The turn of century proved to be a fertile time for the Americana music scene. The early 2000s saw the likes of Drive By Truckers and Ryan Adams stamping their name on the scene internationally with their early, widely acclaimed albums and Lucinda Williams was starting to capitalise on the success of Car Wheels on … Continue reading
Category Archives: Alt-Country
FANNY LUMSDEN ANNOUNCES NEW ALBUM ‘HEY DAWN’ WITH THE THE TITLE-TRACK SINGLE
Last month Fanny Lumsden released the upbeat single ‘Millionaire’, which we rightly assumed was the precursor to a new 2023 album from the Australian Americana artist. Today she has revealed ‘Hey Dawn‘, the title track for that album which will be released on August 4th. The new single is a beautiful meditative ode to nature … Continue reading
VIDEO PREMIERE: Cold Irons Bound – Conversation
Melbourne band Cold Irons Bound have a new single out today called ‘Conversation‘ and we’re very pleased to be able to premiere the video for the song on PTW. The reassuring sound of warm and burnished, distorted alt-country guitars ring out as ‘Conversation’ takes flight. There’s a jangly power-pop strain coursing through the song that … Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Watty Thompson – S/T
WATTY THOMPSON WATTY THOMPSON CHEATIN HEARTS RECORDS It’s a rare thing for an artist to arrive on the scene as fully formed and creatively realised as Victorian Watty Thompson. Most songwriters take a few albums to figure out how to craft their music into its ideal shape. Thompson has done it on his first swing. … Continue reading
THE TAMPICO BOMBERS ROLL ANOTHER NUMBER IN EAST LA
A new name for us descended in a cloud of hazy smoke into our inbox this morning. Hailing from East LA, this gang of stoner country reprobates take the slow and easy backstreets and tumbleweed desert trails with their appropriately red-eyed take on Neil Young’s classic ‘Roll Another Number (Roll The Road)‘. Check out their … Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Henry Wagons – South Of Everywhere
HENRY WAGONS SOUTH OF EVERYWHERE CHEATIN’ HEARTS RECORDS He’s a bandleader, a radio and TV host, a raconteur and one hell of a singer, songwriter and performer. The third solo album for Henry Wagons, who originally came to fame as the frontman for the band Wagons, finds him focusing his lens on his home country. … Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Matt Joe Gow – Between Tonight & Tomorrow
MATT JOE GOW BETWEEN TONIGHT & TOMORROW CHECKED LABEL SERVICES Now four albums and nearly 15 years into into his solo recording career, Naarm/Melbourne-based Aotearoa/NZ artist Matt Joe Gow has constantly exhibited an ability to make subtle and compelling improvements to his songwriting. That pattern and upward trajectory continues on his most rewarding album to … Continue reading
LUCINDA WILLIAMS ANNOUNCES NEW ALBUM, RELEASES NEW SINGLE WITH BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN
Lucinda Williams is currently in Australia, playing Bluesfest and some headline shows and today we have some exciting news that she’s announced her new album Stories From A Rock N Roll Heart (June 30th) and released the first single ‘New York Comeback‘, featuring Bruce Springsteen and Patti Scialfa. Williams’ long awaited memoir Don’t Tell Anybody … Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Bud Rokesky – Outsider
BUD ROKESKY OUTSIDER RAINBOW VALLEY RECORDS A tall, lanky, dark-haired, truck-driving, songwriting stranger. It might sound like a country music cliche but that’s a snapshot of the enigmatic and supremely talented Bud Rokesky, who was interviewed in the last issue of Rhythms. It’s been a while coming for this late bloomer but Outsider is a … Continue reading
ESSENTIAL AMERICANA ALBUMS: Gram Parsons – Grievous Angel (1974)
Gram Parsons is something of a golden inter-connector, a conduit between the worlds of country music and rock ’n’ roll. You can add folk music to the mix to, given his late teen years as a member of the Shilohs in South Carolina. Through the International Submarine Band, the Byrds and the Flying Burrito Brothers, … Continue reading
VIDEO PREMIERE: Hana & Jessie-Lee’s Bad Habits – Arrowhead
Melbourne-based Hana Brenecki and guitarist Jessie-Lee Zubkevych are working towards the release of a new album in early 2024 but the good news is they’re already releasing music from it. First up it’s the stunning single ‘Arrowhead‘ which drifts and sways with a gentle rock ‘n’ roll sashay, draped in heavenly country-soul. Hana’s voice has … Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Steve Lane – The Great Imposter
STEVE LANE THE GREAT IMPOSTER Last Night From Glasgow The day I put Lane’s new LP – and yes, it’s vinyl, and sort of camouflage green at that – on my turntable, on his Facebook he announced the fact, as much a surprise to him as to his followers, that The Great Imposter is #8 … Continue reading
VIDEO PREMIERE: Rusty Pickups – Canary
South Queensland band Rusty Pickups have a new EP called Rattle In My Heart on the horizon and last week they released the title-track single ‘Canary’, under licence from Near Enough Records (Mt. Morning, Kyle Jenkins). It’s a gently anthemic song that showcases the desperation of lost love, and yet still builds to leave a … Continue reading
SIX STRINGS Q&A: MATT JOE GOW
Matt Joe Gow has a brand new album out tomorrow (Fri, March 10th) and between his just completed Aotearoa/NZ tour and the start of a new run of dates in Australia, Matt kindly took the time to answer our Six Strings Q&A. The new album, Between Tonight & Tomorrow is a superb collection of Americana … Continue reading
MT. MORNING TAKE FLIGHT ON THEIR FIRST SINGLE UNDER THEIR NEW NAME
The Toowoomba QLD / Tokyo Japan band have today released the first taste of their forthcoming album Restorations, their first release since the band retired their previous incarnation (Suicide Swans) and a refreshed line-up reconvened as Mt. Morning. With the ever prolific Kyle Jenkins at the helm it’s clear the band are steering into a … Continue reading