Nixon, released in 2000, was the turning point for the Nashville band led by Kurt Wagner. It was a richly ornate LP that layered soul music on the band’s Americana roots and to these ears it was an exotic, beautiful and utterly immersive record. Now Merge have given it the reissue treatment as the first … Continue reading
Category Archives: Soul
Album Reviews / Americana / Blues / Soul
ALBUM REVIEW: Lo Carmen & Peter Head ~ The Apple Don’t Fall Far From The Tree
by Chris Familton Surprisingly this is the first collaborative album from Lo Carmen and her pianist father Peter Head and hopefully it won’t be the last, such is its endearing mix of country soul and late night jazz. Primarily the songs are built on Head’s elegant and melodious playing and Carmen’s playful purr of a … Continue reading
NEW MUSIC: Bonnie Whitmore ~ There I Go Again
Bonnie Whitmore (Denton TX) has a brand new album There I Go Again out now and it is a wonderful journey through country and sun-dappled soul and rock. Playing country music from the age of 8 means she has lived and learnt it and her songs flow effortlessly, overflowing with a sense of purpose, strength and … Continue reading
INTERVIEW: Simone Felice
THE BIG SPIRIT OF SONG AFTER FINALLY STEPPING OUT UNDER HIS OWN NAME, AMERICANA SONGWRITER SIMONE FELICE IS DEEP IN THE MIDDLE OF WRITING AND RECORDING ALBUM #2. HE GIVES CHRIS FAMILTON AN INSIGHT TO WHERE IT MIGHT BE HEADING AND HOW HE HAS ADAPTED TO LIFE AS A SOLO ARTIST. Simone Felice has experienced … Continue reading
LIVE REVIEW: Justin Townes Earle + Robert Ellis @ The Basement, Sydney (05/02/13)
by Chris Familton The practice of an established artist giving a relative newcomer a leg-up by taking them out on tour is an admirable one and in the case of Texan singer/songwriter Robert Ellis it was a real treat to watch and listen to such an affable singer with a firm grasp of a number … Continue reading
NEW MUSIC: Loene Carmen | The Peach State EP
The highly talented Loene Carmen has a new EP out called The Peach State which she wrote while living over in the deep South of the USA (and recorded in Nashville) earlier in 2012. Born in a heatwave and inspired by a Stella parlor guitar that she discovered in a junk shop, the EP is … Continue reading
Album Reviews / Blues / Rock / Soul / Stream
ALBUM REVIEW: Gary Clark Jr. | Blak and Blu
by Chris Familton Roots music of the kind that encompasses blues, folk and country is often perceived as still living in the past. Most artists choose to work within the boundaries of their chosen genre, maybe mixing in some soul, jazz or funk but still operating in a safe zone. When a musician decides to … Continue reading
WATCH: Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit | Danko/Manuel (live)
Jason Isbell possesses a devastating voice and one that should be experienced live if at all possible. Isbell and his band The 400 Unit will release a live album, Live From Alabama, on Lightning Rod Records/Thirty Tigers on Nov 20th and the first taste of the record is this brilliant sparse take on Isbell’s best … Continue reading
Americana / Country / Folk / Soul / Southern Rock
NEW MUSIC: The Felice Brothers release God Bless You Amigo
The Felice Brothers have had a few set backs lately with destructive weather and the death of their trusty touring van. To raise some funds they have digitally released a new collection of songs called God Bless You Amigo which they stress isn’t the official follow-up to the brilliantly underrated Celebration, Florida. Read the press … Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Chimes of Freedom | The Songs of Bob Dylan
by Chris Familton Bob Dylan must surely be the most covered artist of the last forty years so when another compilation of versions of his songs comes along it is easy to dismiss it as another batch of standards reinterpreted. The hook with this one though is twofold. Firstly it is a fantastic cause with … Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW : Justin Townes Earle | Nothing’s Gonna Change The Way You Feel About Me Now
written by Chris Familton Justin Townes Earle has made a habit of changing it up on each of his three albums. The Good Life found him very much in the traditional country and folk songwriter mould while Harlem River Blues saw him using New York as a source of inspiration. Now Earle has shifted geographically … Continue reading
WATCH: John Grant | Where Dreams Go To Die (Live on KEXP)
John Grant performs a devastating version in Iceland of Where Dreams Go To Die from his album Queen of Denmark. If you haven’t checked him out before then that album is an essential listen. Grant first found fame in the totally underrated band The Czars who released six studio albums before imploding around Grant. The … Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: The Felice Brothers | Celebration, Florida
written by Chris Familton In the realm of americana and roots music bands tend to stay within the confines of their genre for the most part. Some like Wilco and My Morning Jacket stretch and blur their country-based templates but for the most part, re-invention and experimentation are limited in this neck of the woods. … Continue reading
WATCH: Buffalo Springfield | Mr Soul (live @ Bonnaroo 11/06/11)
The recently reformed Buffalo Springfield played Bonnaroo on the weekend and after watching this excellent audience video we’d kill to get to one the shows on the rest of their tour! Continue reading
Album Reviews / Americana / Country / Folk / Soul / Southern Rock
ALBUM REVIEW: My Morning Jacket | Circuital
written by Chris Familton When the bass drops one minute into the opening track Victory Dance a smile creeps upward and the head gratefully nods in a sign of satisfaction. My Morning Jacket started off with a couple of albums that established them as one of those classic genre stretching americana acts like Wilco who … Continue reading
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