Tag Archives: Americana

Album review: JENNIFER WARNES – The Well

Posted on February 4, 2016 by GRTR! HQ

BMG [Release date 04.03.16] It comes to something when it takes a fifteen year old album – getting its first UK release – to highlight just how sterile and bland the singer songwriter scene has become. Warnes’ eighth studio album, … Continue reading →

Quick plays: JULIA FORDHAM (1988 reissue), UNDERHILL ROSE

Posted on January 23, 2016 by GRTR! HQ

Cherry Pop [Release date 29.01.16] Julia Fordham is one of those artists who could only really flourish in the 1980s when there were expansive label budgets, solid production values, and exposure on national radio. Her exquisite blend of self-penned pop … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Quick Plays, Reissues | Tagged album, Americana, bonus tracks, folk, Julia Fordham, live, pop, reissue, review, roots, singer, songwriter, The Great Tomorrow, Underhill Rose | Leave a comment

Album review: NOAH WOTHERSPOON BAND – Mystic Mud

Posted on November 25, 2015 by petefeenstra

Noah Wotherspoon Band [Release date 16.07.15] The Noah Wotherspoon Band impress with the depth of their songs, their inspirational playing and cool use of dynamics. ‘Mystic Mud’ is a contemporary sounding crossover blues/roots set, but it’s the understated way in which … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged Americana, Blind Willie McTell, blues, Booogie, Brian Aylor, Creedence Clearwater Revival, gig, Hound Dog Taylor, International Blues Challenge, Jessi Bair, John Fogerty, John Lennon, Noah Wotherspoon, Noah Wotherspoon Band, review, Rob Thaxton, Robin Trower, rock, slide guitar, Walter Trout | Leave a comment

Album review: THE GETAWAY DRIVERS – Bellatopia

Posted on November 18, 2015 by GRTR! HQ

[Release date 04.07.15] Bellatopia, their fourth release, marks The Getaway Drivers’ 10 year anniversary, although only Wisconsin folk singer-songwriter Bob Manor (guitar, piano, vocals) and bassist Ken Keeley remain from the original line up. Essentially an Americana/rock outfit, the band’s … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Americana, Bellatopia, review, rock, roots, soft rock, The Getaway Driver | Leave a comment

Album review: TOWNES VAN ZANDT – The Late Great Townes Van Zandt

Posted on September 20, 2015 by petefeenstra

Charly [Release date 30.10.15] The sense of irony in Townes Van Zandt’s 1972 album title ‘The Late Great Townes Van Zandt’ hasn’t lessoned with the passing of the years. If it was an attempt by long time friend, manager and … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues | Tagged album, Americana, country, Emmylou Harris, Kevin Eggers, review, Rocky Hill, singer, songwriter, The Late Great Townes Van Zandt, Townes Van Zandt, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson | Leave a comment

Album review: THE WHISKEY POETS – Low Country

Posted on September 19, 2015 by petefeenstra

Red Dog [Release date 30.10.15] When asked what message the award winning author RJ Ellory had for his readers, he replied: ‘There is nothing so fragile, complex or fascinating as the human condition.’ And it’s that sense of wonder that … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Americana, ELO, funk, Hossam Ramzy, Jack Kerouac, Low Country, Martin Smith, Paul Simon, Pete Atkin, review, RJ Ellory, rock, The Whiskey Poets | Leave a comment

Album review: AMY HELM – Didn’t It Rain

Posted on September 17, 2015 by GRTR! HQ

Membran [Release date 02.10.15] Amy Helm reminds me of Joss Stone. An unquestionable vocal talent. But lacking in material to exploit it commercially. First a member of the post 9/11 alt-country collective Ollabelle, and subsequently working extensively with her late … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Americana, Amy Helm, Bill Payne, Didn't It Rain, Levon Helm, review, rock, roots, singer, songwriter | Leave a comment

Album review: DANNI NICHOLLS – Mockingbird Lane

Posted on September 17, 2015 by GRTR! HQ

Danni Nicholls Music [Release date 23.10.15] You’d never guess Danni Nicholls was from Bedford. Mockingbird Lane, her second album, is an album that has the hallmarks of classic American folk, county and splashes of rock ‘n’ roll. Re-uniting with producer … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Americana, blues, country, Danni Nicholls, folk, Mockingbird Lane, review, singer, soft rock, songwriter | Leave a comment

Album review: BETTYSOO – When We’re Gone

Posted on September 17, 2015 by GRTR! HQ

[Release date 30.10.15] I was rather taken with Bettysoo’s last album – Heat Sin Water Skin (2009). But a lot happens in five years. For a start, the singer songwriter, and the Americana market in particular, has exploded. For an … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Americana, Bettysoo, folk, review, rock, singer, songwriter, When We're Gone | Leave a comment

Album review: BEN REEL – 7th

Posted on September 17, 2015 by GRTR! HQ

[Release date 22.06.15] www.benreel.com With each new release Northern Ireland songsmith Ben Reel steps inexorably closer to becoming the home soil torchbearer of American heartland rock. That is, the mantle occupied across the pond by the likes of The Boss … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged 7th, album, Americana, Ben Reel, blues, country, review, rock, roots, singer, songwriter | Leave a comment

Album review: DANA IMMANUEL – Dotted Lines

Posted on September 17, 2015 by GRTR! HQ

Self-release [Release date 23.10.15] Eight tracks over 32 minutes isn’t the most expansive of albums. But in the case of banjo-toting, whiskey-drinking north London-based singer-songwriter Dana Immanuel, the quality that oozes through every track on the follow up to her … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Americana, Dana Immanuel, Dotted Lines, review, singer, songwriter | Leave a comment

Quick plays: OFFICER, GILMORE & ROBERTS, HIP HATCHET, SAM LEWIS

Posted on July 20, 2015 by GRTR! HQ

OFFICER Myriads You’d think – in these digital days – if you were going to record under a pseudo name, you’d have the foresight to pick one that might be a little easier to find via Google. But unless you’ve … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Quick Plays | Tagged album, Americana, Conflict Tourism, country, folk, Gilmore & Roberts, Hip Hatchet, Hold You Like A Harness, Let It Be, Mark Brown, Myriads, Officer, pop, review, rock, roots, Sam Lewis, Simon Murphy, singer, Skin & Bone, songwriter, Waiting On You | Leave a comment

Album review: WATKINS FAMILY HOUR

Posted on July 8, 2015 by GRTR! HQ

Family Hour Records [Release date 24.07.15] With Nickel Creek seemingly back on ice, Sara and Sean Watkins have gone back to one of their favourite live formats for their latest release. The Watkins Family Hour brings to record their long … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, alt country, Americana, bluegrass, country, Fiona Apple, folk, Nickel Creek, review, roots, Sara Watkins, Sean Watkins, Watkins Family Hour | Leave a comment

Album review: DELLA MAE – Della Mae

Posted on June 4, 2015 by GRTR! HQ

Decca [Release date 10.07.15] There are obvious comparisons to be drawn here with the excellent Blame Sally – another multi-talented all female Americana combo, and in the case of Della Mae, featuring Celia Woodsmith on vocals and guitar, Kimber Ludiker … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Americana, blues, Della Mae, review, rock, roots | Leave a comment

Album review: IAN SIEGAL – One Night In Amsterdam

Posted on March 9, 2015 by petefeenstra

Nugene [Released 09.03.15] Like all the best outlaws, Ian Siegal aggressively sings about the kind of lifestyle that his fans love to hear about but wouldn’t want to live. ‘One Night in Amsterdam’ casts him as the perennial outsider who … Continue reading →

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Quick plays: TRISTAN MACKAY, THE KENNEDYS, VANESSA PETERS

Posted on March 6, 2015 by GRTR! HQ

TRISTAN MACKAY Wire & Wood The clue, as they say, is in the title – Wire & Wood is a pared back acoustic follow-up to singer songwriter Tiverton, Devon-born Tristan Mackay’s debut release Out Along The Wire (2012). Originally ‘discovered’ … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Quick Plays | Tagged album, Americana, Chris Gray, Diamonds In Your Tree, folk, review, rock, roots, singer, songwriter, THE KENNEDYS, Tristan Mackay, Vanessa Peters, West, Wire & Wood, With The Sentimentals | Leave a comment

Album review: DREW HOLCOMB & THE NEIGHBORS – Medicine

Posted on December 4, 2014 by GRTR! HQ

Magnolia Music [Release date 26.01.15] With a Divinity Masters degree from St Andrews, and a dissertation on ‘Springsteen and American Redemptive Imagination’ under his belt, it’s clear where Southern singer songwriter Drew Holcomb’s heart lies. His 2005 debut Washed In … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Americana, Drew Holcomb & the Neighbors, Medicine, review, roots | Leave a comment

Album review: COLOSSEUM – Time On Our Side

Posted on November 24, 2014 by petefeenstra

Ruf [Release date 24.11.14] A welcome return for the progressive jazz rock outfit Colosseum who have overcome their collective health problems to record an album that pushes the stylistic envelope, and almost leaves them in search of an identity. Happily … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Americana, Ana Gracey, Barbara Thompson, Chris Farlowe, Clem Clemson, Colosseum, Crosby Stills & Nash, Dave Brubeck, Dave Greenslade, Jack Bruce, jazz, John Hiseman, Kokomo, Mark Clarke, Pete Brown, review, rock, Steely Dan, Time On Our Side | Leave a comment

Album review: CARL CARLTON – Lights Out In Wonderland

Posted on November 23, 2014 by petefeenstra

Caroline International [Release date 24.11.14] Carl Carlton is an American based German songwriter, musical director, producer and triple Grammy Award nominee whose credits include Robert Palmer, Eric Burdon, Herman Brood, Mink Deville, Joe Cocker and … Continue reading →

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Quick plays: GOOBER GUN, LIV KRISTINE, ANNE KEATING

Posted on November 17, 2014 by jason

Self-released [Out now] https://www.facebook.com/Goobergun Goober Gun are a three-piece band consisting of Tim Hardwick (vocals/drums), Ian Hardwick (vocals/bass) and Paul Dymott (guitars). They have released an EP and toured all over the world. This debut album has some really good … Continue reading →

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Album review: ROGER CHAPMAN – Peaceology

Posted on November 3, 2014 by petefeenstra

Hypertension [Release date 24.11.14] ‘Peaceology’ is a successfully re-mastered version of the 2007 Americana influenced album ‘One More Time For Peace’. It comes with a new title, new art work, three new tracks and a completely different running order that … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Americana, Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Henry Spinetti, Jim Cregan, Max Middleton, Mike Oldfield, Peaceology, review, Roger Chapman, Rollin Stoned, roots, The Bolland Brothers, vocal, Willie Dixon | Leave a comment

Album review: JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE – Single Mothers

Posted on October 5, 2014 by jason

Loose [Released 29.09.14] Justin Townes Earle has led an interesting life that’s for sure, from stints in rehab through to a revolving door with record labels. He is also the son of legendary country artist Steve Earle, although as the … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album review, Americana, country, Justin Town Earle, pedal steel, Single Mothers, songwriter, Steve Earle | Leave a comment

News: THE RISING play exclusive session for Get Ready to ROCK! on Sunday 7 September

Posted on September 4, 2014 by GRTR! HQ

Irish pop-rockers The Rising are featured ‘In Session for GRTR!’ on Sunday 7 September at 21:00 GMT, playing tracks from their new album ‘Coming Home’. (The session is repeated on Tuesday 9 September at 16:00 and Thursday 11 September at … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, NEWS | Tagged 2014, 7 September, acoustic, Americana, Coming Home, country, Get Ready to ROCK!, live, pop, radio, rock, session, the Rising | Leave a comment

Album review: J.HOUSTON BAND – The Hunter

Posted on August 28, 2014 by petefeenstra

CD Baby [Released 24.04.14] Canadian soft rock outfit the J.Houston Band combine heartfelt lyrics with mid tempo rock and Americana on a song driven album in search of a decent producer. ‘The Hunter’ grows on you with repeated plays, but the … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Americana, Carolyn Saini, J.Houston, J.Houston Band, Jane Haskins, Jerry Garcia, John Chapman, Keith Richard, Neil Young, Pink Floyd, review, rock, Rollin Stoned, The Hunter | Leave a comment

Gig review: CAMBRIDGE FOLK FESTIVAL – 31 July-3 August 2014

Posted on August 24, 2014 by GRTR! HQ

So I cast my mind back to 1994 and the very first Cambridge Folk Festival that I attended and remember the feeling of walking on-site and just thinking this is going to be very special, that was the 30th and … Continue reading →