Five Americana tracks to get us back to our own roots

Sometimes the hardest thing about writing for this website is staying true to ourselves. WE get submissions from all over the world in a variety of genres. Sometimes it can be hard to stay true to ourselves, so here’s a post to get us back to our proverbial roots.

Steve Forbert – “That’d Be Alright”
-Forbert’s still making music. Some of you will be shocked to see him on a website for “emerging artists.” He’s been a household name for a lot of folksters for many years. His knack for a turn of phrase and a kind of Fogerty-style southern folk rock makes him a legend among us. Enjoy the jangly hopefulness of this fresh track from Forbert.

Glorietta – “Golden Lonesome”
-We’ve been calling this band a “folk super group” around here. They deserve it. Considering the band is made up of artists we literally compare others to (Gundersen, Ramirez, Vasquez, Rateliff, etc.), it’s no wonder we love the sound. The “cold, lonesome” croon from Gundersen on this track captures the magic of what this band can do in the coming months. We’re hoping to set up an interview with them ASAP. This is a song that will make my song of the year list and the whole album will be under consideration.

Liam Russell – “Half Chance”
-No this isn’t a typo for Leon Russell… this other L Russell (no relation, that we know of) has his own brand of modern soul music. If you listen to this for more than about 30 seconds we guarantee you’re going to do one of those “mmhmm” faces. You’ll probably reach for a stiff drink and think about someone you “shouldn’t really be thinkin’ about anymore.” It’s a song that captures nostalgia perfectly. It reminds me of one of those joints with the great steak cuts and a cheap beer special… with some exquisite 70s light fixtures.

Harlem River Noise – “Irresponsible Days”
-This song will hit you emotionally. Whether those days were high school, college, or your early 20s, almost everyone will listen to this music and think of a specific time in life when decisions were not quite solid. The horns and overall soulful style pop perfectly. The vocal cuts through with a believable vibe that reminds me of Allen Stone. It’s a wonderful composition and a band I can’t wait to follow in the coming years. Soul ain’t dead; it ain’t even sick.

Billy Bronsted and Feed the Dog – “Ease the Pain”
-Bluegrass was one of the genres that initially drew us to blogging. But for whatever reason the hustle in that genre seems to be a bit more toward festivals and other outlets so we don’t get much here. We were thrilled to get the optimistic phrasing of Billy Bronsted and his band. They remind me of a little band I found a few years ago called Charlie and the Foxtrots. Fans of Nickel Creek and that middle road (not pure traditional or pure progressive) bluegrass will love this sound. The pickin is grand!

Sorry, comments are closed for this post.