2017 is pretty much done and dusted and it’s been another great year for Australian and New Zealand releases under the broad banner of Americana music. Our favourite album (and an EP) list takes in ethereal and eccentric folk music, raw alt-country, covers, spoken word and melancholic power pop – highlighting the range in … Continue reading
Sam Beam returns with his sixth album and it finds him returning to his earlier sound where the music is stripped back, relatively unadorned and existing in it’s own unhurried world. By recording live, with minimal overdubs, Beam has ensured the focus is on a clear and detailed presentation of the songs, his warm and … Continue reading
As one of The Felice Brothers, Ian Felice has been the haunting, ragged and cosmic voice behind a rich discography of Americana music that straddles the contemporary and the archaic, with their lived-in sound and free-wheelin’ and free-spirited lyricism. Now Felice has followed in the steps of brother Simone (who left the band fairly early … Continue reading
Robert Ellis and Courtney Hartman have teamed up for Dear John (Dec 8th), an album of ten John Hartford songs, paying tribute to the songwriter known for his solo performances where he would alternate between guitar, banjo, and fiddle while he tap danced and clogged on an amplified piece of plywood, John Hartford is credited as … Continue reading
Covers albums can swing two ways, attempts at slavish replicas of the original songs or those instances where the artist recasts the songs in a new light, with their own personality and style at the forefront. Dan Brodie has successfully taken the latter route with a collection of songs that reveal some of his influences … Continue reading
I caught Ben Leece for the first time at this year’s Dashville Skyline Festival. It was broad daylight on the last morning, the vibe was lazy, sun-kissed and chilled out. Ben started singing and something in the air shifted. It was one of those voices that catches the air and piques one’s senses. Rich with … Continue reading
She’s known primarily for her country and folk albums but Eilen Jewell has always had a love for the blues. On Down Hearted Blues she’s finally taken the plunge and delved deep into the history of blues music with a collection of covers from the genre that stands as a key cornerstone of all popular … Continue reading
There’s a strong timeless quality that permeates Jed Rowe’s fourth album. Timeless in the sense that the songs aren’t tied to any particular style that can place it on the timeline of rock n roll – yet also in the way the songs are written, paced and arranged. They’re treated with a laid-back swaying sound … Continue reading
Bloodshot Records know their way around a good compilation album and this year they’ve put together 13 tracks to celebrate/survive/bemoan the December festive period. 13 Days of Xmas has something to fit any mood, any occasion, for this sometimes-wonderful, sometimes-trying time of year. From the garage-soul of Barrence Whitfield and the Savages’ “Papa Barrence’s Christmas,” … Continue reading
Shapeshifting songwriter Daniel Romano has covered wide stylistic ground, from his post-hardcore band Attack in Black through to his run of top-notch solo albums that take in classic country, folk and psychedelic variations of the aforementioned. Now with Modern Pressure he’s consolidated his sound, corralling all those Americana variations into his consistently best album to … Continue reading
Margo Price only just released her new EP Weakness and now she’s gone and announced that a new full-length album will be released on October 20th via Third Man Records. All American Made was recorded at Memphis’ Sam Phillips Recording during the same sessions as Weakness and was again co-produced by Matt Ross-Spang, Alex Munoz, Price, and Jeremy Ivey, the latter … Continue reading
Here’s a new track from Melbourne’s Patrick Wilson and his band The Bare River Queens. It’s a big and brassy song, dripping with soul and a country and blues swing, topped off with some great vocal melodies. Wilson and band play Coburg’s Post Office Hotel to launch ’Nobody’ on Saturday 27 August. Continue reading
By now Justin Townes Earle has released enough albums and developed his songwriting to the extent where he’s found his own distinct corner of the country music world. He’s developed an identifiable sound, particularly in the effortless swing he places in his music and the way he delivers his lyrics – that fluid and melodious, … Continue reading
The Sydney quartet take a slick approach on their debut album which finds them blending folk harmonies with the retro-tinged indie pop of acts such as Jenny Lewis and Neko Case. Fleshing out their live sound with a fuller band one was a wise move. It gives the songs a greater depth and a lush … Continue reading
Sydney songwriter Taryn La Fauci takes a restrained and intimate approach on her debut album Cycling. She lays herself – her thoughts and emotions – bare on ten songs that have a folk feel in the acoustic instrumentation, paired with a classic singer/songwriter mood. Nothing threatens, with soft electric guitar shimmers, shuffling drums and a … Continue reading
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