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
Album number three for Melbourne’s Raised By Eagles and a further refinement of their lush, wistful and yearning country rock. Ironing out some of the creases of their earlier releases has resulted in a unified sound across the songs which are mostly only a few shades either side of mid-tempo. So much of it floats … Continue reading
Given our general focus on Americana music in this part of the world we thought we’d publish our favourite local releases from Australia and New Zealand in 2015. Some of these will also appear in our main Americana albums of the year list but until then, here are local folk who released music that caught … Continue reading
As part of the AWME music conference in Melbourne next month, a stellar bill of alt. country music will perform at Max Watt’s on Friday Nov 13th. Henry Wagons will play solo backed by his band The Only Children while Ruby Boots and Raised By Eagles cap off a huge year of touring and new albums. … Continue reading
As we roll into the weekend and look back at the last week, our highlight was last night’s double album launch featuring Ruby Boots (Solitude) and Raised By Eagles‘ (Diamonds in the Bloodstream) with local gent Andy Golledge opening with a superb set in trio band mode (see photos). Both the headliners more than did … Continue reading
This week has mainly been about looking back at our favourite Americana albums (click on the image below) that have been released so far in 2015 plus reviews of recently released new albums (all 8/10) from Australian artists Liam Gale & The Ponytails, Raised By Eagles and Ruby Boots. We’d love to hear which albums have … Continue reading
Yep, we’re a third of the way through the year already so we thought we’d have a look back at our ten favourite albums that have been released in 2015. In no particular these are the records that have regularly been on the stereo and provided many of the musical highlights of our year so far. You can hit … Continue reading
On their second album Raised By Eagles eschew some of the ragged country rock moves of their debut and head for classic songwriting territory with excursions into power pop and acoustic balladry. The intimate and explicitly emotional storytelling of ‘Sugar Cane’ and the warm breezy sway of ‘Honey’ act as counterpoints to Window Seat’s Ryan … Continue reading
It has been a big week for Americana related tour announcements with news that The Milk Carton Kids, Mary Chapin Carpenter & Tift Merritt and Ryan Adams & Jenny Lewis will be touring here over the next few months. Local acts have also got in on the action with Marlon Williams announcing an Australian and New … Continue reading
Two of Melbourne’s finest exponents of contemporary alt-country music are Luke Sinclair of Raised By Eagles and solo artist Tracy McNeil. Both have released wonderful records with their respective bands and now the married couple have started to share some of the music they’ve been writing and performing as Bell St Delays. The first taste is … Continue reading
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
Pulling a crowd for an Americana gig in Sydney can be a struggle at times yet the paltry turnout of a dozen people for a gig with a trio of fine, critically lauded acts was disappointing to say the least. To their credit the bands seemed relaxed and grateful for the enthusiasm of those in … Continue reading
Lost Ragas are a new band based around the supremely talented Matt Walker, a songwriter, guitarist who I first discovered on his I Listen to the Night collaboration with Ashley Davies back in 1997. That was of course very much a blues-based record while this project marries the blues and country music. They released their … Continue reading
It’s been another superb year of Americana releases both here in Australia and from around the world. It also feels like a well balanced collection of great music that makes up out twenty favourite albums of 2013 with alt-country rocking guitars, sensitive songwriters, both male and female, as well as a spread of ages that … Continue reading
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