CD Reviews on projects by Americana Artists
Maya De Vitry Adaptations Adaptations is the new solo album by Maya De Vitry, and like the changing of seasons it opens like a breath of wind. Adaptations is a departure from the music we have come to know from her time in the stray birds. This is a different album and highlights Maya’s beautiful […]
DBUK Songs Nine Through Sixteen SCACUNINC DBUK is more formally known as Denver Broncos UK and is based out of Denver, CO. They are an offshoot of the experimental rock band Slim Cessna’s Auto Club (SCAC) in a slightly different configuration and a sound that some have described as Gothic Americana- a dark blend of […]
Paul Nelson Over Under Through Riverwide New Hampshire’s Paul Nelson emerges with an early entry for one of 2019’s best blues/roots releases. Yes, it’s only January but Nelson and his producer/multi-instrumentalist Tom Eaton (Vance Gilbert, Ellis Paul), have assembled top shelf New England players to generate a terrific sound – part roots, part blues – […]
alice wallace, cd reviews, into the blue, making a Scene
Alice Wallace Into the Blue Into the Blue by Alice Wallace is burst of sunshine in your ears Patrick O’Heffernan (Los Angeles) Alice Wallace carries her own sunshine with her. Her radiant smile and cascading sun-gold hair on stage, the luminescence of her voice, both live and recorded – she just fills a room with […]
amelia white, americana, cd review, making a Scene, rhythm of the rain
Amelia White Rhythm of the Rain Poets reach in and give voice to our greatest joys and darkest demons. Amelia White is one of Americana’s most gifted poets and songwriters and the album, Rhythm Of The Rain speaks to darkest of personal and political loss. The thirteen songs on this her seventh album, written while […]
boogie kings, boogie piano, making a Scene, piano
The Boogie Kings Disturbing the Peace BluJazz/Spirit Bob Baldori and Arthur Migliazza bring four-handed boogie-woogie thunder on their collaborative and aptly named, Disturbing the Peace. Images of freight trains, highways, loud juke joints and boisterous road houses ring through this resounding set that often sounds like a full band. Yes, it’s generally loud and raucous […]
americana, Jesse Terry, Lizanne Knott, making a Scene, Michael Logen, Sunset Avenue Sessions
Lizanne Knott, Jesse Terry, Michael Logen Sunset Avenue Sessions Transoceanic Several Americana and folk artists have huge followings in the UK and remain a little lesser known here in the states. Lizanne Knott, Jesse Terry and Michael Logen are straddling that line, although their collaboration, Sunset Avenue Sessions, has already garnered heavy radio airplay and […]
americana, christmas everywhere, making a Scene, rodney Crowell
Christmas Everywhere by Rodney Crowell New West Records 2018 Rodney Crowell’s Christmas Everywhere is the album that’ll restore your belief in the spirit of Christmas. December finds me kicking and dragging my feet as it pulls me towards Christmas. I’m not in the mood. No tree, no carols, and especially no malls! The last thing […]
americana, making a Scene, Viola Kruse
Making a Scene Presents Viola Krouse’s Top 42 Americana CD’s for 2018! Viola is one of the newest writers to come on board to the Making a Scene Family. She is highly respected in the world of Americana artists. He CD reviews are insightful and has the ability to find great music that is on […]
american showplace music, katie henry, making a Scene
Katie Henry High Road Independent Katie Henry, until now, has been one of New Jersey’s many musical treasures. This is her debut recording which will let others hear her vocal and instrumental talents. Henry plays several instruments including the locally made Vintage Vibe piano, acoustic piano, guitar, and clavinet. If that sounds “keyboard heavy,” she’s […]
cd review, james maddock, making a Scene
James Maddock If It Ain’t Fixed Don’t Break It The newest album by James Maddock is a reflective American songbook James Maddock style. “If It Ain’t Fixed Don’t Break It” takes you back in time. It’s new music by a reflective rocker and a soulful crooner. These songs are a nod to music that shaped […]
americana, folk, making a Scene, Paul Sachs
Paul Sachs Full Detroit Paul Sachs releases his sixth independent release “Full Detroit”. The 2013 Kerrville “New Folk” winner introduces us to a host of characters familiar and honest. Paul Sachs sings with a phrasing that’s familiar but the story is all his own, and it tells your story too. Listening to this album is […]
americana, making a Scene, nicole Wagner
Nicole Wagner And the Sky Caught Fire The ten songs on “And The Sky Caught Fire” are predominantly written or co written by Nicole Wagner. One song, “Reconsider Me” is a cover tune. These songs find Nicole soul-searching. A songwriter and avid baseball fan, Nicole weaves baseball and relationships seamlessly. There are a few gems […]
americana, folk, indie Blues, indie country, making a Scene, shawn mullins
Shawn Mullins Soul’s Core Revival Soul Carnival Records Shawn Mullins hails from Atlanta, Georgia. In the early 1990’s Mullins was a young troubadour on the folk circuit traveling the country in a minivan with his dog Roadie and a guitar. His debut recording was released in 1992 but it was his 1998 “Soul’s Core” album, […]
americana, blues, Dan Seymour, indie Blues, making a Scene, mark robinson
Chug it Down and Go Dan Seymour and Mark Robinson Blind Chihuahua Records Chug It Down And Go is the debut album by Dan Seymour and Mark Robinson. This collaboration of two great friends and better musicians releases November 10, 2018 on Blind Chihuahua Records. This release is a “jug-band” album of sorts and each […]
americana, Country, indie country, making a Scene, roots
Roy Schneider& Kim Mayfield Reckless Saints Shiny Gnu Thanks to roots artist Gurf Morlix for describing Roy Schneider and Kim Mayfield’s sound better than this writer can. His term “blue twangled folk n’ roll” is perfect. This husband and wife team runs the gamut from engaging acoustic folk to driving bluesy tunes, with hints of […]
americana, cd review, making a Scene, paul kelly
Paul Kelly Nature Gawd Aggie Paul Kelly considers Nature a companion piece to 2017’s Platinum-certified Life Is Fine but although it bears some similarities, it’s not exactly a sequel. It’s not one coherent statement or even one focused theme but instead a collection of different elements, come originals and, as we’ve come to know from Kelly, […]
americana, cd review, irish, making a Scene, ultan conlon
Ultan Conlon Last Days of the Night Owl Dark Sideout Irish singer/songwriter Ultan Conlon deliver his third album, recorded in Galway over the winter of 2017. Songs were written on both the west coasts of Ireland and America (where he lives in Santa Monica part-time) . The album features 15 musicians in the credits including […]
americana, Country, indie country, making a Scene
Jim Wyly The Artisan Texas Fanfair Publishing & Gaylord Music Jim Wyly must have had releasing a solo album on his bucket list. After playing in bands for forty years in and around Austin, the 72-year-old Texan is releasing The Artisan. His acoustic album sometimes features just Wyly alone while other tracks feature harmonicist Ray […]
americana, Indie Rock, making a Scene, tim carroll
Tim Carroll Keeping Time “Keeping Time” is the 2018 release by Tim Carroll and whoever said Rock and Roll is dead or speaks of the demise of the electric guitar, has never been to the longest running residency in Nashville. The “Tim Carroll Rock ‘n’ Roll Happy Hour” at the famed Five Spot is local […]
americana, blues, classic rock, making a Scene, the band, the weight
The Weight Band World Gone Mad The Weight Band Records The Weight Band was inspired to carry on the legacy of The Band. Formed in 2013 when Jim Weider (1985 -1999) and Randy Ciarlante (1991 to 1999) both members of the re-united Band decided to form a new group to perform “Songs of The Band” […]
Indie Rock, making a Scene, Rock, The Textones
The Textones Old Stone Gang Blue Elan It’s hard to believe that the Textones have been together for thirty plus years and are just now releasing their third album, recently signed to Blue Elan Records. Fans will remember the Austin-based releases Midnight Mission and Cedar Creek from the ‘80s which were reissued by Omnivore in […]
americana, Country, indie country, making a Scene, Mandy Barnett
Mandy Barnett Strange Conversation Dame Productions/Thirty Tigers Mandy Barnett made quite a splash recording her self-titled debut for Asylum before she was even 21 years old. Prior to that she had already been resurrecting Patsy Cline in the stage production Always…Patsy Cline. Barnett was a child prodigy who signed her first record deal at age […]
americana, Country, Kristina Murray, making a Scene
Kristina Murray Southern Ambrosia Loud Magnolia Kristina Murray, like many, loves the South for certain things and is conflicted about the duality of its legacy. This album hits several topical issues while praising the elements she cherishes. This is only her second release and it follows 2013’s Unravelin’. Murray originally hails from Atlanta, spent six […]
americana, blues, indie Blues, making a Scene
Tobias the Owl Safe Harbor for Wayward Echoes Megaforce The band name connotes mystery and intrigue and Elijah Dhavvan’s collective sound, as Tobias The Owl, doesn’t let the listener down. It can be deceptively straightforward, built around an acoustic underpinning, but can also move into engulfing, ethereal realms. A Safe Harbor for Wayward Echoes, while offering some […]
americana, Austin, indie, Jimmy lafave
Jimmy LaFave Peace Town Music Road Posthumous albums that come barely a year after the artist’s passing can be difficult to listen to. My tears are welling up while writing, knowing how much we’ll miss Jimmy LaFave. He, in the words of Gretchen Peters, possessed not only a “singular voice” but was arguably the best […]
americana, jazz, making a Scene, vince bell
Vince Bell Ojo Mulatta When a Texas singer-songwriter is produced by Bob Neuwirth, one does not likely guess it would be a spoken word jazz album. Bell is a poet and his version of the spoken word resembles the early Beat era in San Francisco with artists like Kenneth Rexroth. Yet, the musical concept of […]
blues, blues-rock, cd reviews, indie Blues, making a Scene, roots
Willie Nile Children of Paradise River House Records Willie Nile was born Robert Noonan in Buffalo New York in 1948. Nile attended the University of Buffalo and latter moved to Greenwich Village to begin his music career. He frequented New York’s CBGB’s were he first heard the Ramones. The singer songwriter Nile released his self […]
americana, indie Blues, making a Scene, zak trojano
Zak Trojano Self-released Wolf Trees This is as solo as one gets for a solo album – just Zak Trojano singing and accompanying himself on a Martin or Weissenborn lap steel guitar. The Rusty Belle co-founder’s third solo album has low open C modal tuning on any guitar he uses, and foundationally has simple arrangements […]
americana, cd review, jim Lauderdale, making a Scene
Jim Lauderdale’s new releases “Time Flies” and “Jim Lauderdale and Roland White” (originally recorded in 1979) are bookends to a career well sung. – Yep Roc Records This latest release, “Time Flies” is aptly named and bundled along with his first album as still-life to a career just visible on the radar. Jim Lauderdale has […]
Amerivana, Ashleigh Flynn, Ashleigh Flynn and The Riveters, making a Scene
The debut album from Ashleigh Flynn and The Riveters is coming out in September on Home Perm Records. The first thing to get out of the way is that this is an all-female band. now let’s talk about how good they are an how much you will love this CD. Lead vocalist and acoustic guitar […]
americana, Country, making a Scene, sergio webb
Los Cuates – the latest release by singer-songwriter sometimes guitar slinger Sergio Webb paints the landscape of the American West. These are songs written from the road. Whether you’re traveling through this landscape on horseback or car listening to Los Cuates will transport you to a place somewhere on the road that’s as comfortable as […]
americana, indie country, jim stanard, making a Scene
Jim Stanard Bucket List Self-released Even relatively late in life, it’s not too late to make a singer-songwriter record, no matter what the walk of life. Take Jim Stanard, for example. He sounds as if he’s a contemporary of this writer and the two Richards you seen so prominently on this site. Stanard grew up […]
americana, kevin gordon, making a Scene
Tilt and Shine Crowville Media Kevin is an artist who immerses himself into a performance. There are bits of him left on stages at concert halls and dive bars around the country. The Kevin Gordon band is well oiled and loose, you can get lost in the groove of these songs. All the better to […]
americana, folk, John Prine, making a Scene, singer-songwriter, The Tree of Forgiveness
It’s been a long time since John Prine released an album of original material, and some long-time fans, like me, might be worried that he might sound different, or the material might not be as true and touching. Well, stop worrying. The Tree of forgivenesss is as wry and wise as Prine has ever been. […]
americana, indie Blues, indie country, making a Scene, Nouveaux Honkies
The Nouveaux Honkies Loud In Here Independent The Nouveaux Honkies are Tim O’Donnell and Rebecca Dawkins. This is there fourth full length recording but their first album was strictly blues and is long out of print. The Americana duo has since made their mark with three albums which they prefer to call Honky Tonk Country. […]
americana, giulia millanta, indie, making a Scene, singer-songwriter
Giulia Millanta is a cosmopolitan Americana artist. Her newest album “Conversation with a Ghost” is crisp and refreshing. The melodies are masterfully executed. Each instrument is selective in accentuating Giulia’s ethereal vocal. As expected from having a “Conversation with a Ghost“, the tempo and vibe of the songs are hauntingly familiar. https://www.giuliamillanta.com/ “Conversation with a Ghost” […]
americana, bob rea, making a Scene, southbound
Nashville based Songwriter-Singer Bob Rea is as Americana as cherry pie. He is the Country without the “Bro”. He might not fully rock but he sure does roll. He’s the folk singer with a driving beat and a bit of soul. Through it all is a web of finely crafted lyrics in the vein of […]
indie country, making a Scene, Neko Case, singer-songwriter
Neko Case Hell On Anti It’s Neko’s voice that draws you in. It is an undeniably ethereally beautiful instrument as it’s been from the very beginning when in the early ‘90s she was being hailed as the second coming of Patsy Cline. Some preferred to think of Wanda Jackson instead. Yet, Case’s lyrics, demeanor and […]
americana, blues, blues-rock, indie Blues, kara grainger, making a Scene
Kara Grainger Living With Your Ghost Station House Australian Kara Grainger has graced the international blues and roots circuit for a decade now. Originally hailed as mostly a guitar slinger, for her adept picking and slide skills, Grainger proves to be a formidable singer-songwriter on this, her fourth album. Her sultry vocals combined with her […]
americana, indie country, making a Scene, mark currey, Tarrent county
There’s nothing like a great Texas storyteller. Tarrant County combines masterful songwriting and refreshingly accomplished musicianship with a voice that’s as comforting as your best childhood memory. Tarrant County is the newest album by Texas Heritage songwriter finalist Mark Currey. Tarrant County is a songwriters delight. This album is an essay in Americana. The songs […]
americana, Daddy, let's do this, making a Scene
DADDY “Let’s Do This” What would it sound like if Mick Taylor and Keith Richards were in a juke-joint, rock-‘n’-by-god-roll band, a band that preaches the gospel according to Muddy Waters? It would sound like Let’s Do This, the newest album from the Americana supergroup “DADDY”. DADDY is Will Kimbrough and Tommy Womack at their […]
Designs on Me, folk, Nina Ricci
by Rhetta Akamatsu Nina Ricci is a very contemporary folk singer. Her voice often sounds very similar to Dolly Parton’s, but her style is entirely her own. With power and control, she filters everything through an artist’s perspective, mixing images, colors, and emotions to create seven strong songs for Designs On Me. The first song, […]
americana, grayson capps, Scarltt Roses, singer-songwriter
By Rhetta Akamatsu Grayson Capps is certainly the epitome of Americana, shuffling influences effortlessly. You can hear a bit of Buffet, more than a little Hank Williams. some Southern rock, a bit of gospel, all boiled down to something rare and original by Capps’; way with words. His imagery is so vivid that just a […]
andy Peake, Big shoes, blues-rock, cd review, indie Blues, making a Scene, New Orleans blues, soul
Big Shoes Step On It! Biglittle This is a can’t miss project. We’re seeing a resurgence of the Muscle Shoals sound these days. Even The Swampers just released an album of lost tracks last month. The sound of Big Shoes has plenty of that river city’s sound but stretches beyond into New Orleans, Memphis, and […]
blues, blues foundation, blues hall of fame, blues music, blues radio, blues-rock, celebration of Blues and Soul, Circus americana, Funk, IBA, independent blues awards, indie, Indie B, indie Blues, indie blues movement, Indie Rock, live from the midnight circus, making a Scene, r&B, red clay soul, Rock, roots, roots music, roots rock
Chris Hillman Bidin’ My Time Rounder Records Don Parmley was a 5 String banjo player who recorded a bluegrass instrumental album for GNP/Crescendo Records in 1964 and the mandolin player on the recording was Chris Hillman. Hillman switched to bass and joined Jim McGuinn, David Crosby, Gene Clark and Michael Clarke to form the Byrds. […]
americana, folk, making a Scene, Matthew Wolcott, singer songwriyer, Western Lights
Texas artist Matthew Wolcott proves, in his debut release Western Lights, that there is always room for another talented, sensitive songwriter. The five songs here allow Wolcott to paint melancholy pictures with sound. His piano playing perfectly accompanies his rich voice, which reminds this writer of Jackson Browne’s. The title song “Western Lights” sets the […]
americana, blues, Cary Morin, Cradle to the Grave, indie Blues, making a Scene, Native American musicians
Cary Morin has a voice that is as strong and expressive as to Van Morrison’s and the sensitivity of James Taylor, but his songwriting is strictly his own and even on the three songs on Cradle to the Grave that he did not write, his interpretation is highly personal. The music varies from blues to […]
americana, blues, blues foundation, blues hall of fame, blues music, blues radio, blues-rock, celebration of Blues and Soul, IBA, independent blues awards, indie, Indie B, indie Blues, indie blues movement, making a Scene, red clay soul
Peter Karp Alabama Town Rose Cottage Records Peter Karp was born in Leonia and raised in New Jersey and Enterprise, Alabama where his father, a retired military pilot, lived. Karp’s stepmother was an African-American woman who helped raise him. In New Jersey his birth mom would take Karp to concerts. As a teen Karp played […]
americana, blues, blues foundation, blues hall of fame, blues music, blues radio, blues-rock, celebration of Blues and Soul, IBA, independent blues awards, indie, Indie B, indie Blues, indie blues movement, making a Scene
Ilana Katz Katz Movin’ On Regina Royale Records Ilana Katz, fiddle, married Warren Katz therefore she became Ilana Katz Katz. Ilana is also a busker. She plays her fiddle in the Boston subway system collecting donations from who ever enjoys her music. She attended a Billy Boy Arnold concert where she met Ronnie Earl. Earl […]
