Artists like B.B. Cole are leading traditional Americana songwriting and music into the 21st century. We’re almost two and a half decades into this New Millennium, and there’s something deeply reassuring about it when an Austrian-born musical, vocal, and songwriting talent latches onto roots music with conviction. It speaks to the enduring value of that
Troy Johnstone
Banjo virtuoso Steve Wilson’s Wilson Banjo Co. is well on its way to establishing itself as one of the early 21st century’s best bluegrass acts. The competition is fiercer than the casual observer may think. This particular corner of Americana music has several budding champions looking to pick up the mantle and carry bluegrass even
In a world where artists are increasingly packaged with a shiny, algorithm-friendly gloss, Trevor Drury comes as a refreshing contradiction—a former international model whose music is more likely to wander into alt-pop explorations of the human psyche than onto mainstream radio. His latest EP, Alice, It’s All in Your Head, isn’t designed to be easily
Kathy is an emerging artist who’s been making a name for herself with her unique sound and heartfelt lyrics. With new music just released, we sat down to talk about her journey, inspirations, and the excitement of her upcoming releases. How did your journey into music begin? Was there a defining moment when you knew this
The song “Summer Girl (Redux)” by The High Plains Drifters is like a sun-bleached postcard, one you find years later tucked between the pages of a long-forgotten novel, its edges curled and stained with the oily touch of nostalgia. Oh, but how the past shimmers in the heat of memory! The band, ever the itinerant
Born in Michigan and now living in Los Angeles, Vincent Covello’s musical path disregards current fashion. He follows his muse wherever it leads. His muse leads him to a particularly notable peak with the new ten-track collection Torchlights. Adopting the tried-and-true form of “torch songs” as a songwriting design for the collection doesn’t mean it wallows
Lorraine Jordan and Carolina Road are one of those unique musical pairings where it truly sounds meant to be. The quintet configuration of Carolina Road complements Jordan’s vocal and mandolin contributions as naturally as breathing. Jordan’s ability to seamlessly incorporate her stylistic strengths into Carolina Road testifies to the thoroughly realized relationship shared by these
Ashleigh Graham’s musical story is a genuine rarity. She first earned attention in the bluegrass world as a young woman gracing the stages of assorted festivals throughout the American Southwest. She recorded her first bluegrass album, It’s Easy to Forget, by her fifteenth birthday. Following that period, Graham chose to leave the music world behind and
Tidalwave Road’s twelve-year journey to their debut release The Bonfire Sessions is well worth every mile. The Kentucky-based quartet practices bluegrass in a near-purist sense. The EP’s five songs are rife with time-tested instrumental passages, and familiar elements such as strong vocal harmonies, and find an exquisite balance between a bygone era and modern life. Banjo player
Tanya Mezh’s new single “Lying Looks Bad on You” is her latest foray into the English-speaking pop market and should increase her global visibility. Not yet sixteen years old, Mezh has already established herself as a major talent with a string of single releases to her credit alongside starring roles in three major Russian film
Utilizing a pointed groove to emphasize the simplicity of their melodies in “There’s a River.” Drawing together otherwise perplexing thumps out of the ethers to form a casual rhythm in “Only in the Cross.” Dabbling in the best sort of overindulgence you can hope to find in a guitar-driven album in “Sing a Hallelujah.” Slapping us
Mark Conklin’s new groundbreaking gospel record The Gospel According to Mark hits stores this summer, but I don’t think the mastermind behind its twelve glory-giving songs (and twelve passages from the New Testament book of the same name) is planning on selling a billion copies and living off of the royalties. In the tradition of
Bobby Cyrus’ original “Jeremiah” hails from his pending second album release. Based on the excellence of this new single, I feel it is safe to say that we’re set for a transformative collection. His singing partnership with his wife Teddi Cyrus is one of the key selling points. URL: https://teddiandbobbycyrus.com/home Their harmony vocals never dominate
How do musicians find their magic and gravity in their careers? How do they thrive in their creativity? For one woman, she found her passion in music at a young age. As a successful composer who was born in Ukraine and now living in Miami, Elena Iourova has collaborated with many artists from the Latin
Alex Wellkers’ Fly Away features eleven invigorating songs that cut across multiple styles. The Swiss singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist has built to this moment with EP-length prior releases that hinted at his ambition. However, Fly Away represents the full flowering of Wellkers’ talents rather than a condensed expression of his skills. He sustains the listener’s interest throughout the nearly dozen songs with dramatic arrangements
Áine Burns is well aware of the power musical tradition holds. Her upbringing in an intensely musical Irish family taught the Bundoran native early about the deep rewards that her homeland’s folk song traditions offer singers and musicians alike. Her take on the classic Irish folk song “I’m a Man You Don’t Meet Every Day”
Daniel Grindstaff’s new single with guest vocalist Jeff Tolbert entitled “Child of the King” is one of the finest collaborations featured on his forthcoming Heroes & Friends release. Grindstaff has built much of his career on collaborative efforts, and Heroes & Friends promises to be his most fulfilling foray yet in that vein. It doesn’t confine itself to arch-purist
Steven Wilson’s Wilson Banjo Co. serves a dual purpose. It’s a business selling and promoting Wilson’s line of custom-made banjos while enjoying a vibrant second life as a fully realized musical unit. His continuing collaboration with singer Sarah Logan has produced three albums that do an excellent job of balancing the past with the present.
Today, we have the honor of speaking with Brea! With a track record of delivering soul-stirring melodies and thought-provoking lyrics, Brea continues to captivate audiences with her unparalleled talent and unwavering passion for the craft. Her newest release has left listeners captivated, showcasing a seamless blend of musical innovation and heartfelt emotion. Join us as
Rap has developed a lot since its earliest releases, but in the past fifteen years, it’s come into a new creative era that perhaps no one, not even veteran followers of the genre, could have seen coming. At the forefront of this new chapter in the history books, we find a generation of indie players
The warm pastoral feel of Liam Purcell and Cane Mill Road’s new single “Homesick for Virginia” does an excellent job of capturing the high lonesome country blues sound of traditional bluegrass. It pulls that off without ever clumsily aping any specific performers, though I hear a lot of influence from The Stanley Brothers’ earliest songs
Georgia’s Edgar Loudermilk has the abiding spirit of bluegrass music flowing through his veins. The new single from The Edgar Loudermilk Band entitled “The Banks of the River” recalls the genre’s radiant past while planting a flag firmly in the present. Loudermilk and his band’s ability to balance a modern perspective with continuing faith in
Alex Haughey’s new film is Under the Influencer, now available on streaming (Apple TV, Amazon). At first glance, the zany satirical comedy feels like something akin to a Harmony Korine picture, complete with dazzling color, meticulous framing (shout out to cinematographer Matthew Lynn, QC’s It Lives Inside), and strange and offbeat characterization. Quickly though, we’re
Alex Haughey’s new film is Under the Influencer, now available on streaming (Apple TV, Amazon). At first glance, the zany satirical comedy feels like something akin to a Harmony Korine picture, complete with dazzling color, meticulous framing (shout out to cinematographer Matthew Lynn, QC’s It Lives Inside), and strange and offbeat characterization. Quickly though, we’re
Longtime adult music fans will likely distrust any artist/songwriter who self-consciously describes their craft as a calling. It isn’t about the foundation of said calling. It’s about the inevitable wont of such performers to turn dogmatic and forsake their essential duty of providing an entertaining, enjoyable listening experience for their audience. Coppe Cantrell, however, gives
Indie bluegrass staples Williamson Branch were not content to simply utilize one style of approach in the recording of their new single “Kentucky Highway.” In this song, they combine elements from their wide range of influences to reshape a style of bluegrass that is somewhat outside of the norm in today’s popular Americana. Starting with
San Francisco has a historical reputation as a countercultural haven for music such as The Grateful Dead, and Jefferson Airplane, but artists such as Gene O illustrate the community’s diversity. The longtime vocalist, guitarist, and lead songwriter for 80s pop maestros The Make is cut from a decidedly broader cloth than those aforementioned peers. His
I understand that Marc Miner is tilling well-worn territory with his modern invocation of outlaw/alternative country spiked with strands of other Americana styles. He does it well, however. Pouring old wine into new bottles isn’t an easy skill to master, however, and Miner’s eleven-track second album Last Heroes finds new flavors in a reliable vintage. The Vienna,
The third solo album from Diane Gentile and her band The Gentle Men, The Bad and the Beautiful, follows on the heels of 2020’s The White Sea. Gentile continues drawing from an impressive array of influences for her art, including David Bowie and Lucinda Williams, but the end result is resolutely her own. Co-produced by Gentile and
At times bittersweet in tone and constructed to make a bluegrass fan out of even the most discriminating of music critics this September, Daniel Grindstaff’s “Forever Young” is indeed a track worth its weight in gold if you like smooth strings and appearances from the likes of Dolly Parton and Paul Brewster when we’re least
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