Freya Josephine Hollick is back from recording her next album at the famed studio Rancho de la Luna (Kyuss, QOTSA, Kurt Vile, Daniel Lanois, PJ Harvey, Iggy Pop, Mark Lanegan) in Joshua Tree, California, with Lucinda Williams’ band Buick 6 and renowned guitarist Greg Leisz. She’s celebrating by announcing her first full band headline shows of … Continue reading
SONGS OF TRIBUTE For my Waitin’ Around to Die column in Rhythms I recently took a look at some of the outstanding releases in the field of tribute albums. Specifically those that fall under the umbrella of Americana and alt-country, whether it’s in recognition of an artist’s body of work or a fundraiser to assist them … Continue reading
An old-timey voice that blends and warm concoction of folk and country music on this single ‘Any Soul’, from her recently released debut self-titled album. Teresa Duffy-Richards hails originally from the Salt bush plains of Deniliquin NSW, Australia and is now based in Melbourne’s inner north where she’s been refining her classic, atmospheric sound. A dash … Continue reading
Chesterfield, UK native Holly Redford Jones has a brand new single out that finds her deftly navigating a sweet spot between country/blues rock and and a lowdown indie feel. It works wonderfully with her voice the real deal breaker here with its smoky, sultry, almost sneered delivery. ‘Bonjour Madame’ (recorded in Nashville, TN) came about when … Continue reading
It starts with a standard form – sleepy drums, blocks of piano chords and trailing notes, but then Eamon McGrath‘s voice rings high and lonesome, like a man with something to say, hollerin’ from the next room. It’s a great production move to offset the intimacy of the music with McGrath’s anguished declarations as he … Continue reading
THE DELINES THE IMPERIAL El Cortez Records Willy Vlautin has proven to be quite the Americana renaissance man with his time in the highly respected alt-country group Richmond Fontaine, a second career as an acclaimed novelist (Lean On Pete, Don’t Skip Out On Me) and most recently as main songwriter for The Delines. This, their … Continue reading
RYAN BINGHAM AMERICAN LOVE SONG Thirty Tigers/Cooking Vinyl Australia Ryan Bingham cut his teeth as a rodeo rider, he’s an actor, but most importantly he’s an accomplished singer-songwriter. On his sixth album he’s corralled his most wide reaching and rewarding collection of songs to date. Across 15 songs, Bingham paints portraits of the American dream, … Continue reading
A DECADE OF MAKING SWEET SOUNDS After a decade of relentless touring, from street corners to bars and festivals, The California Honeydrops have forged a strong bond with their audiences. Drummer Ben Malament discusses the band’s achievements with Chris Familton, ahead of their return to Bluesfest in 2019. This will be the third year in … Continue reading
Here’s a voice that will grab you right from the outset. Agata Karczewska is a Warsaw-based singer-songwriter with a deep American sound. Bluesy gothic Americana folk is the order of the day on ‘Envy Is My Sin’, a song that showcases her bold and rich voice and makes for a strident and soulful sound. Recommended. … Continue reading
Here’s the recently released single from Demi Mitchell, the first since she released her fine album The Overflow last year. This track hangs wonderfully in the air, built on tension and a noir aesthetic courtesy of ringing guitar chords and a shroud of reverb. It’s a kind of smokey gothic Americana, one of those songs … Continue reading
Lots to love about this laidback, forlorn track from D.H. Scott, a singer/songwriter who was born in Bakersfield, CA but now resides in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Scott has a wonderful ache and grain to his voice, at times reminiscent of Townes Van Zandt. This great track is the story of a man (Casey Todd) who he would … Continue reading
Steve Gunn The Unseen In Between Matador Steadily, across a career now spanning a dozen years, Steve Gunn has progressively moved from the abstract, experimental and collaborative to a singular artistic with his own distinct sound. From American Primitive guitar beginnings where he was enthralled by the likes of John Fahey and Sandy Bull to … Continue reading
There’s a dreamy late-night roadhouse vibe on this track from two Asheville, NC musicians – Gold Light (Joe Chang) & Snakemusk (Beau Campolong). Mazzy Star is an obvious reference point given it’s soaked in a similar noir heartache and organic shuffling sway but this also has more of a 60s folk vibe built into its … Continue reading
This is just the kind of folk voice we fall for. The mix of ache and vulnerability, offset with a spirit and strength. There’s a wonderful lilting melody line that threads through ‘Dance With Me’, taken from Kora Feder‘s new album In Sevens which was released last week. There’s a sweetness to the song, as … Continue reading
Sean McMahon‘s new album You Will Know When You’re There is out now and it’s a superb record. We’ve had it on high rotation of late – soundtracking road trips, lazy Sunday mornings and dimly-lit late nights. One of the highlights is ‘Outsider Blues’, a track that is built on a beautiful blend of acoustic instruments … Continue reading
