SOWING THE SEEDS OF SONGS Family Jordan continue to refine their humid and cosmic country and folk sound on their fourth album Big Grass. Ahead of their appearance at the Dashville Skyline festival next weekend (Feb 25-28th, 2022) we’re adding our interview with Jordan Rochfort of the band from last year. by Chris Familton Following in … Continue reading
Category Archives: Americana
SIX STRINGS Q&A: The Redlands
The Redlands are cousins and childhood friends, Samuel Nairn (vocals), Chase Williams (lead guitar) Dean Williams (guitar/piano) and Ottavio Dichiera (bass). Formed in 2019, after years of playing live together around Mildura in north-east Victoria and taking their cues from songwriting giants like Dylan, Cave and Isbell. You can hear those influences and more winding … Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Brent Cobb – And Now, Let’s Turn To Page…
Brent Cobb released one of our favourite albums of 2020 with Keep ‘Em On They Toes, a record that was loose, warm and possessing some brilliant turns of phrase amid the laidback rhythms and grooves. Now he’s taken an interesting approach with the followup, digging deep into Southern gospel and hymns of his youth. A … Continue reading
NEW MUSIC: Suga Owens – Weekend Time
Queenslander Scottie ‘Suga’ Owens has released his brand new country single ‘Weekend Time’ via Heartsville Music Group and it finds him hitting a sweet vein of Charley Crockett meets outlaw country. Pedal steel adds a mix of tropical and outback flavours for what amounts to an impressively authentic new voice in Australian country music. Continue reading
NEW MUSIC: Space Dudes – Behind Your Tears
Australian expat, Tom Dockray, now based in Denmark, has joined musical forces with Rick Hauchman (North Carolina – vocals, mandolin, guitar) and friends (Lars Heiberg Andersen (drums, production), Mads Løvenholdt (bass), Thyge Van Dassen (violin) and Lars Emil Riis (piano)) to create Space Dudes. From the description it’s a fairly loose-knit approach where genre is out the … Continue reading
NEW MUSIC: Curse of Lono – Ursula Andress
Sink into the slow and slinky groove of Curse of Lono‘s single ‘Ursula Andress’ with its sweet swaying vocal melodies, a touch of Buffalo Springfield buried in it’s music DNA and its subtle mix of Americana and gentle psychedelia. Vocally there’s a touch of Matt Johnson from The The in Felix Bechtolsheimer’s voice. The song … Continue reading
NEW MUSIC: David James Allen – Please Let Me In [VIDEO]
Taken from David James Allen‘s third album, The Architect, ‘Please Let Me In’ is yet another great example of the way he blends rhythm, energy and melody in his countrified songs, topped off by a voice that’s rich with personality, grit and grace. As Allen explains, “I wrote ‘Please Let Me In’ as a sort … Continue reading
PTW FAVOURITE ALBUMS OF 2021
It’s that time of year where I sit down, create a spreadsheet, list all the albums that caught my ear and had me returning for repeat listens, and then begin the torturous task of putting them into some kind of ordered list. It’s a strange thing to rank artistic endeavours against each other but the … Continue reading
PTW FAVOURITE AUSTRALIAN ALBUMS OF 2021
Despite the endless disruptions, lockdowns, gig cancellations and postponements, there were still plenty of excellent albums released here in Australia in 2021. Most of them had their own unique sound too – drawing from folk, country, psych, blues and indie to differing degrees. There were established artists who continued to mature and evolve as well … Continue reading
SINGLE PREMIERE: Dr Mann – Stubborn Mule
Cosmic psychedelic country vibes abound on ‘Stubborn Mule‘, the beautiful new single from Dr Mann that we have the pleasure of premiering on PTW today. As the guitars chop and stagger, pedal steel wafts along, adding a swirling ambience to the track. Twin vocals complete the intertwined and woven sound of the track as it … Continue reading
NEW MUSIC: The Delines – Past The Shadows
The Delines have released the video for single #2 from their forthcoming album The Sea Drift, which will be released on February 11, 2022 via Love Police Records & Tapes (and their new American label home Jealous Butcher Records). It’s yet another in a long list of sublime smokey and soulful songs that pull beautifully … Continue reading
NEW MUSIC: Max Bien Kahn – It’s Only You
Kick off those shoes, sit back in a comfy chair with your favourite drink or indulge in a slow sway around the lounge room on this excellent track from Max Bien Kahn‘s new On The Floor EP . The sounds of yesteryear run strong and clear through the song. There’s country, doo wop and rock … Continue reading
NEW MUSIC: Huck Hayden – Fire Ball
I’m loving the world weary vocal on this slice of melodic country rock by Nashville-based Huck Hayden. There’s Petty in there, a dash of Berman-esque indie rock, the country-leaning side of J. Mascis and the heavier, electrified folk-rock of Neil Young. The push and pull tension between the vocal and the blistered guitar sound on … Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Mitch Dillon’s Compulsive Ramblers
MITCH DILLON’S COMPULSIVE RAMBLERS MITCH DILLON’S COMPULSIVE RAMBLERS RAGGED GUM RECORDS Melbourne musician Mitch Dillon has been around the local scene for a while now, backing up other artists and fronting Attractor Beams, a much-missed band who wore obvious influences such as The Replacements on their sleeves. Now stepping out on his own with backing … Continue reading
NEW MUSIC: Kevin Coons – Rattlesnake Canyon
There’s a big Townes Van Zandt vibe on this new track from Kevin Coons. It takes Townes’ melodic phrasing and relocates it to a tougher, groove-based cosmic Americana place. Rhythmically it buries itself in your short term memory and hits repeat. Killer track! Coons pulled in Dillon Napier from Margo Price’s band on drums for … Continue reading