Perth alt-folk femme trio, The Holy Smoke have just released their new EP The River, featuring the exquisite harmonies of the gospel-flavoured opening track ‘Down To The River’ and the closing cut ‘Will There Be a Light’. The latter is an earthy and soulful folk reverie that again highlights the symbiotic vocal connection that Delilah … Continue reading
Texan Kathryn Legrande has released two superb new tracks. The first, ‘Going Crazy’ is a wonderful Loretta Lynn and Merle Haggard-channeling, hard honky-tonk song topped off by Legrande’s fine vocal. There’s a touch of Nikki Lane in her sound too but less floorboard-stomping extrovert. ‘Making It Up’ takes a smoother and more wistful approach, soaked … Continue reading
‘Sweet Lucinda’, the new track from West Virginian Tony Harrah starts off pleasingly, in a burly troubadour kind of way but when it hits the chorus it locks you in. The shift of the drums and the upward melodic surge will win you over instantly. “Ah yes, this is great,” you’ll nod to yourself as the … Continue reading
Sean McMahon You Will Know When You’re There Blind Date Records Melbournian Sean McMahon’s new album is a beguiling affair. It occupies a gently rolling middle ground where songs never explode into wild extremes. Instead, they nestle into a warm and gently rocking vibe. McMahon’s sound is bucolic and forlorn singer/songwriter alt-country, with a dash … Continue reading
Here’s a new song from Sara Rachele, a songwriter from Decatur, GA who trades in some wonderfully atmospheric torch-song, Americana, soul noir. Think Mazzy Star (who she’s covered), Lera Lynn, and Katie Brianna. The new single ‘Allelu (I Found You)’, from her forthcoming album Scorpio Moon (August 2nd), was recorded live to tape in Brooklyn, … Continue reading
NATHAN SEECKTS THE HEART OF THE CITY Independent This is the debut album from Melbourne singer/songwriter Nathan Seeckts. He’s released a string of EPs since 2010 and that slow and steady approach has served him well, going on the impressive and consistent quality of the songwriting and musicianship on The Heart Of The City. Seeckts … Continue reading
THE FELICE BROTHERS UNDRESS Yep Roc Records At their core, The Felice Brothers have always centred on the songwriting of Ian Felice and the musicality of brother James, plus the influence of Simone Felice in the band’s early days, before he moved on to a solo career. They’ve had a revolving door of drummers but … Continue reading
Possessing one of the finest voices on the Sydney music scene, Peta Caswell has finally stepped out under her own name, with her band The Lost Cause, and released her debut self-titled EP (on Stanley Records). Blending country rock, soul and alt-country, Caswell knows how to belt out a rich, soaring chorus as confidently as … Continue reading
An exciting start to a new week with the first taste of the new Lost Ragas album This is Not A Dream. The cosmic country sounds are firmly intact on this superb track with a rhythm section that punches hard and tight beneath the spiralling psychedelic guitars of Matt Walker and Shane Reilly. Great production, … Continue reading
Andrew Phelan is an Australian who relocated to Canada (received a Canadian Folk Music Award nomination) and last week he released his new six song EP Everything Rattles When I Breathe. This one from it, ‘That’s How’ is a catchy and rousing folk dispatch about the perils of booze. He’s got a fine line in … Continue reading
Oliver Ray has a brand new album out now called Out Passed Nowhere. It’s his debut record and features Howe Gelb, musicians from Sugar Candy Mountain, The Myrrors, Xixa, and China, as well as a very special appearance by the poet laureate of punk, Patti Smith, who Ray has worked with as her longtime guitarist. ‘Ol’ … Continue reading
One positive to come from the recent lineup changes for The Felice Brothers is that we get to hear more new music from the talented members taking flight under their own names. Greg Farley was the fiddle player with the band for a decade and late last year he released his debut solo album Taker … Continue reading
The sound of The Doors, psychedelic blues, gothic country, Lee Hazlewood and even Julian Cope collide on this new song from Australian Jordan Merrick. Also a member of Brisbane band Fugitive & The Vagabond, Merrick has dialled into a swirling, pulsing, dark folk-rock vibe on ‘Low Country’, which bodes well for his forthcoming debut album. … Continue reading
Kate Vargas, the NYC-based, half-Mexican singer-songwriter, already has a few albums under her belt, including last year’s fine For The Wolfish & Wandering. Now, after a songwriting experience at the Holiday Music Motel (see below), she’s released the jazzier sounding ‘Nothing Turns My Lock’ single. Vargas’ appeal lies in her husky voice and her willingness to explore … Continue reading
Hailing from Nashville, TN, here’s a song about NYC from singer-songwriter John Burnette. It has the beautiful lines “New York City are you doing alright, do you taking your pills?” and “He lost her in a lucid spell he was trying to preserve. Now they’re standing on the salt flats, babe, disappearing at the edge … Continue reading
