Elkhorn, instrumental guitar duo of guitarists Jesse Sheppard (12-string acoustic) and Drew Gardner (6-string electric), releases their 6th full-length record in five years on February 7, 2020. The Storm Sessions is a two-side improvisation record that finds Sheppard and Gardner joined by Turner Williams (electric bouzouki, shahi baaja). The séance like connection and telepathic energy […]
John Moreland’s latest release, LP5, arrives on 4AD on February 7th. Of immediate note is a shift in production that sonically sets this release apart from previous efforts. What is not different however, is the solid songwriting at the core of this effort; Moreland raises the bar with each line. Produced by Centro-Matic’s Matt Pence, […]
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Topical, political, and pissed off in all the right places, the Truckers have added another stellar piece of work to an already robust catalogue working through various aspects of “the southern thing.” Specific time and place become universal in the apt hands of writers like Hood and Cooley. Produced by the band and longtime compatriot […]
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With a voice of a soul singer and country instrumentations, 23 year old Marcus King showcases his skills on El Dorado (Fantasy Recordings) with streamlined songwriting and precise performance. Recorded at Nashville’s Easy Eye Studios and produced by The Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach, El Dorado is available now. Album opener, “Young Man’s Dream” paints a […]
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The consistently mercurial Black Lips shift again on their first release since 2017’s Satan’s Graffiti or God’s Art?. The Atlanta-based globe-trotting punks lean hard into jangly country roots on their latest release, Sing…In a World That’s Falling Apart. Recorded and co-produced with Nic Jodoin at Laurel Canyon’s legendary Valentine Recording Studios and out via Fire […]
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A Wave of Golden Things, Tall Tall Trees’ fourth studio album, finds multi-instrumentalist Mike Savino pushing his pseudonymous songwriting project beyond previous boundaries. Originally moving to NYC in the early 2000s as a bassist with an eye on the city’s vibrant jazz and experimental scene, a switch to banjo and a focus on songwriting produced […]
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Produced by David Lowery and engineered/mixed by Drew Vandenberg at Chase Park Transduction in Athens, GA, Buffalo Jones’ Standing By showcases Spokane, Washington Buffalo Jones’ alt-country indie rock and makes a strong argument for induction into your regular record rotation. Buffalo Jones is Jason Johnson (lead vocals, guitar), Brandon Humphreys (lead guitar), Andy Rumsey (bass), […]
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Hawktail is comprised of a group of American roots music elite pickers: Brittany Haas on violin, Paul Kowert on bass, Dominick Leslie on mandolin, and Jordan Tice on guitar. On Formations, the group’s debut on Padiddle Records, Hawktail immediately set themselves apart from their contemporaries with a mix of vocal-free bluegrass that is not afraid […]
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I reviewed just over 50 albums for Americana Highways since July. The following represents my favorite records out of those 50 reviews: record of the year, top ten after that, and all the rest listed for reference. Scroll to the bottom for playlist. Record of the Year: Darrin Bradbury’s Talking Dogs and Atom Bombs was […]
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Rue Snider’s most recent release, Pete’s Candy Store, Pt. 1, captures Snider as never before – solo, acoustic, live. Pete’s Candy Store, Pt. 1 showcases a side a Snider previously hidden from those that have yet to see Snider live. While the majority of his output has centered on studio projects augmented by a fine […]
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