This was a public holiday with reduced trading hours which meant an early start time for the local support act Le Pie. Backed by a five-piece band, she was one part Kim Gordon, one part 60s girl group. Over a bed of indie rock they showed a fine stylistic range, especially on their set-closer which … Continue reading
Melbourne alt-country and folk duo The Weeping Willows recorded their sophomore album in Los Angeles and as such it has a lived-in, warm and lush sound. Their authenticity and craft as singers, as songwriters and in Andrew Wriggleworth’s sublime guitar playing makes this a hypnotic and alluring album. They’ve taken a detour down some darker and … Continue reading
Houndmouth’s second LP Little Neon Limelight was released last year and since then they’ve been on the tour circuit playing headline shows, festivals and TV appearances. The success of that album, on the back of their well-received debut From The Hills Below The City, has led them to book the long-haul flights down to Australia and … Continue reading
This was an evening of three shades of solo performance, three acoustic guitars, three bewitching voices and a common thread of dark humour. Aucklander Seth Frightening serenaded the slow-filling room with his fascinating mix of spooky, atmospheric folk music. With an emotive and melancholically angelic voice he stepped out of the standard folk singer paradigm … Continue reading
With the change in weather from high temperatures to blustery storms, the Hyde Park festival village became a somewhat deserted and mud-laden location. That didn’t deter the committed and curious fans of Chicago’s Ryley Walker from scurrying beneath umbrellas to the steps of The Famous Spiegeltent for what would be a spellbinding set of acoustic … Continue reading
William Crighton has been gaining a reputation over the last couple of years for his solo and band performances that trade on intensity, honest songwriting and passionate delivery. There are country and folk influences at work in his music but it really boils down to the songs and the brooding yet melodic sounds he shrouds them in. … Continue reading
John Flanagan went straight to the source for his new album – Nashville TN, where he used producer Viktor Krauss and some of the city’s finest session players to bring his melancholic songs to life on this classic-sounding Americana record. Flanagan has a smooth, familiar vocal sound reminiscent of Ron Sexsmith and John Fullbright and … Continue reading
Here’s a really nice batch of songs written and recorded by James Elm. Voice and mandolin keeps things nice and sparse with focus on the songs, mood and Elm’s great bluesy voice. Continue reading
Photographer and director Lyn Taylor has started producing some great clips of live acoustic performances of Australian folk and alt. country acts with Nick Payne recording and mixing the audio. The pair also form the core of folk/bluegrass group Dear Orphans. Here are three of our favourite sessions so far with Mark Lucas, Katie Brianna … Continue reading
Mark Moldre continues on his quest to release a clip for each of the ten tracks on his excellent 2013 LP An Ear To The Earth. ‘O, Dreamtime’ is a special family affair with Moldre’s 14 year old daughter creating the video on her iPad. It’s a stellar effort, suiting the song wonderfully with its … Continue reading
The middle of the 1960s was a turbulent time culturally. Collars were loosening, hair was growing and music was changing at a rapid rate as rock ’n’ roll began to explore its possibilities aided by free thinking and stimulants. Dylan was the poster boy, the artist out front pushing the limits with a wild surrealistic … Continue reading
LIVE REVIEW: Lachlan Bryan & The Wildes, Imogen Clark, Hussy Hicks @ The Basement, Sydney (18/11/15) Hussy Hicks created one impressive and soulful sound as the opening act at the latest showcase evening presented by Lost Highway Records. Their blend of country, blues, jazz and soul is grounded in Julz Parker’s consummate guitar playing and … Continue reading
LIVE REVIEW: Tiny Ruins, Flowertruck, Stolen Violin @ Oxford Art Factory, Sydney (25/11/15) The evening at the portioned and reduced capacity OAF began with a solitary figure cross-legged on-stage with a twelve-string acoustic guitar, microphone and effects pedals. What followed was a brace of only three or four songs from Stolen Violin (Jordan Ireland from … Continue reading
We’ve joined forces with the wonderful Areatha from Mother Hen Touring (M.E Baird, James Thomson, Dan Waters, Leo Rondeau etc) to put on an end-of-year gig/party at the Petersham Bowling Club on December 20th. This will be a chance for the Sydney alt.country and folk music scene to celebrate another wonderful year of music in which some … Continue reading
Lucinda Williams, Dan Sultan @ Enmore Theatre, Sydney (02/12/15) On this night of alt. country royalty returning to Sydney Dan Sultan had the opening honours and with just electric guitar, mic and keyboard he showed the full gamut of his musical CV, from brooding bluesy stomps to anguished and emotive soul music. He admitted he … Continue reading
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