By Paul T. Mueller Not every backing band can make an album that stands on its own, but the Red Dirt Boys are not just any backing band. Emmylou Harris’ touring outfit – guitarist/mandolinist Will Kimbrough, bassist Chris Donohue, drummer Bryan Owings and keyboardist/guitarist Phil Madeira, with all but Owings contributing vocals – are excellent musicians on their own. But they…
Category: New releases
Americana One #33 Steve Poltz Shines On
We met Steve Poltz in Nashville on July 4th, 2017 when he happened to walk into a local club where we were holding one of our free speech in music nights. He wasn’t on the bill, but about two minutes into his visit, he committed to performing. That spontaneity and commitment show up big time on his just-released album “Shine…
Americana One #32 Michael McDermott embraces his “Orphans”
In this week’s Americana One podcast, Michael McDermott talks about his rich career, his personal struggles and his new “Orphans” album, an engaging collection of songs that didn’t quite fit elsewhere.
Yola previews new album “Walk Through Fire” on WMOT’s Wired In
Previewing her new album “Walk Through Fire” – to be released tomorrow – Yola elicited quick comparisons to the ’70s soul of Dusty Springfield, no small accomplishment.
Alejandro Escovedo at the Heights Theater in Houston
Alejandro Escovedo turned 68 on January 10, but at an age when many people have retired or at least are planning to, the singer-songwriter-force-of-nature shows little sign of slowing down.
New: Bill Lloyd’s “Working the Long Game”
Americana Music News – Nashville’s Bill Lloyd is following up his engaging “It’s Happening Now” with “Working the Long Game,” a collection of compelling new songs, including co-writes with pop songwriting legend Graham Gouldman (“Bus Stop,” “For Your Love”) Aaron Lee Tasjan, Cheap Trick’s Tom Petersson, Freedy Johnston, Buddy Mondlock, Pat Buchanan, David Surface and more. This trailer offers a quick spin through the new album.
Show 30: Kathy Mattea and her “Pretty Bird”
t’s been too long since a new Kathy Mattea album, but that’s been remedied with the release of “Pretty Bird,” a vibrant collection that includes outstanding versions of Mary Gauthier’s “Mercy Now” and Bobbie Gentry’s “Ode to Billie Joe.”
The Gibson Brothers’ “Mockingbird”
The Gibson Brothers have a new album produced by tastemaker and Black Key Dan Auerbach and a video that covers R.E.M. in compelling fashion.
Donna the Buffalo’s “Dance in the Street”
The always engaging Donna the Buffalo have a new album called “Dance in the Street,” to be released this week.
Show 29 The Accidentals and Vanessa Peters
Today’s episode of the Americana Music News Podcast features the Accidentals, a talented young trio that floored us with their dynamic performances at this year’s Americana Music Festival and WMOT showcase. And just in time for election day, we offer Vanessa Peters’ “Carnival Barker,’ a pointed and powerful song from her striking new album “Foxhole Prayers.”
Show #28 Will Hoge’s “My American Dream”
At a time of intense polarization, surprisingly few artists have used their music to reflect their political beliefs. Will Hoge is the laudable exception to that, as evidenced by his compelling new collection of socially conscious songs.
Review: Scott Mulvahill’s “Himalayas”
“I wanna go where I’ve never been,” singer-songwriter-bassist Scott Mulvahill declares on the title track of his new CD, Himalayas. “I gotta find out what I’m made of.” That impulse to self-discovery has produced some impressive results in the form of this collection, which embodies pop, jazz, blues and gospel, among other influences.
Gary Nicholson’s “God Help America”
We had the privilege of having Nashville songwriting great Gary Nicholson join us for the 20th anniversary of Freedom Sings, a fundraiser for First Amendment education at the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville. He shared this amazing new composition with us. It’s truly a song for our time.
Video Premiere: Hilary Scott’s “Don’t Call Me Angel”
Americana Music News is pleased to premiere Hilary Scott’s haunting new video “Don’t Call Me Angel,” from her upcoming album of the same name. That’s set for release on Oct. 12 and includes her distinctive cover of Prince’s “Kiss.”
Review: Kevin Welch’s “Dust Devil”
It’s been more than a quarter of a century since Welch’s “next big thing” days in Nashville, as the face of what the marketers dubbed “Western Beat.” Dust Devil, scheduled for release Oct. 15, needs no such label.
Podcast 24 Stephen Kellogg and Ruby Boots
It’s a double feature today featuring two talented artists that need to be known by a lot more people. First up is Stephen Kellogg, who’s just wrapping up the recording of a new album in Nashville, and then Ruby Boots, an Australian artist set to tour Great Britain in September behind her striking 2018 album “Don’t Talk About It.”
Podcast 22 The War and Treaty, plus Gin, Chocolate and Bottle Rockets
There are fresh voices galore on this episode of Americana Music News. First, we’ll hear from the much-heralded duo War and Treaty, followed by a First Person segment featuring the Madison, Wisconsin-based trio Gin, Chocolate and Bottle Rockets.
Podcast 21 The Milk Carton Kids and Seth Timbs
In this episode of the Americana Music News Podcast, The Milk Carton Kids – Joey Ryan and Kenneth Pattengale – talk about the duo’s career, the mixed blessing of being compared to Simon and Garfunkel and their rich new album “All the Things That I Did and All the Things That I Didn’t Do.”
Chart Watch: American Aquarium’s “Things Change”
Americana Music News – The new American Aquarium album “Things Change” moves to #12 on the 
Americana Music Association’s album charts this week and with good reason. It may well be the most thought-provoking and rewarding album of the year.
There are inevitably going to be comparisons to Bruce Springsteen because of BJ Barham’s vocals, but the more critical similarity is to well-crafted songs about the kind of world we live in.
“The world Is On Fire” is the stunner, a extraordinary song about election night 2016 and the next morning’s reckoning:
“When did The Land of the Free become The Home of the Afraid?
Afraid of the world, afraid of the truth
Afraid of each other”
The Rose Garden, Gene Clark and the sounds of ’67
The Rose Garden climbed into the top 20 in 1967 with “Next Plane to London,” a pleasant pop tune in the vein of We Five. There was never another hit, the album didn’t sell and the band soon broke up. And yet 51 years later we have this new release “A Trip Through the Garden – The Rose Garden Collection