Laura Jean opened the evening with an absorbing set that highlighted both her clever lyrical turns and delicate, almost textural finger-picking guitar style. Songs about married life, domesticity and crazy dogs from her 2014 album comprised the bulk of her performance as she drew the audience into her world of observational songwriting and dry-humour. Her … Continue reading
Stu Arkoff (A Man Called Stu) has been doing the long miles in America of late and having to deal with cancelled shows due to a car accident and a tragic family loss. The good news is that he seems to have had a blast at the shows he’s played from the look of the … Continue reading
Matt Walker has been a stalwart of the roots music scene for more than two decades now and with Lost Ragas he may have found his perfect musical marriage. The quartet truly embody the phrase ‘cosmic country’, serving up a sound that mixes classic country, power pop and rock n roll. It’s like Sturgill Simpson … Continue reading
Attempts at an authentic presentation of traditional music can show up pale imitators pretty quickly but, on the flipside, those tagged as the real deal quickly rise to the top. The Deslondes are just that with five singer/songwriters blending country music with New Orleans soul and honky tonk with thrilling results. Their songs swing and … Continue reading
As we roll into the weekend and look back at the last week, our highlight was last night’s double album launch featuring Ruby Boots (Solitude) and Raised By Eagles‘ (Diamonds in the Bloodstream) with local gent Andy Golledge opening with a superb set in trio band mode (see photos). Both the headliners more than did … Continue reading
From his early releases with The Unfaithful Ways and through three duo albums with fellow New Zealander Delaney Davidson, Marlon Williams has always been tagged as one to watch. Though this solo debut has been a long time coming he has toured and built a strong reputation as a live performer across Australia and NZ … Continue reading
Nashville’s Sara Syms has a new album called Way Back Home due for release this September and she has been kind enough to share the title track with us. The song has just the right balance of shimmer and solid rhythm section beneath Syms’ rich ache of a voice. Continue reading
Drawing on a range of country styles from Americana to traditional, pop to rock, Catherine Britt has produced a strong collection of songs on her sixth album. The opening title track gets things off to a rollicking and raw start before the beautiful ache of the string-laden ‘Good To Be Bad’ slows things down. From there … Continue reading
Ruby Boots is the nom de plume for Perth’s Bex Chilcott and though this is wholly a solo album in terms of songwriting and musical personality she has corralled the talents of a number of accomplished individuals on her spellbinding debut full length release. Co-starring roles go to Vicki Thorn (The Waifs), Jordie Lane, Davey … Continue reading
Here’s the first taste of the new Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell duet album due for release via Nonesuch Records on May 12th. The Traveling Kind follows their successful 2013 LP Old Yellow Moon. ‘You Can’t Say Were Didn’t Try’ is another sweet heartstring duet from the pair. Australia Tour Dates June 21, Perth, Concert Hall … Continue reading
Queensland songwriter Brad Butcher certainly doesn’t take too many risks, nor does he hit too many emotional highs on Jamestown. His style is a calm and measured approach to his music but too often that is a recipe for songs blending together without enough dynamism across the eleven tracks. Occasionally his songs do excel, particularly … Continue reading
Sam may be an outlaw by name but by nature he comes across as more of a soul searching, sensitive guy on his debut album. It’s a country record complete with sparkling pedal steel and tales of love won and lost and while he can write a good song within those parameters it often sounds … Continue reading
It has been a big week for Americana related tour announcements with news that The Milk Carton Kids, Mary Chapin Carpenter & Tift Merritt and Ryan Adams & Jenny Lewis will be touring here over the next few months. Local acts have also got in on the action with Marlon Williams announcing an Australian and New … Continue reading
The two outlaw country legends Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard have teamed up for a new album (Django and Jimmie) and on the evidence of this clip for the first single they had a barrel of fun recording it. I’t’s All Going To Pot’ is a lively and funny play on words and Willie’s infamous … Continue reading
Like a straighter American cousin to C.W. Stoneking’s more esoteric old-timey sound, Pokey LaFarge blends all manner of traditional musical forms – from jazz and swing to folk, country, doo-wop and mariachi. It’s all woven together in LaFarge’s authentic style on this, his most realised album to date. With a band that he’s been playing … Continue reading
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