Eddy Lee Ryder’s new EP, Blue Hour, will be released September 15, 2023. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
Last time I wrote about this artist, it was with the news that her song Smoke and Mirrors was used in the hardcore slasher horror movie Terrifier 2. In today’s music news, Eddy Lee Ryder recently announced that her new EP, Blue Hour will be released on September 15, 2023. The announcement comes on the heels of her latest single, Holy S**t I Think I Love You, which the soulful rock belter calls her favorite song she has ever written. (Eddy Lee Ryder, 2023)
Singer, songwriter, and free spirit Eddy Lee Ryder creates haunting songs that tell dramatic stories through a slightly warped lens. Eddy’s unconventional, theatrical approach to songwriting explodes and sparkles with ‘70s good-time rock riffs, spiced with complex poetry. Proclaimed “demented pop,” her music is propelled by her charismatic voice and lyrics inspired by an intense bizarre world. Lonesome as she is wild, Ryder paints languid, sadly beautiful portraits of love and life on the margins with the moody and satirical depth of Father John Misty and the country-influenced textures of Roy Orbison or Glen Cambel but with a captivating voice all on her own.
Lonesome Ace Stringband’s upcoming Try To Make It Fly follows the trio’s legendary live show energy into a new era of Americana-leaning lyricism. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
Lonesome Ace Stringband brings grit, skill, and abandon to Americana music, bridging old-time, bluegrass and folk traditions into a seamless hybrid of original material that is at once fresh and timeless. Instrumentation alone sets this Toronto-based trio’s sound apart: consisting simply of fiddle (John Showman), clawhammer banjo (Chris Coole), and upright bass (Max Heineman). Call Lonesome Ace Stringband whatever genre you want – they are just unorthodox enough to be brilliant. The spine-tingling harmonies and interchanging lead vocals only bring more magic to the equation. They have become festival favorites at Rockygrass, Celtic Connections, Winnipeg Folk Festival, MerleFest, and regularly tour the USA, UK, Germany and, of course, Canada. With more than a decade of group music-making under their belts, they are releasing their fifth album, a feisty and mighty collection of all-original material titled Try To Make It Fly on October 13, 2023. (IV-PR, 2023)
The release of their brand new album Try To Make It Fly marks not only their reinvigorated, live-on-stage sound but also a venture into more Americana-leaning songwriting. “We have a unique take on all of the traditional material we do and wanted to keep pushing our sound to new places,” says Showman—not unlike the paths taken by legendary predecessors like John Hartford or The Band. While Lonesome Ace Stringband’s finely tuned musicianship and command of the old-time and bluegrass music catalog has garnered new listeners and premier festival slots, the trio finds comfort in reaching out to a new, song-hungry audience. “It felt like a place where we could be ourselves as writers and craft music that would fit the genre regardless of what we found ourselves writing about lyrically.” Add that to the trio’s already dynamic concoction of fiddle, banjo, and bass, and the results reveal a bright future for the ever-evolving Lonesome Ace Stringband.
Folk Radio UK premiered the album-opening track, Sweeter Sound, which features the band’s inspired, layered harmonies. The song opens with Showman’s somber fiddle pull before Coole joins in on banjo, igniting the rollicking journey to “make a sweeter sound.” According to Malone, “The opening line of the chorus, ‘Try to make it better than the way we found,’ is something of a mantra for the band. Perseverance and belief in what you love to do and trying despite evidence of success is the essence of its message.”
Fans can stream or purchase Sweeter Sound, check out Lonesome Ace Stringband’s previously-released, BBQ-flavored single Smoke on the Shoulder music video and pre-order or pre-saveTry To MakeIt Fly ahead of its October release.
Try To Make It Fly track list: Sweeter Sound Praying For Rain You’ll Be There First Frost/Blue Grouse Midnight Band Come With Me Tonight Simply Going Sideways Crossing The Junction/Deer River Smoke On The Shoulder The Echo Country Mile Lonesome Ace Number 1
Catch Lonesome Ace Stringband on tour: August 26 – Sorrento, BC – Nimble Fingers Bluegrass & Old Time Workshop and Festival September 2 – Pilesgrove, NJ – Delaware Valley Bluegrass Festival September 15-16 – Flagstaff, AZ – Pickin’ In The Pines Bluegrass & Acoustic Music Festival September 19 – Nashville, TN – AMERICANAFEST October 18 – Cambridge, MA – Club Passim October 19 – Exeter, NH – The Wood Barn October 20 – Saratoga Springs, NY – Caffe Lena October 21 – Brownfield, ME – Stone Mountain Arts Center October 22 – Greenfield, MA – Hawks & Reed October 23 – New York, NY – City Vineyard at Pier 26 October 25 – Vienna, VA – Jammin’ Java October 26 – Oberlin, OH – Music at Riverdog October 28 – Manitowoc, WI – Sabbatical Brewing Co. October 29 – Holland, MI – Park Theatre October 30 – Ann Arbour, MI – The Ark November 1 – Toronto, ON – The Tranzac Club November 22 – Edmonton, AB – Northern Bluegrass Circle Music Society November 23 – Saskatoon, SK – The Bassment November 24 – Red Deer, AB – The Velvet Olive November 25 – Calgary, AB – Foothills Bluegrass Circle Music Society November 27 – Missoula, MT – Longstaff House November 29 – Sisters, OR – The Belfry December 1 – Portland, OR – McMenamins White Eagle Saloon & Hotel December 2 – Seattle, WA – Ballard Homestead December 3 – Victoria, BC – Victoria Event Centre December 4 – Vancouver, BC – The Anza Club December 5 – Oliver, BC – The Oliver Theatre
Evocative and enchanting, Stella Prince releases her 8th single, Two Faced, with Steve Fishell on August 4, 2023. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
Born and raised in Woodstock, NY, Stella Prince is the only child of creative parents. She was immersed in music from an early age thanks to her parents’ extensive all-genre CD collection and her frequent attendance at concerts where she first encountered artists like Levon Helm, Amy Helm, Pete Seeger, Peter Yarrow (of Peter, Paul and Mary), Tracy Bonham, and Natalie Merchant. Growing up, Stella was also heavily influenced by pop and oldies music; she has always known that she wanted to be a performer for as long as she can remember. In 2021, she began to release music and play live, travel to Nashville and Los Angeles, gain representation in the music industry, and book her own performances. Stella released four singles in 2021: “The Rain Might Fall,” “Scared,” “Before You Leave,” and “Alone for the Holidays.” Stella is thrilled to continue to release music into 2023 with her 8th single, “Two Faced,” featuring Steve Fishell on steel guitar. It will be independently released on August 4. (Dreamspider Publicity, 2023)
Authentic and from-the-heart, Stella Prince’s melodies delve deep into your spirit with her evocative and relatable songs. Her poetic lyrics, in tandem with the atmospheric sounds of her vocals, acoustic guitar, and musical compositions, appeal to a diverse, multi-generational audience. Stella Prince’s musical influences span decades—from country and folk music’s renowned voices of Judy Garland, Karen Carpenter, Patsy Cline, Emmylou Harris, and Dolly Parton; to the pop icon Taylor Swift. Think Country Press says, “Imagine the perfect mixture of Joan Baez, Joni Mitchell, and Judy Collins all packed into one young musician.” Fans can pre-save “Two Faced” ahead of the release.
For this newest single, Stella had the pleasure of working with Steve Fishell, a Nashville-based pedal steel guitarist, Grammy-winning record producer, and educator. Emotionally moving from the start, accentuated by Fishell’s pedal steel, with the harrowing opening lines, “You got her right where you wanted… Lonely enough so she’d take the bait… Blinded by words that were only an empty promise… Desperation paves way for mistakes.” The heart of the song is in the chorus: ‘There’s all kinds of empty… but the hardest one to take… is lies that seem tempting… Loneliness is two faced.’ Self produced, “Two Faced” was recorded at the legendary Sound Stage Studios on Music Row in Nashville with Sound Engineer Kameron Luchterhand.
“My big goal is for someone to play my song and think, ‘That’s exactly how I feel…’ I want my songs to resonate with everyone, every generation, every issue: loneliness, fear, all of that.” – Stella Prince
Christian Parker breaths new life into the Byrd’s classic country leaning album with new LP Sweethearts. It will be out August 18, 2023. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
Christian Parker is an American recording artist, guitarist and songwriter. He knows his way around a song, and his musical vision enables him to deliver electrifying licks on rock anthems as well as cascading layers of acoustic guitar on ballads of love and loss. Parker started taking guitar lessons when he was 12, the day after John Lennon was killed, and learned how to play “Rocky Racoon” that same night. The New York-based musician released his first album, Reflections of Tomorrow, when he was 17, launching a music career devoted to introspective songwriting marked by its attention to the world around him. Since then he has released six studio albums, including his forthcoming Sweethearts, Parker’s version of the classic Byrds’ album Sweethearts of the Rodeo. His albums have earned him praise from No Depression, Blues Blast, and Jambands. His most recent, Every Passing Mile and Best Kept Secret, contain previously unreleased material written over the last two decades. In addition to his solo work, Parker has played lead guitar in the Waydown Wailers, rockers who have shared stages with Z.Z. Top, Charlie Daniels, Lady A, and New Riders of the Purple Sage. (IV-PR, 2023)
On August 18, Parker will release his version of the Byrds’ now-legendary country-rocker, Sweethearts of the Rodeo. Titled Sweethearts, it features his rollicking band and support from pianist Earl Poole Ball and pedal steel from JayDee Maness—both of whom played on the original record back in 1968.
Just as then-new Byrds member Gram Parsons loved the Louvin Brothers, Merle Haggard, and Cindy Walker—and wanted to deliver faithful versions of their songs “The Christian Life,” “Life in Prison,” and “Blue Canadian Rockies”—so Parker delivers the Byrds’ versions in tender renditions that capture the groundbreaking character of the original album. Throughout Sweethearts, Parker’s vocals echo the purity of Parsons’ efforts to import the clarity of county music into vibrant rock rhythms. In addition to the original eleven songs on Sweethearts of the Rodeo, Parker has included three more classics: “I Still Miss Someone,” “Satisfied Mind,” and “Drugstore Truck Driving Man.”
Parker shared the first single from Sweethearts, the album-opening “You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere” with premiere partner The Bluegrass Situation. “I first heard this song by Bob Dylan on an acoustic guitar. But I was hooked when I listened to the opening pedal steel guitar on the Byrds album,” says Parker. “This song was in my repertoire for decades, and I felt like I was recording an old friend. Tracer James’ interpretation of Lloyd Greens’ pedal steel guitar opens Sweethearts up perfectly and having Earl Poole Ball in the studio, who played piano on the original version, was magical for me.” Finding room between James’ scampering steel licks and Ball’s gospel-inflected piano runs, Parker delivers the song’s iconic refrain: “Whoo-ee, ride me high / Tomorrow’s the day my bride’s gonna come.” The cascading piano on the outré is Parker’s distinctive take on this buoyant song.
Fans can hear “You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere” now at this link and pre-order or pre-saveSweethearts ahead of its August 18 release.
Sweethearts track list: You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere I Am A Pilgrim The Christian Life You Don’t Miss Your Water You’re Still On My Mind Pretty Boy Floyd I Still Miss Someone Hickory Wind One Hundred Years From Now Blue Canadian Rockies Life In Prison Nothing Was Delivered Satisfied Mind Drugstore Truck Driving Man
William Matheny’s new album That Grand, Old Feeling will be out August 4, 2023. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
William Matheny is a West Virginia-based singer-songwriter whose brand of Americana music is firmly steeped in the Appalachian storytelling tradition. Written and recorded before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Matheny’s latest record That Grand, Old Feeling is his most expansive work yet, taking narrative inspiration from the eclectic characters who inhabit dive motels and roadside haunts and sonic cues from the work of artists like Magnolia Electric Co. and Drive-By Truckers. Highlights include the slick, brooding “Every Way to Lose,” which Matheny wrote after discovering Alabama’s Wall of Jericho trailhead, and “Down at the Hotel Canfield,” the latter inspired by a visit to a real hotel in Dubuque, IA, that infamously boasts a ghastly history. (IV-PR, 2023)
“Grand Old Feeling” is the first single from Matheny’s new album That Grand, Old Feeling—out August 4 via Hickman Holler / Thirty Tigers. That Grand, Old Feeling follows Matheny’s 2017 album Strange Constellations, which drew critical acclaim from outlets like NPR and PopMatters. Matheny recorded the LP with producer Bud Carroll at Trackside Studio in Point Pleasant, WV. Carroll joins the proceedings on guitar, with Adam L. Meisterhans (guitar), Clint Sutton (drums), Jeremy Batten (piano, organ), John R. Miller (bass, vocals), and J. Tom Hnatow (pedal steel) rounding out the band, and recent Grammy-winner Justin Francis mixed the final product. All of these fantastic players are fellow West Virginians and Matheny’s longtime friends.
Fans can hear “Grand Old Feeling” at this link and pre-saveThat Grand, Old Feeling; fans can pre-order the album straight from Matheny ahead of its August 4 release right here.
Matheny’s style is that of a keen-eyed observer whose stories exist in a beautifully between-the-lines style narrative; equal parts curious and compassionate. Lines in “Grand Old Feeling” like “My mother once said ‘son, you’re a good man,’ like she was trying to convince herself” let the listeners in on more of the story than pages of simple narrative could, granting Matheny more real estate within a four-minute song to bring to life his “grand old feeling” of what it all means. While his personal examples come from years of touring, Matheny admits that the “grand old feeling” isn’t just about his gigging musician life. “For the non-road dogs out there, I imagine you’ve been looking too, maybe in some different places than me, but I’m sure you’ve been searching all the same,” he says. “Speaking to you pilgrim to pilgrim, I hope you find it.”
The song Billions Of Suns is from their new album Afterworld. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
In music news today, if you are into death metal, Carcariass recently released a new lyric video from their latest studio album.
This month, French melodic death proggers Carcariass unveiled a brand new lyric video for Billions Of Suns, the third single from their sixth studio album Afterworld, out now. Afterworld is available for purchase via Bandcamp. (Ebony Jeanette, 2023)
“Billions Of Suns evokes a gigantic Intergalactic Empire and its Inquisition, which ensures that the immutable word of the Emperor-God is respected to the very ends of the universe and exterminates all opposition!” – Carcariass
Released in March, Afterworld was recorded and mixed by “Drop” (Samael guitarist) at Downtone Studio in Switzerland. Jens Bogren (Arch Enemy, Amon Amarth, Sepultura, At The Gates) mastered the album at Fascination Street Studio in Sweden and produced by GSI Records.
For another taste of Afterworld, check out the first two album singles, No Aftermath and The Hive now.
Carcariass is: Pascal Lanquetin (musical composition and lead guitars) Jerome Thomas (vocals) Bertrand Simonin (drums) Raphaël Couturier (bass) Bob (rhythm guitar for live shows)
Afterworld track list: 01- No Aftermath 02- Billions of Suns 03- Identity 04- Angst 05- Fall of an Empire 06- Black Rain 07- Generational Rot 08- The Hive 09- Machine Kult 10- Afterworld
“Masterpiece!” -METALLIAN
“An album of impressive musical richness and extreme beauty.” -HARDFORCE
“The guitar solos are breathtakingly musical.” -ROCK HARD Magazine
“A highly entertaining listen with the right grooves put in place to demonstrate a keen sense of harmony. – HEAVY MUSIC HQ
Dallas Burrow paints a full circle picture of his home with the first song “River Town” from his upcoming Jonathan Tyler-produced album Blood Brothers. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
Dallas Burrow, a Texas-born Americana artist rooted in the tradition of his home state’s songwriting heroes, built a career on both sides of the Atlantic with his 2019 debut Southern Wind. It reached Number 25 on the UK Americana Chart and Number 4 on the US Alt-Country chart, paving the way for a string of cross-country shows alongside fellow road warriors like Charley Crockett. For Burrow—a lifelong explorer who had spent his 20s on the move, chasing his muse across most of America and Europe while rubbing shoulders with luminaries like Bob Dylan and Dr. John—being so far away from home felt natural. Even so, he began missing the stability of his new life back in Texas, where he had built a family and gotten sober. His second album, 2021’s Dallas Burrow, marked both a symbolic and literal homecoming for the songwriter, who recorded the material with modern-day legend Bruce Robison in the rural Texas countryside. His new album Blood Brothers finds Burrow telling the story of his musical roots, his father’s influence on his craft, and his own personal journey as a songwriter; all in his signature, gravely baritone. (IV-PR, 2023)
“River Town,” the opening track from his upcoming album Blood Brothers, rides a pulsing country backbeat and is dressed up with a fiddle, organ, electric guitar, and producer Jonathan Tyler singing harmonies. It tells the true story of Burrow’s small-town Texas upbringing, the leaving, and the coming back to start a family. “After getting in a little trouble, doing a lot of traveling, fast living, and soul searching—and finally meeting my wife and starting to settle down a little—in the end, I realized just what a beautiful area it was to live after all, and the perfect place for us to raise a kid,” he says. The Bluegrass Situation premiered the single, diving more into the backstory.
Fans can hear “River Town” at this link and watch the video for Burrow’s previously-released single, “Out My Window” here.
With Blood Brothers, Burrow wanted to chase something a little more refined and a little more polished than his previous two efforts: Southern Wind and Dallas Burrow. With the creative vision and technical talent of producer Jonathan Tyler, Burrow took everything he had learned from the last two album cycles, plus a lot more experience on tour, and brought a new outlook—not to mention what he calls “some of the best songs I’ve ever written”—into the recording studio, crafting his best work to date. Existing fans of Burrow’s will find his instantly recognizable songs sung in his signature gravelly tone, but there are hints of something deeper afoot. Musically, the pair of Burrow and Tyler chased down new tones influenced by everything from Stax to Muscle Shoals to New Orleans, but lyrically, Burrow’s journey through his own history and influences steals the show. “The songs on Blood Brothers tell about where I’m from, where I’ve been, what I’ve done, and what I’ve seen,” he says.
Blood Brothers track list: River Town Starry Eyes Devil’s Tongue Out My Window Motel 6 A Lot of it Was Only Game in Town Blood Brothers Mr. Mudd and Mr. Gold X Old Flames Wild Bill You Go On Ahead True Believer
Catch Dallas Burrow on tour: June 23 – San Antonio, TX – The Lonesome Rose June 24 – San Marcos, TX – Cheatham Street Warehouse June 30 – Houston, TX – The Mucky Duck July 7 & 8 – Red River, NM – Motherlode Saloon July 21 – New Braunfels, TX – Freiheit Country Store Jul 22 – Luckenbach, TX – Luckenbach Dancehall July 29 – Hunter, TX – Riley’s Tavern August 2 – La Grande, OR – Union County August 3 – Portland, OR – Topaz Farm August 4 – Sisters, OR – The Belfry August 5 – Carson City, NV – Nashville Social Club August 6 – Arbuckle, CA – Burgie’s August 7 – Bakersfield, CA – Pyrenees Cafe August 9 – Santa Cruz, CA – Moe’s Alley August 10 – Los Angeles, CA – Zebulon August 11 & 12 – Lake Havasu, AZ – Jermey’s Juke Joint August 13 – Mesa, AZ – Roosters Country August 25 – Kingsbury, TX – 1281 Sherrill Rd August 26 – New Braunfels, TX – Riley’s Tavern September 8 – Driftwood, TX – Wings Over September 22 – La Grange, TX – Bugle Boy September 23 – Boerne, TX – Salvador DOBBS September 30 – Red River, NM – Motherlode Saloon November 25 – New Braunfels, TX – Riley’s Tavern
From Here To Home will be released June 30, 2023. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
Legendary, Saxon Pub-bred quartet The South Austin Moonlighters were riding high on the success of their 2019 opus Travel Light with top billing on the alt-country charts and festival appearances throughout the U.S. and Europe when the world came crashing to a screeching halt in 2020. Fortunately for the band and their fans alike, the Moonlighters are veterans of Austin’s scrappy, DIY music scene and were never going to let a little loss of momentum stop them. With the help of a wildly successful crowdfunding campaign, The South Austin Moonlighters—Lonnie Trevino Jr., Chris Beall, Daniel James, and Hunter St. Marie—took to the studio with producer Steve Berlin and got right back in the saddle, cutting ten tunes that would eventually become their brand new album, From Here To Home. (IV-PR, 2023)
At its core, From Here To Home is an album of rebirth and acknowledgement. It is a recognition of where The South Austin Moonlighters have been, and a peek at all of the exciting places they are going and want to head towards in the future. “From Here To Home is a journey back to rediscovering why we started doing this in the first place,” Trevino Jr. says, before his co-conspirator helps him complete the thought in a way only the closest of collaborators can: “Because that’s the only thing we want to do–make joyous music.”
The South Austin Moonlighters recently released their first single from From Here To Home, the bouncing, half-time groove of “Make A Livin’”; a deceptively deep, upbeat song about what it really means to make ends meet for a family. “What should we be providing?’’ asks Beall, who wrote the song with his good friend Rodney Black. He expands, “Surely ‘ourselves’ would be the most important thing, and yet there are multiple generations of parents working so much they rarely see their kids. Lots of folks have to work like that, unfortunately. But could there be a ‘line’ that gets crossed when too much is just ‘too much?’ The TV bill, the new car, the nicer house….maybe we should let go of a few of those things and not have to be shackled to the workplace to pay for them.” Packaged within textures of gritty guitars and vintage bass thump, “Make A Livin’” is one of those rare songs that makes listeners dance and think, and that quality is the Moonlighters’ party piece that runs from beginning to end of From Here To Home.
Fans can listen to “Make A Livin’” today at this link and pre-order or pre-saveFrom Here To Home ahead of its June 30 release. The South Austin Moonlighters are back on the road; tour dates can be found below or online.
From Here To Home track list: Nashville Make A Livin’ Long Time Coming Box Of Memories Faded Into Gray Hearts In Parallel From Here to Home Then Away Farewell It’s Only Money (That Makes The World Go ‘Round) Delta Man
Catch The South Austin Moonlighters On Tour: June 16 – Austin, TX – Waterloo Records In-Store Record Release June 23 – Conroe, TX – Red Brick Tavern June 24 – Austin TX – 3Ten – Album Release Show July 1 – Houston, TX – McGonigel’s Mucky Duck August 3 – Estes Park, CO – Listening at the Legion August 4 – Telluride, CO – Mountain Village Summer Concert Series August 5 – Silverton, CO – Columbine Roadhouse Gatorfest August 11th – Dallas, TX – Morton Meyerson Symphony Center (Los Lobos support)
Colter Wall’s new album Little Songs will be out July 14, 2023. Photo: Google
Colter Wall and his music are from the prairies of southern Saskatchewan, where he lives and works. He is a La Honda Records/RCA Records recording artist and has appeared abroad, including Austin City Limits and most recently at the Ponoka Stampede. “Evangelina” is the first release from Wall’s upcoming album, Little Songs which is due out on July 14 via Wall’s longtime label La Honda Records and new partner RCA Records. On Little Songs, Wall’s fans will find the same hardscrabble voice they have loved over the years connecting the contemporary world to the values, hardships, and celebrations of rural life. The ten-song LP features eight originals inspired by—and written in—Wall’s home of Battle Creek, Saskatchewan, along with a Hoyt Axton cut and a cover of Ian Tyson’s “The Coyote & The Cowboy.” (IV-PR, 2023)
“Evangelina,” originally written and recorded by Hoyt Axton, paints a thirsty picture of longing and half-laid plans to chase down a lost love; all backed up by a band steeped in the traditional sounds of Wall’s prairie homelands. Fans can hear “Evangelina” at this link and pre-order or pre-saveLittle Songs ahead of its July 14 release right here. Wall is also gearing up for two rare live appearances at Denver’s Dusty Boots festival on July 1 and Montana’s Under The Big Sky on July 14. More information and tickets are available online.
With his longtime touring band, Wall returned to Yellowdog Studios in Wimberly, Texas, where he cut his 2020, Billboard-charting album, Western Swing & Waltzes and Other Punchy Songs, to track the ten tunes that make up Little Songs. With co-producer Patrick Lyons, Wall tracked eight original songs and two fan-favorite covers from Ian Tyson and Hoyt Axton. Little Songs is an upbeat, sometimes somber glimpse into the rural work and social life of the Canadian West, and, more so than with previous albums, opens emotional turns as mature and heartening as the resonant baritone voice writing them.
This release of new music follows the recent partnership between Wall’s longtime label La Honda Records and RCA Records, with Little Songs as the first album on the joint venture. Prior to the new album, Wall released two standalone singles—“Cypress Hills and the Big Country” and a cover of Cowboy Jack Clement’s “Let’s All Help the Cowboys (Sing the Blues)”—as well as the 2020 LP Western Swings & Waltzes and Other Punchy Songs and Colter Wall and the Scary Prairie Boys’ Live In Front Of Nobody, a 2021 livestream, full-band show turned indie record store, vinyl-only release–a coveted and limited release.
Little Songs track list: Prairie Evening/Sagebrush Waltz Standing Here Corralling The Blues The Coyote & The Cowboy Honky Tonk Nighthawk For a Long While Cow/Calf Blue Yodel Little Songs Evangelina The Last Loving Words
Chris Shiflett turns out another LA-meets-Nashville country rocker in Dead and Gone. Photo: Google
Punk veteran. Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee. Americana and rock songwriter. Modern-day guitar hero. For more than 25 years, Chris Shiflett has blurred the lines between genre and generation, balancing his full-band projects with a thriving solo career. Named “Americana’s biggest rockstar” by Rolling Stone, Shiflett has played a crucial role in shaping the sound and scope of modern-day rock music as a longtime member of the Foo Fighters. He is also an alum of California-based punk rock bands No Use For a Name and Me First and the Gimme Gimmes. Shiflett’s latest releases refocus his attention on a mix of country twang and rock & roll bang, showcasing the full range of his musical abilities. Dead And Gone is his latest single. (IV-PR, 2023)
“It’s kind of classic country chords,” says Chris Shiflett about his brand new tune Dead And Gone. He is not wrong, but it is so much more than that. The two-step-ish feel is there, as are the sweet dobro playing of Charlie Worsham and the swampy tremolo guitar tones of Tom Bukovac, but a wildly fuzzy electric guitar fills the space between Shiflett’s slightly overdriven and doubled vocal lines. He stomps on another pedal for his solo that splits his guitar into three whole octaves of in-your-face chicken pickin’ licks. That is country, for sure, but it is also very rock and roll. The first song he tracked with Jaren Johnston producing, Dead And Gone touches on some old friends of Shiflett’s who, as the first verse goes, “Passed away, just another Saturday night mystery.” “My hometown was an odd mix of luxury paradise and working-class grit and continues to be a bottomless pit of lyrical inspiration,” says Shiflett. “Sad to say there’s been more than a few friends who’ve left us too soon, so there are lots of stories there…kind of a lost generation.” Fans can hear Dead And Gone right now.
Written spring 2020, recorded spring 2021, and played live ever since, Dead And Gone is the second look into a brand new Chris Shiflett album due out in 2023 via his new label home at Blue Élan Records, the Los Angeles-based independent label celebrating its 9th anniversary this year. Fans will hear more about the Jaren Johnston-produced LP in the coming months but can count on hearing an album that represents Shiflett’s fully realized vision of connecting L.A. to Nashville. “A big part of my inspiration to work with Jaren on this record was because I knew he’d push me out of my comfort zone into new territory,” Shiflett says. Fans can also check out the first track from the upcoming album, Black Top White Lines.
In addition to the release of Dead And Gone, Shiflett was just announced as part of the Americanafest 2023 lineup. The long-running event takes place in Nashville on September 19-23.
SA Examiner 