Tag Archives: Americana music

Bror Gunnar Jansson’s The Cotton-Eyed Joe single

Nordic musicians are some of the best Americana musicians around. Witness from 2019 alone the top-notch releases by Swede Daniel Norgren, Norwegian Jens Carelius, and Finn H.C. Slim. One has to wonder whether the ghastly mid-90s Eurovision hit of the … Continue reading

Posted in Music | Tagged | Comments Off on Bror Gunnar Jansson’s The Cotton-Eyed Joe single

Jake Blount’s Spider Tales

Jake Blount‘s Spider Tales exists on a couple of different planes simultaneously. On one level, the level of the music itself, it’s as simple and straightforward as all the best stringband music. A few simple instruments, old songs, played and … Continue reading

Posted in Music | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Jake Blount’s Spider Tales

Doc Watson and Gaither Carlton’s Doc Watson and Gaither Carlton

“Sui generis” is one of those terms that gets tossed around when discussing certain musicians. The Latin term means something like “of its own kind,” a fancy way of saying “unique.” But if it applies to anyone in American music … Continue reading

Posted in Music | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Doc Watson and Gaither Carlton’s Doc Watson and Gaither Carlton

James Elkington’s Ever-Roving Eye

There’s no way James Elkington could have known about the trauma that we’d all be feeling in the midst of a pandemic when he tracked the 11 songs on his sophomore “solo” release Ever-Roving Eye. But somehow he put out … Continue reading

Posted in Music | Tagged , | Comments Off on James Elkington’s Ever-Roving Eye

Western Centuries’ Call The Captain

On their 2020 release as on their previous offerings, Western Centuries plug in and play rock ‘n’ roll with a country accent … or maybe they play country music like a rock ‘n’ roll band. Either way, it’s some of … Continue reading

Posted in Music | Tagged | Comments Off on Western Centuries’ Call The Captain

Son Little’s aloha

“We don’t have to suffer, you and I … we don’t have to wait in the shadows for the sunshine.” Thus goes the hooky chorus of “suffer,” a standout track on Son Little’s new aloha. The song was inspired by … Continue reading

Posted in Music | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Son Little’s aloha

Squirrel Flower’s I Was Born Swimming

Squirrel Flower is the stage name of the Boston-based singer-songwriter Ella O’Connor Williams, making her recording debut with the beautifully realized I Was Born Swimming. She has a singing voice that conveys heartache and steely determination in equal measures, an … Continue reading

Posted in Music | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Squirrel Flower’s I Was Born Swimming

Gary’s favorite recordings of the 2010s

The 2010s have been a turbulent decade. At decade’s end I find my musical interests being dominated by jazz and related instrumental music with a component of improvisation. This includes a hefty dose of music from other cultures (what has … Continue reading

Posted in Music | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Gary’s favorite recordings of the 2010s

Various artists’ Too Late to Pray: Defiant Chicago Roots

I’ve been a fan of Bloodshot Records, the Chicago insurgent country label since not quite the beginning, but sometime in the late 1990s. They’re celebrating their 25th anniversary this month with some live music events as is their wont, but … Continue reading

Posted in Music | Tagged , | Comments Off on Various artists’ Too Late to Pray: Defiant Chicago Roots

Humbird’s Pharmakon

Humbird is a project of Minneapolis-based singer-songwriter (and pizza waitress) Siri Undlin, working with several other local musicians. As the album opens on an acoustic country-folk song, her voice is pure country, and I suppose she could be working out … Continue reading

Posted in Music | Tagged | Comments Off on Humbird’s Pharmakon