The Horizon Just Laughed comes on the back of the loosely thematic trilogy of albums he recorded with producer and musician Andrew Swift. They were psychedelic in nature though still rooted in the folk form. In contrast, this feels like a retreat from the density and experimentation, to a place of reflection and solitude. Jurado … Continue reading
“I like you honey, being with you is like being alone”. It’s a line in I’ve Hurt Worse that sums up the lyrical concerns of Courtney Marie Andrews’ sophomore album in two ways. The rocky terrain of personal relationships and the mental health issues of modern society. If her debut was an impressive introduction to … Continue reading
His debut album heralded the arrival of a timeless and exciting new country and folk voice, yet for Marlon Williams he’s only just starting to realise his songwriting ambitions with the baroque pop sound of his new album Make Way For Love. Down the phone line from New Zealand, Marlon Williams has just landed at … Continue reading
Diamond Duck release their self-titled debut EP this week and it’s a wonderful showcase for the talents of Jimmy Daley and Brian Campeau. Lush and ornate are two words that come to mind listening to the EP. The duo’s harmonies are beautifully intertwined, rising and falling, complementing and contrasting each other. They recall some of … Continue reading
Nine albums in and Calexico are still pushing the boundaries of expectations and their own creative urges. Many of their albums have sounded produced and polished – polite even. Here they dismiss any need for a clean or cohesive sound, instead adding some grit and distortion and a gauzier texture to some the album’s 15 tracks. … Continue reading
EMOTIONAL RESCUE Ahead of Blair Dunlop’s second visit to Australia, he took the time to chat with Chris Familton about his new album – it’s blend of English folk and American country music and the role that anxiety played in its genesis. With his brand new fourth album, Notes From An Island, in his back … Continue reading
Dori Freeman only released her self-titled debut album in 2016 but she’s already gone and followed it up with Letters Never Read, an album that takes the template of her first release and adds greater warmth, soul and depth of writing. Freeman has again employed the services of Teddy Thompson as producer, and he in … Continue reading
Hurray For The Riff Raff, Slow Dancer @ Factory Theatre, March 26th 2018 Back for the first time since their Newtown Social Club show in 2014, Hurray For The Riff Raff were upsized to the much larger Factory Theatre, an overly ambitious punt by the promoter given that their profile hasn’t risen greatly in the intervening years. … Continue reading
Kasey Chambers has followed up last year’s Dragonfly double album with a new band, The Campfire Disciples, and their new album Campfire. Due out on April 27th, the album represents the connection she’s had to different lands and cultures throughout her life, and drawing from the regions that have influenced her the most – Australia, Africa, … Continue reading
From all the entries that were submitted for the 2018 Americana Music Prize of Australia, the panel have whittled down the list to the fifteen finalists who are in with a chance to win a $10,000 prize pack. The joint initiative between esteemed country musician Shane Nicholson, the Forbes Street Studios and Lost Highway Australia, … Continue reading
Ryley Walker is back with another new album, this one coming out on the Dead Oceans via Inertia Music (in Australia). Cooper Crain (Bitchin’ Bajas, Cave) recorded and mixed the album, as well as adding his shimmering synths all over it. Ryley plays electric & acoustic guitars and was joined by long-time 6-string sparring partners, … Continue reading
Today we’ve posted the first episode of our brand new online music show Post To Wireless. Its current home is on Mixcloud where we’ll be publishing a new show each fortnight. Join me, Chris Familton, for a selection of alt-country, folk, blues and rock ‘n’ roll songs, information and interviews. We’ll be drawing from the … Continue reading
“We want to support, encourage, mentor and resource aspiring unsigned artists in the Americana/alt-country scene in Australia and this is a great way to kick start a career,” says Shane Nicholson of his latest initiative to support the genre that he has become so recognised for. Launching today as a joint initiative of Shane Nicholson/The … Continue reading
Here they are, the 40 albums that I personally felt were the most important, fascinating and listenable in 2017. It was a near impossible process to collate them on a spreadsheet and make decisions and adjustments as to the creative worth of one over another. I’d highly recommend all the albums on this list and … Continue reading
Sam Beam returns with his sixth album and it finds him returning to his earlier sound where the music is stripped back, relatively unadorned and existing in it’s own unhurried world. By recording live, with minimal overdubs, Beam has ensured the focus is on a clear and detailed presentation of the songs, his warm and … Continue reading
