alt-country Archive
09 Mar 2018
Amigo: Fun ‘And Friends” at the Fidelitorium
Charlotte-based country rock trio Amigo has seen its profile raised this last year. The group was named Best Gram-Parsons-Loving-Country Rock Band in 2017, and they recently completed their second full-length […]
28 Feb 2018
Asheville’s Holiday Hang 2017
Calling an event “Holiday Hang” suggests a loose, informal and fun way to spend a December evening. That’s accurate, but organizers of the annual event – now in its sixth […]
27 Feb 2018
Poco’s Rusty Young: A Good Feelin’ to Play
The genre of country rock has its origins in west coast bands of the late 1960s, including late-period Byrds, the Flying Burrito Brothers, Buffalo Springfield and Poco. And while perhaps […]
27 Jul 2017
Album Mini-review: Raging Fire — These Teeth are Sharp
File next to: X, Lone Justice After toiling in relative obscurity though the 1980s, Nashville country-punkers Raging Fire threw in the towel. But the under-appreciated quarter left behind some superb […]
12 Jul 2017
Album Review: Laura Blackley and the Wildflowers — Tell it to the Darkness
An engaging Southern gothic troubadour, Laura Blackley is a beloved fixture on the regional live concert circuit. On Tell It to the Darkness, her well-honed strengths are on prominent display. […]
16 Jan 2017
The Supersuckers: F-bombs and Devil Horns
Michael Jackson anointed himself King of Pop, so it’s no surprise that other artists would engage in similar hubris. After touring and recording for a few years, the Supersuckers branded […]
12 Jan 2017
Devils in Dust: The Hazards of Hi-Fi
After years of local and regional success with groups of their own, Corey Bullman and Leigh Glass have now combined their musical projects into a single one, Devils in Dust. […]
23 Nov 2016
Hundred-word Reviews for Nov./Dec. 2016, Part 3 of 10
Five more quick reviews of archival/reissue material. Three of today’s five are from Grammy-award winning label Omnivore Recordings. One of these days I’ll write liner notes for one of their […]
12 Sep 2016
Album Mini-review: Waiting for Henry — Town Called Patience
File next to: Jayhawks, Wilco, Gin Blossoms Inside the college rock movement of the 1980s, there was a kind of proto-alt-country vibe that informed later groups like Wilco and Old […]
20 Jun 2016
Colvin & Earle: Embracing Spontaneity
Though they both have thriving and creatively satisfying musical careers of their own, singer/songwriter/musicians Steve Earle and Shawn Colvin recently decided to work together on an album; Colvin & Earle […]