Tag Archives: Americana music

eastmountainsouth’s eastmountainsouth

The young folk-pop duo eastmountainsouth debuts as one of the first releases on the new DreamWorks label, signed by legendary musician Robbie Robertson and produced by legendary knobsman Mitchell Froom. Whether they’ll live up to the obviously high expectations placed … Continue reading

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The Brooklyn Cowboys’ Dodging Bullets

The Brooklyn Cowboys aren’t really what you’d call a supergroup. The Cowboys instead are mostly a bunch of established session players and side players who’ve gotten together to pool their considerable talents at making country-rock music. Among them, the Cowboys … Continue reading

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Chuck Brodsky’s The Baseball Ballads

Jealous lovers with guns. Racism. Illicit drugs. The pain and confusion of growing up. And … spies? All of these, except perhaps the last, are typical fodder for American singer-songwriters. But this isn’t a typical record of folk songs. Troubador … Continue reading

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Paso Fino’s Should’ve Bought a Pony

This group’s name Paso Fino and the CD’s title, Should’ve Bought a Pony, combined with the artwork, which features photos and cave-drawings of horses, and some of the song titles — “Fiery Ride,” “Home On The Range,” “Belly Up,” “Pray … Continue reading

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Hank Dogs’ Half Smile

In the unlikely event that anyone makes a movie version of Australian author Tim Winton’s critically acclaimed Dirt Music, I propose Hank Dogs to perform the soundtrack. Never mind that the Dogs hail from South London, and the book is … Continue reading

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Gillian Welch’s Soul Journey

What could Gillian Welch possibly do in the wake of her 2001 release, Time (The Revelator) an epic song cycle that explored huge themes like the interplay of American history and popular music, and the troubled passing of cultural icons … Continue reading

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Dick Smith’s Smoke Damage

An Illinois-based trio, Dick Smith makes a slightly twisted but literate brand of bluegrass-influenced country music. Old-timey music with a post-modern sensibility, sharply observant lyrics sung with a midwestern twang and instrumental virtuosity add up to a mighty appealing package. … Continue reading

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Caitlin Cary’s I’m Staying Out

Caitlin Cary’s sophomore effort I’m Staying Out is that rare second album that lives up to and even surpasses an exceedingly promising debut. Cary, who began her musical career as fiddler and harmonizer in alt-country group Whiskeytown, emerged in late … Continue reading

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Last Train Home’s Time and Water

With Time and Water, their third full-length, Washington, D.C.’s Last Train Home has become a full-time alt-country band. Led by former Washington Post music writer Eric Brace and his brother Allen, LTH members have reportedly quit their day jobs and … Continue reading

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Sir Douglas Quintet’s 1+1+1=4 and The Return of Doug Saldaña

Sir Douglas Quintet was but the first of many vehicles through which Texan Doug Sahm brought his sprawling musical vision to the world. The band had two charting singles, the Texas-garage-rock-meets-British-Invasion pastiche “She’s About a Mover” and the psychedelic-folk “Mendocino.” … Continue reading

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