KURT VILE (watch my moves) VERVE RECORDS / VIRGIN MUSIC AUSTRALIA Kurt Vile, the one man slacker psych jam band from Philly is back with a new collection of songs that wander, hypnotise, amuse and sometimes meander on album number nine. Vile has long figured out his optimal recipe and here he doesn’t stray from … Continue reading
ARLO MCKINLEY THIS MESS WE’RE IN OH BOY RECORDS This is Arlo McKinley’s third album but it was his last one, Die Midwestern that really elevated him into the pantheon of great contemporary country and folk songwriters. The good news is that he’s followed that superb album with another absolute gem. This Mess We’re In … Continue reading
IAN NOE RIVER FOOLS & MOUNTAIN SAINTS THIRTY TIGERS / COOKING VINYL AUSTRALIA Ian Noe’s debut of 2019 was one of those albums hit the radar of music enthusiasts and spread organically like wildfire. Richly imbued with the spirit and craft of folk and country songwriting it marked the arrival of a new and exciting … Continue reading
Emily Fairlight and Mike McLeod of The Shifting Sands blend their guitars and voices in a gloriously intertwined wash of sound on ‘Head Above’, the first single from their forthcoming collaborative LP Sun Casts A Shadow, out now via Fishrider Records. There are some wonderful stripped-back folk and alt-country qualities to the song as the … Continue reading
TAMI NEILSON KINGMAKER MGM Tami Neilson’s career trajectory continues its impressive ascent as she emerges from the pandemic with an album that both celebrates women and challenges their treatment and role in society, particularly in the music industry. Neilson further explores her openminded approach to country music, whether it’s the Bobby Gentry-styled Southern noir and … Continue reading
We’ve had some great new songs and videos to premiere of late and that continues today with the clip for ‘Yellowstone’, the excellent new single from Ernest Aines. Aines is a singer-songwriter from Melbourne who released his first EP, Already Found, in 2019 before extensively touring the USA, Japan, Canada, Germany and Brazil and writing … Continue reading
Jen Mize & The Rough N’ Tumble released their debut single ‘Elevator Ride‘ (AMRAP charts #1) a few weeks ago and now we’re very pleased to be able to premiere the video clip for the song, directed by Ashley Rees. A songwriting collaboration at a songwriting retreat between Jen Mize and Jeremy Edwards kick-started this … Continue reading
CALEXICO EL MIRADOR SPUNK! RECORDS El Mirador is the name of a lost Mayan city but in the context of Calexico’s 10th studio album it stands both as a lookout point and a beacon in the dark. Core members Joey Burns and John Convertino have been finessing their rhythmic and melodic interplay for 30 years … Continue reading
A haunting and delicate refrain signals the intro to Joyce Prescher‘s beautiful new single ‘Sleep Now’. Augmented by austere fingerpicked guitar, haunting cello and softly shuffling drums, Prescher sings of dreams, night and sleep as she explores the question “How much of yourself should you lose for someone else?” There’s a half-awake quality to the … Continue reading
Super sweet harmonies and vocal melodies on this new single from eight-piece Perth group Mama Red & The Dark Blues. ‘Going Down in Flames’ rides a light and rolling groove – propulsive with a gently hypnotic quality. The vocals are the drawcard, recalling the 1970s golden age of pop-laced country, but don’t underestimate the fine … Continue reading
Hailing from Liverpool England, the folk trio The Hermit reimagine traditional Irish tunes and Old English ballads alongside their own compositions with a thread of improvisation running through the music. Across six minutes on ‘Sarah wears her painted hair’, Charlie, Lynny and Michael take a languid and exploratory journey through hypnotic and lightly psychedelic folk. … Continue reading
ORVILLE PECK BRONCO COLUMBIA / SONY MUSIC From the heralded release of his debut album Pony in 2019, through a pandemic, fashion shoots and onto a major label deal with Columbia, Orville Peck’s ascent has been a meteoric one. He’s skilfully navigated the worlds of Americana, country and pop to create a unique modern day … Continue reading
ANDY GOLLEDGE STRENGTH OF A QUEEN I OH YOU If you’re looking for an early contender for Australian Americana album of the year then you’re reading the right review. Andy Golledge has been a mainstay of the local scene in Sydney for at least half a dozen years now. He’s a lynchpin of sorts with … Continue reading
If you’re a fan of classic melodic country/folk rock then this new single from Nashville group Teddy and the Rough Riders should hit the spot nicely. It comes from the band’s forthcoming self-titled, Margo Price-produced album, out July 1st via Appalachia Record Co. Teddy and The Rough Riders’s loving ode to the man—and the stories … Continue reading
From my internet travels I haven’t been able to find out much about this New York duo but this track, ‘Merino Ghost‘, from Aaron Fisher and Rob Stephenson’s 2022 album Sightseeing, absolutely caught my ear and pulled me in deep with its dreamy, evocative soundscape. They navigate a beautiful space between American Primitive guitar stylings … Continue reading
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