Browsing Tag

Roots Music

Blowing My Own Trumpet redefined the landscape of protest music with their world music single, Sama Rainbow

Posted on 18 February 2024

Blowing My Own Trumpet’s latest single, “Sama Rainbow,” is a striking blend of vibrant world music and poignant political commentary. The track is a rich tapestry of Latin and African rhythms, infused with the soulful essence of jazz. This musical family, led by Claude and Josephine Lamon, along with Joe Dorstal and Mattie James, has crafted a piece that is as thought-provoking as it is rhythmically exhilarating.

From the first note, “Sama Rainbow” immerses the listener in a world where the joyous beats of Africa and Latin America collide. The instrumentation is a kaleidoscope of sound, with each note painting a picture of vibrant landscapes. However, beneath this bright exterior lies a narrative of deep sorrow and frustration towards the political turmoil that taints the beauty of Africa.

The lyrics, poignant and direct, speak of the enduring pain caused by political corruption in Africa. Phrases like “Politicians still playing their games” and “Help save the broken Rainbow” are powerful calls to action, urging listeners to acknowledge and address the ongoing struggles.

What makes “Sama Rainbow” particularly compelling is its ability to balance the beauty of its musical composition with the gravity of its message. The track doesn’t just lament the state of affairs; it also offers a sense of hope and resilience. The final verses, “There are colours in the Rainbow / We have saved the broken Rainbow,” suggests a future where unity and justice might prevail.

In essence, “Sama Rainbow” is a powerful statement on the state of our world, wrapped in a melody that captivates and moves. It’s a reminder that music can be a tool for change, echoing the struggles and hopes of people across the globe.

Sama Rainbow is now available to stream and purchase via Bandcamp.

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 21^st-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

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

Lucas Pasley put his audience in the saddle of injustice in the roots release, Icelandic Horses

Posted on 21 May 2023

The authentic but by no means archaic Americana luminary Lucas Pasley twanged plenty of timeless soul onto the airwaves with the release of his third album, Ponies Back Home. The serenely composed release, which carries all the Grammy-nominated allure of Bonny Light Horseman’s debut LP, starts with the standout single, Icelandic Ponies.

With melodies that sway in the breeze of his songwriting which pays homage to his Appalachian Mountains roots and a voice so soothing it could placate a rabid raccoon, there’s no overstating the arresting allure of Icelandic Horses.

His slide guitars reach the pinnacle of sonic catharsis as the lyrics lament the inherent unjustness of the universe while showing you the beauty within it in the same breath. The fragility of life is laid out in a series of short and bitter-sweet vignettes to brim you with gratitude for the burdens you don’t bear and fill you with empathy for the ones who do.

Stream Lucas Pasley’s album, Ponies Back Home, on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The Fretbenders – Wandering Soul: An Americana Beacon for Wanderlust Dreamers to Follow Home

Posted on 11 May 2023

Taking you simultaneously to a veranda in Sicily and a back porch in Louisiana, the soundscape in the standout single, Wandering Soul, from the singer-songwriter duo The Fretbender’s seminal album, Long Overdue, is a beacon for the wanderlust dreamers to follow home.

Between the harmonicas, slide guitars and folksy vocal lines which sugar the atmosphere with compassion for the world-weary to savour, Wandering Soul is a timeless rootsy Americana offering which will nestle you within its euphonic comfort.

The husband-and-wife duo, Diane and Bob Kordas are known for their homely senses of soul and their unique roots infusions, which allow heritage sounds to resound on contemporary airwaves. Following their hotly anticipated LP, we hope there’s plenty more in the pipeline.

Wandering Soul is available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The heartfelt hip-hop innovator KNG JMZ is on luminary form in his originality-enmeshed hit, WASH

Posted on 2 April 2023

Rocksteady roots music rips through the intro to the latest alt-hip-hop stormer, WASH, from the artist KNG JMZ, who is making short work of rising from the underground with his killer lines, archetype-smashing instrumentals and infectious vocal energy.

Once the rap bars are in full flow, KNG JMZ contrasts the originality-enmeshed beats with his steady flows that will easily arrest the rhythmic pulses of any Run the Jewels fans. But if you’re looking for an assimilative artist, look far beyond this indie rapper who finds his inspiration from the dynamic culture hip-hop represents.

After being born and raised in Winnipeg, experiencing his fair share of hardship, and learning the joys of perseverance, KNG JMZ curated an ethos out of making all his content heartfelt. You scarcely need his bio to affirm that; tune into the evocatively convictive introspective wit in WASH and hear it for yourself.

WASH will officially drop on March 31. Check it out on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Californian solo artist, Beau James Wilding, put the grit in folk with his reverently fervid single, SET MYSELF ON FIRE

Posted on 13 January 2023

With the choppy discord in the acoustic guitar strings against his gravelly punk blues vocals, the Californian solo artist, Beau James Wilding, orchestrated a roots rock masterpiece with his latest single, SET MYSELF ON FIRE.

We didn’t need his bio to inform us of his intense emotional relationship with sound and music. But learning that the relationship was strengthened after he was left legally blinded by a disease at eighteen made the fierily ardent passion in SET MYSELF ON FIRE burn with even more reverence.

Any fans of Dogs D’Amour and The Quireboys won’t want this fervidly impactful single to pass them by. The dark poetic imagery in the lyrics paired with the frenetic pace of the guitar rhythms that consume the instrumental arrangement with their ragged timbre is a sobering multisensory experience that reaches the pinnacle of gritty folk.

SET MYSELF ON FIRE will officially release on January 13th. Stream it on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Roots music wraps around rap in BigRedMusic’s melodic indie hip hop single, Pack Mentality

Posted on 30 November 2022

Roots music meets rap in BigRedMusic’s latest single, Pack Mentality, which will win over any B. Dolan fans. To spice up the genre-fluid instrumentals, Spanish guitars with a touch of Eastern rhythm intricately weave a melody around the trappy 808s and the rap bars that hit every single mark.

Lil Nas X walked in Old Town Road so BigRedMusic could run in Pack Mentality, which wittily explores cultural phenomena of people’s tendency to act insufferably every time they are together enabling each other’s toxic behaviour. The introspection is just as hot as the immersive grooves in the high-fire track, which established the up-and-coming artist as talented as Eminem when it comes to slamming rap bars. It is no stretch to say that he is one of the hottest rappers on the underground right now.

Pack Mentality is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Marlais looks ‘Out of the Window’ in his quiescently beguiling folk tale

Posted on 17 October 2022

Stream Of Forms by Marlais

Stuttgart, Germany-residing folk artist Marlais takes inspiration from the deep roots of English and Irish folk for his quiescently beguiling aural tales that transcend the commercialisation of Folk to outpour intimately uninhibited emotion.

His latest hymnal single, Out of the Window, is an arresting invitation to lose yourself in the narrative, which unfolds to the minimalist folk instruments and harmonically ethereal electronic motifs. It’s gospel for the impious, a triumph in connectivity through the ambient relay of sincere emotion that carries as much through the vulnerable vocal timbre as it does through the celestially sombre instrumentation.

Out of the Window, taken from his forthcoming LP, Stream of Forms, is now available to stream and purchase via Bandcamp.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Hodges Country stand and deliver raucous country rock euphoria in ‘Country’s Kicking’

Posted on 25 September 2022

https://soundcloud.com/steve-and-sheri-music/countrys-kicking-2

The country rock raconteurs behind Hodges Country are primed and ready to take you down the ramshackled county line in their latest upbeat single, Country’s Kicking, which has been picking up plenty of steam on the airwaves since its July 2022 debut.

With over 128k streams on SoundCloud alone, the father and son duo led by American singer-songwriter Steve Hodges paid a stunning ode to his late wife, who was the co-creator and muse behind many of his greatest hits; her legacy is in a blaze of glory on the basis of Country’s Kicking alone. How the wake and tragedy can translate into such euphoric country rock raucousness is the epitome of beauty in my book.

Delve into the bluegrass righteousness for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

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