Author: Andrew Gulden

We Americana-ans can be a pretty dour bunch. We like our music sad and our lyrics sadder. And we like country, but not TOO much country. Throw in some folk, some indie, and someone who sings OK, just not TOO pretty. Also – we like hats, but not too many cowboy hats, please. Sometimes, though, […]

The tricky thing about being a blues guitar player – bringing that on-stage fire into the studio and emerging with a cohesive collection of songs based on more than hot licks. After burning down stages for a decade, Gary Clark Jr. met that studio challenge earlier this year with his third major-label release, This Land. […]

One of the best aspects of Americana music is the elasticity of both the musicians and the fans. Artists don’t feel pigeonholed into one narrow vein of music, and listeners are willing to entertain different lyrical topics and musical styles (although Sturgill Simpson’s upcoming release seems to be testing that latter willingness to stretch). Nashville-based […]

Amanda Shires is having a moment, and that moment has stretched well beyond two years now. In 2017, she became a full-fledged member of the 400 Unit, one of the tightest bands in any genre. Last year, the singer-songwriter-fiddle player released her sixth solo album, To The Sunset, stretching her sound well past the Americana […]

One of the most notable facets of the music business in 2019 is the lack of prolificacy. It’s not that musicians are any less creative than their predecessors. But, with music sales bottoming out, leaving artists chasing other sources of much-needed revenue (touring, selling merch, launching Kickstarter campaigns), there’s simply less time (and monetary incentive) […]

It would be easy to get snarky about someone being named the “Best Country Singer” in Los Angeles. When you think LA, the only horses you picture are trucked in and out of studio back lots. Even my home of Colorado, a “real” western state, is more known for John Denver than for any “true” […]

I’ve gotta say – I’m stunned. Stunned by the number of albums by ace female guitar players that have landed in my inbox over the past few months. Just this year, I’ve written reviews of Molly Tuttle, Courtney Hartman, Abigail Lapell, and Our Native Daughters with their four banjo virtuosos. It’s not that I thought […]

When you think Oklahoma, you think “Red Dirt.” But Tulsa’s different. Because of its relative diversity and a historically transient population (largely due to its oil and gas deposits and the boom and bust cycles inherent with such resources), music styles from various regions have coalesced beside the Arkansas River to form the Tulsa Sound. […]