Tag: americana

Live Review – Amythyst Kiah @ Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival

Hailing from Johnson City, Tennessee Amythyst Kiah is a contemporary blues and folk singer, with a real connection to the history of Appalachian music. This was the second of her two shows at the Edinburgh Jazz and Blues festival where she has successfully performed for the last three years. The audience in the Piccolo venue were treated to an evening of stories and songs from a troubadour of the highest quality. Continue reading “Live Review – Amythyst Kiah @ Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival” →

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Album Review: Erin Rae – Putting on Airs

The cover of Erin Rae’s new album is a painting by Nashville artist Harry Underwood, depicting a barroom scene – in it a woman puts a song on the jukebox, a man sits at the bar and the space between them is both small and vast at the same time. The painting, and the songs contained within, capture that sense of alienation and sadness which exist in everyday moments. ‘Putting on Airs’ is an album of breathtaking beauty, an intimate impression of American life. Continue reading “Album Review: Erin Rae – Putting on Airs” →

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Live Review: Gretchen Peters & Kim Richey @ Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh

Not long into her performance Gretchen Peters announced ‘If you don’t like sad songs then you’re in the wrong place,’ much to the amusement of the crowd, who all knew exactly what they were getting themselves into when they took their seats. Before the show people were even cheerily buying notebooks and t-shirts emblazoned with the slogan ‘sad songs make me happy’, which were for sale at the merchandise stand. Embracing the joy of melancholy is something Scottish people are famous for, after all.  Continue reading “Live Review: Gretchen Peters & Kim Richey @ Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh” →

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Album Review: Carter Sampson – Lucky

The whimsical portrait on the cover of this new album from Carter Sampson appears to show a woman comfortable with the world. Sure, she holds a horseshoe for luck but she’s not wishing for endless riches or anything outrageous like that. Her smile suggests she’s counting her blessings and appreciating the life she has right now. The music on ‘Lucky’ reflects this peaceful contentedness, with its warm and inviting country sound. Continue reading “Album Review: Carter Sampson – Lucky” →

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Album Review: Kim Richey – Edgeland

On Kim Richey’s first album for nearly five years she has worked with a variety of different musicians including Chuck Prophet, Mando Saenz and Jenny Queen. The title might suggest she’s trying something new but Edgeland seems to be more a reflection of where she is in life: traveling on the margins, a place where you can watch the world go by and contemplate life from a distance. The excellent songwriting on this album proves ‘Edgeland’ is a place to spend some quality time in. Continue reading “Album Review: Kim Richey – Edgeland” →

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Album Review: Sarah Shook & The Disarmers – Years

So I was trying to write a punchy little introduction to this review that explained how Sarah Shook & The Disarmers’ new album Years is full of personality and brutal truths in the best outlaw country tradition, but then I realised that I had to start with one simple point: you need to buy this right away. Scroll to the end of this page and click the link. Go on now. Part with your cash and fund this band’s future because it’s a tough life out there for working class musicians and they need our support more than ever. If you’ve already got it then that’s awesome, well done. So with that sorted let me explain why this is one of my favourite albums of the year so far. Continue reading “Album Review: Sarah Shook & The Disarmers – Years” →

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Album Review: Courtney Marie Andrews – May Your Kindness Remain

In his famous commencement speech to Syracuse University writer George Saunders said, ‘As a goal in life you could do worse than: try to be kinder.’ Of course, he explained, kindness can be hard. We are inherently selfish beings. But if you fail to be kind to others your life will be filled with regret. Such truths form the central theme to the new record ‘May Your Kindness Remain’ by Courtney Marie Andrews. Drawing on gospel and soul influences these beautiful songs could lift the hate from even the coldest heart. Continue reading “Album Review: Courtney Marie Andrews – May Your Kindness Remain” →

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