Christian Lee Hutson Navigates Nostalgia and New Beginnings
Christian Lee Hutson’s Paradise Pop. 10 is one of those subtle and more nuanced albums, likely causing it to slip under the radar, but Hutson has arrived.
country
Tish Hinojosa Sweetly Sings ‘With a Guitar & a Pen’ in Hand
Tish Hinojosa understands the importance of perspective. Her lyrics look at life from more than one side, knowing we are happier if we search for good.
Kris Kristofferson and the Myth of American Freedom
If, as Kris Kristofferson wrote, “freedom’s just another word”, questioning dominant ideas of American freedom is a potently important endeavor.
Kelley Mickwee’s Soulful, Spirit-Driven Affection
From the first song on Kelley Mickwee’s Everything Beautiful, you hear her expressive joy and feel her desire to create a cohesive and provocative piece of art.
Kasey Chambers Displays Her ‘Backbone’ in a New Bundle
One can take the songs on ‘Backbone’ as a whole to understand how Kasey Chambers sees the world and her relation to it from various points of view over time.
Kelley Mickwee Finds ‘Everything Beautiful’ When You Are in Love
Kelley Mickwee has a smokey voice mixed with honey that expresses pain and pleasure at the same time. The ache in her throat suggests she’s been through it all.
Grayson Capps Finds the Joy in ‘Heartbreak, Misery & Death’
These songs will lift your spirit by sharing their sorrow with you. Misery loves company. Grayson Capps’ new album invites one to sing along.
Elvis Costello’s ‘Almost Blue’ Was Rescued by Its Bonus Tracks… for a While
The release history of Elvis Costello’s Almost Blue provides a framework for examining how the delivery of recorded music can relate to our experience of it.
Americana’s Shelby Lynne Writes Through the Pain
Americana singer-songwriter Shelby Lynne talks to PopMatters about her acclaimed new album, Consequences of the Crown, and the long road it took to get here.
Gillian Welch and David Rawlings Trace Landscapes of Connection and Resilience
Throughout Woodland, Americana songwriters Gillian Welch and David Rawlings underscore the sinews of relationships that are stretched but never torn.
Caleb Caudle Tells Stories of the South on ‘Sweet Critters’
Caleb Caudle has a soft spot for the natural beauty of the South, its woodlands and memories of the people who live there, and that’s just part of the story.
The 15 Best Americana Albums of 2014
If forced to define Americana, it’s the one genre where honest craftsmanship is required, respected, and rewarded, something the best of 2014 lived up to.