Category: Reviews

On their last album, Half a Native (New West/2015), Buxton began incorporating more pop into their alternative country-rock sound. Stay Out Late (New West), released this October, sees Buxton, inspired by Talk Talk’s 1991 post-rock masterpiece, Laughing Stock, evolving their sound in the direction of piano-driven experimental pop. Stay Out Late radiates warmth and pleases […]

The Swedish faces of Americana may belong to the angel-voiced young ladies of First Aid Kit, but Christian Kjellvander stands at the heart of the Scandinavian Americana scene. A fixture since the mid ’90s, when he released the outstanding low-fi country rock album For Sale By Owner as a member of the Loosegoats, Kjellvander has […]

Brent Funkhouser joined our reviews team mid year, and has covered a range of music styles for Americana Highways.  Here is his top 10 favorite album list, with playlist, for the year!   Top 10 Albums for 2018   Brandi Carlile, By The Way, I Forgive You   Nominated for six Grammys (third in nominations […]

This year has been an incredible year of live music for me. I’ve seen over 60 artists this year and attended shows in a variety of venues, from the historic Cain’s Ballroom to the small dive bar known as The Mercury Lounge. Every show has had it’s high points, but there are five shows/artists in […]

Growing up, we had an unofficial December tradition in my family – before the presents came, some cleaning up was in order. Out with the old to make room for the new. Inevitably, though, I’d run across something – an action figure, a stuffed animal, or, in my teen years, a book or a shirt, […]