Americana Archive
07 Dec 2017
Album Review: Angel Olsen — Phases
Across her first three albums and an EP, Asheville’s own Angel Olsen has carved out a musical niche of her own. Her music is perhaps best described as a collection […]
30 Nov 2017
Joe Penland on the Connection Between Old-time Music and Storytelling
“I didn’t know I was a storyteller until I was told I was one,” says Joe Penland. A singer, songwriter and most definitely a storyteller, Penland is part of the […]
06 Oct 2017
Kasey Chambers’ Connecting Flight, Part Two
Continued from Part One… Bill Kopp: As a member of the Dead Ringer Band with your parents and brother, you enjoyed success long before you began your solo career. What […]
05 Oct 2017
Kasey Chambers’ Connecting Flight, Part One
Many Americans have the mistaken idea that country music is the sole property of artists from the United States. Certainly that’s not the case: often thought of as forefathers of […]
03 Oct 2017
Album Review: Amanda Anne Platt & the Honeycutters
Though the lineup of the Honeycutters has been rather constant for years now, few would contest the idea that the band is a vehicle for Amanda Anne Platt’s songwriting and […]
18 Sep 2017
Paula Boggs: Soulgrass with a Message
Paula Boggs has one of the more unusual biographies in music. Before devoting herself full time to performing and making albums, Boggs was an Army paratrooper, a U.S. Attorney, general […]
11 Aug 2017
New Music Review Roundup, Part 3
Today I wrap up three days’ worth of reviews of new music. Dig if you will. The Pollyseeds – Sounds of Crenshaw, Vol. 1 As far as I know, none […]
26 Jul 2017
Album Mini-review: TajMo
File next to: BB King, Ry Cooder The cover of John and Yoko’s Two Virgins features a Paul McCartney quote: “When two great saints meet, it is a humbling experience.” […]
25 Jul 2017
Album Mini-review: Russ Tolman — Compass & Map
File next to: Dream Syndicate, late-period Byrds True West swam in the rootsier, countrified end of the 1980s “paisley underground” pool. Once that band folded, founder-guitarist-singer Russ Tolman began a […]
24 Jul 2017
Album Review: Cowbell — Haunted Heart
File next to: Flat Duo-jets, The Cramps, Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes Discerning listeners may turn a skeptical ear toward news of yet another guitar-and-drum duo. There’s a strong […]