Category Archives: Article
Alt-Country / Americana / Article / Country / Folk
PTW FAVOURITE ALBUMS OF 2024
Another 365 days of alt-country, Americana, folk and rock ‘n’ roll gems to sink one’s ears into and these were the ones that hit the spot with me, inspiring repeat listens. There are plenty more of course, ones that I haven’t spent enough time with and one’s I’m yet to hear. You can click HERE … Continue reading
FAVOURITE INTERNATIONAL ALBUMS OF 2023
Yesterday we published our favourite albums from this part of the world (Australian and NZ) and today we reveal the records from the rest of the world that we enjoyed the most in 2023. From firm favourites such as Lucero, Rose City Band, Wilco and Bonnie “Prince’ Billy, to a plethora of relative newcomers, listening … Continue reading
Album Reviews / Americana / Article / Australia / News
FAVOURITE ANTIPODEAN ALBUMS OF 2023
As per usual, this is the time of year I crunch the numbers, analyse the statistics and cast my eyes and ears over the year’s albums, to get an overview of my favourite releases. Below you’ll find the Australian (and two NZ) albums that resonated with me the most over the last 12 months. This … Continue reading
Album Artwork / Album Reviews / Alt-Country / Americana / Article / Folk Rock / Stream
ESSENTIAL AMERICANA ALBUMS: Wilco – Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2002)
Last month I took a look at Gillian Welch’s seminal 2001 album Time (The Revelator), a record steeped in folk authenticity and traditional form. That same year a band from Chicago took their suburban country rock and alt-country and blew it apart into a thousand musical fragments before reconstructing their songs into glorious and inventive … Continue reading
Album Artwork / Album Reviews / Alt-Country / Americana / Article / Videos
ESSENTIAL AMERICANA ALBUMS: Lucinda Williams – Car Wheels On A Gravel Road (1998)
‘Sittin’ in the kitchen, a house in Macon Loretta’s singing on the radio Smell of coffee, eggs and bacon Car wheels on a gravel road’ Quarter of a century ago, at the mid point of 1998, Lucinda Williams released her fifth and best-selling album Car Wheels On A Gravel Road. It was an album that … Continue reading
ESSENTIAL AMERICANA ALBUMS: Gillian Welch – (Time The Revelator) (2001)
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
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
FAVOURITE ALBUMS OF 2022
Earlier this week we revealed our favourite Australian (and NZ) albums of 2022 and now it’s the turn of the rest of the planet, with our main list of the year. There were plenty of familiar faces and artists we love and admire who released new records this year. As always, they hit the listening … Continue reading
BRIDGING THE GENERATION GAP
I thought I’d take a look at a some producers, who are also respected musicians, and the work they’ve done with older established country artists to breathe new life into their music and/or add a different dimension to their sound. The template for a producer working with an older artist, often past the peak of … Continue reading
EXPLORING THE NEIL YOUNG ARCHIVES
In the ever-changing world of digital advances, the question and viability of how to preserve, enhance and share one’s music continues to be a conundrum for artists. From box-sets to anniversary concerts, documentaries to reissues, everyone is looking to find new ways to monetise their back catalogues. In recent years, the Neil Young Archives website … Continue reading
Album Reviews / Alt-Country / Americana / Article / Blues / Cosmic Country / Country / Features / Folk / Honky Tonk / News / Soul / Stream
FAVOURITE AU & NZ ALBUMS 2020
Lists! We have a couple for you as usual as we wind down at the end of another year. I won’t rabbit on about the trials and tribulations of 2020, the good news was that the music still came down the pipeline with the same amount of quality and reward. We’ll have our overall list … Continue reading
Richmond Fontaine – Where Music Meets Literature
by Chris Familton When you talk about contemporary alt-country of the last few decades, one name is essential to the discussion – Portland Oregon’s Richmond Fontaine. The band, led by singer, guitarist and songwriter Willy Vlautin, were active from 1994 – 2016, with the core line-up of guitarist/pedal steel player Paul Brainard, bassist Dave Harding, guitarist … Continue reading
Alt-Country / Americana / Article / Country
Waitin’ Around To Die Column: Between The Pages
BETWEEN THE PAGES As any righteous fan and music nerd will attest, biographies and autobiographies of their favourite artists and albums are an invaluable insight into the life and creative journey of a songwriter. Even in this day and age of smorgasbord information access via the internet, an in-depth and well-researched book by a writer … Continue reading
SOUNDS OF THE SILVER SCREEN: Country & folk music in film
Sounds Of The Silver Screen Soundtracks always play a crucial part in establishing mood, location and emotion in film, and country and folk music is purpose-built for filling that role – whether it’s adding colour to a bar-room brawl, chronicling broken hearts or conveying the power and fragility of nature and the great outdoors. The golden … Continue reading
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