Chesterfield, UK native Holly Redford Jones has a brand new single out that finds her deftly navigating a sweet spot between country/blues rock and and a lowdown indie feel. It works wonderfully with her voice the real deal breaker here with its smoky, sultry, almost sneered delivery. ‘Bonjour Madame’ (recorded in Nashville, TN) came about when … Continue reading
THE DELINES THE IMPERIAL El Cortez Records Willy Vlautin has proven to be quite the Americana renaissance man with his time in the highly respected alt-country group Richmond Fontaine, a second career as an acclaimed novelist (Lean On Pete, Don’t Skip Out On Me) and most recently as main songwriter for The Delines. This, their … Continue reading
Here’s a voice that will grab you right from the outset. Agata Karczewska is a Warsaw-based singer-songwriter with a deep American sound. Bluesy gothic Americana folk is the order of the day on ‘Envy Is My Sin’, a song that showcases her bold and rich voice and makes for a strident and soulful sound. Recommended. … Continue reading
Here’s the recently released single from Demi Mitchell, the first since she released her fine album The Overflow last year. This track hangs wonderfully in the air, built on tension and a noir aesthetic courtesy of ringing guitar chords and a shroud of reverb. It’s a kind of smokey gothic Americana, one of those songs … Continue reading
Lots to love about this laidback, forlorn track from D.H. Scott, a singer/songwriter who was born in Bakersfield, CA but now resides in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Scott has a wonderful ache and grain to his voice, at times reminiscent of Townes Van Zandt. This great track is the story of a man (Casey Todd) who he would … Continue reading
Steve Gunn The Unseen In Between Matador Steadily, across a career now spanning a dozen years, Steve Gunn has progressively moved from the abstract, experimental and collaborative to a singular artistic with his own distinct sound. From American Primitive guitar beginnings where he was enthralled by the likes of John Fahey and Sandy Bull to … Continue reading
There’s a dreamy late-night roadhouse vibe on this track from two Asheville, NC musicians – Gold Light (Joe Chang) & Snakemusk (Beau Campolong). Mazzy Star is an obvious reference point given it’s soaked in a similar noir heartache and organic shuffling sway but this also has more of a 60s folk vibe built into its … Continue reading
This is just the kind of folk voice we fall for. The mix of ache and vulnerability, offset with a spirit and strength. There’s a wonderful lilting melody line that threads through ‘Dance With Me’, taken from Kora Feder‘s new album In Sevens which was released last week. There’s a sweetness to the song, as … Continue reading
Brad Armstrong comes at you from an otherworldly place – a ramshackle outpost town at the end of the railroad line, a rattlesnake hander on a desert bender. It’s all old-world aesthetic with wailing fiddle, primitive percussion and a great line in storytelling on ‘Brother Ford’. It reminds me of the fire and brimstone style … Continue reading
We love a track where the instant the singer sings their first note they’ve got your full attention. Tommy Alexander does that for us with this new track ‘Rejection’. He keeps things super simple with a measured vocal delivery that hangs meaning on every line. “Rejection is the hardest thing” he sings before a forlorn … Continue reading
New Zealand songwriter Kendall Elise has released this new single ‘Valentine Street’ ahead of the release of her debut solo LP Red Earth. It’s a mature and classic country sound with a dash of jazz thrown into the fabric of the song. Elise has a really great vocal style, a mix of smooth honky tonk … Continue reading
Emily Fairlight is a New Zealand songwriter who’s based in Dunedin but has spent time in Australia and India during her formative years. ‘Body Below’ is the opening track from her new LP Mother Of Gloom, a warm and intimate set of songs that highlight her ability to find shadowy moods in her music and … Continue reading
Wyndham Garnett is a multi-instrumentalist, singer songwriter, producer currently living in Los Angeles. He is a founding member of the group Elvis Perkins in Dearland and a former touring member of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and ‘Spark’ is the quite wonderful first taste of his new seven track album/EP Fistful Of Stars which is set … Continue reading
Nicholas Mudd hails from Kentucky but is now based in LA and he’s set to release his debut self-titled album on April 12th. Here are two tracks from it – ‘Sailing Song’ and ‘High Lonesome’. Both tracks showcase Mudd’s way with an austere country song, framed in fingerpicked acoustic guitar, weeping pedal steel, a melancholic … Continue reading
We’re digging this slice of melancholic 60s country pop from San Diego native Kimmi Bitter. It comes from her recently released EP West Side Twang which drapes her country songs in weeping pedal steel, shuffling drums and some wonderful backing vocals. Despite the melancholy, the song and the EP in general have a certain sweet … Continue reading
