Ever gone to a show and had an opening act grab you, to the point that you almost forgot whom you actually paid to see? Oklahoma’s Samantha Crain did just that to me a couple of years back. Just her songs, her guitar and her haunting voice were enough to hold my attention well past […]
Ask someone to define Texas music, and you’ll likely get a wide variety of responses – country, swing, Tejano, or maybe even a simple, insistent “Willie.” Corpus Christi’s Shayna Sands brings a different flavor to her state’s music, something that could be termed “Texas Gothic.” Her new EP, Motions of the Day, brings that feeling […]
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Pretty much everyone reading this loves pedal steel, or we wouldn’t be here. Imagine, though, a Venn diagram labeled “Pedal steel lovers,” “Americana Highways readers” and “New age music enthusiasts.” I’m guessing we’d see a pretty small intersecting set. However, Ohio’s Luke Schneider has set out to change that. A longtime touring and session player […]
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Nostalgia has always been an enormous part of country music. Whether it’s for a hometown left behind, a family member long gone, or losing THAT GIRL, happy memories of the past are what tinge so many songs with melancholy. The latest release from Texan John Baumann, Country Shade, is fairly dripping with nostalgia for a […]
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Everyone’s heard “write what you know,” but, in the best country music, perhaps “write what you’ve lived” is more apt. Jaime Wyatt is a recovering addict who’s also recently outed herself. And, before all that, she’s a woman trying to make it in the country music biz. All three traits are worthy of a well-penned […]
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Covering a song isn’t nearly as easy as parroting the words. The art (after picking the right song, of course) comes from honoring the spirit of the original, while adding your own stylistic twist. Think Johnny Cash’s rendition of Nine Inch Nails’ “Hurt” (and, while you’re at it, throw out Darius Rucker’s completely superfluous cover […]
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Life, pandemic or not, is a gamble, and some of the biggest gamblers around are musicians. Native Texan Jarrod Dickenson has wagered on himself more times than most. From quitting a full-time job to focus on music, to scheduling a West Coast string of dates with no guarantee of anyone showing up to listen, to […]
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Country music is simply meant to be played live. What used to be called “hillbilly music” predates the internet, CDs, 8-track players and even universal access to turntables and AM/FM radio. Eventually, music clubs and honky-tonks largely replaced front porches and backyards. Now, in 2020, those live music venues have (temporarily, one hopes) been replaced […]
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Injecting humor into music is a tricky business. Too much, and too flippant, and you wind up approaching Weird Al territory. But, if you can balance serious subject matter with just the right amount of self-deprecation, you get something both revealing and eminently listenable. Caitlin Cannon’s latest release, The TrashCannon Album, is a big ol’ […]
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Some reviews require no fancy introduction by the writer, as the anticipation for the release is more than enough to capture the reader’s attention. The new album from Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Reunions, is the most eagerly awaited Americana release of 2020, so let’s dive right in. Three years ago, Isbell and his […]
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