A new name to us here at PTW but British-born Canadian Sass Jordan has apparently sold over a million albums across her 40 year career! Rebel Moon Blues (March 13th) is her first album where she’s focused solely on singing the blues and if her cover of John Adam Estes’ ‘Leaving Trunk’ is anything to go … Continue reading
Category Archives: Blues
ALBUM REVIEW: North Mississippi Allstars – Up And Rolling
North Mississippi Allstars Up And Rolling New West Records The new album from Luther and Cody Dickinson’s North Mississippi Allstars was inspired by photos on a forgotten roll of film from the ‘90s. It got the brothers and their fellow musicians back into the studio, along with guests Mavis Staples, Jason Isbell, Cedric Burnside and … Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Charley Crockett – The Valley
Charley Crockett The Valley Thirty Tigers / Cooking Vinyl Australia Descendant of legendary frontiersman Davy, traveling troubadour and heart surgery survivor – Charley Crockett sure has a big back story. The most pleasing factor is of course his music, a lackadaisical country blues sound with a New Orleans soul swing to it, which he’s been slowly … Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Paul Cauthen – Room 41
Paul Cauthen Room 41 Lightning Rod Records Out of misery and heartache comes great art. That seems to be one of the great recurring themes of all the artistic mediums. On his new solo album, Paul Cauthen has clearly lived and by the sound of it, learned from a particularly low period in his life … Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Dan Brodie – Funerária Do Vale
For a decade now, Dan Brodie has been a master at skirting around the edges of a number of musical genres. He’s taken from rock, blues, alt-country and rockabilly, combining them all into his own decidedly Australian take on rock ’n’ roll. It’s the sound of cold beer and back porches in the summertime, sweaty … Continue reading
NEW MUSIC: Ben Mitchell – You Can’t Fight That
A swampy shimmer underlies acoustic guitar and the wonderful voice of Ben Mitchell as he sings of ignoring the things you can’t control in life and giving into the flow and destiny of existence. It’s a simple song musically – and I mean that in the best possible way. The elements are all there, reduced … Continue reading
NEW MUSIC: Lawrie Duckworth – The Devil In Me
Today we give you the recent single from British songwriter Lawrie Duckworth. You wouldn’t necessarily pick him as hailing from that side of the Atlantic, given the swampy blues noir vibe that emanates from this track. Dig a bit deeper though and you can hear a surf tinge and a distant nod to The Shadows. … Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Lost Ragas – This Is Not A Dream
Lost Ragas This Is Not A Dream Independent ★★★★½ On their their third album, Melbourne band Lost Ragas take their brand of psychedelic country music further out into the cosmos, though its title and various thematic references suggest the territory they’re exploring is our internal subconscious and its relationship with the realities of the modern … Continue reading
NEW MUSIC: Jordan Merrick – I Don’t Belong
Jordan Merrick has released another single from his forthcoming Night Music album (October 25th). ‘I Don’t Belong’ swing alongs with a bluesy junk shop malevolence. Think Tom Waits, or closer to home, someone like Mark Moldre and his recent album Fever Dreams. There’s some fine scratched and shimmering guitar, parping horns and ramshackle percussion going … Continue reading
LIVE REVIEW: Justin Townes Earle, Sydney (2019)
Justin Townes Earle + The Morrisons @ The Lansdowne Hotel, Sydney 04/09/19 He’s been a regular visitor to these shores since 2008 and even though each tour has shown a new stage in the evolution of Justin Townes Earle as a songwriter, it was that first show at the Annandale Hotel that, for me, remains the most vital … Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Eilen Jewell – Gypsy
Eilen Jewell Gypsy Signature Sounds There’s always the sense of an artist playing her own game when it comes to Eilen Jewell. She lets her muse dictate where she places her creative energy, whether that’s whole albums devoted to obscure blues or Loretta Lynn songs, providing backing vocals to other artists such as Pinto Bennett, … Continue reading
NEW MUSIC: David Place – Roundhouse Blues
There’s a nice bluesy and folkish soul groove to this track from David Place. He’s an Australian singer-songwriter based in Italy and this track brings to mind songwriters such as Jason Molina, Davey Craddock, Jo Meares and Perry Keyes with it’s stark and emotive treatment. The song comes from his 2019 album Rollercoaster, his third … Continue reading
VIDEO PREMIERE: Mon Coeur – Evergreen
Melbourne songwriter Mon Coeur has unveiled a wonderful video (directed by Willy Pleasance) for her song ‘Evergreen’, taken from the EP Grief Journal which is out now. The song deals in autumnal colours where wistful melancholia drifts warmly from the speakers, enriched by her exceptional alto vocal melodies. There’s a strain of traditional English folk … Continue reading
INTERVIEW: Tami Neilson
THE LIFE OF A BIG BOSS MAMA The Australian market is becoming more of a priority for Tami Neilson, she’s was recently here in May for the Blues On Broadbeach Music Festival and now she’s set to return for the Dashville Skyline and Out On The Weekend festivals. Chris Familton gets the lowdown on all the … Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Matt Andersen – Halfway Home By Morning
Matt Andersen Halfway Home By Morning True North Records/MGM Canadian Matt Andersen is a big man with a big voice and going on this collection of 13 songs he’s also got a big heart. Whether it’s singing devotional love songs or conveying the pain of loss, he invests heavy emotion and a believable sincerity in … Continue reading