Next week (Nov 20th) sees the release of the self-titled fourth album from Victorian folk/blues singer-songwriter Luke Watt and today I’m very pleased to premiere the video for the song ‘In Plain Sight‘. Luke cites artists such as Chris Whitley, Richard Thompson and Kelly Joe Phelps as influences and you can hear them in his … Continue reading
Like compatriot Delaney Davidson, whose new album we recently reviewed, Matt Hay is another Aotearoa/New Zealand songwriter who likes to cross musical lanes, albeit with more subtle combinations. His remit is country, blues, roots-rock, and Americana – the kind of sound that fans of John Hiatt, J.J. Cale, Mark Lucas and Mark Knopfler will recognise … Continue reading
Over the last couple of years, Melbourne-based New Zealanders Matt Joe Gow & Kerryn Fields have been writing, recording and touring together, harnessing the undeniable musical chemistry they have and channelling it into their sublime new album I Remember You. Right across the record, even when things get busier, there’s a wonderful sense of space … Continue reading
Dashville Skyline, my favourite Australian music festival, returns for its tenth iteration in 2024 and today they’ve revealed the first batch of acts for the Wonnarua Country/Hunter Valley NSW cosmic country weekender in October (4th-6th). In terms of personal highlights, across a very impressive line-up, The new Hurray For Riff Raff album The Past Is … Continue reading
Claire Anne Taylor Giving It Away Cheatin’ Hearts Records There’s so much new music that comes down the information superhighway, a veritable landslide of songs and singer-songwriters opening up their hearts and baring their souls. To be honest, most of it is bland and derivative and you have to wade through an avalanche of mediocre … Continue reading
Victorian duo This Way North combine the flamboyant, powerful, and percussive drumming of Cat Leahy’s and the intricate guitar tones and slide guitar chops of Leisha Jungalwalla. They’ve released a run of EPs over the last few years, culminating in the release of their debut album Punching Underwater yesterday (Feb 8th). Co-produced by award-winning artist … Continue reading
I’m super pleased to be able to premiere the video for Claire Anne Taylor‘s new single ‘Keep On Truckin” today. The single comes from her forthcoming third album Giving It Away, recorded at MONA’s Frying Pan Studios in Tasmania and set for released in February 2024. Possessing one of the finest voices in Australian roots … Continue reading
Dan Brodie has an excellent new album out called The Ballad of Cowboy Dan, a review of which is coming soon to PTW. In the review I write “If you can imagine Dylan and Nilsson recording an eclectic cosmic Americana record it might sound something like this impressive album,” and that description is emblematic of … Continue reading
PRESENTED BY DASHVILLE, 2SER AND POST TO WIRE One of the alt-country, Americana, folk, blues and rock ‘n’ roll highlights on the calendar each year is Dashville Skyline. The festival is held yearly in the Hunter Valley/Wonnarua Country region of NSW over the October long weekend. Dashville Skyline – Cosmic Country Weekender is a throwback … Continue reading
Matt Malone is a singer/songwriter born in the goldfields region of country Victoria. He has formed his musical vision out of the blues, country, folk and gospel traditions of the American, British and Australian past. Malone’s commanding baritone and masterfully crafted songs have been compared to the archetypal Johnny Cash, African-American gospel preachers such as Blind Willie Johnson, … Continue reading
Australian rock & roots music royalty Don Walker has today released his new single ‘You’ve Got To Move‘, taken from his forthcoming fourth solo album, Lightning in a Clear Blue Sky, out Friday, 5 May and with an accompanying East Coast Australian tour commencing in May, 2023. This will be the Cold Chisel, Catfish and Tex, Don and Charlie singer/songwriter’s first studio album in … Continue reading
Texan singer/songwriter and upright bassist Melissa Carper released her single ‘Ain’t A Day Goes By‘ last month. It’s the lead single from her forthcoming LP Ramblin’ Soul, out on November 18th via Mae Music/Thirty Tigers. According to the advance press release, the album ventures into blues, early rock and roll, and old-school soul, along with Carper’s signature … Continue reading
Jen Mize hits the soul, blues and Americana afterburners on this killer second single from this new project with her eight-piece band The Rough N’ Tumble. Sparse and deeply soulful, ‘All Riled Up‘ digs a deep and infectious groove. There are some great contemporary sounds being created with this kind of stylistic blend (Tami Neilson, … Continue reading
It may sound simplistic on the surface but there are all manner of influences lurking below the surface of Sea Mouse‘s song ‘Cold and Lonely’, the opening track on their new EP Evil Heart. Hendrix, The White Stripes, The Black Keys, Led Zeppelin, The Datsuns, garage rock and electric Mississippi blues. They approach all those … Continue reading
Kasey Chambers is not just an incredible songwriter and performer but she’s also a master of interpreting other’s songs. Not afraid to step outside the country realm, she’s taken Eminem’s classic hip hop track ‘Lose Yourself’ and transformed it into (initially) a haunting elegy to hopes and dreams. Not many can interpret and recontextualise the … Continue reading
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