Short & Sweet
Mindi Abair and The Boneshakers "All I Got For Christmas Is The Blues" (CD, Pretty Good For A Girl Records, 2018).
Mindi Abair is a Grammy-nominated saxophonist and vocalist, who joined forces with blues rockers The Boneshakers in
2014.[64]
This festive nine-song album is a display of powerhouse blues rock, funk and soul to set the yule tree ablaze.
Watch Mindi's "All I Got For Christmas Is The Blues"
& Chuck Berry’s "Run Run Rudolph"!
Kiran Ahluwalia "7 Billion" (CD, Six Degrees, 2018).
Kiran Ahluwalia's[57]
new album sung in Urdu atop blues, R&B, rock and jazz celebrates individual expression;
"Cultural diversity is a theme close to my personal experience. My story is that of an immigrant born in India and raised in Canada.
I developed conflicting etiquettes and ways of doing things that were neither 'fully' Indian nor 'fully' Canadian. The earth now holds seven billion people;
for me this means there are seven billion unique ways of doing things".
Check out 'Khafa' (Up In Arms) & 'Saat' (Seven) live on KEXP!
The Albion Christmas Band "Under The Christmas Tree" (CD, Talking Elephant, 2018).
The Albion Christmas Band[55]
(Ashley Hutchings,[53]
Simon Nicol,[58]
Simon Care & Kellie While)[59]
tour every December since 2003 promoting traditional English and original Christmas songs.
"Under The Christmas Tree" is a compilation of their most loved material
plus three special tracks recorded for Bob Harris's Under the Apple Tree Radio Sessions.
Darol Anger & Emy Phelps & Friends "Music of Our People: Songs of the Roaring Sixties" (CD, Fiddlistic Records, 2018).
Because it has now been 50 years since it appeared, we might think of it as folk music.
Fiddler Darol Anger and singer/songwriter Emy Phelps (and friends such as Tony Trischka and Maeve Gilchrist)
offer their collection of 1960s pop music in an acoustic Americana style: The Supremes' "You Keep Me Hangin' On,"
Grateful Dead's "Uncle John's Band," Leonard Cohen's "Bird On A Wire," Nancy Sinatra's "These Boots," ...
Check out Live@Freshgrass @ YouTube!
The Auricle Collective "The Auricle Collective Vol 3" (Download CD, 2018).
The Auricle Collective range from Americana folk to Indian fusion soundscapes, adult contemporary world to traditional Indian mantras.
The common thread of these artists from different countries and genres -
they are united under the common goal of bringing about positive change through the music they create.
Download "The Auricle Collective Vol 3" @ NoiseTrade!
Rachel Baiman "Thanksgiving" (EP, Free Dirt Records, 2018).
“Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite holidays,” says bluegrass musician Rachel Baiman. “But two years ago in November,
the fight against the Dakota Access Pipeline was in full swing, and it just got me thinking about how the relationship between
indigenous and white people in this country has hardly changed at all over the years. The irony of Thanksgiving being celebrated right as people were being arrested and sprayed with water guns for protecting their right to clean water really hit me.”
Baiman's four-track EP about Indigenous rights, homelessness and love in hard times features her live trio and special guests such as
Molly Tuttle and Tristan Scroggins. Watch "Thanksgiving" @ YouTube!
Dale Bandy "blue" (CD, Elastic Penguin Records, 2018).
Based in Orlando, Florida, Dale Bandy has been characterized as a Chameleon of the Blues as he effortlessly moves
between traditional blues and contemporary blues-rock.
Though it took more than 40 years for Bandy's debut album as a solo artist, "blue,"
which is the embodiment of his experience and understanding.
Check out promo video @ YouTube!
Kristin Scott Benson "O Holy Night" (Mountain Home Music Company, 2018).
The classic Christmas hymn, “O Holy Night,” is an instrumental duet, with the familiar melody played both by Kristin Scott Benson (The Grascals)
on five-string banjo and by her husband Wayne on tremolo mandolin and mandola.
“I've loved this song, since I was a kid. A guy at our church would sing it at every Christmas Eve service and it has always put me in the mindset of worship,”
says Kristin. “I originally wanted to do this as a solo banjo piece, but loved all the choir arrangements people have created,
so Wayne added mandolin and mandola parts to have a similar effect.” Listen to “O Holy Night”!
Eddie Berman "This Past Storm" (Download CD, Nettwerk Records, 2012/2018).
L.A. based singer-songwriter Eddie Berman recorded his first album "This Past Storm" in 2012, but put it on the shelf to employ a more immediate and organic recording process.
As he was working on a new album for 2019, he returned to his never-released debut album which is available now for the first time.
Download "This Past Storm" @ NoiseTrade!
Besides Daniel "Teeming" (CD, Hubbub! Music, 2018).
Indie folk singer Danny Brewer, a.k.a. Besides Daniel, hopes that his new record is informed and guided by the spaciousness
of his newly built house in the mountains of North Georgia. Thus "Teeming" is a stripped down and subtle reflection on putting roots in the ground.
Check out"Apologize" @ YouTube!
Frank Bey "Back In Business - The Nashville Sessions" (CD, Nola Blue, 2018).
Philadelphia's Frank Bey had quit singing for more than 15 years. On the title track he declares he
is “back in business now” with a collection of blues, soul, R&B and funk.
Watch "Cookie Jar" @ YouTube!
A Kickstarter campaign has been launched with the CD release for a feature documentary of his life
(www.frankbeyfilm.com).
Big Apple Blues "Manhattan Alley" (CD, Stone Tone Records, 2018).
On their new album the fantastic blues quintet Big Apple Blues is celebrating again the city that never sleeps,
with their signature sound of blues, soul, funk and rock.
Check it out @ CD Baby!
Big Harp George "uptown cool" (CD, Blue Mountain Records, 2018).
Probably George Bisharat is the only blues artist employing a chromatic harmonic; the result is dazzling -
from Chicago Blues to New Orleans jazz.
Iva Bittová "Kolednice" (CD, Indies Scope, 1995/2018).
Iva Bittová, singer, actress and violinist, is one of the most prominent personalities on the Czech alternative music
circuit.[67]
The Christmas album "Kolednice" was recorded back in 1995 in Sv. Jakub a Filip in Lelekovice with her children’s choir, Lelky,
and had been unavailable for 20 years.
Listen to "Ave Maria" @ YouTube!
"Evangeline - Blues and Americana from Blind Lemon Pledge" (CD, OFEH Records, 2018).
Working from his San Francisco Bay Area studio, singer-songwriter-multiinstrumentalist Blind Lemon Pledge (a.k.a. James Byfield)
fronts an acoustic blues quintet, while putting out an eclectic mix of blues and Americana styles with a string of solo
recordings.[60]
Watch "Buley's Farm," an a capella chain gang chant accompanied by slide cigar box guitar and harmonica @ YouTube!
Joe Bonamassa "Redemption" (CD, Provogue Records, 2018).
Blues rock guitar icon Joe Bonamassa[59]
returns with a brand new studio album. 'Redemption’ is his 13th solo studio album and third in a row of all original material,
including two extra guitar players and a guest appearance by country singer Jamey Johnson.
Watch in-the-studio performances of the new songs @ YouTube!
Regina Bonelli "Love Letters" (CD, True Groove, 2018).
Brooklyn-born Regina Bonelli is stepping forward to claim her place among today's contemporary soul-blues divas.
"This collection of songs represents empowerment and healing in a world so sorely in need of both,” Bonelli says. “These are trying times we live in today, and I hope that the messages in these songs reach into the souls of the listeners. I truly believe that this is what music can do, especially the blues."
Check out Regina's YouTube channel!
Travis Bowlin "Secundus" (CD, Own label, 2018).
Ohio-born Travis Bowlin’s second studio album, “Secundus,” is a sultry rock/soul/blues
opus that takes the listener from a jazzy lounge feeling to hard-hitting rock songs.
“Secundus is Latin for the Second but can also be used to describe being lucky or favorable,”
says Bowlin. “My roots are blues and this word, Secundus, and its meanings, reminded me of John Lee Hooker’s song ‘Mr. Lucky.’ I feel very
lucky and blessed to be able to do what I do.”
Check out YouTube channel & album sampler!
André Brunet "La Grosse Maison Rouge" (CD, Own label, 2017).
Quebec fiddler André Brunet is known since joining the ranks of La Bottine Souriante in 1997.
He also played with De Temps Antan, the Celtic Fiddle Festival and Le Vent du Nord.
Brunet's solo album "La Grosse Maison Rouge" is an introduction to his passion and a tribute to all who gave him the taste for music.
Watch "La Grosse Maison Rouge" @ YouTube!
Peter Calandra "Carpe Noctem" (CD, Own label, 2018).
New Age/Jazz/World Music artist Peter Calandra composed new music for choir and orchestra inspired by old Latin liturgical texts, such as "Agnus Dei."
Check him out @ YouTube!
Mairi Campbell "Auld Lang Syne" (CD, Greengold Music, 2018).
Robert Burns is said to have first heard "Auld Lang Syne"[40]
sung by an old man in a Dumfries pub in 1795. He added three verses and sent the song to his publisher
who recommended to change the tune to the one we know today. But the original tune hasn't been forgotten;
Mairi Campbell[46]
sang it during her Edinburgh show this past summer.
Check out trailer @ YouTube!
Paul Cardell "Christmas (feat. CeCe Winans, Audrey Assad, Patrice Tipoki)" (CD, Stone Angel Music, 2018).
Nashville pianist Paul Cardall is known for encompassing classical crossover, contemporary Christian and new age.
Creating a memorable Christmas collection was a personal mission: “The heart of all my music is the whole reason we celebrate Christmas. The holiday brings people together. We all long to be with each other.”
Check out album trailer @ YouTube!
Jo Carley and The Old Dry Skulls "Them Old Bones" (Video, 2018).
They say, The Old Dry Skulls are throwing old-time, ska and punk into a backwoods still to make musical moonshine!
Watch the official video for the title track of their 2017 album "Them Old Bones"[66]
@ YouTube!
Cecilie "Fearless" (CD, Utmark, 2018).
Norwegian singer/songwriter Cecilie titled her debut album about the trials and tribulations of life "Fearless"
to encourage people not let their fears hold them back.
Her new age style is informed by pop music, musicals, choir music, Celtic folk, and Norwegian fairytales and folklore.
Watch official lyric video @ YouTube!
Corde Oblique "Back through the liquid mirror (full concert 2018)" (Video, 2018).
Finally, Corde Oblique's[66]
full concert at Splash Studios is available, including backstage footage and interviews.
Watch the full concert @ YouTube!
Corde Oblique is available for 2019 as a trio (vocals, violin, guitar) for small clubs and unplugged shows,
and as a quintett (plus bass and drums) for big stages, theatres, festivals etc.
Cowboy Junkies "Mountain Stream", "Misguided Angel (Live)" (Video, 2018).
The Cowboy Junkies'[48]
latest album "All That Reckoning"[66]
has been receiving amazing reviews.
Watch a dreamy new video for "Mountain Stream"
as well as a new live version of "Misguided Angel" (Live)
performed at Massey Hall in Toronto this past May!
Sophie Coyle "Blame me for the Storm" (CD, Own label, 2017).
The debut album of Irish singer songwriter Sophie Coyle features 11 of her own songs, in a gentle contemporary songwriting style, with some Americana and jazz influences. Accompanied by guitars, bass, percussion, piano etc.
Watch "The Burning Gorse" @ YouTube!
Rodney Crowell "Christmas Everywhere" (CD/Download, New West Records, 2018).
"A few years back it became evident to my family, and indeed myself, that I’d gone sour on all things related to Christmas," says country singer-songwriter Rodney Crowell.
"My contribution to the yule-tide spirit of giving and receiving had been reduced to mumbling a few sullen words about replenishing my socks and underwear drawer.
In early 2015, I was touring Great Britain as a member of the Transatlantic Sessions when the notion of writing an album’s worth of original Christmas songs began to creep back into my creative process."
Download Rodney Crowell's "Christmas Everywhere Singles Pack" ft. "Christmas Everywhere" and "When The Fat Guy Tries The Chimney On For Size"
@ NoiseTrade!
Cruadalach "Raised by Wolves" (CD, 7hard, 2018).
Czech folk core band Cruadalach[56]
has released another album. The band went through several line-up changes and their the music was becoming even harder and more agressive.
You can watch the music video "Brave New Dawn" @ YouTube!
cua "songs of the hollow" (CD, Own Label, 2017).
An Irish trio particularly dedicated to original Americana style songs, sometimes veering towards pop ballads. There’s some superb fiddle playing, alongside guitar, bouzouki and percussion, best showcased in an Eastern European style instrumental.
Watch "She Has Me" & "The Other Man"!
Dagadana "Kangding Love Song ( Kangding Qingge / 康定情歌 )" (Video, 2018).
According to UNESCO, the “Kangding Love Song” is one of the ten most popular folk songs in the world.
In the 1990s it became the first Chinese music recording sent out with a NASA probe in search of extraterrestrial civilisations.
World music band Dagadana[65]
have been ambassadors for Polish and Ukrainian culture, but their philosophy has also been meeting and sharing
art and music with artists from various corners of our planet.
Check out "Kangding Love Song" ( Kangding Qingge / 康定情歌 ) @ YouTube!
Michele D'Amour and The Love Dealers "Wiggle Room" (CD, Blueskitty Records, 2018).
Seattle-based singer/songwriter Michele D’Amour releases her fourth album, “Wiggle Room,”
hard on the heels of last year’s album, “Lost Nights At The Leopard
Lounge,” from which one of the tracks won a Grand Prize in the 2017 John Lennon Songwriting Competition.
The collection is an expansion of style, pushing beyond their straight-ahead
blues, funk and rockin’ soul and delving into jazz, swing, boogie, Latin and touches of country and gospel.
Check out "Wiggle Room",
Promo Video,
YouTube Channel!
Ashley Davis "Burning Down" (CD, Daisy Rings Music, 2018).
Kansas born Ashley Davis' sixth album takes the listener from Celtic shores into the realms of ambient pop and electronic sounds.
Check out the title track "Burning Down" @ YouTube.
As a bonus, she recorded an acoustic version featuring harpist Cormac De Barra, guitarist John Doyle, fiddler Colin Farrell and melodeon player Mick McAuley.
David Davis & The Warrior River Boys "Didn't He Ramble: Songs of Charlie Poole" (CD, Rounder Records, 2018).
Charlie Poole (1892-1931) had been an old-time banjo player and leader of the North Carolina Ramblers a generation before Bill Monroe invented Bluegrass music.
Trad innovators The Warrior River Boys have revisited Poole's recorded collection of songs and blew away a century's dust from those old shellac plates.
Watch "Milwaukee Blues" @ YouTube!
Delta Moon "Babylon Is Falling" (CD, Jumping Jack Records, 2018).
Atlanta swamp rock and blues quartet Delta Moon[62]
returns with a double-barreled shot of greasy bottleneck slide and lap steel guitar
on their tenth studio album “Babylon Is Falling.” The title track finds the whiskey-soaked voice of Tom Gray
preaching the blues with an adaptation of an old Shaker hymn to reflect the political and social unrest in the US.
Check out Delta Moon's YouTube channel!
Dennis Jones Band "WE3 Live" (CD, Blue Rock Records, 2018).
For over 15 years, L.A. based Dennis Jones Band are proving that the power trio of guitar, bass and drums is alive and well.
In 2018 they travelled several thousand miles, including a European tour. "WE3 Live" has been recorded for posterity
at the Beaver Creek Brewery in Wibaux, Montana, featuring selections from all five of Jones’ solo albums and a
bombastic "Born Under A Band Sign."
Check out Dennis Jones Central!
Hazel Dickens & Alice Gerrard "Sing Me Back Home: The DC Tapes, 1965-1969" (CD, Free Dirt Records, 2018).
Hazel Dickens and Alice Gerrard are revered today as pioneering women in bluegrass in the 1960/70s, whose musical partnership
inspired future innovators like Emmylou Harris, Tim O’Brien and Hot Rize.
These recordings are unearthed from rehearsal tapes from Alice's living room,
the duo working out their sound and repertoire.
Check it out @ BandCamp!
"The Voyage of John Duhan - The Irishman’s finest collection" (CD, ARC Music, 2018).
His songs may be covered by many of Ireland’s most famous folk artists, from Christy Moore via The Dubliners to Mary Black, and indeed the guest musicians include the likes of David Spillane, Mairtin O Connor and Nollaig Casey. This album nevertheless is a bit too much on the schmaltz side.
The Earls of Leicester "Live at the Country Music Hall of Fame Theater" (CD, Rounder, 2018).
The Grammy award-winning all-star outfit of Jerry Douglas, Shawn Camp, Barry Bales, Johnny Warren, Charlie Cushman and Jeff White have returned with a live album recorded during a two night term at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, featuring 14 new recordings and 9 fan favorites from their two previous studio albums.
Listen to "Long Journey Home" @ YouTube!
Elephant Sessions "All We Have Is Now" (CD, Own label, 2017).
The release of Scottish self-styled ‘neo-trad’ quintet Elephant Sessions' sophomore album ‘All We Have is Now’
(winner of the BBC Scots Trad Music Awards ‘Album of the Year’ 2017)
was followed by live appearances at some of Europe’s most notable festivals.
Listen @ BandCamp!
Dave Ellis & Boo Howard "Great Pleasure" (CD, Doghouserecords.com, 2018).
In the 1970s, Dave Ellis was a celebrated solo acoustic guitarist ("one of the 6 best guitarists in the world", Melody Maker).
When forming an electric band he teamed up with bassist Boo Howard, which eventually developed back into an acoustic act in the early 2000s.
Again, their seventh album "Great Pleasure" features intelligently constructed, elegantly articulated songs
drawing on influences from both folk and rock music.
Watch "It Gives Me Great Pleasure To Be Here" @ YouTube!
Ferdinand the Bull "Painting Over Pictures" (CD, Grey Guy Records, 2018).
Ferdinand the Bull is the folk music project of Midwestern singer-songwriter Nick Snyder and multi-instrumentalist Bryce Rabideau.
Boasting an expanded palette that includes a string quartet and a horn section, "Painting Over Pictures" is the duo's most vivacious recording to date.
Download @ NoiseTrade!
Steve Finlay "The Wall" (CD, Fife Texas Records, 2018).
Waco-based songwriter Steve Finlay (brother of legendary Cheatham Street Warehouse owner Kent Finlay)[59]
offers straightforward Texan country music looking at current world issues.
Watch the title track about the proposed border wall between the USA and Mexico @ YouTube!
Will Finn & Rosie Calvert "Beneath this place" (CD, Haystack Records, 2017).
An English husband and wife duo, Will and Rosie are most focussed on traditional songs (yet there are also original songs and tunes), and are probably best known as one half of the a Capella quartet “The Teacups”.
Perhaps most unusual for an album of English songs is the use of steel pans – and pardon the pun the steel pan sounds are not so much my cup of tea. For me this duo is best in their a Capella arrangements of traditional or traditionally styled new songs.
Check out album trailer @ YouTube!
Flats & Sharps "The Bluegrass Album" (CD, Own label, 2018).
Cornwall's Flats & Sharps have been playing for more than five years their peculiar mixture of Americana and Bluegrass.
Eventually, they released their sophomore album featuring hard-driving picking and gorgeous harmonies.
Check out promo @ YouTube!
Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn feat. Pilobolus "Come All You Coal Miners/Take Me To Harlan" (Single/Video, 2018).
'Come All You Coal Miners' is Béla[67]
and Abigail's take on Sarah Ogan Gunning's ballad surrounding the struggle for worker's rights in rural Kentucky in the early 20th century.
Transitioning into their original tune, 'Take Me To Harlan' celebrates the people's connection to their homes when moving away toward urban centers.
Watch their video collaboration with the Pilobolus dance company @ YouTube!
Flor de Zinc "Crèbe de set" (CD, Buda Musqiue, 2017).
An album of traditional Auvergne music and song. The only not quite as traditional French element is the banjo, heard throughout the album, accompanying accordion, bagpipes and violin plus guitar and some percussion. Guest vocals are provided by Christian Mage. An attractive and comprehensive booklet provides also English sleeve notes.
Check out @ YouTube channel!
Dan Frechette & Laurel Thomsen "Driving By Candlelight" (CD, Own label, 2018).
"Driving By Candlelight" serves as a metaphor for trying to find one's way through uncertain times and the need to harness faith to carry one through.
Canadian-American roots duo Dan Frechette and Laurel Thomsen cover a musical range from bluegrass and Celtic to folk rock and pop,
with a vocal chemistry reminiscent of Simon and Garfunkel.
Watch "American Refugee" @ YouTube!
Case Garrett "Aurora" (CD, Suitcase Records, 2017).
From a young age, music and alcohol intertwined in Missouri born Case Garrett's life. Fortunatly he found his footing.
His debut album launched in 2017 in the US, Garrett and his americana and alt-country mates are looking now to conquer
the European markets with a full out tour schedule.
Watch "What Can I Say" @ YouTube!
Mary Gauthier "Rifles & Rosary Beads Short Documentary" (Video, 2018).
This is a twenty-minute film about the power and beauty of turning trauma into art,
the story of one professional songwriter's experience co-writing songs with veterans and their families.
Watch the "Rifles & Rosary Beads Short Documentary" @ YouTube!
David Gerald "N2U" (CD, Own label, 2018).
"I was lucky enough to have a neighbor who was a guitarist and gave me scrap guitars," says Detroit's David Gerald.
"I would piece them together and build 'Frankenstein' guitars. "They were horrible to play and sounded bad,
but I had to play music. It was and is my destiny. I finally scraped up enough money to buy an old amp and I was happy."
Now David is happy to present his latest selection of blues-infused rock and soul.
Check it out @ CD Baby!
Tomislav Goluban "Velvet Space Love" (CD, Spona, 2018).
The instrumental album “Velvet Space Love” by Croatian harmonica player Tomislav Goluban (featuring pianist Toni Staresinic)
takes roots music to the borders of the known universe, combining classic blues with jazz and electronic music.
Check it out @ CD Baby!
Kara Grainger "Living With Your Ghost" (CD, Station House Records, 2018).
An all-star band of Austin musicians backed up Australian-born roots-singer-songwriter
Kara Grainger on her latest recording, "Living With Your Ghost."
The new album is a rich gumbo of funky blues and heartfelt lyrics.
Watch the title track "Living With Your Ghost" live @ YouTube!
Grand Marquis "Brighter Days" (CD, Grand Marquis Music, 2018).
Kansas City six-piece horn band Grand Marquis transformed reggae artist Jimmy Cliff's signature song ‘Many Rivers To Cross’,
that had been a freedom song of the civil rights movement, into a Muscle Shoals soul symphony.
Check out their brand of jazz and blues music and the "Brighter Days" preview @ YouTube!
Tyler Grant & Robin Kessinger "Kanawha County Flatpicking" (CD, Grant Central Records, 2018).
Tyler Grant (former sideman for Abigail Washburn and April Verch) and Robin Kessinger (nephew of legendary Appalachian fiddler Clark Kessinger)
are two champion flatpicking guitarists, exploring the Appalachian heritage and playing their favorite old-time tunes and songs
together in an informal after-hours back-porch session.
Listen to "Soldier's Joy" @ Bluegrass Today!
Russ Green "City Soul" (CD, Own label, 2018).
Chicago's Russ Green has been working in film production, with credits on feature films such as "Road to Perdition."
But he always wanted to be the Jimi Hendrix of the blues harp, and the ten original tracks
on his debut album, “City Soul,” are a love letter to the Windy City and all the musicians who helped create its legendary sound.
Check out Russ Green's YouTube channel!
Dan Gurney with John Blake "Ignorance Is Bliss" (CD, Own label, 2018).
Dan Gurney is a full stack software engineer in New York's Hudson Valley by day, and an US champion button accordion player by night.
Fiddler Séamus Connolly: “Dan’s music on this recording is magical, lyrical and effortless.”
Check Dan Gurney out @ BandCamp!
Noah Guthrie "Whipping Post" (Video, 2018).
Noah Guthrie[62]
went off to chase his dreams on America's Got Talent. After being stopped by Simon Cowell while performing "I Would Die 4 U" by Prince, he delivers an
awesome rendition of "Whipping Post" by The Allman Brothers.
Watch it @ YouTube!
Buddy Guy "The Blues Is Alive And Well" (CD, Silvertone/RCA Records, 2018).
At 82 years and a career spanning over 50 years, blues icon Buddy Guy proves that The Blues is alive and well.
He explains, "I'm always trying to make an album that someone accidentally plays where some kid hears it, picks up a guitar, and helps keep the blues alive." The follow up to "Born To Play Guitar,"
which won Best Blues Album at the 2016 Grammy Awards, features Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Jeff Beck and James Bay.
Watch Buddy Guy @ Baloise Session @ YouTube!
Reggie Harris "Ready to Go" (CD, Own label, 2018).
"I got friends by my side and I'm blessed to say, Glory Hallelujah, I'm ready to go"
kicks off a song collection born of pain, struggle and hope and wrapped up in
jazz, gospel, cajun music, plus a cover of Phil Ochs' "Another Age" and Bob Dylan's "The Times They Are A-Changin'".
Watch "Ready To Go" live @ YouTube!
Billy Hector "Someday Baby" (CD, Ghetto Surf Music, 2018).
New Jersey blues guitarist Billy Hector, formerly touring with Hubert Sumlin and Joe Louis Walker, gets eclectic,
whether picking through Delta blues or crunching out electric blues-rock.
Watch The Billy Hector Band "Someday Baby" live @ YouTube!
Dennis Herrera "You Stole My Heart" (CD, Prescott Kabin Records, 2018).
California singer-songwriter and guitarist Dennis Herrera's third release, "You Stole My Heart,"
is a passionate collection of original toe-tapping and danceable blues songs that illustrates why Living Blues magazine called him "a refreshing departure from the 'badass' image that so many white blues musicians feel is mandatory."
Check out promo @ YouTube!
John Hiatt "The Eclipse Sessions Singles Pack" (Download, 2018).
“You know how writing goes for me,” Nashville storyteller John Hiatt says. “I get a couple of lines going,
and then I just tag along as the songs start to reveal themselves. You’ve just gotta jump inside and take the ride.”
Download "The Eclipse Sessions Singles Pack" @ NoiseTrade!
Hidden Agenda Deluxe Feat. Oh Susanna "Angels In The Snow" (CD, Continental Song City, 2018).
For the third year in a row, alt-country band Hidden Agenda Deluxe
have invited a guest singer to join them on their Americana Christmas tour. After Carter Sampson and Danni Nicholls, Canadian singer-songwriter
Oh Susanna[55]
will sing about all the good and the not so good aspects of December, Snow and Christmas.
Check it out @ BandCamp!
Malcolm Holcombe "Come Hell or High Water" (CD, Gypsy Eyes Music, 2018).
Singer/songwriter Malcolm Holcombe rose from from the mists and wilderness of the Blue Ridge Hills of the Southern Appalachians.
He speaks in riddles and metaphors not questioning where the words come from.
Watch "Black Bitter Moon" @ YouTube!
Pol Huellou & Friends "The lost agenda" (CD, a Guasco Music, 2017).
Having contributed to around 30 albums over the years, flute player and singer Pol Huellou is from Brittany but has lived for 13 years in Ireland. On his new album, he combines Irish songs and tunes with a pinch of Jazz and Word and a couple of French chansons. The highlights are without doubt the beautiful and jazzy renditions of the two chansons – Serge Gainsbourg’s “Les Goemons” and Camille Francois’ “Moi J’m’ennuie”.
Joanna Hyde & Tadhg Ó Meachair "One for the Foxes" (CD, Own label, 2017).
Irish duo Joanna Hyde & Tadhg Ó Meachair is currently touring in Germany as part of The Irish Folk Festival.[66]
Featuring fiddle, piano and accordion, they perform a mix of Irish and American folk music drawing on influences from around the world.
Watch their rendition of Karine Polwart's "Light on the Shore" @ YouTube!
I'm Kingfisher "Transit" (CD, Fading Trails Recordings, 2018).
"Transit" is Swedish folk-pop singer-songwriter Thomas Jonsson (alias I'm Kingfisher) at his most stripped down and intimate yet,
with guest musicians such as Christian Kjellvander and Martin Hederos adding their touches.
Check out "Sarajevo" @ YouTube!
Willie Jackson "Chosen by the Blues" (EP, Own label, 2018).
Savannah/Georgia native Willie Jackson's six original tracks combine his thought-provoking musings with soul-stirring blues and gospel.
Check out YouTube channel!
Johnny & The Headhunters "That's All I Need" (CD, Own label, 2018).
Formerly the lead guitar player with Louisiana Red (under the moniker of Nobody’s Children), Washington D.C.'s Johnny Ticktin
has released his eigth album in three decades with his trio The Headhunters, covering blues and R&B as well as swing and surf.
Check out sounds and images from Johnny & The Headhunters recording sessions for "That's All I Need" @ YouTube channel!
Kapela Maliszow "Wiejski Dzez - Village Jazz" (CD, Unzipped Fly Records, 2017).
This Polish folk band attempts to blend old Polish traditional music with free spirited improvised compositions and play. The trio of Jan, Zuzanna and Kacper Malisz play accordion and cello, violin and baraban/frame drums. The music and song sound raw and intense, and while the feel of the album is distinctively Polish trad, the improvisation takes the music into new spheres. Interesting even though perhaps a touch too intense.
Calle Karlsson "Monterey Shoreline" (EP, Paraply Records, 2018).
From the west coast of Sweden, Calle Karlsson formed his first band at the age of five playing home-made guitars.
He recorded a rock'n'roll album in 1985 that never really took off, so he began to play more and more as a solo entertainer.
He has released half a dozen albums so far, including 2013's "Läjet, Läjet" completely sung in his hometown dialect.
Check out @ Calle's YouTube channel!
Mick Kolassa "149 Delta Avenue" (CD, Endless Blues Records, 2018).
After releasing two critically acclaimed albums of other people’s music,
Mick Kolassa[65]
returns to original songwriting, what he calls his own “free range blues.”
149 Delta Avenue covers a multitude of blues styles and subgenres.
Watch "Cotton Road" live @ YouTube!
Sharron Kraus "Joy's Reflection is Sorrow" (CD, Sunstone Records, 2018).
“What can we do when darkness falls? What can we do when evil calls?” asks English folk singer-songwriter
Sharron Kraus[22][32][36]
with an lively collection of songs to counterweight today's world-wide turmoil.
Hear the title track "Joy's Reflection is Sorrow" @ YouTube!
Randall Kromm "Sentimental Season" (CD, Own label, 2018).
Boston singer-songwriter Randall Kromm's[64]
latest CD, Sentimental Season, contains a dozen acoustic songs
celebrating the fall/winter holidays with heartiness and soul – Halloween, Veteran's Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Eve.
Watch the swinging old-style "Christmas is a Sentimental Season" @ YouTube!
Rich Krueger "Kenny's (It's Always Christmas in This Bar)" (Video, 2018).
The song is about The Gallery Cabaret in Chicago which is Rich Krueger’s favorite bar and a place where “everybody knows his
name”.[65]
"Kenny's" was one of the two songs that were chosen as the winning songs in the Kerrville Folk competition for
2018.[66]
Watch it @ YouTube!
Lara Landon "Christmas" (EP/Download, Wise Sam, 2012).
"Christmas" is a 5-song EP incorporating Lara's Middle Eastern heritage in vocal style and musical arrangements to bring out the time,
place, mystery and drama of Christ coming to earth. Download "Christmas" @ NoiseTrade!
Laurie Jane & The 45s "Late Last Night" (CD, Down in the Alley Records, 2018).
The goal of Laurie Jane & The 45s is to revive the work of prohibition-era blues singer Sara Martin from Louisville, Kentucky.
But they're not doing it in a purist way: the band's Southern soul shines with layers of rich horns and cascading guitars.
Watch "Late Last Night" @ YouTube!
Lawrence Lebo "Old School Girl" (CD, On The Air Records, 2018).
The title of her sixth album says it all, for L.A. based blues vocalist Lawrence Lebo is truly an
Old School Girl and proud of being the center of a rock-solid rhythm section spiced with lead guitar, blues harp and Hammond organ.
Check out Lawrence's YouTube channel!
Lightnin' Luke "Poison Angel Girl" (Single, Downpour Records, 2018).
Folk and blues singer-songwriter Lucas Biespiel (a.k.a. Lightnin' Luke) from Portland, Oregon,
has submitted his new single, the original ragtime number “Poison Angel Girl.”
Watch it from State House Sessions @ YouTube!
Lilium Liste "Písně vánočního času" (CD, Indies Scope, 2018).
Czech amateur group Lillium Liste captures the beauty of Moravian and Silesian Christmas carols, sung and played in a raw and earthy way
as opposed to the supermarket Christmas hits: “We play and sing at home, we enjoy the family music fun and from time to time, we play and sing for our friends.”
Stream it @ SoundCloud!
George Lilly and the Half-Fast Allstarz "Thinkin' About You Baby" (CD, Snakeygator Music, 2018).
George Lilly has been playing professionally since the 1960s.
After losing his New Orleans home in Hurricane Katrina, he moved to Florida where he formed his six-piece R'n'B band George Lilly & The Half Fast Allstarz.
Check out George's YouTube channel!
Little Red Rooster "Lock Up The Liquor" (CD, Own label, 2018).
For 30 years, the Little Red Rooster Blues Band, featuring pianist Anthony Geraci[61]
and harpist Steve Guyger, delight audiences on the US East Coast.
Please check out their promo video @ FaceBook!
Matt Litzinger "Silent Night, Holy Night" (Download, 2018).
Matt Litzinger started a newfound tradition last year, which involves recording his own take on a classic Christmas song and giving it away for free.
This year he recorded an alternate version of "Silent Night, Holy Night".
Listen @ YouTube,
download @ NoiseTrade!
100% of tips will be donated to the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption.
"The Local Strangers COMPLETE CATALOG" (Download, 2018).
Compelling lyrics, rich harmonies and dynamic performances have delighted fans of Seattle's The Local Strangers since 2010.
This collection contains all of their previous studio releases in anticipation of their upcoming full-length album When We Were Honest due out in spring 2019.
Watch "Gasoline" @ YouTube,
download the Complete Catalog @ NoiseTrade!
Lonesome River Band "Wreck Of My Heart" (Single/Video, Mountain Home Music Company, 2018).
Veteran bluegrass Lonesome River Band's newest single, "Wreck Of My Heart," is a catchy, three-part harmony leavin' song.
Watch "Wreck Of My Heart" filmed at locations in Tennessee and Virginia, including The Birthplace of Country Music Museum,
@ YouTube!
The Lost Brothers "Keep Christmas In The Heart" (EP, www.thelostbrothersband.com, 2018).
Irish duo The Lost Brothers ("Simon and Garfunkel reborn in the desert", 8/10 UNCUT) have put a 3-track Christmas release together in memory of the late
Frank Murray
who had managed the band, The Pogues, The Frames among many others:
“Frank was always telling us to record a Christmas Album and we finally have.”
Watch the "Keep Christmas In The Heart" video @ YouTube:
“It’s an attempt to try capture the beautiful weirdness of Christmas and the fun but ridiculous side of the season.
Frank Murray loved humour so we tried to go down that road in his honour.”
Lydia Luce "Azalea Singles Pack" (Download, 2018).
The Americana singer-songwriter Lydia Luce finds inspiration in combining her classical education and session work as a studio musician
with the personal content of family, love and life experience.
Download the "Azalea Singles Pack" from the forthcoming debut full-length album @ NoiseTrade!
Kitty MacFarlane "Namer Of Clouds" (CD, Navigator Records, 2018).
On her debut album Somerset singer-songwriter-guitarist Kitty Macfarlane presents a beautiful set of songs that range from
traditional to contemporary folk. Her songs address mankind's relationship with nature from the seabed to the sky.
Watch "Man, Friendship" @ YouTube!
Mama’s Broke "Count the wicked" (CD, Own label; 2017).
A Canadian duo from Halifax, these two young ladies take their Canadian roots as a starting point, but venture into old-time, songwriter, blues, Celtic and more styles. Songwriters with strong voices, the two also skilfully play fiddle, banjo, guitar and mandolin, plus foot percussion, often to accompany their singing, but sometimes also as instrumentals.
Watch "Count The Wicked" @ YouTube!
MAqam Ensemble "A Decade of MAqam" (CD, Own label, 2018).
The MAqam ensemble celebrates its 10th anniversary with a double album. It was founded by Syrian violinist and composer
Maias Alyamani in Vienna in 2006, presenting Middle Eastern and Arabic music with a modern approach.
Check out @ YouTube Playlist!
Christina Martin "This Christmas" (Digital Single, Come Undone Records, 2018).
“I never thought I would ever write, record or perform a song celebrating Christmas.”
explains Nova Scotia based singer/songwriter Christina Martin.[49]
“Holidays stressed me out. Not my parents fault, they always did their best, but family dynamics and expectations
surrounding this time of year always got in the way of me getting the point of it all. I love my family, and thankfully, I feel like I’ve come
around to the spirit of the Holiday season.”
Listen @ CD Baby!
Flav Martin & Jerry Marotta "Soul Redemption" (CD, Jersville Entertainment, 2017).
This is the debut album of singer-songwriter-guitarist Flav Martin and drummer Jerry Marotta (known from performing and recording with Peter Gabriel),
fusing soulful rock with catchy world music.
Check out "Soul Redemption" @ BandCamp!
JD McPherson "Socks" (CD, New West Records, 2018).
Oklahoma singer-songwriter JD McPherson says this about his new album: “Over the past few months, I’ve told a few friends and interested parties that we’re releasing an album soon, and that it’s a Christmas album. You can immediately see the disappointment or bemusement on their faces. Then I have to explain to them how incredibly proud I am of it, and how I rate it as an actual album, as opposed to some kind of stop-gap or cash-grab. It’s eleven original songs. I think it’s some of my very best lyrical work. First and foremost, it’s a rock and roll record and one that I believe at least a few people will listen to in the summertime, when they get a jones for feeling good.”
Download "SOCKS Singles Pack" @ NoiseTrade!
Arthur Menezes "Keep Pushing" (CD, Own label, 2018).
Brazilian Artur Menezes is an electrifying blues guitarist who settled in Los Angeles.
Joe Bonamassa called him a "Blues Musician to Watch in 2018. Artur is simply a killer blues player that is finally getting the recognition he needs."
Watch Artur Menezes performing "Keep Pushing" on DittyTV @ YouTube!
Mile Twelve "Rocket Man" (Single/Video, 2018).
By popular request Mile Twelve finally recorded their bluegrass version of Elton John's classic 1970's space odyssey anthem, "Rocket Man."
Watch it @ YouTube!
Andrew Mill & Friends "Wandering Albatross" (CD, Brechin All Records, 2018).
Edinburgh born and now resident of Glasgow, Andrew Mill plays Country, Americana and Bluegrass, with a distinctive Scottish musical accent and an equally distinctive tragicomic Scottish comedy style.
Mysteries of the Night "Alive Inside the Tank" (CD, Silver Wave Records, 2018).
US-American duo James Marienthal and Sarah Gibbons recorded their improvisational flute melodies
in an abandoned steel water tank in Colorado (www.tanksounds.org),
a natural echo chamber 60 feet tall and 30 feet in diameter, where every note is enhanced into a sea of sound.
NewTown "Old World" (CD, Mountain Home Music Company, 2018).
“Bands like NewTown are not by any means common; they're not made every day. It takes sweat equity, passion, patience and vision.” (John Cowan)
The Kentucky-based outfit has released its debut full-length album, "Old World," pushing the boundaries of Bluegrass music.
Watch “Naomi Wise,” with vocalist/fiddler Kati Penn Williams and singer/banjoist Jr. Williams harkening back to the music's origins in the British Isles
@ YouTube!
Notify "Clover" (Video, 2018).
Irish concertina ace Pádraig Rynne's project-turned-band Notify[53]
has a new music video.
Watch Notify performing “Clover” live at Mother Jones’ Flea Market, Cork City, Ireland @ YouTube!
Old Man Flanagan's Ghost "Far From Shore" (CD, Celtic Ghost Publishing, 2018).
Dubbed ‘Music with a Celtic Heart’, Toronto based folk band Old Man Flanagan's Ghost play
classic Celtic songs, traditional fiddle tunes and a variety of original pieces.
Their sophomore album "Far From Shore" goes out to all the places they've played and friends they've made since 2012.
Watch the "Wandering Free" lyric video @ YouTube!
Old 97's "Love The Holidays (Saint Nick's Picks)" (Download, 2018).
Texan alt-country legends Old 97's[54]
have released their first ever holiday album, including nine new Yuletide songs as well as their take on five holiday classics.
Download a five-track sample
and read an interview with frontman Rhett Miller!
Opium Moon "Caravan" (Single/Video, Be Why/ADA/Warner, 2018).
This is the first single from the self-titled debut album by Opium Moon ft. fiddler Lily Haydn.
The band's name was inspired by a poem from the great Sufi poet Hafiz:
The bird’s favorite songs / You do not hear / For their most flamboyant music takes place /
When their wings are stretched / Above the trees / And they are smoking the opium of pure freedom… / I once asked a bird / ”How is it that you fly in this gravity / Of darkness?” / She responded, / ”Love lifts Me.”
Watch "Caravan" @ YouTube!
Brett Perkins & The Pawnshop Preachers "Everything's Turnin' Around"/"Yes, Yes, Yes (Honey Take Off That Dress)" (Single, 2018).
The Preachers'[65]
new single, in advance of a full length album planned for a spring 2019 release, adds Cotton Club swing and piano rock’n’roll to the band's palette.
Watch the home-made promo video for "Yes, Yes, Yes" @ YouTube!
"Gretchen Peters at Shrewsbury Folk Festival 2018" (Video, 2018).
Gretchen Peters'[59]
Dancing With The Beast European Tour[66]
took her to festivals in the UK as well as tour dates in Germany, the Netherlands, Ireland and France.
You can watch the entire Shrewsbury Folk Festival[66]
set @ YouTube!
Next stop is Celtic Connections followed by eight shows across the UK with Transatlantic Sessions in February 2019.
Tom Peterson "Black Hills Gold" (CD, Moon House Records, 2017).
South Dakota born Tom Peterson's musical career hasn't led to widespread recognition, though he has been writing songs before he could even read.
He survived a massive heart attack in 2013 and was inducted into the South Dakota Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame after a long and slow recovery.
Watch "Black Hills Gold" @ YouTube!
Mehmet Polat & Embracing Colours (Video, 2018).
After years of touring with ensembles inspired by the rich musical traditions of the Middle East, Africa, India and the Balkans,
ud player Mehmet Polat is seeking out new jazzier ground for his modal compositions and bringing together outstanding jazz musicians on drums (Joan Terol Amigo),
double bass (Hendrik Müller) and accordion (Bart Lelivelt).
Watch trailer &
concert fragments!
Pons Aelius "Captain Glen's Comfort" (CD, Own label, 2017).
Since winning a prestigious Celtic Connections Danny Kyle Award in 2015, Newcastle-upon-Tyne-based sextet
Pons Aelius have spent the last years tirelessly honing their sound. Their debut album showcases
the band's double bass, guitar and bodhrán rhythm section providing a solid foundation for ambitious flute, whistle, bagpipe, mandolin and banjo lines.
Watch "£75 Fine" @ YouTube!
John Prine "Egg & Daughter Nite, Lincoln, Nebraska, 1967", "Summer's End" (Video, 2018).
John Prine[61]
has been touring Europe in August 2018. Afterwards he became a cartoon character for a new video.
Watch "Egg & Daughter Nite, Lincoln, Nebraska, 1967" & "Summer's End"!
The Proven Ones "Wild Again" (CD, Roseleaf Records, 2018).
The Proven Ones are an all-star blues ensemble with Brian Templeton on vocals,[41][60]
Kid Ramos on guitar,[45][60][66]
and Anthony Geraci on keyboards.[61]
Check out The Proven Ones' debut live performance at the Waterfront Blues Festival 2018 @ YouTube!
Brigitte Purdy "Still I Rise" (CD, Dirtshack Records, 2018).
In the tradition of the great ladies of the blues, Los Angeles born Brigitte Purdy captivates her audiences
with a passionate voice and a genre mix of R&B, soul, funk and jazz: “Don’t call me baby, don’t call me sugar, get it understood!”
Check out Brigitte Purdy's YouTube channel!
Raven and Red "We Rise Up" (CD, Own label, 2017).
“We find it difficult to really narrow down our style into one particular genre”, says vocalist and guitarist Mitchell Lane
about his trio with singer-multiinstrumentalist Brittany Lynn Jones and mandolinist Cole King.
“We have so many influences, from John Denver and Jim Croce to Tim O’Brien to classic rock and back to Bach.
We are still learning from each other every day and developing our signature sound.” This is located
somewhere between old-time, bluegrass and Celtic music.
Watch "We Rise Up" live at the Red Clay Music Foundry @ YouTube!
Garrick Rawlings "Garrick Rawlings" (CD, Peloponnese Records, 2018).
Former Ramblin' Jack Elliott road manager Garrick Rawlings has been described as: Neil Young & Johnny Cash meet the MC5 riding horseback
through the desert chasing Woody Guthrie, Townes Van Zandt, Led Zeppelin, Tom Russell, John Prine, Guy Clark and a mariachi band to some
obscure, magnificent raging campfire.
Watch Garrick Rawlings live @ YouTube!
Amy Ray "Dadgum Down" (Video, 2018).
Amy Ray, still thriving as one half of Grammy-winning folk duo Indigo Girls, premiers a song from her upcoming album "Holler,"
featuring a hypnotic banjo pattern by Alison Brown as well as backing vocals by Lucy Wainwright Roche:
"The song touches lyrically on addiction, despair, and the need for a clean slate."
Listen to "Dadgum Down" @ YouTube!
The Reverend Shawn Amos "(We've Got To) Come Together" (Video, 2018).
»This is the first freedom song I wrote for the album, The Reverend Shawn Amos Breaks It Down.[65]
I was inspired by the Staples Singers and great freedom singers of the 1960's. We live in similar times. This ain’t a song about laying blame.
It’s meant to remind us of our commonality and our humanity. We clearly need to come together ‘cause pulling apart ain’t doing it.«
Watch "(We've Got To) Come Together" @ YouTube!
Kat Riggins "In the Boys’ Club" (CD, Bluzpik Media Group, 2018).
Florida-based Kat Riggins'[61]
new record again is a collage of all things blues – from traditional blues tracks to hard-driving blues-rock.
The girl in the Boys’ Club questions the female presence in a “man’s world” and
highlight strength, humility, resilience, ambition, passion and compassion.
Watch Kat Riggins live @ YouTube!
Josh Ritter "All Some Kind of Dream" (Video, 2018).
“I’ve been playing a new song recently that a lot of folks have been asking about,”
says Josh Ritter.[44]
“I’ve always avoided writing overtly political songs in the past, but recently I’ve been so enraged I didn’t know what else to do.”
Watch the "All Some Kind of Dream (Demo)" lyric video @ YouTube!
Phillip Sandifer "Go On" (CD, Wider Sky, 2018).
In his early years, Austin-based Phillip Sandifer was fortunate to record a duet with Jennifer Warnes and write songs for Glen Campbell and Fernando Ortega.
In the late 1990s, he launched a local community radio station. Now he's back recording his own Christian Country/Americana songs
Let's Go On @ Spotify!
Saor Patrol "Battle of the Kings" (CD, Arc Music, 2018).
Highland Pipe hard rock from Scotland. In Saor Patrol, the pipes act more like a second melodic electric guitar, playing alongside a “real” electric guitar and three drummers. A whole 61 minutes blast of instrumental pipe rock...
Watch Saor Patrol live @ YouTube!
Sawdust & Rust "Leaving A Memory" (CD, Tutl, 2018).
Sawdust & Rust is the songwriting collaboration of Swedish Patrick Rydman and Faroese Benjamin Petersen.
This is catchy folk pop with Nordic overtones.
Check it out @ BandCamp!
Hadden Sayers "Dopamine Machine" (CD, Bluesisart.com, 2018); "Acoustic Dopamine" (CD, Bluesisart.com, 2018).
Hard-rocking blues has been the calling card of Texas singer-songwriter-guitarist Hadden Sayers.
However, he felt that his new songs had so much to say that he also sat down with an acoustic guitar and rearranged the whole album as a solo set.
Assisted only by percussionist Jim Ed Cobbs and vocalist Ruthie Foster,
who lent her voice to the duet "Waiting Wanting" (and for whom Sayers usually plays guitar).
Watch "Dopamine Machine" live @ YouTube!
Danny Schmidt "Standard Deviation" (Video, 2018).
"Standard Deviation" is Austin singer-songwriter Danny Schmidt's first single of his forthcoming 2019 album of the same name.
It is a romance set in the realm of theoretical physics, exploring the parallels between quantum mechanics and human entanglement.
Check out Danny Schmidt's "Standard Deviation" lyric video @ YouTube!
Erik Scott "A Trick of the Wind" (CD, Own label, 2018).
"I make music because I have something to say, and I really don't have the words,"
says bass player Erik Scott (formerly with Alice Cooper) celebrating a prolific decade as one of new age music's most acclaimed artists.
"My hope is that if I can get the music right, it will be like a picture....worth a thousand words."
Hilary Scott "Don't Call Me Angel" (CD, Belltown Records, 2018).
This time it's less country, more soul and blues on nine originals and one Prince cover ("Kiss"):
"I enjoy interpreting songs in ways that make them unrecognizable, I turned this one into a bluesy heartbeat."
Check out Billboard Interview!
Watch "Don't Call Me Angel" @ YouTube!
Scott Sharrard "Saving Grace" (CD, We Save Music, 2018).
Guitarist Scott Sharrard spent nearly a decade as musical director for the Gregg Allman Band and expands
the Southern sound of roots rock, blues, soul and R&B on his fifth solo album.
Taj Mahal steps in on the country blues "Everything A Good Man Needs," co-written by the late Gregg Allman and Sharrard.
Listen to "High Cost Of Loving You" @ YouTube!
Download two live versions and a bonus track @ NoiseTrade!
Gina Sicilia "Heard The Lie" (CD, Blue Élan Records, 2018).
"Heard the Lie," Gina Sicilia's eighth album, is a selection out of more than 20 songs all written in the single month of December 2017.
Every song is different though, including a soulful ballad co-written and performed with Janiva Magness.
Listen to the title track, a catchy Americana number with a heart-wrenching storyline @ YouTube!
Dan Siegel "Origins" (CD, Own label, 2017).
Since the late 1970s, pianist Dan Siegel has amassed hundreds of producing, arranging, composing and performing credits
(including the Oscar winning film The Usual Suspects). His latest solo album "Origins" is a combination of American,
Latin and Mediterranean sounds.
CJ Simmons "Forever" (CD, Zooter Records, 2015).
Nashville based duo Christian and Jessica Simmons fuse their respective native Oklahoma and Texas sounds. With "Forever"
they were hoping to hit the road while picking up fans one by one and show by show.
Watch "That Girl" @ YouTube!
Sally Simpson & Catriona Hawksworth "Duo" (CD, Burnbank Records, 2017).
Sally Simpson and Catriona Hawksworth were first recognized when they won the Orkney Festival Open Stage in 2012. They
form a straightforward fiddle and piano duo, with all the pieces from, or taking inspiration from, the Scottish tradition.
Check it out @ BandCamp!
Rick Sparks "Half Moon Bay" (CD, Own label, 2018).
New-age pianist Rick Sparks feels special about the ocean (being a native Tennessee mountaneer) as a place to relax, meditate and escape from everyday life,
and The Beach Boys were the best at capturing that magic. His fifth album used this legacy as the inspiration for this gentle instrumental album
(piano backed by a string section plus occasional other solo instruments and wordless vocalisation), seven originals along with three Brian Wilson compositions.
Keith Stone with Red Gravy "Keith Stone with Red Gravy" (CD, Own label, 2018).
Keith Stone's previous album, “The Prodigal Returns,”[60]
brought the sounds and rhythms of New Orleans to life. For his sophomore album he's teamed up with Red Gravy, made up of
well-respected musicians that call the Crescent City their home, to deliver a spicy musical dish of blues, funk and R&B.
Watch "Time To Move On" @ YouTube!
The String Revolution "Red Drops" (CD, 934555 Records, 2018).
Janet Robin's[63]
The String Revolution[63]
(featuring Daniel Schwarz, Art Zavala Jr. and Markus Illko) has just released a brand new record that she's really proud of,
"Red Drops," and they are gearing up for quite a busy 2019.
Watch the animated video for the instrumental Sting cover of "Englishman In New York" @ YouTube!
Sofia Talvik "Poem At Year’s End" (Single/Download, 2018).
”I asked my fans on Facebook what they thought I should write about this year, and many wanted something political. To be honest that made me feel exhausted. There has been so much politics, and so many fights the last few years that the last thing I wanted to do was to write a political Christmas song. So instead I decided to write something that everyone could listen to and enjoy with an open heart, and a calm mind. This is nothing more than a poem about the end of the year, and that is why I called it Poem At Year’s End.”
(Sofia Talvik)[64]
Listen/Download @ BandCamp!
Stoni Taylor & Miles of Stones "Vudou Rivers" (CD, Own label, 2018).
On his new album "Vudou Rivers", Atlanta/Georgia native Stoni Taylor and his band Miles of Stones
offer their own brand of blues-inspired music, a fusion of blues, rock, gospel and soul, that let
Making A Scene cheer: "Stoni Taylor embodies what the future of the blues should look like."
Check out Stoni Taylor & Miles of Stones @ YouTube!
Teres Aoutes String Band "Piva piva/Gesù bambin l'è nato" (Digital EP, iMusicianDigital, 2018).
The Italian Teres Aoutes String Band follows their latest full-length album "Lo Rock’n’Roll de la
mountagna"[67]
with two traditional Christmas songs from the Western Alps. Please have a listen @ YouTube!
Kevin Michael Thompson "Ghosts From Two Towns Over" (CD, Own label, 2018).
North Carolina based singer-songwriter-multi-instrumentalist Kevin Michael Thompson's
latest album delves deep into the wells of Americana music. The songs range from alt-country
to vintage soul and gypsy rock.
Download "Ghosts From Two Towns Over" @ NoiseTrade!
Richard Thompson "13 Rivers" (CD, New West Records, 2018).
“The are 13 songs on the record, and each one is like a river,” explains songsmith and guitar icon
Richard Thompson,[64]
who launched his career by co-founding British folk rock outfit Fairport Convention.
“Some flow faster than others. Some follow a slow and winding current. They all culminate on this one body of work.”
Download the "13 Rivers Singles Pack" @ NoiseTrade!
Trampled by Turtles "Live on KEXP" (Video, 2018).
Minnesota's indie folkies Trampled by Turtles are heading to the EU on the Life Is Good On The Open Road Tour in November.
They've never played Scandinavia before, but love coming back to the UK, Netherlands and Germany.
Check out full performance of Trampled by Turtles live on KEXP (www.kexp.org) @ YouTube!
Molly Tuttle "Save This Heart" (Video, 2017).
Molly Tuttle, renowned for her flatpicking and clawhammer guitar playing,
has won the “Instrumentalist of the Year” award at the 2018 Americana Music Awards show.
The 25-year-old has already made musical history as the first woman ever to win the International Bluegrass Music Association's “Guitar Player of the Year” award.
She also won “Song of the Year” at the 2018 International Folk Music Awards show at Folk Alliance,
and is nominated for six IBMA Awards this year.
Watch "Save This Heart" from the 2017 debut EP "Rise"[65]
@ YouTube!
Mike Vass "Notes from the Boat" (CD, Own label, 2018).
Some of Scotland's finest musicians (Gillian Frame, Innes White, Anna Massie, Ali Vass, Mairearad Green, Tomás Callister,
Corrina Hewat, Conal McDonagh, Duncan Chisholm, Innes Watson) jumped aboard a sailing ship to perform
the seductive music of Scottish fiddler-composer
Mike Vass,[42][56]
which pulls you down into a swirling maelstrom.
Check out "Notes from the Boat" @ BandCamp!
Wily Bo Walker "almost transparent blues" (CD, Mescal Canyon Records, 2018).
Inducted into the US Blues Hall of Fame in 2016, Glasgow-born blues guitarist Wily Bo Walker is pushing
the boundaries with his latest release “Almost Transparent Blues” working across styles and genres such as
blues, gospel, soul, R&B, jazz and rock, and Americana.
Check out YouTube channel & select videos!
Matty T Wall "Sidewinder" (CD, Hipsterdumpster Records, 2018).
With his feet rooted in the tradition and his fingers tinkering for new,
electric guitarist Matty T Wall is shaking up the Australian blues rock circuit.
Check out "Sidewinder" @ YouTube!
Sunny War "With the Sun" (CD, Hen House Studios, 2018).
Los Angeles-based street singer and guitarist Sunny War comes off the Venice Beach boardwalk
with a fierce folk-blues-punk style and heart-wrenching lyrics about being black in America right now.
Watch the video for "Immortal" featuring some vampire action (love proves that
reincarnation is real) @ YouTube!
The Weight Band "World Gone Mad" (CD, Continental Record Services, 2018).
Featuring members of the unforgettable rock group The Band, the Levon Helm Band and the Rick Danko Group, The Weight Band
doesn't feel like a tribute band but rather a continuation of where The Band left off.
Touring for the past four years, these Woodstock-based artists have now released their first full-length studio album with original material.
Watch the video of the title track @ YouTube!
Whisky Priests "Bloody Well Everything! (The Complete Works 1985-2000)" (CD-Box, 1985-2000/2018).
This 187-track 12-disc CD box set is being released to tie in with Gary Miller[65]
and the Whisky Priests' Bloody Well Back! reunion tour.
Check out the Aycliffe Radio Session, 9th September 2018, ft. "The Rising of the North", "Halcyon Days", "The Colliery" & "No Chance"
@ YouTube!
Joy Williams "Canary/The Trouble with Wanting" (Single/Download, Sensibility Recordings, 2018).
Formerly of the Grammy Award-winning folk, country and Americana duo The Civil Wars,[48]
singer-songwriter Joy Williams recently recorded her forthcoming solo album, "Front Porch."
Download a sample @ NoiseTrade!
Various Artists
"hillbilly" (Documentary, 2018).
This new documentary film from directors Ashley York and Sally Rubin explores the
role of media and culture in the creation of the iconic American Hillbilly,
and examines the social, cultural and political underpinnings of this infamous stereotype.
The film features personalities from film and the arts, including Billy Redden, the banjo-playing boy from Deliverance,
and uncovers an unexpected community of queer musicians and intersectional feminists emerging from this historically misunderstood region.
Native Appalachian and country music superstar Dolly Parton had this to say: “I'm happy to see somebody trying to cover us as we really are and not what some people think we are. I'm proud to have been mentioned in the film a time or two.”
Watch the trailer for "hillbilly" @ Vimeo!
Various Artists "The Rough Guide to Hokum Blues" (CD, World Music Network, 2018).
Hokum Blues was a blues style popular in the late 1920s and early 1930s that was upbeat, light-hearted and containing cheeky and hilarious lyrics.
Ft. Tampa Red, Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith, Blind Willie McTell, Blind Boy Fuller, and the notorious master of the dirty blues Bo Carter.
"The Táin at The Model Sligo" (Video, 2018).
This video was shot as part of a project which centred on cross disciplinary arts interpretations
(contemporary dance of Fearghus Ó Conchúir, paintings Louis Le Brocquy) of the ancient Irish epic, The Táin.
Music: Lorcán Mac Mathúna (voice),[61]
Martin Tourish (piano accordion), Daire Bracken (fiddle), Éamonn Galldubh (pipes, flute).
Watch movement #9 (Scread Ceann Sualtaim) @ YouTube!
Various Artists "Thirty Tigers Xmas" (Download, 2018).
Thirty Tigers is proud to present new Christmas music from a handful of their artists.
Featuring Americana, pop, gospel and country music from The Mavericks, LeAnn Rimes, CeCe Winans, Krystal Keith, and Lance Carpenter.
Download "Thirty Tigers Xmas" @ NoiseTrade!
"21a Fira Mediterrània de Manresa 2018" (Video, 2018).
Refresh your memory with this video of the main highlights of the 21st Fira Mediterrània
Manresa,[63]
based on the overall theme, Rituals, @ YouTube!
Pencil next year's dates in your diary: 10-13 October 2019!
