Tag: americana

Album Review: Wild Ponies – Galax

Telisha and Doug Williams of Wild Ponies are now based in Nashville but have a deep connection to Galax in South West Virginia, famous for hosting the Old Fiddlers Bluegrass Festival. The married duo decided to record this album in a shed behind Doug’s grandfather’s farm in Galax, combining talented local musicians with professionals from Music City. One listen to Galax and you are there, talking a walk through those fields, heading towards the sound of some of the sweetest music you’ve ever heard.  Continue reading “Album Review: Wild Ponies – Galax” →

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Album Review: The Sweetback Sisters – King of Killing Time

I’m a huge fan of the TV show Fringe, in which a mad scientist discovers a parallel universe where there’s significant differences in the way the world has unravelled across time. That’s fiction, of course,  but when I look at the charts or hear the radio I can’t help but think there’s a real musical parallel universe running in tandem with ours. Two alternate timelines: one where music is a beautiful life-affirming thing in which talent and tradition are valued and respected and the other side is the MANstream hell of popular chart music. The Sweetback Sisters exist on the good side of the musical divide and the album King of Killing Time is a joyous celebration of classic country and vintage va va voom Continue reading “Album Review: The Sweetback Sisters – King of Killing Time” →

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Album Review: Karen & the Sorrows – The Narrow Place 

Karen Pittelman grew up listening to her parents’ country record collection and despite starting out in a punk band she eventually found herself wanting to sing songs about heartbreak. Only by using the pedal steel did she find the musical ‘essence of sorrow’ she was looking for, played here by Elana Redfield (drummer Tammi Johnson completes the trio). The Narrow Place is an album connected to the musical roots of country music but thematically and lyrically unique.  Continue reading “Album Review: Karen & the Sorrows – The Narrow Place “ →

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Album Review: Jaime Wyatt – Felony Blues

 

Many artists pretend to walk on the wild side and do everything they can to create an outlaw style, as though being bad automatically gains you street credibility. Some even choose to go down that road on purpose, to live out that doomed rock star myth as a way to create authenticity. After Jaime Wyatt’s first record deal collapsed she went off the rails and found herself actually experiencing the hard reality of this kind of life. Felony Blues, a short album released in the UK this week, explores her addictions and convictions in songs with real grit and soul. Continue reading “Album Review: Jaime Wyatt – Felony Blues” →

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Album Review: The Secret Sisters – You Don’t Own Me Anymore

 

A few years back everything fell apart for The Secret Sisters and they endured a lawsuit and bankruptcy. Such hard luck might have signalled the end of their career but thankfully they took time to regroup and after a successful crowdfunding campaign have now signed a new record deal. You Don’t Own Me Anymore is an album that doesn’t dwell in woe but is instead the sound of a band reinvigorated, having learned life’s lessons the hard way. Continue reading “Album Review: The Secret Sisters – You Don’t Own Me Anymore” →

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