Country

Silver Jews - Early Times 1990-91

Reissue of early works by David Berman, Stephen Malkmus and Bob Nastanovich

22 May 2012

Disbanded in 2009, David Berman’s Silver Jews project was a tremendous portmanteau of country and US indie that acted as a vehicle for Berman’s lyrics, his voice, smooth and unsteady as stretched taffy, often simply speaking the words in tune, offering…

Hazy Recollections – O2 ABC2, Glasgow, Sun 22 Jan

Electro-folk and French lullabies bring weepie and comedy moments

3 Feb 2012

Celtic Connections’ Hazy Recollections sessions are great for two main reasons. Firstly, they provide a gathering place for the legion of those with beards and plaid shirts. Secondly, you get to see just how far the festival’s remit of ‘folk, roots and…

Five picks from Celtic Connections 2012

Featuring Zoe Muth, Jack Bruce, King Creosote and Jon Hopkins and Vieux Farka Touré

6 Jan 2012

Zoe Muth & The Lost High Rollers The year in Americana 2011 belongs to Gillian Welch and the release of her album The Harrow & the Harvest, but amongst a promising field of young female country singers, Zoe Muth stands out. With her ear for an instant…

First Aid Kit – The Lion’s Roar

Heartfelt ode to Americana from the Swedish siblings

5 Jan 2012

(Wichita) On the surface, First Aid Kit’s obsession with Americana looks a little odd, given that they’re Swedish sisters barely out of their teens. But the pair’s homage is steeped in knowledge, and this second album sounds like it could’ve been…

Chris Isaak - Beyond the Sun

Listenable but redundant take on some of Sun Records' finest

5 Jan 2012

(Vanguard Records/Rhino) During its 1950s heyday, Sun Records churned out standards by the bucketload from the likes of Elvis, Cash and Orbison. During the recording of Beyond the Sun, David Lynch’s favourite bequiffed rockabilly star was presumably…

Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - Wolfroy Goes to Town

Compelling alt-country from Will Oldman

15 Nov 2011

(Domino) ‘Stop all the moaning and bemoaning your fate / god isn’t listening, or else it’s too late,’ sings Will Oldham on ‘Time to Be Clear’, his voice like driftwood lapping at the shore. In all things heart-shattering and beautiful in the world of…

Celtic Connections 2012 line-up announced

Glasgow traditional music festival features 2100 artists and 300 events over 18 days in 20 venues

26 Oct 2011

This year's festival will include 2100 artists, 300 events, 20 venues all over 18 days. Being that winter is in the offing, you now wake up in the morning for work and its dark, you then head home from work and its dark. One thing that will surely…

Kelly Clarkson admits depressing songs

Music Gossip

21 Oct 2011

Kelly Clarkson admits although she writes a lot of "depressing s**t". The 29-year-old-singer admitted a lot of her lyrics can appear negative, but insists in real life she is a happy and satisfied person, as she channels all her negative energy into…

Treetop Flyers - Stereo, Glasgow, Sun 25 Sep

West London's new darlings of country-folk

18 Oct 2011

Emerging through a cough worthy amount of dry ice, talented Glaswegian’s Dirty Beggars kick-start a not so typical Sunday at Stereo; their striking country-folk set all plucked cello, banjo and mandolin strings and loveable vocal harmonies.

Three Blind Wolves – O2 ABC2, Glasgow, Wed 14 Sep 2011

Solid line-up of Americana-tinged Scottish bands for No Mean City festival

19 Sep 2011

Even in the context of the No Mean City festival, this gig is more Americana than most. The line-up spans the bluegrass, folk and country genres, with some indie rock and a smidgen of prog thrown in as well. While it’s not a flawless evening, each band…

Rich Hall’s Hoedown

Country and bluegrass gig from the gravel-voiced comedian

16 Aug 2011

There’s a reason Rich Hall has two shows at the Fringe – let’s get that out of the way first. His stand up show is his outlet for the majority of his jokes; his Hoedown set is an opportunity for him to flex his musical muscles, in the company of friends…

Alt-country/lo-fi rocker Bill Callahan, formerly known as Smog, discusses new record Apocalypse

17 May 2011

Bill Callahan is in his woodshed. Nature is tormenting him. ‘There are some annoying wind chimes, chiming in the wind,’ he grumbles. ‘Some birds are trying too hard.’ And how is our lusty troubadour, formerly known as Smog, on this glorious spring…

John Grant tours album Queen of Denmark

Former frontman for The Czars, Midlake collaborator and now solo artist with album Queen of Denmark

3 Mar 2011

Name John Grant From Denver, Ohio Occupation From around 1994 to 2004, frontman of the dimly remembered but beloved by those who know them, Czars. Now an unexpected comeback king, with last year’s debut album under his own name Queen of Denmark…

Kort - Invariable Heartache

6 Oct 2010

(City Slang) Lambchop frontman Kurt Wagner has made a career out of perfecting an alternative to his hometown Nashville’s commercial mainstream country sound. With this album of duets with Cortney Tidwell (the daughter of a Nashville dynasty)…

Lloyd Cole - Broken Record

1 Sep 2010

(Tapete) He’s been Scottish rock’s adopted son for over a quarter of a century, and we’re damned if two decades in the States or lines like ‘I look like a million bucks’ will change that. Americana is Cole’s bag on Broken Record – warm, authentic…

Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival

Promising line-up in an absolutely stunning setting.

30 Jul 2010

All festivals have their own unique selling point. Be it the buffalo burger stall, the grass sledges, the giant headliners, or a Ferris wheel. Here, besides the performances from Harper Simon, Badly Drawn Boy, The Divine Comedy, Erland & The Carnival…

Caitlin Rose - Own Side Now

29 Jul 2010

(Names) Only a few short years out of her teens, this Nashville singer-songwriter belies her youth. Rose’s debut album proper (following the ‘Dead Flowers’ EP) is loaded with songs about heartbreak, delivered with a wry drawl reminiscent of Patsy…

Crosby, Stills and Nash line up 2010 UK tour

16 Jun 2010

Since their guest-starring role at last year’s Glastonbury (playing in proximity to, but sadly not alongside, their erstwhile fourth member Neil Young), this trio have been pounding the rock’n’roll comeback trail so favoured lately by bands of their…

The Fox Hunt - Nowhere Bound

16 Jun 2010

The Fox Hunt are a bluegrass/alt. country band from West Virginia who manage to stand out from the densely packed crowd, primarily down to the fact they write above average tunes. They have banjo, fiddle, mandolin and upright bass in their repertoire…

Richard James - We Went Riding

16 Jun 2010

This second solo album from Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci co-founder James is a fairly infectious, ribald traipse across drowsy folk, garage-rock and pub R&B. It features his erstwhile bandmate Euros Childs and exalted singer-songwriter Cate le Bon (on the…

Pernice Brothers - Goodbye, Killer

1 Jun 2010

(One Little Indian) There’s a lot to like about this sixth album from the veteran Massachusetts indie outfit, but somehow it never quite coheres into a standout record. The mood is generally strummy, melancholic and mature, somewhere between the…

Blitzen Trapper - Destroyer of the Void

1 Jun 2010

Alt. country/ rock Blitzen Trapper Destroyer of the Void (Sub Pop) Portland rock-classicists Blitzen Trapper are all about the big stuff on their fifth long-player: ‘Love and Hate’, ‘Heaven and Earth’, hurricanes, dragons and stars all play their…

Susie Hug - Tucson Moonshine

1 Jun 2010

(Vacilando ‘68) Having collaborated on previous ‘solo’ projects with, variously, Fatima Mansions, The Blue Aeroplanes and Travis, the former Katydids frontwoman has now flown across the Atlantic to team up with south-western alt.country outfit…

Five reasons to go and see Kenny Rogers

28 May 2010

1 He knows when to hold ‘em, knows when to fold ‘em. Every country star worth their stetson has had a shot at writing a song about poker, but with ‘The Gambler’, Kenny surpassed all challengers. It might be about gambling, it might be about…

Lady Antebellum - Need You Now

29 Apr 2010

(Parlophone) This trio is taking America by storm, with debut LP sales to compete with Beyoncé – but it’s the country equivalent of the Jonas Brothers; all polish and soullessness.