Browsing Tag

americana

Make your heart at home in Mark Leggett’s Latest LP, Folktown

Posted on 11 October 2023
Folktown by Mark Leggett

After two nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for his music scores, orchestrating endless film and television OSTs and collaborating with everyone from Werner Herzog to Jason Lee to Kylie Minogue, the LA composer and guitarist and composer, Mark Leggett played by the rules of his own expression in his acoustic Americana LP, Folktown.

The title single is a score of Americana that is almost impossible to form an objective view of. The emotion he pulls from the fingerpicked notes overwhelms every conceivable sense as you’re drawn into the sonorous intricacies of the loose and rickety yet tightly profound progressions. That contradiction is only the start of the alchemy that awaits you within his latest album.

Words were surplus to requirement when the fretwork painted such an evocative panoramic picture that lets you feel the humbling bitter-sweet breeze of bluegrass from wherever this masterpiece of an album finds you in the world.

Stream and purchase Folktown on Bandcamp and Apple Music.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Marygolds transcended space and time with the blues in their indie Americana single, Time Machine

Posted on 19 September 2023

The Louisville, Kentucky-hailing indie Americana outfit, Marygolds, made light melodic work of stripping away the past few decades and bringing a bygone era back to life in the standout single, Time Machine, from their eponymous 2023 EP.

Everything rests mellifluously easy on the timbre of the vintage bluesy guitar chords, which shimmer with early ’60s nostalgia as they drive the evocative instrumental arrangement under the gospel-esque vocals which reach the epitome of old-school soul. With the intimacy infused into the massive roots-wrapped production that could rival Father John Misty’s masterful work, Time Machine is so much more than an ode to the past; it’s a ticket back to soulfully sepia-tinged sanctity of it.

Perhaps even more remarkably, even though Marygolds left no clues to their 21st-century habitation behind in the cinematic gravitas of their work, their reverence for roots music didn’t come close to resounding as archaic. The outfit comprised of progenitors of modern blues is definitely one to watch.

Time Machine is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Northern Arms lifted the veil on Americana alchemy in ‘This Thing Called We’

Posted on 11 September 2023

An amalgamation of influences from Bowie, Nick Cave, Arcade Fire, Velvet Underground and Pulp was always going to transpire as a cosmically compelling Tour De dark melodic Force, but what wasn’t a given was how much This Thing Called We by Northern Arms would stir the soul to such a viscerally amorous degree.

Northern Arms lifted the veil on Americana alchemy in his latest single, for which the Philadelphia-haunting song crafter enlisted the help of a stellar lineup of instrumentalists, who all brought their own profoundly deft touch to the art-rock installation.

If This Thing Called We came before Bowie’s Heroes, the single that will never be lost to history would easily be considered derivative. That may sound blasphemous until you’ve drenched yourself in the decadently morose romanticism; feel free to hit play and argue with me, because the way the single encapsulates the heart-wrenching pain that true love can leave us to linger in couldn’t be closer to the agonising mark.

Stream This Thing Called We on SoundCloud now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Unknown River set the bar for honkytonk hits plateau-high with ‘Outlaws on My Trail’

Posted on 6 September 2023

The Floridan singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Unknown River set the bar for penning immersive escapist honkytonk hits plateau-high with the standout single, Outlaws on My Trail, taken from his debut album, The Dead River Passage.

The fiddle and banjo-driven single delivers a vignette of a man coming to regret the repercussions of his down-and-out actions; the combination of the simple country living exposition and the upbeat arrangement and vocals is enough to make the experience of outlaw-evading sound like a riotous way to see the sands of time slip away, and therein lies the beauty of Unknown River’s indomitable magnetism.

By taking the influence of bluegrass, delta blues, country, rock and old-timey traditional tunes, Unknown River’s amalgamated Americana signature is designed to strip away the plight of modern-day malaise and entrench you in the ease and euphoria of eras that are far from bygone – roots-crafted sanctuaries are just one hit on play away. Press it.

Outlaws on My Trail is available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Chloe Chadwick confronted short-fused ghosts in her captivatingly all-consuming alt-rock hit, Temper Gene

Posted on 29 August 2023

Cheshire’s most promising singer-songwriter, Chloe Chadwick, has stepped off her international touring circuit to strike sonic gold once more with her latest single, Temper Gene.

The impassioned pop-rock soundscape that delivers a captivatingly all-consuming indie-country twang digs deep into the phenomenon of falling head over heels for someone who will only inevitably keep you under the thumb with their short-fused psychopathic tendencies. How she managed to stay true to her brand of unadulteratedly passionate song crafting while exploring such a dark theme is a mystery that only lends itself to magnetism.

Her ability to spin such arrestive melodies around the maladies of the contemporary trappings of sociopathy transcends talent to paint Chadwick as one of the most seminal artists of our era. Just one hit of Temper Gene will leave you with the compulsion to lose yourself in her diverse back catalogue, which was created with a little help from world-class producers, including Chris Garcia and Kevin Dippold.

Temper Gene was officially released on August 11th; stream it on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The blues rock renegade Chance Brown supercharged the airwaves with his electrifying single, Come See ‘Bout Me

Posted on 26 August 2023

The Victoria BC roots rock renegade Chance Brown delivered a bluesy bluegrass invitation you won’t want to turn down with his latest single, Come See ‘Bout Me.

Don’t let the acoustic guitar-wielding cover art fool you. Come See ‘Bout Me is more electrifying than anything Jack White has crafted in his entire career and just as rich in mainstream appeal thanks to the garage rock infusion. The track is so much more than a live wire, it is more reactive than the Chernobyl power plant at the point of explosion.

Between the harmonica blasts, the lap steel tones and the tightly controlled chaos of the choruses, Chance Brown succeeded in paying homage to the traditions of blues and ensuring that those aural traditions have a place in the contemporary music industry.

After spending his life in unwavering devotion to honing the different elements of song-crafting, Chance Brown has polished his talents and maintained his passion, initially ignited by the likes of Justin Townes Earle and Gord Downie, enabling him to become one of the most scintillating raconteurs of truths in any town.

Come See ‘Bout Me was officially released on the 18th of August; stream it on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The Bluegrass Bards, The Way Back Yard, are Back in Action in Their Eponymous EP

Posted on 14 August 2023

To kick off their eponymous EP, the Minneapolis band The Way Back Yard put their own baroque spin on the folk classic Wayfaring Stranger. The vignette of a world-weary soul traversing dirt roads in a bid for self-discovery may have been around since long before the Civil War, but it still lyrically rings just as true today in an era that is blighted by a collective loss of meaning.

The folky Americana retelling of the melancholic tale will embed itself deep within your soul; with every cello and violin sting pull, you will feel more of the gravity projected by the three-part harmonies that The Way Back Yard has become revered for.

They’ve come a long way since playing in backyards in the Twin Cities; their Crosby, Stills and Nash-inspired melodies have received extensive radio and podcast plays, and they’ve become part of the furniture in the Minneapolis bluegrass scene. On the basis of the gravitas in their cover of Wayfaring Stranger, it is about time for them to become a global folk phenomenon.

The self-titled EP from The Way Back Yard is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

. 

Madison Hughes painted a vignette with the poison arrows of a lothario in her country single, The Heartbreak Kid

Posted on 17 July 2023

If Helen of Troy could launch a thousand ships with her face, trailblazing country songstress Madison Hughes could do the same with her velveteen vocal lines in her latest single, The Heartbreak Kid.

Not one to skate by on her most obvious talent, Hughes always ensures her vignettes come to life in enthrallingly vibrant colour. With her latest slice of Americana, she painted a portrait of the kind of lothario you will always hope to never know while providing pitch-perfect solace to the ones that have been shot with poisoned arrows.

The Florida-residing artist started her journey at 10 years old. Since, she has won over all three judges on NBC’s The Voice, which subsequently resulted in her cover of Knocking on Heaven’s Door being streamed half a million times on YouTube. Her most popular single, You or the Whiskey, found a place on the Billboard “7 Must Hear Country Songs” list and the New Music Friday County Spotify playlist. The Heartbreak Kid is easily deserving of the very same accolades.

Stream The Heartbreak Kid on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Matt Mullins & The Bringdowns harbingered the ‘Beginning of the End’ in their expansively influenced single

Posted on 5 July 2023

Matt Mullins & The Bringdowns may be alt-country at their core, which their single, Beginning of the End, efficaciously signifies but written into the rich tapestry of a single are elements are folk, grunge, psych and new wave indie to create a genre-bending odyssey.

Their stylistic fluidity is one thing; the way they allow emotion to drive the momentum and paint a panoramic portrait of the human psyche and all that defiles and uplifts it is quite another. The Beginning of the End takes a raw and real anxiety for the people prolifically questioning the sustainability of our societies and enraptures the listener away from it all with the unshackling nature of the stellar songwriting.

Beyond the Slash-style soaring guitar solos, the Eddie Vedder-esque gruff vocal timbre, the gangly indie melodies that will appease any fans of the Psychedelic Furs, and the rugged folk elements which reminisce with the tones made iconic by the Levellers lies the true beauty of Matt Mullins & The Bringdowns. For your own sake, experience it for yourselves.

Beginning of the End, along with their latest album, Monarch Sessions, from which it was taken, is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Some Kind of Poison: Bobby Fire found her body with buzzing flies for company on Hounds Hunting Me

Posted on 15 June 2023

With a truly sad single which will cause tears to flow like the rains coming during the winter, Bobby Fire drops a cinematic tree-climbing single which will summon our deepest emotions from the basement on Hounds Hunting Me.

Bobby Fire is a UK-based indie folk/Americana storyteller who makes the kind of real music which is massively memorable for its outstanding authenticity.

Inspired by greats such as Leonard Cohen, Roky Erickson and Sixto Rodriguez, Bobby Fire has created one of the most eye-opening singles of modern times. This is real to the core. It shows us deep inside the nature of current days with money, greed and poor decisions in such a kind world, which is currently caged by evil deeds from invisible suits.

Hounds Hunting Me from UK-based indie folk/Americana artist Bobby Fire might be a classic which might only be appreciated in decades to come. That’s the point. This is a single made with so much love and care. Each word means something. The vocals are hauntingly beautiful and the melodies will make many think deeper, about where our planet is actually headed.

They’re killing us baby.

Listen deeper to the truth on YouTube.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen