Tag Archives: Americana

Grayson Capps' 'Scarlett Roses' is one of the best albums I've heard to come out of North America this year.

Straight-ahead but rough-edged and with quirky lyrics, Lisik's songs are self-aware with a sometimes tongue-in-cheek attitude but nonetheless soaked in real feeling.

With a voice like a clear mountain stream, rippled with emotion and swirled with a hint of gold-dust gravel, Americana singer-songwriter Mary Bragg infuses each song with passion quickened by intelligent lyrics and resonant melodies, all backed up by superb musicianship and production.

Holcombe creases a sense of decrepitude and weariness into his deliberately half-wrecked-sounding voice and uses both to pointed effect, speaking directly to the immigrant, the wanderer, the home-seeker in all of us.

'Freedom Highway' from Rhiannon Giddens is one of those amazing rarities, a politically charged and artistically refined album. The music is spectacular, the lyrics are beautiful and inspiring, and the singing is as glorious as you'll hear anywhere.

The second release from the Americana-country-rock singer-songwriter is another layered, emotion-laden effort.

‘Six String Soldier’ is a richly textured and highly enjoyable Americana, blues, and rock EP.

Don't let the cheesy cover art steer you away from this music, which is anything but. It's hard to go wrong with material this good, and Holly Norman and her fantastic backup musicians do right by it – and by Elvis – in a big way.

'On Safari' is a great musical journey with The Kentucky Headhunters.

Back when the term "Americana" just meant pioneer-era antiques, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band was bringing American folk music into the pop-music mainstream. To celebrate half a century of making music, the group is releasing a live album of 18 favorite tunes recorded at Nashville's famous Ryman Auditorium, many featuring guest artists from the pantheon of folk, Americana, and country music.