Mara Kaye and Carl Sonny Leyland – “Dystopian blues”-They DO make music like they used to. I’m not sure a professional musicologist would guess that this song is from 2021. It sounds like it’s a hundred years old and brand new all at …
Tag Archives: roots music
Three new Americana tunes to sweeten the genre
Dante Matas – “Not enough”-If you’re looking for a sweet, atmospheric style of Americana, give Dante Matas’s latest work a spin. The track balances acoustic guitar, lead vocal, and an organ really well. There’s a rich full band style that feels like it …
Three authentic Americana tunes to kick your week off right
Kyle McKearney – “Keepin it simple”-If you’ve been an Americana fan for any length of time, there’s a certain “simple life” ethos that surrounds the genre. Fishing, drinking, and taking it easy is certainly part of the worldview of the style. You can …
Three acoustic Americana tracks that will warm your cold, cold heart
Gracie Moses – “January”-There’s a gentle energy to this track that puts a smile on my face. It’s sad because ultimately it’s a breakup song, but there’s a lightness to it that I really admire. Something about the hope of a new year …
Blues, Jazz, and Roots Country: Keeping Real Music Alive
One of the genres we cover proudly on this site is “roots” music. People disagree on what that means, but to us it’s a mash up of distinctly American music that is spiritually expressive, based in strings and vocals, with authentic lyrics. Here’s …
Album Review: Levi Lowery – Roots and Branches (Winner of #NMF Episode 1)
Album Review: Levi Lowery – Roots and Branches (Winner of #NMF Episode 1) Levi Lowery sounds like a tall drink of water, although I’ve never actually met him. I can just imagine him being one, though, because his voice has the low, authentic …
Defining Roots Music in the 21st Century
Defining Roots Music in the 21st Century “Roots” music is one of those labels that seems to be thrown around in the music industry like a wild card. Every song is made up of the same root of musical notes and rhythms, right? …
Album Review: The Ghosts of Johnson City – ‘Am I Born to Die”
The Ghosts of Johnson City – ‘Am I Born to Die” The Ghosts of Johnson City start with death. Their album “Am I Born to Die” is that of a winding, conceptual journey – not towards resurrection, but into the full immersion of …
Album Review: Earnest Lovers – Sing Sad Songs
Album Review: Earnest Lovers – Sing Sad Songs The Earnest Lovers are the best roots country band I’ve heard in several years. Picture yourself living in the heyday of electrified country music, hearing those twangy electric guitars for the first time. Smell the …
Album Review: Ozere – Finding Anyplace
Ozere – Finding Anyplace For all the soaring string arrangements, clean vocals and careful harmonies, there’s something sticky about the way these songs circle through your brain. Bubbling out of the Toronto scene, Ozere’s music meets in the space between orchestral movements and …
