Latest Entries

Alt-Country / Americana / Gig Reviews / Photos / Tour

LIVE REVIEW: Tracy McNeil, Jep and Dep @ Coogee Diggers, Sydney (10.07.14)

Posted on July 26, 2014 by Doubtful Sounds • Leave a comment

Coogee Diggers have been doing great things for original music for a couple of years, in an area well outside the normal locales for live music. Tonight’s small audience was both symptomatic of the reluctance of punters to venture out east and a still growing Sydney alt-country scene. Regardless both acts performed exceptionally well, … Continue reading →

Album Reviews / Alt-Country / Soul / Stream

ALBUM REVIEW: Emma Swift ~ Emma Swift

Posted on July 26, 2014 by Doubtful Sounds • 3 Comments

Emma Swift’s voyage as a songwriter has seen her progressively sink deeper and deeper into the soulful well of country music. As a broadcaster she has long championed Americana music in its many forms, soaking up its heart and nuances, traditions and spirit and as one half of duo 49 Goodbyes she showed her ambition … Continue reading →

Album Reviews / Americana / Blues / Country / Rockabilly / Videos

ALBUM REVIEW: Corb Lund ~ Counterfeit Blues

Posted on July 25, 2014 by Doubtful Sounds • 1 Comment

The story behind Corb Lund’s eight album involves a trip with his band the Hurtin’ Albertans down from Canada to Memphis’ legendary Sun Studio for a completely live recording session over two nights. That approach has certainly reaped rewards with the album sounding raw and alive. There is a real sense of the players bouncing … Continue reading →

Alt-Country / Americana / New Music / Rock / Videos

NEW MUSIC: Kasey Chambers ~ Wheelbarrow

Posted on July 12, 2014 by Doubtful Sounds • Leave a comment

Kasey Chambers has released the first single from new album Bittersweet that comes out at the end of August. Below you can watch the black and white clip for ‘Wheelbarrow’, the upbeat and grittier than normal track for Chambers. Continue reading →

Alt-Country / Americana / New Music / Soul / Stream / Videos

NEW MUSIC: HT Heartache ~ Sundowner

Posted on July 12, 2014 by Doubtful Sounds • Leave a comment

My new discovery of the day is Mary Roth aka HT Heartache who has just released her new album Sundowner. This is what I terms country soul, laden with melancholic waltzes, hazy shimmering guitars and reverb-laden shuffling drums as the backdrop for Roth’s late night sultry voice. Check out the clip for the single ‘Cowboy Poetry’ … Continue reading →

Album Reviews / Alt-Country / Americana / Soul / Videos

ALBUM REVIEW: Jo Meares ~ King of the Crystal Mountain

Posted on July 9, 2014 by Doubtful Sounds • 2 Comments

Mood and atmosphere are key factors in the creation of immersive and transportive music and Jo Meares’ new album is richly imbued with them. Eerie forlorn harmonica, delicate and heart-wrenching piano notes, slow shuffling drums and exquisite guitar courtesy of Jeff Lang are the backdrop to Meares’ tales of love, pain and emotional turbulence, rendered … Continue reading →

Americana / News / Tour / Videos

TOUR NEWS: John Murry announces two Australian shows

Posted on July 9, 2014 by Doubtful Sounds • Leave a comment

After his appearances at the Sydney Festival and elsewhere earlier this year, John Murry is heading back to Australia to record his next album in the Dandenong Ranges in Victoria with Australian producer Mark Stanley and Irish producer Karl Odlum (Kila, Glen Hansard & The Frames, Lisa O’Neill). While he is here he will also … Continue reading →

Americana / Folk / New Music / Tour / Videos

NEW MUSIC: Liam Gerner ~ Hank and Tammy

Posted on July 8, 2014 by Doubtful Sounds • Leave a comment

Liam Gerner has just released a new single from his 2013 album Land Of No Roads. ‘Hank and Tammy’, the true story of two struggling retirees who transported methamphetamine in their mobile home for Mexican cartels before being arrested in Texas and sentenced to twenty years behind bars for their troubles. Gerner is hitting the road to promote the single from … Continue reading →

Alt-Country / Home / Interviews / Six Strings

SIX STRINGS: Tracy McNeil

Posted on July 7, 2014 by Doubtful Sounds • Leave a comment

Tracy McNeil released her new solo album Nobody Ever Leaves last week to strong reviews (including ours) and now she has started a comprehensive tour (dates below) to celebrate its release and spread the magic with her great band The Good Life that includes guitarist Luke Sinclair of Raised By Eagles. McNeil was kind enough to take some … Continue reading →

Album Reviews / Alt-Country / Americana / Country / Stream

ALBUM REVIEW: Tracy McNeil ~ Nobody Ever Leaves

Posted on July 7, 2014 by Doubtful Sounds • 2 Comments

Until recently there’s been something of a divide between pop-country and alt-country but now they seem to be finding common ground more often. Jenny Queen’s new album achieves that and now Tracy McNeil finds similar gold by mining the tried and true washes of guitar distortion, twang and tremolo that characterise melancholic americana with added … Continue reading →

News / Tour / Videos

LIVE: Darren Cross announces No Damage EP release shows

Posted on July 5, 2014 by Doubtful Sounds • Leave a comment

Darren Cross released one of our favourite singles in ‘Slings and Arrows’ recently and now a new six-track EP called No Damage is due out next month. To celebrate Cross is playing launch shows, proudly presented by Post To Wire, in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Brisbane. No Damage will be released on Wednesday August 6th in … Continue reading →

Album Reviews / Folk / Indie Folk

ALBUM REVIEW: First Aid Kit ~ Stay Gold

Posted on July 3, 2014 by Doubtful Sounds • Leave a comment

There was a whiff of novelty act when these Swedish sisters singing country-tinged folk music with a You Tube hits-heavy cover of a Fleet Foxes song first appeared in 2008 but any cynicism quickly evaporated when people heard their songs and fell in love with those voices and harmonies. Three albums down the track they … Continue reading →

Country / Folk / Stream

STREAM: CSNY ~ Only Love Can Break Your Heart (Live 1974)

Posted on July 2, 2014 by Doubtful Sounds • Leave a comment

‘Only Love Can Break Your Heart’ is one of Neil Young’s finest songs, a tear-jerking, heart-wrenching treatise on love and its glorious dangers. Here’s the version that appears on the new CSNY 1979 live boxset. With the added harmonies of CSN it is near perfect. Hit the link below to hear the song: STREAM: CSNY … Continue reading →

Alt-Country / Americana / News / Rock

NEWS: Ryan Adams announces new self-titled LP

Posted on July 2, 2014 by Doubtful Sounds • Leave a comment

Ryan Adams‘ new self-titled album will be out on September 9th. Preorders are already available on Amazon and direct from Pax.Am Records. The vinyl release is on 180g and includes a download card – 320kbps mp3s ripped from vinyl. Track Listing: Gimme Something Good Kim Trouble Am I Safe My Wrecking Ball Stay With Me … Continue reading →

Alt-Country / Videos

VIDEO: Sturgill Simpson ~ The Promise

Posted on July 1, 2014 by Doubtful Sounds • Leave a comment

Here’s the simple yet very effective video clip for ‘The Promise’, my favourite track on Sturgill Simpson’s Metamodern Sounds in Country Music which made our top 20 list of albums released in the first half on 2014. Continue reading →

POST TO WIRE

ESSENTIAL AMERICANA ALBUMS: Wilco – Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2002)

ALBUM REVIEW: Adam McGrath – Dear Companions

ESSENTIAL AMERICANA ALBUMS: Lucinda Williams – Car Wheels On A Gravel Road (1998)

ESSENTIAL AMERICANA ALBUMS: Gillian Welch – (Time The Revelator) (2001)

ALBUM REVIEW: Watty Thompson – S/T

ESSENTIAL AMERICANA ALBUMS: Gram Parsons – Grievous Angel (1974)

EXPLORING THE NEIL YOUNG ARCHIVES

ALBUM REVIEW: The Delines – The Sea Drift