In this Q&A, Favours takes us inside the album’s writing and recording process, his musical influences and the challenges and rewards of running an independent record label. Given that this album has been ready for release for a year now, how are you feeling about it finally seeing the light of day on April 3rd? … Continue reading
With her famous surname and the album’s opening shimmering tremolo guitar chords you’d think you were in for a straight country trip. There’s certainly a strong country streak, of the Nikki Lane kind, that runs through Walking Proof, but just as equally there’s an indie rock aesthetic that runs from Liz Phair to Jenny Lewis … Continue reading
Melbourne alt-country/Americana songwriter Mitch Dean released his debut solo album Holding Back The Levee last Friday. “I wanted to make something that sounded like all the albums I love to listen to. From Neil Young through to The Jayhawks.” Evocative storytelling, rich musicality and the heartfelt conveyance of human emotion. Those are some of the hallmarks … Continue reading
Lucinda Williams Good Souls Better Angels Highway 20 / Cooking Vinyl Australia After a year spent looking back with her Car Wheels On A Gravel Road 20th anniversary tour, Lucinda Williams has now turned her mind to the modern world in the here and now, from internal battles of individuals to the heartless idiocy of … Continue reading
Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit Reunions Caroline Australia Jason Isbell cemented himself in the pantheon of 21st century songwriters with his Southeastern album in 2013. Since then he’s continued to release strong records but Reunions stands as his most consistent set of songs to date. Sure it might not have the exquisite emotional songwriting … Continue reading
A few weeks ago, Andy Sydow released his new EP Wicked Dreams and our favourite track on it is this one – ‘Feel Like Gold‘. There’s some Petty in his sound, some Nathaniel Rateliff too – framed by some fine organ playing as he soars into a killer chorus on the track. It’s a polished melodic … Continue reading
Los Angeles band Idle Joy recently released their second album Your Stars and one of its highlights is the widescreen country rock of the song ‘Little Rain‘. Characterised by hot-wired guitars that slash and burn, jangle and twang across a loose and swaggering rock ‘n’ roll landscape, the song starts slow and steady before gathering … Continue reading
Sydney songwriter Bryan Estepa follows up his 2019 album, Sometimes I Just Don’t Know, with a brand new single ‘Weight In Gold’. It’s a warm and mellow embrace of a song. Heartfelt notions abound on this beautiful paean to a friend or a lover. It’s all wrapped up in shimmering guitar, handclaps and mellotron, with Estepa’s … Continue reading
Dave Favours & The Roadside Ashes Not Your Average Country Band Stanley Records It’s been six years since Sydney songwriter Dave Favours released his solo album Wet Suburban Sunday, but he’s spent those years building up the roster on his label Stanley Records, releasing the Australian alt-country compilation Take Me To Town and honing the … Continue reading
Everything about this song we love. The way Ride Til Dawn‘s singer Mitch Grier sings the first line and leaves it hanging that bit longer until the next lines adds further details and context. There’s the chorus that swells skyward with a sweet ache and yearning. The song remind us a bit of the music … Continue reading
Drive-By Truckers The Unraveling Ato Records by Chris Familton Over nearly quarter of a century, Drive-By Truckers have slowly established themselves as one of the great American bands of modern times. Harnessing the grit and swagger of alt-country and embracing and challenging the notion of being a Southern rock band, Patterson Hood, Mike Cooley and … Continue reading
Yeah I know we’ve posted a couple of Cave Flowers‘ songs from their new self-titled album already, but damn it’s a cracker of a record and this track, the most recent single, is maybe our favourite. ‘Upper Hand’ has that windswept, slacker country vibe, perfectly enhanced by singer Andy McAllister’s gravelly voice and the way … Continue reading
THE ALT-COUNTRY ENIGMA THAT IS FALLON CUSH A strange name and an intriguing album title to match. Songwriter Steve Smith leads us into the shadows of Fallon Cush’s new album where its mysterious themes are matched a colourful sonic palette and infectious melodies. Fallon Cush – It’s a name that rolls off the tongue but … Continue reading
This song from Tortilla Flats jumps out of the gates on the back of a Dr Feelgood scratch and urgency and it doesn’t let up. Countrified and wired, it’s a blues boogie of sorts? Who knows! What it does do is kick like a mule. Great stuff from the Swedish group, who we haven’t actually … Continue reading
Sturgill Simpson Sound & Fury Elektra Records Sturgill Simpson’s last album, A Sailor’s Guide To Earth was a soulful, expansive and personal welcome-letter to his infant son. It was his first major step away from the traditional worlds of country and alt-country and showed he was someone prepared, and able, to follow his muse and … Continue reading
