Tag Archives: Americana music

Cahalen Morrison & Country Hammer’s The Flower of Muscle Shoals

Fresh off his earlier 2014 release with Eli West I’ll Swing My Hammer With Both My Hands Seattle’s Cahalen Morrison moves easily from old-time and Appalachian music to a classic country-western sound with his band Country Hammer on The Flower … Continue reading

Posted in Music | Tagged | Comments Off on Cahalen Morrison & Country Hammer’s The Flower of Muscle Shoals

Cory Branan’s The No-Hit Wonder

Cory Branan’s The No-Hit Wonder is a bracing reminder of what a superb songwriter and performer he is. A Tennessee native who records on the Chicago indie label Bloodshot, Branan comfortably wraps himself in a patchwork Americana quilt that’s equal … Continue reading

Posted in Music | Tagged , | Comments Off on Cory Branan’s The No-Hit Wonder

Locust Honey String Band’s Never Let Me Cross Your Mind

What?! Another youthful string band? Yes, and to my ears this one rises above most of its peers. Here’s the short version: Fourteen songs in the old-time Appalachian tradition, sung in two- and three-part harmony by young women who also … Continue reading

Posted in Music | Tagged | Comments Off on Locust Honey String Band’s Never Let Me Cross Your Mind

Ataloft’s Ataloft

After about 20 years fronting the alt-country band Frog Holler, singer and songwriter Darren Schlappich has gone off on a side project to record some songs that don’t quite fit that band’s mold. The new band is called Ataloft, after … Continue reading

Posted in Music | Tagged | Comments Off on Ataloft’s Ataloft

Bumper Jacksons’ Sweet Mama, Sweet Daddy, Come In

Sweet Mama, Sweet Daddy, Come In is jazz of a populist kind, blending all sorts of Americana influences into a sweet, funky stew. The Bumper Jacksons at their core are two vibrant, multi-talented musicians from different backgrounds. Jess Eliot Myhre … Continue reading

Posted in Music | Tagged | Comments Off on Bumper Jacksons’ Sweet Mama, Sweet Daddy, Come In

Johnny Cash’s Out Among The Stars

In spite of being a fan since the 1960s, I only saw Johnny Cash one time, and it was during what many consider his lost decade, the 1980s. It was the first time I’d had a press pass to a … Continue reading

Posted in Music | Tagged | Comments Off on Johnny Cash’s Out Among The Stars

Cahalen Morrison & Eli West’s I’ll Swing My Hammer With Both My Hands

Acoustic Americana just doesn’t get much better than Cahalen Morrison & Eli West’s I’ll Swing My Hammer With Both My Hands. This is the second release by this duo who have quickly become very popular on the theater and festival … Continue reading

Posted in Music | Tagged | Comments Off on Cahalen Morrison & Eli West’s I’ll Swing My Hammer With Both My Hands

Eric Brace & Karl Straub’s Hangtown Dancehall

Nashville’s Eric Brace has teamed up with fellow singer-songwriter Karl Straub to write a “folk opera” based on the story behind “Sweet Betsy From Pike,” one of the most durable folk songs to come out of the California Gold Rush. … Continue reading

Posted in Music | Tagged , | Comments Off on Eric Brace & Karl Straub’s Hangtown Dancehall

Sam Amidon’s Bright Sunny South

Sam Amidon is a Vermont native formerly active in the New England folk scene, now based in London. Bright Sunny South is his fourth full-length release but his first on a major label. In addition to his solo work, he … Continue reading

Posted in Music | Tagged , | Comments Off on Sam Amidon’s Bright Sunny South

Maya and the Ruins’ Take This Song With You

It’s always exciting to find a fresh new voice, and that’s exactly what Maya Lerman is: fresh, new and utterly charming. The young singer and songwriter from Virginia sings in a style that is at once old-time and refreshing as … Continue reading

Posted in Music | Tagged , | Comments Off on Maya and the Ruins’ Take This Song With You