BEYOND THE BORDERS OF ALT-COUNTRY From alt-country to blues to soul, Matt Joe Gow covers all bases on his third album. Across his first two albums, Matt Joe Gow laid down some accomplished alt-country, the kind that showed a lifetime growing up on the songs of Whiskeytown, The Jayhawks and Wilco alongside his parents’ record …
Newcastle’s Ben Leece has building a name for himself as a solo artist over the last 12 months with songwriting awards and support slots for artists such as Tim Rogers and Courtney Marie Andrews. On his highly accomplished debut album he’s brought together some of this country’s finest in producer and musician Shane Nicholson, singer …
Halfway have always seemed to operate in their own space within the Australian music industry. They tick both the Americana/alt-country box as accurately as they slot into the world of indie rock. On Rain Lover they’ve combined those sonic qualities and more, blending them seamlessly into their own brand of heartwarming and heartbreaking melancholic rock. …
The Gateway Drug to Americana Music Finding an entry point into a genre that you previously had little interest in, even disdain for, can be a revelation, a hidden door leading to a lifetime of new discoveries and musical obsessions. For me it was having my eureka moment with the godfather of Americana – Neil Young. …
His debut album heralded the arrival of a timeless and exciting new country and folk voice, yet for Marlon Williams he’s only just starting to realise his songwriting ambitions with the baroque pop sound of his new album Make Way For Love. Down the phone line from New Zealand, Marlon Williams has just landed at …
IN THE WAKE OF THE NASHVILLE SOUND Ahead of his recent return to Australia with his band The 400 Unit, Jason Isbell took Chris Familton through what he’s been up to in the wake of last year’s The Nashville Sound. “I still don’t think of myself as a country musician,” says Jason Isbell, talking about the …
Stripmall Ballads is the name that musician Phillips Saylor Wisor has been releasing music under for the last decade. He’s a founding member of the acclaimed old-time duo The Shiftless Rounders and touring banjoist for IBMA award-winning bluegrass group King Wilkie, Phillips as been working as Stripmall Ballads since 2008. There’s a wonderful weariness to … Continue reading
Danny Golden is a songwriter based in Austin, TX and going on these tracks he draws from a wide stylistic palette. Aching country balladry mixed with acid-tinged guitar solos, Americana, astute lyric writing and a sense of humour. This year he release his album Old Love, featuring Spencer Garland (Black Pumas, Matthew Logan Vasquez, PR … Continue reading
A new track from Pete Mancini, the second single from his forthcoming second solo LP due out early in 2019. ‘DUI Blues’ rides a classic country sound with a catchy hook of a chorus, touches of honky tonk and a tongue-in-cheek cautionary tale of driving after a night at the bar. Continue reading
This sounds like a pretty special musical project. Mercury Rev have announced the release of Bobbie Gentry’s The Delta Sweete Revisited, on February 8 via Bella Union. The record is a “reimagining” of Bobbie Gentry’s 1968 album The Delta Sweete and features an impressive cast of guest vocalists: 1. Okolona River Bottom Band ft. Norah Jones 2. … Continue reading
There’s that age old conundrum with live albums – it’s never going to be as good as actually being there but you get to hear different versions of songs and and the nuances within them. Jason Isbell released a live EP back in 2008 and the Live From Alabama album in 2012 so it’s clear he’s … Continue reading
BLOODLINES: Musical Offspring Does music run in one’s blood? Can the spirit and verve of an accomplished songwriter be passed down from one generation to another? There’s probably a case for both nature and nurture playing their part but over the decades there have been some strong examples of artists whose offspring have also forged their … Continue reading
Benjamin Folk Thomas has just released his new album Modern Man on Aveline Records and one of the finest moments on the records is this track, ‘Tasteless and Complacement’. It’s a song that rides along with effortless momentum, wordless melodies cascading around the Swedish songwriter as he sings of dark clouds, acid rain, missing inspiration … Continue reading
Johnathan Rice recently released this new single, ‘Meet The Mother’, that came from a conversation he had with Bill Murray. The song ebbs and flows and slowly build up with elements of Dylan-esque phrasing and power pop melodies. Rice is one half of Jenny and Jonny with Jenny Lewis and has toured with bands such … Continue reading
Jim Lauderdale is now 30 albums deep into his career and his latest is indeed a pearl of a record, blending his customary mix of country, soul and swing with sweet and subtle ease. The title track opens the album on a high with an aching sway that blossoms into a soaring chorus reminiscent of … Continue reading
The stars have certainly aligned for Lucero on this, their ninth album. It marks their 20th year as a band and was recorded by Matt Ross-Spang (Jason Isbell, Margo Price, Drive-By Truckers) at the auspicious Sam Phillips Recording Service studio in their hometown of Memphis. Most importantly, it stands tall as one of their strongest … Continue reading
Australian country music can stay true to its American roots and also sound like a product of its antipodean environment. While the big names chase the sales figures and follow well-worn formats there others that carve out a sweet niche of inner city honky tonk and heartworn laneways. James Ellis’ imagination was captured on a … Continue reading
It’s been nine years between albums for Sydney’s Lost In The Woods. A reinvigorated lineup has seen them gigging more often and slowly but surely working towards the release of their third record. Campfire Radio finds the expressive and emotive group adding a rich palette of colour and detail to the songs of Brian Yatman. … Continue reading
Last week we posted the wonderful new track from Tracy McNeil & The GoodLife and this great new single from Swedish singer/songwriter Marlene Oak falls into the same musical sphere. It’s a perfect example of warm and melodic, 70s country rock with a pop heart. You can hear the Fleetwood Mac influence in the … Continue reading
Anna Elizabeth Laube was born in Iowa City, IA and raised in Madison, Wisconsin but now calls Seattle, WA home. In 2016 she released her fourth album Tree, which included the track below which has a new lease of life as a radio edit single in 2018. ‘I Miss You (So Much)’ is a wonderful … Continue reading
The celebrations marking the release of Take Me To Town, our self-proclaimed landmark compilation of contemporary Australian alternative country music continues next week with a very special showcase evening at Australian Music Week in Cronulla on Wednesday Nov 7th at El Sol Restaurant. Facebook Event Tracy McNeil and her band The GoodLife take the songwriting … Continue reading
