Kyle Jenkins Meltdown Near Enough Records (2018) Kyle Jenkins is the singer-songwriter behind Toowoomba-based band Suicide Swans and even though they’re in the midst of a prolific streak of excellent albums, he’s also found time to release his debut solo album which hits similarly high peaks in both song quality and sound. Suicide Swans excel … Continue reading
Tag Archives: 2018
ALBUM REVIEW: Copperline – Rusty Fords And Weatherboards
Copperline Rusty Fords And Weatherboards Independent The members of Sydney band Copperline have been playing in various bands dating back to the 90s and after ten years they’ve finally recorded their debut album together, one that certainly feels like a collective gathering of likeminded musicians and accomplished players. Led by songwriter Brad Christmas, the band … Continue reading
NEW MUSIC: James Edwyn & The Borrowed Band – Quoting Sagan
Here’s a great new (to us) voice – the six-piece James Edwyn & The Borrowed Band. Elements of folk rock, soul and country collide in this song that tumbles into a fine chorus before drifting back out into more reflective verses and shades of The Felice Brothers. The Glaswegian band released their second album High … Continue reading
NEW MUSIC: Idle Joy – Let’s Just Go Surf
Idle Joy from San Francisco recently released this gem of a loose and ramshackle song that has one foot in the country and one on the beach. ‘Let’s Just Go Surf’ will charm itself into your short term memory with jangling guitars, a loping rhythm section and lazy, catchy vocal melodies. It reminds us of … Continue reading
NEW MUSIC: East Denistone – House On The Quiet Street
This track caught our ears with its wonderful horns, and grand swoon of a sound. It’s the work of Sydney songwriter East Denistone and comes from his 2018 EP While You Still Draw Breath. It’s more on the indie rock tip, in the vein of The National and Grizzly Bear but it incorporate elements of … Continue reading
NEW MUSIC: Wildie – Lights Over Main Street
Here’s a beautifully melodic and melancholic song from Wildie (Sweden). It comes from their album Westbound and finds them dealing in sweet, piano-led Americana. Continue reading
NEW MUSIC: Dave Ernst – Superstar
Dave Ernst hails from Louisville, Kentucky and this wonderfully bruised slice of Southern country rock comes from his debut solo album Hickory Switch, produced by Peter Searcy (Squirrel Bait) and mixed by Ken Coomer (Wilco, Uncle Tupelo). You can definitely hear Uncle Tupelo, Drive-By Truckers, Lucero and the like in the sound of this song, ‘Superstar’, … Continue reading
NEW MUSIC: Eric Long – To Dream Again
A really nice sound from San Francisco resident Eric Long on this sparse acoustic folk track. The fiddle works beautifully, as does Long’s weathered voice that keeps the song firmly in the soil and hot sun of an American countryside, as he searches for optimism. The song comes from his 2018 LP A Long Way … Continue reading
NEW MUSIC: Dialup Ghost – P.P.S.S.P.
Here’s a nice slice of slacker alt-country from Nashville, TN, courtesy of the group Dialup Ghost. It’s a tasty amalgam of The Replacements, Pavement and Silver Jews. It comes from their 2018 album I’m Fine, I’m Fine which has a nice lo-fi, ramshackle, lazy and wistful streak running through it. Continue reading
NEW MUSIC: Jacob McCoy – Rear View Mirror
Hailing from Amarillo TX but now Nashville-based, Jacob McCoy excels at cutting to the emotional core of his songs with concise lyrical elements, lilting guitar phrasing, heavenly pedal steel and piano, and a voice that balances grit and sweetness. ‘Rear View Mirror’ comes from his 2018 LP Questions. Continue reading
NEW MUSIC: Samuel Herb – Someone Else’s Dream
“I’m going to quit, just not today.” Great sounds from Mr Samuel Herb, a 25 year old singer/songwriter who originally hails from Jacksonville, FL. ‘Someone Else’s Dream’ fuses a swingin’ honky tonk with soul vamps and a killer New Orleans trumpet sound to wonderful effect. We look forward to hearing where Herb goes next with … Continue reading
INTERVIEW: Jo Meares
TALES FROM TWO CITIES Jo Meares reveals the complicated process of recording his new album and how he learnt to embrace his own voice. By Chris Familton Over a series of albums, Jo Meares has slowly whittled away at his craft of songwriting and the delicate placement of those songs on atmospheric musical canvases. Dark … Continue reading
PLAYLIST: Cowgirl In The Sand Vol. II (2018)
COWGIRL IN THE SAND, VOL. II (2018) Back in 2014 we put together a mixtape featuring many of our favourite female singers and songwriters. We had great feedback about it and so in this day and age of Spotify playlists we thought it’d be a great idea to put together a second volume, this time … Continue reading
NEW MUSIC: Savannah Conley – Same Old Eyes
Savannah Conley has been getting a bit of attention of late, with her torch-song country soul sound. She’s got one of those voices that dances on melodies while searching the bottom of a whisky glass. ‘Same Old Eyes’, from her EP Twenty-Twenty, rides on a slow and lonely backbeat and shimmering guitars. Lovely stuff. If … Continue reading
NEW MUSIC: Mike Powell – Poison Diamond
This is a really nice slow-burn of a song. It slowly unfurls and reveals itself on the back of sparse guitar, distant organ and shuffling drums. Mike Powell‘s voice is the clincher though, with just the right amount of grit and grain in his tone to convey the heavy emotion of the song. A plaintive … Continue reading