Browsing Tag

americana

The decades washed away in the latest synthesis of rockabilly and honkytonk country from Kristi Jean and Her Ne’er Do-Wells, ‘Long Haul Lady’

Posted on 5 January 2024
https://soundcloud.com/kristijeanmusic/long-haul-lady-final-master-pg/s-FmQEJX909ZV?si=9babf8887c5243bcbab67a31256d772c&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

Kristi Jean and Her Ne’er Do-Wells struck a resonantly nostalgic chord with their latest track, ‘Long Haul Lady‘, a vibrant fusion of rockabilly and country that redefines the genre with a modern twist of female empowerment. From the opening verse, the song is a narratively rich journey, weaving a tapestry of vivid imagery set against the backdrop of jive-worthy rhythmic honkytonk finesse.

The upbeat, panoramic release showcases the band’s tight orchestration and Kristi Jean’s commanding vocal presence; The Stray Cat strut pales in comparison to the swagger of Long Haul Lady, a song that not only entertains but also breaks down gender stereotypes with its infectious charm. The feel-good grooves are potent; capable of erasing the past seven decades and bringing listeners into a realm where the old is new again.

The way Kristi Jean embodies the ultimate femme fatale in this song, seamlessly melding masculine strength with feminine beguile, creates an impossible-to-ignore statement of artistic integrity and stylistic flair. You’ll want her pouring through your speakers for days after you hit play.

Long Haul Lady will debut on January 5th; stream the single on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Alison Wahl & Brian Berggoetz reinvented the festive soundscape with “Christmas is the Right Time for Us”

Posted on 28 December 2023

Despite Christmas music often treading the well-worn path of jingle bells and festive clichés, Alison Wahl and Brian Berggoetz brought a refreshing gust of Americana folk rock into the Yuletide soundscape with their latest single, Christmas is the Right Time for Us.

Brian Berggoetz, a self-taught guitarist and a songwriter with a flair for reinventing classics, infuses his unique style into this holiday offering. His experience, ranging from performing at SXSW Festival to sharing stages with notable artists, shines through in the song’s intricate guitar work. The absence of traditional motifs and melancholy of aural nostalgia in favour of Americana folk elements is a bold choice, which infuses the song with an uplifting and authentic feel.

Alison Wahl’s vocal harmonies intertwine perfectly with Brian’s, creating a tapestry of sound that is both warm and inviting. The standout lyric, “When love is just enough, Christmas is the right time for us”, encapsulates the essence of the song – a celebration of love and togetherness that transcends materialism. This lyric, in its simplicity, captures the heart of the holiday spirit, reminding listeners that affection and emotional connection are priceless gifts.

The production of the song is a delicate balance of subtlety and strength, allowing the dual harmonies to take centre stage in a track that doesn’t just aim to be another Christmas hit but strives to leave a lasting impression on its listeners.

Christmas is the Right Time for Us was officially released on December 11; stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Outpost Drive sang a bitter-sweet folk lullaby with their debut single, Go Back to Sleep

Posted on 13 December 2023

If you can relate to the melancholy of your dreams being more serene than your waking reality, prepare to be bruised by the emotional weight that will bear down on you when you hit play on the bitter-sweet folky acoustic pop lullaby, Go Back to Sleep, by the harmonically synergetic duo, Outpost Drive.

Between the aching of yearning and the gratitude of revisiting memories, Go Back to Sleep immediately cuts to the core of emotional juxtapositions when you are brought to tears recollecting the person who always knew how to make you turn a smile but only exists in dream. The lyric, “I’m lonely as I am free”, alluding to how life is just a dichotomy of Pepsi and Coke suffering, is especially potent as it cuts through the euphonically timeless orchestration, which proves how arcane instrumental minimalism can be when it is executed with superlative melodic command.

Willow Robinson and Mary Bragg Robinson, hailing from the English countryside and the American South, respectively marry the styles of British folk with Americana to deliver a sound that is as inventive as it is authentically all-consuming. The debut is a testament to the ability of love to transcend borders after the couple endured a year-long hiatus due to immigration hurdles. We can’t wait to hear what the ultimate folk power couple have in store for their sophomore release.

Go Back to Sleep was officially released on November 10th; stream it on Spotify or purchase the track on Apple Music.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Beggars Canyon serenaded the reaper with their Americana Folk musing on the human condition, Silver Lining

Posted on 7 December 2023

With the macabre murder folk proclivities of Amigo the Devil and the soul-affirming warmth of Tejon Street Corner Thieves, the Portland, Oregon-hailing band of Americana raconteurs, Beggars Canyon, breathed life into the existential reality of the human condition with their latest single, Silver Lining.

By staring mortality in the face and serenading the reaper with their arcanely uplifting vocal harmonies and authentic Americana Folk arrangement of folky strings, banjos, and guitars that insinuate that the devil made a pitstop in Portland before he went down to Georgia, Beggars Canyon extracted the pensive sting from the human experience with their endearing approach to song crafting which has allowed them to build a cult-like following and amass 13,000 monthly Spotify listeners.

Silver Lining was an all-too promising precursor to Beggars Canyon’s sophomore LP, Vol. II, which was released via Flail Records and is now available to stream and purchase.

Stream Silver Lining on Spotify and become part of the Beggars Canyon community via Facebook or Instagram.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Karyn Ann released the most affecting Americana single of the year with her latest single, 8 Hours

Posted on 30 November 2023
8 Hours by Karyn Ann

Instead of reinventing the wheel, Karyn Ann spun it in a brand-new direction with her latest timelessly enrapturing single, 8 Hours; a hauntingly beautiful ballad that captures the essence of Southern gothic magnetism, wrapped in a production that’s swallowed by arcane reverb.

The song is a masterful blend of timeless melodies and a stylistic distortion on the guitars that gracefully wrap around the vocal lines. These elements collectively weave a sonically cavernous landscape that seductively entices listeners into the depths of melancholy that the song explores.

The release, which is sure to resonate with fans of artists as diverse as Chelsea Wolfe to Brandi Carlile, elucidates the disassociation of losing your grip with the latter half of the space-time continuum, a theme that is both esoteric and deeply human.

The emotive lyricism of 8 Hours showcases Ann’s raw vulnerability, a trait that has seen the American songwriter praised and performing at notable festivals and venues. The narrative behind 8 Hours is as darkly compelling as its composition, delving into the hours that went missing when Ann awoke in a stranger’s van, with only a dim recollection of the preceding events. This raw and exposed nerve of a song not only reveals Ann’s prowess as a singer-songwriter but also demonstrates her ability to turn personal tribulation into profound artistic expression. She’s a phenomenon in her own right.

Stream or purchase 8 hours on Bandcamp.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Love Bug Junkie delivered an alchemic masterclass in vintage tonality with ‘Voodoo Woman’

Posted on 29 November 2023

Voodoo Woman, the latest single by North Carolina’s own Love Bug Junkie, is a bluesy rock revelation steeped in the allure of authentic Americana. As the track opens, listeners are immediately transported to a dimly lit juke joint, where the air is thick with the scent of smouldering incense and the promise of enchantment. The band, known for their emotionally charged and robust sound, has managed to bottle the alchemy of a voodoo priestess’ charm and pour it generously into their music.

The song is a masterclass in vintage tonality, with guitar riffs that cry out with the wisdom of the old spirits and a rhythm section that thumps in time with the heartbeat of the bayou. Love Bug Junkie’s vocal prowess is on full display, finding a haunting middle ground between the Prince of Darkness, Ozzy Osbourne, and the soul-penetrating timbre of Chris Cornell. It’s this unique blend that also conjures vibes reminiscent of My Morning Jacket during their It Still Moves era, yet the band infuses their own distinct essence into the mix.

Voodoo Woman is a sensory experience which taps into a raw, almost primal energy that is both captivating and inspiring. Their performance, whether live or recorded, showcases a love for music that transcends genre and era. With their eyes set on leaving an indelible mark on the music industry, Voodoo Woman serves as a powerful statement of intent from Love Bug Junkie. This band unites their audience in the shared space of rhythm and blues, with the promise of uniting people through the undeniable power of rock music.

Stream Voodoo Woman on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Ross Flora grappled with the melancholy of unfulfilled potential in ‘As the Crow Flies’

Posted on 25 November 2023
Ross Flora

Ross Flora’s EP, As the Crow Flies, is a poignant and reflective journey through the heart of country folk. Hailing from the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, Flora’s upbringing in a milieu rich with R&B and Bluegrass influences is palpably reflected in the acoustically adorned, stripped-back title single. His gruff, resonant timbres weave through the wistful yearning harmonies, creating a tapestry of sound that resonates deeply with anyone who has ever grappled with the melancholy of unfulfilled potential.

The lyrical tempo of As the Crow Flies is akin to a melodied spoken word sermon, imbued with regretful poetry. Flora’s background as an English major shines through in his lyrical craftsmanship, as he skilfully interweaves themes reminiscent of literary greats like Dickinson, Thoreau, and Whitman. The result is a narrative that is both deeply personal and universally relatable; Someone hand him a Grammy for the line “I’d be half the man I’d ought to be less than half the time”.

Ross Flora’s journey from the family farm to Nashville, performing over 4,000 shows and collaborating with acts like “Johnny T” Band and “Smoke n’ Guns,” has clearly honed his ability to capture the essence of southern rock and outlaw country. If you want to hear a heart poured out in melody, hit play on As the Crow Flies.

Stream the As the Crow Flies EP, which debuted on October 27 on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Settle in for a ‘Long Hard Winter’ with Ben Brooks’ Americana Folk single, ft EG Vines

Posted on 9 November 2023

If you can already feel Seasonal Affective Disorder kicking in, sink into the latest single, Long Hard Winter, by the Americana folk raconteur Ben Brooks.

Created in collaboration with EG Vines, the meta single cleverly runs in the parallels between the winter phases of our lifetimes and the bitterly cold season which leaves serotonin in short supply; both of which leave us yearning for the spring and summer of youth and the warmth that allows the trees to blossom.

With a sonic style as arrestingly affecting as Bob Dylan and Neil Young, Ben Brooks, who has recently found his voice and inspiration again post-Covid, is perceptibly back in his stride. This bitter-sweet earworm will undoubtedly become a great source of comfort for many as the leaf litter thickens and days darken. Even though it was written during the hardest winter during the pandemic, it’s a smorgasbord of sun-toned soul.

Stream Long Hard Winter on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Dave Wilbert was born to take the wheel and drive in his country-rock earworm, Tractors and Trucks

Posted on 29 October 2023

Springsteen was born to run, but Dave Wilbert was born to take the wheel and drive in his country-rock earworm Tractors and Trucks, which delves beyond the stereotypes and into the intricacies of the identities of people who spend their lives outside of the city smoke.

Tractors and Trucks rips up all the tropes and cliches of country and scatters them like confetti within the anthemically polished production which will lure you in with the bluesy pop grooves and ensure you’re suitably hooked by the slide guitars which follow the solos which exhibit Dave Wilbert’s command of a fretboard.

The Fairview, Tennessee-residing artist was born and raised in rural Indiana, where he practised the hard-working virtues extolled in this infectiously feel-good hit, which will undoubtedly give those living the rural life a potent shot of pride.

Tractors and Trucks was officially released on October 6th; add it to your country-rock playlists by heading over to Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

TuskHead blurred the boundaries between acoustic pop-punk and folk in ‘Breaking the Man’

Posted on 17 October 2023

The boundaries between Americana, acoustic pop-punk and folk blurred beyond recognition in the rhythmically arresting latest single, Breaking the Man, by the Dutch musician, singer, and songwriter TuskHead.

With the bends of bluegrass weaving around the pull of the percussion, which won’t fail to awaken your rhythmic pulses and the lyrics, which sting with vulnerable volition, Breaking the Man is a hard lyrical pill to swallow, but the upbeat rhythmics take some of the sting from the deeply relatable pensiveness, allowing it to unravel as a cathartic olive branch to anyone unwilling to do the same and make the admission of ‘I’m not alright’.

Asking the time-old question, “how can you love me if I hate myself” and alluding to the fight from within that pills can salve but can’t solve, the heartache with the world is heart-wrenchingly affecting.

Breaking the Man was officially released on October 13th; stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast