Browsing Tag

country rock

Brandon Bing took his inimitable sound down a dark country-rock road with Burnt Out at Both Ends

Posted on 24 June 2024

With one of his most sombrely affecting singles to date, Burnt Out at Both Ends, the peerlessly roots-reverent troubadour Brandon Bing took his sound down a dark country-rock road to explore a relatable dichotomy of desire.

Bing found a poignantly powerful way to attest to how impossible it is to have it all, especially when chasing dreams at the cost of connection. While never letting the single fall into a ravine of self-pity, Bing bared his burnt-out soul in a way that will sting your own. The underpinning theme of never feeling quite enough while failing to make yourself whole and the ones you love content resounds throughout the flawlessly executed country-rock anthem.

The touches of reverb on the opening guitar lines as they reverberate around the motifs of violin strings instantaneously set a melancholic mood. Yet, Bing ensures the following bolstered with passion high-octane riffs raise the energy beneath his evocatively expressive vocals that expose the raw nerves which inspired this tour de force of a triumph. His intuitive relationship with his guitar is enough to put him up there with Brad Paisley, Chet Atkins, and Vince Gill as one of the country-rock guitar greats. As for his voice, just try keeping a dry eye while being consumed by the Whiskey-soaked timbres.

Burnt Out at Both Ends was officially released on June 21; stream the single on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Roots and Rock Collide in Ashley Wineland’s Explosive Anthem Crank It Up

Posted on 26 May 2024
Ashley Wineland

Country rock firebrand Ashley Wineland blazed like a red-hot roots-reverent inferno in her latest single, Crank It Up.

The rhythmically compulsive tour de force is enough to strip you of every atom of inhibition from the moment you hit play. It is nothing short of a feat of alchemy that the swampy serpentine bluegrass guitars kept hold of their authenticity within the high-octane anthem which demands to be heard loud – Wineland didn’t even need to ask.

Produced by the award-winning songwriter and producer, Marti Frederiksen, who has become an integral part of the legacies of Carrie Underwood, Ozzy Osbourne, Buck Cherry, Aerosmith, Sheryl Crow, and Eminem for his songwriting and production credits, Crank It Up is an indomitable earworm which will ensure that Wineland’s career is equally revered as the aforementioned artists.

The prodigal daughter of Arizona has Country running through her veins; allowing everything she turns her undeniable talent to become an authentically exhilarant impact on the senses. Her voice deserves to be regarded as an elemental force of nature in its own right. If it wasn’t so pure with soul, it would be unholy.

If you get a chance to see her on tour, don’t even think twice about buying tickets.

Crank It Up was officially released on May 24h; stream the single on Spotify.

Discover more about Amy Wineland via her official website.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The sands of time slip away in Jeff Batson’s transmission of Americana-tinged college radio rock, End of the Grains

Posted on 12 May 2024

The feel-good fervour in Jeff Batson’s latest single, End of the Grains, allows you to imagine a parallel universe where Slash turns his iconic riffs to quintessentially uplifting college radio rock which effervesces with full-bodied and finessed to the nth-degree twangs of Americana.

The sentimentality within this sticky-sweet reminder of our mortality rings with immense sincerity, allowing the warmth-infused waves to crash over you as you catch the Nashville-based star’s indomitable lust for life. If you take each one of the mantras rhythmically laid out in the uplifting anthem, your life will start to feel like a utopia before the outro comes around and compels you to dive back into the melodically enriching tour de force.

Virtuoso may be a word that gets banded around a little too readily in the music industry, but Jeff Batson is a rare artist who warrants it with his mettle, which led to a Grammy nomination for writing the chart-topping single, The Rock, for fellow country star, Tracy Lawrence.

Batson’s career has been an endless series of triumphs, from sharing stages with Hank Williams Jr, Tracy Byrd, and Collin Raye to performing on TNN’s Prime Time Country show. With a presence that could light up any room, he deserves to be championed to the end of the earth.

Stream End of the Grains on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The country rock rapture arrived through The Whiskey State’s latest single, Where I Need to Be

Posted on 14 March 2024

In the valleys of Hampshire, The Whiskey State, comprising Tom Stride and Jordan Tate, has distilled a sound that resonates with the soul of country and the riotous heart of rock. Their latest single, “Where I Need to Be,” is a testament to their journey from college companions to creators of exhilaratingly sticky-sweet euphoria.

Imagine extracting the quintessence of The Manic Street Preachers, Bruce Springsteen, and Sam Fender, then blending it into a musical elixir. The result? A flavour profile as affecting as “Where I Need to Be,” a song that pays homage to the sanctity of country surrounds. It’s a track that stirs the soul so profoundly, that you might find yourself questioning if any roots-reverent rock track has ever touched it quite like this before.

The song encapsulates tender homecoming yearning through the guitar chords that wrap you in nirvana and endlessly ensnaring vocal hooks which make it impossible not to want to make The Whiskey State your sonic poison of choice. The songwriting prowess of the duo is as evident as their ability to catapult listeners into the soulful aura of their music.

Few things feel better than returning to whatever constitutes home, but this track comes a close second. With their debut EP “Welcome to…”, The Whiskey State not only showcases their distinctive blend of country and rock influences but also cements their place as one of the most captivating country-influenced rock duos in the Uk and beyond..

Stream the official music video for Where I Need to Be via YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Ami Leigh darkened Americana’s Door with the Luxe Beguile in Her Ground-breaking Single, Foretold ft Neil Gibson

Posted on 3 March 2024

Ami Leigh, hailing from County Durham, UK, has long been an aurally beguiling chameleon. Her latest single, Foretold, marks a striking foray into country rock, infused with the essence of Portishead and the chill of rock-licked post-punk.

Foretold is a poignant narrative of doomed love regaled through Leigh’s crystalline vocal lines. Her voice, imbued with soulful clarity, weaves through the hauntingly reimagined Americana soundscape, creating a contrast that is both striking and harmonious. The cold, instrumental chill she introduces strips the genre of its traditional warmth, yet the ensuing guitar solos ignite a familiar country rock fire. This juxtaposition is Leigh’s genius, offering a fresh, yet respectful nod to her influences, ranging from The Cure to Pink Floyd.

Neil Gibson’s contribution cannot be overlooked. His guitar work echoes the emotional turbulence of the song’s narrative while elevating the release and adding layers of complexity and familiarity, ensuring Americana aficionados won’t feel lost in the artfully arcane textures. Foretold doesn’t just belong to the country rock genre; it expands it.

If you have ever endured a relationship fated to meet an ugly demise and come out the other side imbittered by your own naivety, expect Foretold to hit hard as the guitars shimmer and the harmonies bring you to rapture.

Watch the official music video for Ami Leigh’s latest single on YouTube, add it to your Spotify playlists, or purchase the track on Apple Music.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Stone Senate delivered a spectral confession of aching emotion with their latest single, Ghost

Posted on 13 December 2023

Stone Senate’s new single Ghost resonates with a poignant blend of lyrical indie rock and Americana, capturing the essence of feeling invisible and failing to keep pace in an ever-changing world. It is a powerful testament to the band’s unique ability to evolve above their influences, transcending all expectations, on this occasion, in a spectrally scintillating style.

The essence of Ghost lies in its mellifluously captivating progressions, which will haunt you as you relate to them on an intrinsically deep level. Clint Woolsey’s smouldering, soulful vocals serve as the emotional core, delivering sonorously affecting lines that resonate with anyone grappling with feelings of obscurity and the fleeting nature of cherished memories.

The true magic of Ghost, however, is in how it balances emotional weight with a lack of self-pity. It’s a confession of aching emotion, offering comfort to those who see their own reflections in this superlative rock track. The soaring guitar solo, meticulously executed by James Beau Edwards and Ted Hennington, invites listeners into a moment of profound contemplation, seamlessly blending with the tight, bonded rhythm section of Paul Zettler on bass and David “DZ” Zettler on drums.

Stone Senate, having been compared to legends like Lynyrd Skynyrd and The Allman Brothers Band, is not content to rest on the laurels of their influences. Instead, they push boundaries, creating a sound that is distinctly and modernistically their own.

Ghost is now available to stream on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Dave Wilbert was born to take the wheel and drive in his country-rock earworm, Tractors and Trucks

Posted on 29 October 2023

Springsteen was born to run, but Dave Wilbert was born to take the wheel and drive in his country-rock earworm Tractors and Trucks, which delves beyond the stereotypes and into the intricacies of the identities of people who spend their lives outside of the city smoke.

Tractors and Trucks rips up all the tropes and cliches of country and scatters them like confetti within the anthemically polished production which will lure you in with the bluesy pop grooves and ensure you’re suitably hooked by the slide guitars which follow the solos which exhibit Dave Wilbert’s command of a fretboard.

The Fairview, Tennessee-residing artist was born and raised in rural Indiana, where he practised the hard-working virtues extolled in this infectiously feel-good hit, which will undoubtedly give those living the rural life a potent shot of pride.

Tractors and Trucks was officially released on October 6th; add it to your country-rock playlists by heading over to Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Marshall Falcon is the Dr Frankenstein of Rockabilly Revivals in ‘Last Stand @ Little Muddy Creek’

Posted on 4 October 2023

The gloves are off, and the gunpowder is packed in Marshall Falcon’s riotous rockabilly hit, Last Stand @ Little Muddy Creek. The rock-tight rhythmics are enough to make The Meteors sound as fierce as a pebble skipping across a pond, but the raucous exhilarant appeal to the inexplicably pulled-together production is just one facet of magnetism.

Falcon’s infectious personality brings the record to life in a way so visceral that he may as well add the accolade of being the Dr Frankenstein of hillbilly music to his long list of achievements.

Prior to working on his debut solo LP, Go West Young Man, which synthesises Tex-Mex fusion, hillbilly rock explosions and country soul, the Rio Bravo, Mexico-born, Houston-raised artist established some of Houston’s most revered bands in the 90s and filled support slots for everyone from Ice-T to At the Drive In. He has also championed other Houston talent with his award-winning indie music label, Broken Note Records and opened a recording studio in Oregon. It’s safe to say he’s left an ever-lasting impression on the music industry, both through his own work and the work he has supported. When his new sophomore LP drops this fall, don’t be surprised if his legacy starts to know few bounds.

For the full Last Stand @ Little Muddy Creek experience, watch the official music video, which premiered on September 20 via YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Get your recklessly raucous country rock fix with Tracy Inman’s latest single, I’m Drunk Again

Posted on 27 July 2023

When only boozy & bluesy tongue-in-cheek country rock will hit the spot, dig into the latest single, I’m Drunk Again, from the recklessly raucous singer-songwriter Tracy Inman.

From endearing accounts of encounters with bullfrogs to tales of hedonism that make Charles Bukowski sound like a lightweight to sing-along choruses and foot-stompin’ rhythmics, I’m Drunk Again delivers it all in one tidy, polished, and infectiously feel-good package.

Even though the country genre is proliferated with songs about whiskey, the St. Louis-hailing singer-songwriter still managed to pull something original out of the brown paper bag. I can only imagine how well I’m Drunk Again goes down in a live performance in crowded and bleary rooms.

Stream I’m Drunk Again on Spotify, or check out Tracy Inman via his official website.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Skip Seattle and Go to the Ozarks for Your 90s Grunge with Jeremy Phillips’ Latest Single, Crazy

Posted on 5 July 2023

Country and Grunge rarely collide, but when they do, as proven by the latest single, Crazy, from Jeremy Phillips and The Ozark Grunge, evocative firestorms spark in the gruff vocal timbre and southern rock riffs, which will take you higher than a billionaire in space.

With the raucousness scouring the soul in Crazy, the hit is rough around all the right edges, but at its core, it’s a heartfelt release strong enough to pick you up off the floor if you reach to it in your lowest moments.

While the lyrics allude to how love is one of the only acceptable forms of madness, the blazingly tight instrumentals, which will throw you right back to the 90s, sell sludged-up sanctuary. While so many artists are keen to assimilate the Seattle grunge sound, Jeremy Phillips proves the distortion sounds just as sweet in the Ozarks.

Crazy is now available to stream on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast