a music blog about women in Americana & beyond
On the cover of her new album For My Crimes Marissa Nadler has painted a darkly gothic scene, rich in texture and featuring momentary glimpses of light. Her music too immerses us in the darkness of empty seaspaces, foggy skies and flickering fires. Winter is approaching fast, and this is a perfect soundtrack to the cold, fading light of the year. Continue reading “Album Review: Marissa Nadler – For My Crimes”
It’s been over ten years since The Watson Twins worked with Jenny Lewis on their classic album Rabbit Fur Coat. I feel incredibly privileged to have heard the twins sing live with Jenny a few times and was delighted to see they had released this new album called Duo. The album is produced by Russ Pollard and the excellent backing band includes Vanessa Carlton, members of My Morning Jacket and Mickey Raphael, who has worked with Willie Nelson. On these eight Americana-inspired songs Chandra and Leigh meld their voices together to create a truly heavenly sound. Continue reading “Album Review: The Watson Twins – Duo”
Cat Power has always been a singular artist, someone who walks her own musical way. Being a distinctive stylist means she can create evocative widescreen moments within the simplest of arrangements. Her voice makes original songs and covers all sound like they were born from the same moment of pain and joy which is uniquely her own.
Her last album Sun was something of an outlier in her catalogue. At the time it felt like she was experimenting with new sounds and synths in an intriguing way. Listening to it now, years later and the layers of sound feel like she’s stretching at times, trying to navigate the confusion of life through musical experimentation. When it worked it was exhilarating (like on Nothin But Time and Manhattan), but you had to wonder if she was entirely comfortable with this new direction.
So it is unsurprising to hear her new album, Wanderer, strip things back to basics. Gone are the kaleidoscopic electronics, and the soulful jazz flourishes, now replaced with simple guitar and piano. Together the introspective songs sound like one glorious lullaby. Continue reading “Album Review: Cat Power – Wanderer”
A noticeable twenty-first century trend in indie rock is the proliferation of solo artists rather than your typical four piece band. In a way it is a reflection of our online culture, where to be heard over the din means stepping forward into the spotlight and selling yourself. Many solo artists now work with the same group of musicians but have to use their own name, or some form of pseudonym, for easier recognition. Maybe something is lost when the merging of different musical personalities is no longer the dominant form, but you can see the benefits of being solo from the start – no creative differences, no-one to share the songwriting credits with, no complicated break-ups.
However when you look closer at the sleeve notes of these solo artists you see that actually most of them are still co-writing and collaborating with others, just in looser, more flexible arrangements. Sometimes, though, the need for solo artists to work together on a shared project becomes more tangible and significant. Sometimes you have to give it a name. Continue reading “E.P. Review: boygenius”
As October draws to an end, the bitter winds are closing in and we’re all missing the summer so there’s no better tonic to our collective seasonal affective disorder than an evening with Swedish sisters First Aid Kit and their sublime set of songs. Continue reading “Live Review: First Aid Kit, Usher Hall, Edinburgh “
September always feels like the saddest month of the year to me – as the leaves begin to turn, California dreaming sometimes is the only thing that gets me through. Step forward the recently released album from songwriter and actress Lola Kirke to offer me some charming end of summertime melancholia just when I need it. Inspired by Gram Parsons, Laurel Canyon and heady doses of three chords and the truth Heart Head West is full of rich, warm hues – a perfect soundtrack to the changing seasons outside and in. Continue reading “Album Review: Lola Kirke – Heart Head West”
With the release of her second album in a year Howling Bells’ lead singer Juanita Stein is certainly not hanging around in establishing herself as a solo act, having also toured with the likes of The Killers and Bryan Ferry. On this new album ‘Until The Lights Fade’ the dreamy Americana sound she created on her debut (one of my favourite albums of 2017) is combined with a return to her indie rock roots, resulting in a confident and catchy collection of songs. Continue reading “Album Review: Juanita Stein – Until The Lights Fade”
Erin Rae returned to Scotland this week to play a venue she described onstage as one of her favourites, a place that lives up to its sweet name, The Hug and Pint. A cosy crowd of people gathered in their basement room, ready to embrace the understated musical beauty of this special singer songwriter. Continue reading “Live Review: Erin Rae @ The Hug & Pint, Glasgow”
In an interview a few years back Mitski responded to Damon Albarn dismissing modern musicians as the ‘selfie generation’ by saying ‘Young artists talking about themselves can be the most political thing done today, and is something a lot of them couldn’t have done before, or at least not to an audience.’ On her new album ‘Be The Cowboy’ Mitski’s songs use the personal try to make sense of the complex world around her; constantly asking questions and contemplating her relationships. In the cover picture (coincidentally reminiscent of Blur’s Leisure album) Mitski is preparing for her performance, a knowing nod to the unreality of our image driven world. She looks at us sideways, unsmiling. We press play and she dives in. Continue reading “Album Review: Mitski – Be The Cowboy”
Highway Queens 