Review- Sarah Shook and The Disarmers: Revelations

Last year with the release of Mightmare’s debut record,  I began my exploration of River Shook’s catalog and body of work, which meant a deep dive into the Disarmers catalog. What became immediately obvious to me is that River has always had a substantial power for writing songs with impact. The standout update for me was seeing the maturity in the musicianship and vocal approach to really drive those songs to places that most artists spend late nights agonizing over the details they're hoping to reach. It was simple but without losing any weight or power, it was sharpened and edited down to just hard hitting lyrics coupled with hummable melodies, and it was just what “rock” records should be. The last record River and company produced under the Disarmers moniker was also just an absolute powerhouse. This made me almost hesitant to review Revelations as I was afraid that it wouldn’t hit as hard without the novelty. Well, kind readers, it absolutely still hits like a southern accent tinged indie rock Mack truck head on collision. I shouldn’t be surprised, but somehow, I still am.

Review- Taylor Hunnicutt: Alabama Sound

It was the end of January before I finally caught up with Taylor Hunnicutt to talk about the release of her first full-length album. She had been dealing with quite a hectic month to say the least. Just before Christmas, she and her husband learned that they would have to move out of the house in which they were living and had hoped to buy. They scrambled to relocate in time to get packed after the holidays for a week in Key West at Mile 0 Fest. Returning from her debut at the huge festival (which she described as “magical”) there was only time for a quick turnaround before heading up to Virginia for a sold-out headlining show which was to be her only scheduled appearance in February. Then began the wait for the appearance of her long-awaited record Alabama Sound on March 22 via 10 Ton Records before she begins a string of dates including support slots and festival stages stretching through October. 

Review- Wonder Women of Country: Willis, Carper, Leigh

The Wonder Women of Country are here to save us from the mundane in modern country music.

Three of country’s most distinctive voices  – Kelly Willis, Melissa Carper and Brennen Leigh – have made their occasional team-ups official with a name and now an album, Wonder Women of Country: Willis, Carper, Leigh, which comes out March 15. 

The EP is a triumph, an easygoing demonstration of the enduring appeal of traditional country music in the hands of three masters of their craft. These songs are as traditional as cornbread yet fresh as a still-warm strawberry just off the vine. 

The Wonder Women were born of mutual admiration and friendship. 

Review- Dalton Mills: Good Place to Hide

March 1st was a busy release day in the independent Americana and Country music genres. So, it’s reasonable that one may not have had the opportunity to listen to the new album by Dalton Mills, Good Place to Hide. I’m going to share with you many reasons why you need to have Dalton on your radar and this album in your rotation. 

Throughout music history, Kentucky has been known to produce extraordinary songwriters and the Middlesboro native is no exception. At The Amp, we’ve been fans of Mills’ work for a while now; as evidenced by the review of his self-titled debut album in the summer of 2020. His sophomore release, Good Place to Hide unveils growth and wisdom only obtained through life experiences and the conscious effort of surrounding yourself with like-minded and objective musicians and songwriters. 

Review- M.Dunton: Self Titled

If you know a cool, hip, avid music listener or polymath and you suddenly popped over unannounced for a beer, M. Dunton’s self-titled album is most likely what will be playing through their speakers when you walk in. Dazzling and beautifully poignant, M. Dunton delivers a compelling cinematic, therapeutic soundscape that comes alive and then disappears like a thief in the night. Although nothing lasts forever, this eight song album is so insanely good that you hang onto every note, wishing upon a star that it would. M. Dunton is the consummate companion for those searching for an escape after a long week, providing the perfect backdrop as you sip champagne and soak in a hot bubble bath.

Review- Shane Smith & the Saints: Norther

For some of us, it’s been awhile. For some, Yellowstone has left them wanting more. For some, this is the first introduction. No matter which group you identify with, a new chapter commences for everyone March 1st via Thirty Tigers/Geronimo West Records. After a decade of touring and paying dues with a blue collar work ethic, performing upwards of ~240 shows in a given year. The bill is about to be paid in full and this record signals another meteoric shift. Perhaps altering the trajectory of Shane Smith & The Saints forever, Norther is destined to fly off the shelves at a precipitous pace, left on repeat for the foreseeable future and promptly placed into its rightful position at the top of the charts.

Review- Ameripolitan Music Awards

The Ameripolitan Music Awards are handed out during a show on Sunday night, but the four-day festivities offer more than that. Many of the award nominees, past and present, perform at venues around Austin Thursday through Saturday. 

For fans, this isn’t your typical music festival where you pay a few hundred dollars for a weekend pass. Rather, you pay $20 to get into showcase sets over three nights at four classic venues in Austin. Several shows earlier in the day are at the hotel and free, along with dance lessons, vintage clothing vendors and plenty of socializing. 

Review- Blackberry Smoke: Be Right Here

It’s hard to remember that Blackberry Smoke, now in its 23rd year, is still an independent band. To say they’ve toured relentlessly would be an understatement as they have continued to play practically any place that would have them. They will be out in 2024 for over 70 already-announced dates in the US and Europe, both headlining and supporting. Along with Cody Jinks and Whiskey Myers, Blackberry Smoke will be out supporting their latest release Be Right Here.

Review- The High Hawks: Mother Nature's Show

There's a line on the new High Hawks album that we northerners can feel in our bones. “Driveway’s got a foot of ice / I swear it’s 10 below (ugh).” 

Yeah buddy, along about now, mid-February... we feel that one. 

That line comes at the start of “Somewhere South,” the sunny second track on the High Hawks’ second album, Mother Nature’s Show. “Somewhere South” is a breezy ode to getting the heck outta here and going somewhere, anywhere, where we can unclench, soak up some sun and have some fun with old friends. 

An easy, comfortable warmth runs throughout Mother Nature’s Show. If it sounds like a gathering of talented friends making music, maybe that’s because it is. 

Review- Scott Ashworth: Ghosts and Broken Men

It is a foregone conclusion that Country, Folk, and Americana music has at least some of its roots in the music of the American South and Appalachian traditional music. In the 1917 publication “English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians,” folklorist Cecil Sharp describes, “The present  inhabitants …are  the  direct  descendants of  the  original  settlers  who  were  emigrants  from  England  and, I  suspect, the  lowlands  of  Scotland. …I am  unable  to  say;  but  it  is  fairly  safe,  I  think,  to  conclude  that  the present-day  residents  of  this  section  of  the  mountains  are  the  descendants of  those  who  left  the  shores  of  Britain  some  time  in  the eighteenth  century.” It is no surprise then, that Scott Ashworth, hailing from Denny, Falkirk, Scotland makes his way to The Amp’s pages with his debut LP, Ghosts and Broken Men.

Review- The Dead South: Chains & Stakes 

Clawing from the shadowy crevices of the traditional Bluegrass underbelly, The Dead South continue the creative tear behind their fourth full-length studio offering, Chains & Stakes, an epic collection that solidifies the four-piece, forty-fingered crew as a growing Americana staple. Embarking on the United States tour by kicking off the shenanigans in Cleveland, Ohio on February 12th, the band has gained explosive notoriety behind their loyal followers - The Good Company - a title pulled from 2014’s successful inaugural album of the same name. 

Review- Taylor McCall: Mellow War

We are starting 2024 with a banger: I am pleased to present to the world the one and only Taylor McCall. Never heard of him? Me neither. But, once I heard his hauntingly delicious voice echo through the palmetto trees and reverberate through my soul, seemingly calling to me from the great unknown, I was hooked like a five pound bass. Once Mellow War hits your ears, bask in the afterglow and soak up the intoxicating dreamscapes of heartbreak, missed opportunities and unrequited love. If you enjoy discovering exhilarating new artists before they blow up, Taylor McCall is the dark horse you have been looking for. Dropping Friday, Mellow War is not to be missed and decisively delivers on all fronts.

Festival Review: 30A Songwriters Festival

I think they might have let me into the artists’ party by mistake at the 30A Songwriters Festival. 

I wandered to the back bar of AJ’s Grayton Beach on opening night to check if anyone was performing there. Attendants at the door asked me if I wanted the free drink tickets. Momentarily confused but also not a fool, I said, “why, yes, thank you” and sauntered in. 

The room was abuzz with musicians catching up with each other. I greeted a couple and wandered the room, soaking in the atmosphere and catching bits of conversation. These festivals are a treat for artists. So often touring alone, a fest allows them to chill and catch up with friends. 

There’s a relaxed vibe throughout the 30A Songwriters Festival. It’s held every year over Martin Luther King Jr. weekend in the Florida panhandle at about 30 venues along 20 miles of Highway 30A. Some 175 performers settle in for the weekend, playing multiple sets. You see them in coffee shops, walking along the beach or attending shows, and they’re often open to a chat or photo. 

Single Review- Josh Mitcham: Liar, Liar

Unabashed about tackling new challenges within the bustling realm of musical genres, Josh Mitcham continues to grow his impressive catalog of creative successes without hesitation. Plucked fresh-from-the-vine today, the Kentuckian has released his premiere single “Liar, Liar,” from the forth-coming album, Color Shift, set to drop for ears everywhere on March 1st. 

Review- Uncle Lucius: Like It's The Last One Left

Hearts were broken all over Texas - and indeed, the American Independent Music Scene - in September 2017 when Kevin Galloway announced his impending departure from, and the ostensible breakup of, Uncle Lucius. Of the band he co-founded in 2002 with Hal Jon Varpohl in Austin, Texas, frontman and vocalist Galloway said, “12 years, five vans, 4 studio albums, countless miles, and friendships forged in fire, a lifetime of lessons and positive experiences, I’m forever grateful. I have no regrets. I’m moving on. To the fans … thank you for your belief and support. To the band … thank you for teaching me to be just one part of the whole.” This statement was ultimately followed by a farewell show in March of 2018, appropriately staged at the historic Gruene Hall. 

Festival Review- Way Down in Mississippi Weekend - Hosted by Jason Eady

In Clarksdale,Mississippi, birthplace of the Delta Blues and once home to music legends including Muddy Waters and Robert Johnson, Jason Eady hosted an intimate music weekend to culminate the tour for his latest album Mississippi. Held the second weekend in November, the inaugural Way Down in Mississippi Weekend featured music from Eady and those that had a part in the making of the album: Adam Hood, his only co-writer on the album; Courtney Patton and Kelly Mickwee, who sang harmonies on the album, and Midnight River Choir, who toured the album with him. The first two days, festival attendees stayed at the historic Shack Up Inn, where restored sharecropper shacks make up the sleeping quarters and the original cotton gin, the lobby and bar area. Rustic is the word that comes to mind – but the authenticity and nostalgic charm made up for any lack of luxury.

Review-Tales from the Road: Wyatt Flores Shares Life Lessons with the World

t’s been nearly a year since Wyatt Flores hit the road.

“I’ve learned more in the last 11 months than I could have ever imagined with success, heartbreak, and failure. It’s all a part of the journey,” Flores said. 

His new EP, Life Lessons is a compilation of tales from being a 20-something growing into himself in a 18-passenger van next to some of his best friends.

“People say ‘oh my god you're so lucky, you get to be on stage in front of thousands of people’. But I wanted to show people what it’s like to be in the van,” Flores said on Tiktok live on the eve of the release. 

“Good morning son, I hope you guys are on the road. Just calling to check on you and see where you’re at. I love you,” is the first sound you’ll hear on the opening track “Orange Bottles”. An archival voicemail that’s surely one of many, setting the stage for a harsh look at reality being a young man chasing dreams wherever they’ll take him.

Review- Tanner Usrey: Crossing Lines

2023 has been a good year for Tanner Usrey. In addition to the hundreds of shows in clubs and on festival stages, he has racked up millions of all-important streams and unleashed a series of singles which are part of his debut full-length album, Crossing Lines, releasing November 17 on Atlantic Records. Since 2019, he’s been hard at work on his music career with the release of his Medicine Man EP. Two singles, each generating over 18 million Spotify streams, led to the SOL Sessions EP as part of being named “Emerging Artist” by the Peacemaker Music Festival in 2021. With over 180 shows in 2022, word continued to spread about the emerging star from Prosper, Texas. 

Review – Johnny Dowd: Is Heaven Real? How Would I Know?

You might not know Johnny Dowd. In fact, the self-deprecating Dowd would say the same thing. But your favorite musician probably knows who he is. 

Amy LaVere told a story recently on a Memphis radio station about the time that Talking Heads frontman David Byrne gave Texas outlaw country legend Terry Allen a copy of Dowd’s 1998 debut album, Wrong Side of Memphis

And she relayed the story about how Jim Dickinson, producer of classics by the Replacements and Big Star, mused about the same album, “I’ll never be able to make something like this.”

Festival Review- Highlights from AmericanaFest 2023

My memory does not serve me when trying to determine how many artists I saw at last year’s festival, but this year definitely felt like more. My roster for this year checked in at nearly 60 sets. Not all sets were witnessed from start to finish and many were short sets at industry parties. Nonetheless, with a lineup of this magnitude, there were a massive number of artists I made a point to see.