The enigma that is Josh T. Pearson first made his name at the helm of the epic and apocalyptic post-rock trio Lift To Experience (The Texas-Jerusalem Crossroads). Following the band’s dissolution he went solo, releasing the intense Last Of The Country Gentlemen in 2011. Now, after reuniting with LTE and playing a handful of shows, … Continue reading
Fanny Lumsden continues to go from strength to strength, building her fiercely independent brand of autobiographical country and folk music. Playing country hall shows, living and traveling in a caravan and covering all corners of Australia, she’s living as boldly as she’s working hard and this album, her second full-length, finds her documenting those adventures … Continue reading
Suicide Swans released one of our favourite alt-country albums of 2017 and now they’ve released a clip for one Augusta’s many highlights – ‘Yearling’. You can read a review of the album in the current Jan/Feb 2018 issue of Rhythms magazine. ‘Yearling’ explores the confusion, isolation and pain that can come with finding your way … Continue reading
Here’s a handy collection of posters for alt-country/Americana gigs happening at Tamworth this year. This is the good stuff, not the cheesy, cliche ridden country pap… Continue reading
Jed Rowe started his recording career with two albums under the name The Jed Rowe Band before shortening the moniker to just his own name for The Last Day Of Winter in 2015. Now he’s decided to further spotlight his personal talent as a songwriter and guitarist on the intimate and restrained A Foreign Country. … Continue reading
It’s been a long time coming but Melbourne’s Gretta Ziller has finally released her debut solo album, the followup to her Hell’s Half Acre EP from 2014. The good news is that it exceeds the expectations she set up with that fine EP, digging deeper and taking her songwriting and singing to some impressive and … Continue reading
Here they are, the 40 albums that I personally felt were the most important, fascinating and listenable in 2017. It was a near impossible process to collate them on a spreadsheet and make decisions and adjustments as to the creative worth of one over another. I’d highly recommend all the albums on this list and … Continue reading
STRIPPING BACK THE LAYERS Lindi Ortega has had a year of quantum change in her personal and professional life. Ahead of her current Australian tour she talked with Chris Familton about those important events and the reasons behind them. To the casual observer, one might see Lindi Ortega’s recently released EP, Til The Goin’ Gets … Continue reading
Covers albums can swing two ways, attempts at slavish replicas of the original songs or those instances where the artist recasts the songs in a new light, with their own personality and style at the forefront. Dan Brodie has successfully taken the latter route with a collection of songs that reveal some of his influences … Continue reading
It may seem a tad peculiar that a band from the Inner West of Sydney could breathe genuine spirit and authenticity into Mexican-infused country music but Dusty Ravens have done just that on their second album. Low Down Jimmy is the sound of desert dust, desperate souls, sin and salvation – all bathed in mood-heavy instrumentation. … Continue reading
I caught Ben Leece for the first time at this year’s Dashville Skyline Festival. It was broad daylight on the last morning, the vibe was lazy, sun-kissed and chilled out. Ben started singing and something in the air shifted. It was one of those voices that catches the air and piques one’s senses. Rich with … Continue reading
In 1976, within weeks of finishing the recording of Long May You Run, his album with Stephen Stills, Neil Young visited the studio and in a solo and weed-assisted session laid down ten songs, many of which would become staples and high-water marks of his long and illustrious career. Young has released many archival albums … Continue reading
There’s a strong timeless quality that permeates Jed Rowe’s fourth album. Timeless in the sense that the songs aren’t tied to any particular style that can place it on the timeline of rock n roll – yet also in the way the songs are written, paced and arranged. They’re treated with a laid-back swaying sound … Continue reading
Traveller, The Deslondes, Andy Golledge @ Marrickville Bowling Club, Sydney, Oct 20th, 2017 In previous years, gigs like this Out On The Weekend sideshow would most likely have taken place at the sadly departed Newtown Social Club, so it was nice to see a good sized venue like Marrickville Bowling Club being used for international shows, … Continue reading
Son Volt, Jason Walker, Fallon Cush @ Factory Theatre, Oct 18th, 2017 Locals Fallon Cush had a short opening slot but they made the most of it, showcasing songs from their brand new album Morning and making a strong case for them being the most in-form country-rock band in Sydney at the moment. Cascading melodies and harmonies … Continue reading
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