Category: Americana

Five Cool Ones: Five Cool Americana Roots Rock Records You May Have Missed

5Kirby Brown – Uncommon Prayer

“Gimme a week and a ride to the downtown station with a dollar to my name, I don’t much care where it’s going, just anywhere that’s gone.” With your introduction to a new musician that you have never heard before jumping right out at you between your ears like it does on “Gimme a Week” from Kirby Brown’s highly excellent 2018 release Uncommon Prayer there is cause for celebration. Don’t sleep on his cover of “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For”. It is worth the price of admission alone.

Ruby Boots – Don’t Talk About It

If you are looking for a place to find really cool new music you could not go wrong wandering over the Bloodshot Music site and searching through any of the number of artists in their stable. Ruby Boots and her latest, Don’t Talk About It, look forward to meeting you there.

Kevin Gordon – Tilt and Shine

The musicscapes created here all first rate and read like a Cormac McCarthy novel. Whether it’s “Drunken Man In Town,” “One Road Out (Angola Rodeo Blues),” or “Gatling Gun” Kevin Gordon has captured the short story in a three-minute song.

Larkin Poe – Venom & Faith

These young girls take Country Blues to the next level. The songs are all gritty, down in the gutter with Tom Waits. If you don’t believe it, just check out “Hard Time Killing Floor Blues”.

Sam Morrow – Concrete and Mud

Outlaw Country is alive and well and his name might be Sam Morrow.

 

Yet another Nashville act that is tragically under the musical radar, Goodbye June features a trio of cousins that are quietly trying to carry the Rock ‘N’ Roll torch in the 21st century. Forgive them for their Budweiser commercial, everybody needs to make a buck, and listen to their Southern-fried blues and Gospel soul.

Video of the Day: Mandolin Orange – Golden Embers

The latest video from Bluegrass band Mandolin Orange from their soon to be released album, Tides of a Teardrop on Yep Roc records. The song and video chronicles the suffering and healing singer Andrew Marlin and his father endured following the death of Marlin’s mother.

Song of the Day: Cordovas – I’m The One Who Needs You Tonight

It helps that everyone in the East Nashville band Cordovas is a lead singer. Even better when your latest record, That Santa Fe Channel, is produced by Kenneth Pattengale of The Milk Carton Kids who brings a sparseness to the songs that serves to enhance the vocal harmonies. “I’m The One Who Needs You Tonight” is one of the first songs the band played and has been a staple in their sets from the beginning.

Video of the Day: Cordovas – Frozen Rose

Whatever you do, don’t discount Cordovas as just another of those Nashville bands. Sure, they make their home in one of America’s true music hubs, but that is only part of the story here. The new record, That Santa Fe Channel, is part Gram Parsons, part John Hiatt, and heavy on the Sweetheart of the Rodeo era Byrd’s. The Southern harmonies with enough Black Crowes seeping in to make this one a unique Roots Rock listen. The infectious new song and video just released, “Frozen Rose,” has a little bit of everything.

Five Cool Ones: Five Cool Bands On Our Radar

5Gringo Star

Don’t sleep on these guys despite their eclectically cool band name. The sound is a bit vintage, and they are very proud of this fact. Swirling guitars, hazy vocals, and a very laid back approach make this band unique. Thin Feist and Cat Power here, but only if they grew up listening to Buddy Holly, The Kinks, or The Animals. Their new record is called Back to the City and is well worth a listen.

Gold Star

Power Pop is alive and well in 2018, Gold Star is carrying the torch quite nicely. Also known as Marlon Rabenreither, his given name, his latest record Uppers & Downers was recorded at historic Valentine Studios in Los Angeles. At it’s poppiest the record has a real Greg Kihn or Bodeans vibe to it. When he takes it lower and slower like he does on “Chinatown,” a song that was inspired by the spirit of a recently deceased friend, he evokes the ghost of Elliot Smith or the spirit of Paul Westerberg.

Dan Mangan

Dan Mangan is one of those guys that should be a lot more famous than he is. Toiling pretty much in anonymity North of the border in Vancouver, Mangan is a two-time JUNO (Canadian Grammy)  winner and is a several time nominee for the coveted Polaris award. A couple of singles he has released ahead of his new record shows an artist that is ready to break through in a big way.

Slothrust

Slothrust is songwriter, singer, guitar player, and all around cool Rock Chick Leah Wellbaum along with drummer Will Gorin and bassist Kyle Bann. Their new record that comes out on September 14th hits you between the ears with the fierceness of a wolverine. Think Patti Smith if she wasn’t o depressed back in the 70’s.

River Whyless

River Whyless is a should be on your radar from Asheville, North Carolina. Having started as a more traditional folk band, on their new record, Kindness, A Rebel, they lay on a psychedelic landscape with some Fleetwood Mac style harmonies to create a wholly unique sound that will wash over you like a dip in a cold spring on a hot day.

Five Cool Ones: 5 Cool Vintage Country Acts

5With Chris Stapleton between albums and Jamey Johnson continuing to put out material at a snails pace it is up to a new crop of country crooners to catch our ear. Here are five artists that are keeping the Honky Tonk alive.

Midland – Drinking Problem

Straight-Up George Strait vibing is this band from Dripping Springs Texas. They look the part and dress the part. The band name comes from a Dwight Yoakam song, the suits come right out of Porter Waggoner’s closet.

Dawn Landes – Traveling Songs

With the songwriting chops of Lucinda Williams and singing voice somewhere in the Emmylou Harris range, her new record, Meet Me at the River, Just might be the Country record of the year. It doesn’t hurt that the record was produced by the legendary Fred Foster, the producer responsible for hits from Roy Orbison, Willie Nelson, and Dolly Parton.

Courtney Marie Andrews – Kindness of Strangers

In 2017 Courtney Marie Andrews released the highly excellent Honest Life to critical acclaim. This year, she has followed up in fine fashion with May Your Kindness Remain. The voice floats in the like early Linda Ronstadt or a present day First Aid Kit. The entire record is great but pay special attention to thus song as well as “Two Cold Nights In Buffalo”.

Tennessee Jet – Buenas Noches From A Lonely Room

Tennessee Jet is cutting his teeth opening for the big boys of the Outlaw Country revival going fret to fret with Cody Jinks and Whitey Morgan in venues across the country. Never straying too far from his Dwight Yoakam inspired roots, Mr. Jett is an artist on the rise.

Joshua Hedley – Weird Thought Thinker

His new record, Mr. Jukebox, should go to to toe with Dawn Landes for Country record of the year, for our ears anyway. Joshua Hedley could easily have been a Texas Playboy. Here is the latest single from the album.