Alpha Cat – Venus Smile – EP I’m familiar with this compelling artist that drives this band & teeters on the edge of being a more folky-roots-oriented Patti Smith. While Elizabeth McCullough isn’t as intense, punky, or Beat Generation-tinted as dear Patti she has that carefree punk devil-may-care tonality in her vocal that’s captivating. She […]
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Kaurna Cronin – Harsh Beauty A creative 11-cut collection of primarily folk-pop-rock confections with some basis in Americana music as opposed to traditional roots music. But what Australian singer Kaurna Cronin has done is crafted a set of tunes that are more easily accessible to ears not finely tuned to the more traditional route. His […]
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Lydia Luce – Garden Songs – 5 Song EP A delicate plea for the planet’s future. I can support that but in reality, I’ve lived long enough to know this inherent fear was prevalent in the early 1970s with the ozone layer being compromised. None of those predictions ever came true because if they did […]
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Night Music photos by Clay Rodgriguez “Night Music” Reframes John and Alan Lomax’s Quest For Prison Field Recordings Night Music, a short film inspired by the father and son musicologists John and Alan Lomax, was co-produced by Lukas Huffman and Dom Flemons. It recently debuted at festivals, and currently available online via Omleto. Huffman wrote […]
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Lindsay Clark – Carpe Noctem A bit surreal, and ethereal, but the lovely-voiced Lindsay Clark decorates her work with soothing melodies with light as a feather performance. Fortunately, unlike many, Ms. Clark has melody, creative lyrics & appealing vocals that are enchanting. But many songs stay in just one gear. Her newest 11-cut Carpe Noctem […]
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Caamp got the inspiration for the title of their latest album, Lavender Days, from periods of time in life that present “small pleasures and forgotten disappointments” – the kind of days that may not leave an immediate mark but end up resonating far down the line. After two-plus years of life-defining events – for the […]
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Linda Hoover – I Mean To Shine A bit vintage but with charm. This 11-cut comes from another era, 1970. An unissued LP — released for the first time in 2022. 52 years on the shelf — shameful. Lots of expertise was involved in this production. Gary Katz (Steppenwolf, Joe Cocker, Steely Dan) produced with […]
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Yosh and Yimmy – Three Rivers At first, I didn’t think this would qualify as Americana-Roots music. Yet, listening closely this is a credible undertaking. Right from the start, “Early Sun,” has a beautiful ambiance with a quirky type of melodic approach short & sweet. The production is excellent on this Mason Shirley (electric guitars/bass/pedal […]
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Audrey Bussanich – Go For a Drive – EP There are few female vocalists who have the rich jazzy intonation & phrasing Joni Mitchell provided in her later years. This 20-something chanteuse, classically trained pianist has it on “Take Time.” Her vocal is mature with cohesive music & the lyrics amply capture the notes in […]
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The Silos are releasing a new album, Family, which was produced and recorded by The Silos; mixed by El Estimado Jose Reyes, Eric Kassel and Walter Salas-Humara; and mastered by Dave McNair. On Family, the Silos have blended the quality aspects of early pop music that render it memorable and catchy, with wide open spaces of […]
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