Claire Anne Taylor Giving It Away Cheatin’ Hearts Records There’s so much new music that comes down the information superhighway, a veritable landslide of songs and singer-songwriters opening up their hearts and baring their souls. To be honest, most of it is bland and derivative and you have to wade through an avalanche of mediocre … Continue reading
Category Archives: Soul
NEW COUNTRY SOUL SINGLE FROM WREN BELLETTE OUT NOW!
Melbourne-based Wren Bellette (formerly of Adelaide band The Heggarties) sets sail under her own name with the irrepressible sound of ‘Sailor‘, the second taste of her forthcoming debut solo album (co-produced by Taasha Coates of The Audreys). It’s a song that opens with a vessel creaking on a gently rolling ocean, as a super laidback groove and warm resonant … Continue reading
SIX STRINGS Q&A: Ryan Martin John
Ryan Martin John released the quite sublime album Goodness Gracious Graceless earlier this year and it was one of those albums that completely hit the spot for me on first listen. In my REVIEW of the album I said “This is sophisticated music, yet wholly accessible and overflowing with both melancholy and melodies that will … Continue reading
VIDEO PREMIERE: Claire Anne Taylor – Keep On Truckin’
I’m super pleased to be able to premiere the video for Claire Anne Taylor‘s new single ‘Keep On Truckin” today. The single comes from her forthcoming third album Giving It Away, recorded at MONA’s Frying Pan Studios in Tasmania and set for released in February 2024. Possessing one of the finest voices in Australian roots … Continue reading
VIDEO PREMIERE: Dave Wells – Ella (live)
Last month NSW singer-songwriter Dave Wells released his new album If We Had Our Time Again and here at PTW I’m very pleased to be able to premiere the video clip for the song ‘Ella‘, recorded live at the 2023 Newcastle Writers Festival, at The Conservatorium of Music, Newcastle – performed by Dave & Loretta … Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Ryan Martin John – Goodness Gracious Graceless
Ryan Martin John’s Goodness Gracious Graceless (Independent) emerged blinking into the world in April and right from the opening track ‘Bourbon St’ it caught my ear and drew me in via the lush and spacious palette of sounds with shimmering guitars and John’s exquisite soulful folk voice. His falsetto and pure, wavering tone constantly thrills … Continue reading
DASHVILLE SKYLINE FESTIVAL KICKS OFF THIS FRIDAY!
PRESENTED BY DASHVILLE, 2SER AND POST TO WIRE One of the alt-country, Americana, folk, blues and rock ‘n’ roll highlights on the calendar each year is Dashville Skyline. The festival is held yearly in the Hunter Valley/Wonnarua Country region of NSW over the October long weekend. Dashville Skyline – Cosmic Country Weekender is a throwback … Continue reading
BRILLIANT NEW TRÉ BURT SINGLE ‘PIECE OF ME’
Taken from Tré Burt‘s forthcoming new LP Traffic Fiction, out Oct 6th via John Prine’s Oh Boy Records, ‘Piece of Me‘ has me mildly obsessed and listening to this gem on repeat. The way his voice strains and rattles at the edges, the way he doubles the timing of the song title as it tumbles … Continue reading
VIDEO PREMIERE: Small Town Romance – Home Fires
From the opening notes of Small Town Romance‘s new single ‘Home Fires‘ you’ll be hard pressed not to succumb to the warm and lilting tone of Flora Smith‘s lead vocal on this slow burning slice of dreamy twang and mesmerising country soul. It drifts along with one eye to to sky and the other grounded … Continue reading
TRÉ BURT RELEASES SOULFUL NEW SINGLE ‘TRAFFIC FICTION’
Tré Burt has a new album out on October 6th via John Prine’s Oh Boy Records and today he’s released the new single/video for the excellent title-track ‘Traffic Fiction‘. This song, and the new album, have a more of a soul sound than his previous folkier releases. Apparently as a child he listened to a … Continue reading
INTERVIEW: The Delines
GRITTY SNAPSHOTS AND SAD BALLADS An interview with the the king of moving on, songwriter and author Willy Vlautin of The Delines. By Chris Familton In the wake of singer Amy Boone’s 2016 accident where she was hit by a car, there were a few years, during her long and painful recovery, where songwriter Willy … Continue reading
ALLISON RUSSELL ANNOUNCES NEW ALBUM ‘THE RETURNER’
photo by Dana Triple Allison Russell has announced that her new album The Returner will be released on September 8th via Fantasy Records. The Returner was written and co-produced by Allison along with dim star (her partner JT Nero and Drew Lindsay) and was recorded over Solstice week in December 2022 at Henson Recording Studios in Los Angeles, CA. It features Russell’s “Rainbow Coalition” … Continue reading
VIDEO PREMIERE: Skyscraper Stan – 21st Century Lullaby
Melbourne-based Aotearoa/NZ songwriter Skyscraper Stan is back with a brand new single, his first release since the 2020 single ‘Words Like Repression’. ‘21st Century Lullaby‘ is a beautifully rendered baroque folk ode to a new family member, draped in melancholic strings courtesy of a string quartet comprised of members of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and … Continue reading
FALLON CUSH ARE BACK WITH ANOTHER SOULFUL AND MELODIC GEM OF A SONG
Sydney songwriter Steve Smith and his band Fallon Cush are back with a brand new single, their first release since their excellent 2019 LP Stranger Things Have Happened. ‘Grain Of Salt‘ drifts along beautifully, richly imbued with space and grace – sonic props to producer/engineer Josh Schuberth in that regard. The band have always navigated … Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Bud Rokesky – Outsider
BUD ROKESKY OUTSIDER RAINBOW VALLEY RECORDS A tall, lanky, dark-haired, truck-driving, songwriting stranger. It might sound like a country music cliche but that’s a snapshot of the enigmatic and supremely talented Bud Rokesky, who was interviewed in the last issue of Rhythms. It’s been a while coming for this late bloomer but Outsider is a … Continue reading