’s Inner West bars, pubs and bowling clubs under his own name for a number of years, following an initial foray … Continue reading
A new tribute album celebrating the songs and career of legendary country artist John Anderson, Something Borrowed, Something New: A Tribute to John Anderson, will be released August 5th via Easy Eye Sound. Anderson has released 22 albums and enjoyed 60 charting singles in four consecutive decades including five No. 1 songs: ‘Wild and Blue,’ “Swingin’,” ‘Black Sheep,’ ‘Straight Tequila … Continue reading
Brisbane seven piece indie/alt-country group Halfway have released their brand new single Ghostline today, taken from their forthcoming album On the Ghostline, with Hands of Lightning, due out on August 26th. The central, searching guitar riff of the song is an absolute ear worm, burrowing instantly into your short term memory. The band deliver their … Continue reading
POST TO WIRE 