Browsing Tag

americana

London’s Savannah Gardener obliterated the boundary between country and soul in ‘City of Cowboys’.

Posted on 11 May 2022
https://soundcloud.com/savannah-gardner-music/city-of-cowboys-2/s-ar9HC1kMc9r?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

Her sound may scream Nashville, but Savannah Gardener’s roots are implanted in London’s landscape; she’s captivated audiences across the breadth of it, and she’s set to swoon plenty more with her latest single, City of Cowboys.

How many songwriters have perpetuated the myth that making one single entity your ENTIRE world is romantic? Millions? All it took was one soulfully demure single from Savannah Gardener to dispel it. Her emboldening approach to lyricism on the subjects of heartbreak, adversity and triumph carries an intuitive resonance that makes her soundscapes captivating from the first breath.

The twang of the bluegrassy resonator guitars, the accordance of the gentle chords and her anachronistically sweet vocals pull together to deliver the ultimate urban county redemption story that you’ll want to aurally turn the pages of time after time.

City of Cowboys is now available to stream on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

New UK band Big Sky Orchestra drop road trip-like debut track, ‘Hollywood Lights’

Posted on 9 May 2022

Feeling that the luminous light is ready for them at the door if they can all open it at the same time, Big Sky Orchestra drop their groovy debut single that is crammed with some of the more awesome solos you are likely to hear all year on, ‘Hollywood Lights‘.

Big Sky Orchestra is a 5-piece UK-based band that fuses soft rock, dreamy Americana and crisp jazz into their music that has you feeling all warm inside your soul.

As relative newcomers to the scene, Big Sky Orchestra sound like experienced veterans on this ear-warming new release. Each second is exactly what you want from a song as you feel so lifted by the whole experience, while you close your eyes and might feel relieved by a track with so much class packed inside.

‘Hollywood Lights‘ from the UK-based act Big Sky Orchestra is a fantastic release from a young group who have made quite an impressive impact already. With a slot at El Dorado Festival secured and more music on the way, it feels like we are witnessing something rather special, as the journey has only just begun. Their sound is mature and vocally superior to most tracks you will listen to today, as they seem to have found their niche without having to spend years chasing the ideal effect.

Hear this cruising new single on Spotify and check out the IG page for more.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Leeds brothers The Dunwells show us that genuine romance is actually possible with their latest masterpiece, ‘This is Love’

Posted on 5 May 2022

Taking us into an enchanting world that is loaded with a wonderful romantic glow of hope, The Dunwells show us the light with their latest gem that shall set your cold heart free again on, ‘This is Love‘.

The Dunwells is a Leeds, England based indie-folk/Americana brother band that are one of the most respected groups around and shows their undeniable class yet again.

”The Dunwells have found favour with audiences across the world having toured extensively in USA, Europe and the UK as well as having supported artists including Mumford & Sons, Tom Jones, Scouting for Girls, Bryan Adams & Elbow on their UK tours.” ~ The Dunwells

Displaying a real grace and kindness that seems to be missing from modern-day society in many forms, The Dunwells are quite exceptional and return with another ear-warmer to change your mood and take you into a kiss-filled place of love.

”The brothers have taken their ‘indie-folk’ roots to a new level, experimenting and underpinning many of the tracks with soaring, intricate and studiously interwoven electric guitar infusions.” ~ The Dunwells

‘This is Love‘ from Leeds, England based indie-folk/Americana band The Dunwells is a majestic effort from two souls who are connected smartly as one, who has made a really special single here. The vocals are so smooth and sealed with that pacifying wind that helps you ease all worries away, with a song that might make your day a lot better.

Sometimes music is designed to heal, and we are blessed by a tremendous performance to truly embrace and never forget.

Hear this fine new single on Spotify and see more news on IG.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Adopt the lyrical liberation in Dan Littlefield’s bluegrass to the bone single, Set You Free.

Posted on 4 May 2022

With his trusty Dobro resonator, narratively unshackling lyrics, bluegrass to the bone vocals and folky strings cutting across the accordance, Dan Littlefield’s latest single, Set You Free, will do exactly that for the 4-minute duration and far beyond if you decide to adopt the lyrical liberation.

In any other set of hands, Littlefield’s axe of choice would be in danger of resonating (pun slightly intended) as archaic; with the signature funky twang in his signature style, there was little chance of Set You Free falling into pedestrianism.

We may be living in a post-truth world in 2022, but Littlefield knows how to all too effacaciously entwine the nostalgia for simplicity with neo-blues alchemy for ultimate aural pleasure.

Set You Free is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Marcus Koncar takes us through the doom-filled cards he has been dealt on his ‘Fate’

Posted on 27 April 2022
Pretty Things Seldom Do by Marcus Koncar

Taken from his recently-released 12-track project called ‘Pretty Things Seldom Do‘, Marcus Koncar wonders if all those tarot cards and bad energy from his childhood will ultimately sink him down forever on, ‘Fate‘.

Marcus Koncar (formerly known as Candall Lark) is a Salt Lake City, Utah-based Avant-Garde Americana solo singer-songwriter who keeps things honest throughout his creations.

”I just like to make music about things stuck in my mind.” ~ Marcus Koncar

With a raw tone that shows you the mindset of someone who has dealt with the scary trauma of doom since a very young age due to the wild world of Astrology, Marcus Koncar guides us to a place that shall scare many who have locked the door of what was supposed to happened already.

‘Fate‘ from Salt Lake City, Utah-based Avant-Garde Americana solo singer-songwriter Marcus Koncar, is a sombre story about how you can really sense that the world is against you when you are told from a young age that you aren’t going to have a good life. Featuring deep vocals and a storytelling mentality that leads us into the true feelings he has had to endure, this is a track that will cause many to look back at their own life.

Sometimes, you just need to vent out your frustrations before realizing, that fate is actually in your own hands.

Listen to this tale about swimming against the flow on Bandcamp.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Jude Moses shows us a beautiful love letter for our lives to be enhanced by with ‘Kokoro’

Posted on 25 April 2022

Taken off their six-song sophomore album ‘The Beauty‘, Jude Moses returns after a few years away from a creative hiatus with the captivating new single that shall have you looking lovingly into nature again on ‘Kokoro‘.

Jude Moses is a North Carolina/Pacific Northwest-based indie Americana folk/rock outfit that constructs that superb cinematic-like nostalgia to truly hug deeply.

”The Beauty is a love letter to the beauty in this world and in our lives. Songwriter and vocalist Stephen Williams sings to the mystery of the wild and reminisces on a childhood spent amongst dusty pale horses and Georgia pines.” ~ Jude Moses

On their follow-up to 2015’s well-received debut record, ‘We Won’t Die‘, Jude Moses is at their majestic best with a simply scintillating effort that sends you into a place that certainly feels warm and has your eyes glowing in excitement. With a single that seems like a double creation that has been neatly packaged as one track, this is a great release that will seemingly be one of those timeless gems that generations can hold onto forever.

‘Kokoro‘ from North Carolina/Pacific Northwest-based indie Americana folk/rock act Jude Moses, is one of the more tranquil tracks your soul will ever witness. There is so much calm energy that is layered by a band who seems to make only underground classics that are enriched with a lusciously enjoyable class that can only make your day better. In a cold world that needs more love and care to intertwine inside, this is something rather special that is filled with honest gratitude.

Listen up to this lovely release on Spotify and check out their IG music page for more.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Cassie Jean and the Fireflies keep it moving along with the fantastic ‘Mrs Mavis’

Posted on 19 April 2022

Taken off their 14-track studio-made album that was released on the 18th of March and is called ‘Heart over Head‘, Cassie Jean and the Fireflies get our fingers clicking with their new single that was created with so much love on ‘Mrs Mavis‘.

Cassie Jean and the Fireflies is an indie Americana, folk-rock, and retro country duo that was formed by Cassie Jean Barbaresi and Rich Odato.

”Partners in life and music, they made a fateful decision in 2020 to completely forgo cover gigs and ride out the pandemic in their home studio.” ~ Cassie Jean and the Fireflies

Sending our smiles into a place of delight with a song that has you feeling like you are in a peaceful town where you don’t have to lock your doors and all the neighbours say hello, Cassie Jean and the Fireflies brighten up our lives with an enchanting single made with a catchy ambience, that shall take your heart and embrace it while holding your hand at the same time.

‘Mrs Mavis‘ from the indie Americana, folk-rock, and retro country duo Cassie Jean and the Fireflies, is a wonderful new release that brings you back to the innocence of music made with that loving natural energy. There are only excellent soundscapes and glorious vocals on offer, with lyrics that shall get you feeling alright again. Pure music for the soul, is exactly what you will find here and for that, we are truly thankful.

Listen in to this lovely new release on Spotify and see more via the IG page.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Shane Cooley finds freedom in isolation in his alt-indie-folk single, Coyote

Posted on 8 April 2022
https://soundcloud.com/shanecooley/shane-cooley-coyote-radio-edit/s-3SBTPIaFsbn?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

Inspired by tumultuous times and personal emotional upheavals, the acclaimed alt indie-folk singer-songwriter, Shane Cooley, stepped into the metaphysical wild to create his seminal upcoming album, Forest. The first single to be released, Coyote, is a hauntingly euphonic hit that blends tonal palettes of Jack White and Elliott Smith while experimenting with artful simplicity and the dust of desert rock. Vocally, Cooley parallels Grandaddy with his honeyed high timbres that still resonate as organic despite the raised velvety pitches.

With lyrics that run like wild poetry, “A coyote/In grown man’s clothing/Forever lonely/Forever free/Down in the valley/Out on the streets/If you push me/ I’ll show my teeth”, this modernised feat of indie-folk Americana won’t fail to reel you into the themes of isolation and freedom, which are proven to be two of the same.

We can’t wait to hear what the rest of his seminal LP delivers. The Richmond, VA artist may be flying under a lot of people’s radars. Yet, it is only a matter of time before he gets full recognition for his inexplicably honed-in talent and instantly magnetic charisma as a songwriter.

Coyote will officially drop on April 8th, 2022. You can check it out for yourselves by heading over to Bandcamp.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Americana goes pop in Marcus Liuzzi’s latest single, I Met Her in Memphis

Posted on 29 March 2022

Marcus Liuzzi’s latest single, I Met Her in Memphis, has shifted his alt-country sound to a poppier territory; it is a move we more than approve of. With the playful college rock radio vibes in the vein of R.E.M., mixed with the Memphis Americana instrumentals, you’ll get just as hooked in the narrative lyrics as you will the poppy country guitars that compliment Marcus Liuzzi’s viscerally upbeat vocal style.

It is impossible to listen to the roots deep record that comes with a twist of modernity without turning a smile. We can’t wait to hear what follows. If there’s anything the world needs more of now, it’s stellar songwriters that know how to bring the escapism.

I Met Her in Memphis is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Casey Freedom is right on time in his country folk single, On My Own Time

Posted on 25 March 2022

The country singer-songwriter Casey Freedom soothingly proved that pace is the trick with his latest single, On My Own Time, which kicks back the tempo and allows you to lull yourself into the breezy Americana cool and collected atmosphere.

After graduating as a music student from the University of Oregon, Casey returned to his hometown to replant his roots enamour crowds at open mic shows. Over lockdown, he started writing his own material, which is becoming increasingly defined by the evocative themes, narrative lyricism and glistening country charm.

His songwriting style already carries decades of maturity and nuance, even after such an inexplicably short span of time; this may seem hyperbolic, but the proof lies in the slice of Americana. Take a bite.

On My Own Time is now available to stream via Spotify and YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast